Life is all about Choices...

Enlighten me if your country also has nation-wide language campaigns. The Speak Good English Movement (SGEM) was launched in Singapore in 2000 by our PM Gok Chok Tong to encourage Singaporeans to speak grammatically correct English. ( http://www.goodenglish.org.sg/ )

I'm not sure how effective this campaign has been doing but at least, it has perhaps raise the awareness among some.
Yes it is important to speak Good English but at the same time, Singlish is something that makes us Singaporeans unique. Anywhere u go, just by hearing the English spoken by a Singaporean u'll recognise immediately your fellow country man. It's something i don't think we should feel ashame of. On the other hand, i must admit that there must be a balance. I sat before on the bus, in the toilet, standing in queue and hearing how our young and working people communicate with one another, compared to English spoken perfectly by some foreigner, somehow it seems more comfortable hearing Good English being spoken.

Well, i don't wish to see banning of 'use of singlish' but i think locals should also know when to use, and when to speak Good English. If usage of singlish goes out of hand, i think it'll reach a point where one can't even recognised if it's English anymore. And this isn't going to do us any good if we're going global with English as our main spoken language in communication.

I am surprised to learn that the Speak Mandarin Campaign was launched as early as 1979 by our then PM Lee Kuan Yew. ( http://www.mandarin.org.sg/site/ )It was only recently that i'm aware of the 'Huayu Cool' raising awareness on speaking mandarin. With China coming up and more and more Singaporeans venturing to China for work, Mandarin is getting it's attention increasingly.

I'm not aware of other countries having language campaigns. Singapore is truely a country where government really looked into the well-being of the people and the country. Even educating people on languages. Well, a nanny-state? u have your own take.

Event: Thai Festival 2008
Date: 5 - 9 June, 10am - 9pm
Venue: Royal Thai Embassy

Feature: This year marks the 7th Thai Festival organized by Royal Thai Embassy and Team Thailand. Join us in the Thai Festival and enjoy widespread of authentic Thai food and snacks! Bring home for yourself, as well as your loved ones, Thai products flown in especially for the festival. It brings together also, a variety of Thai fruits (including the famous Thai Golden Pillow) and cuisine, Thai fashion, jewelry, beer and Thai fine wine. After a day of hard work, immerse yourself in traditional Thai massage which will ease stress and fatigue. Also, the Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts from Ramkhamhaeng University which proved to extremely popular last year will be back in town to perform breathtaking classical Thai dance performance, Kon.

Do take part in our lucky draw and stand a chance to win attractive prizes, including a free air fare to Thailand!

visit: http://www.thaiembassy.sg/calendar.html

I was eagerly searching for a nice picture for another site but stumbled upon my own pictures and videos my friend took of me when i just grad from school. 4-5yrs ago u can say.
Can u believe it now, i can't believe that was me then. Even i can't believe myself, Even i shook my head. I can imagine & understand why mum was so upset over me then. As i click on each year, i see the change with time. Tired times, rebellious times, friends times, etc..
No wonder people says u're wiser with age, not about being smarter or more intelligent, but seeing more things in life experiences, maturing and seeing yourself grow.
I'm not smart nor have special talents, nor do i ask for them. This journey makes me treasure people around me more, and appreciate life and each breathing moment.
My energy has died down quite a fair bit but hope there's still fire left out there somewhere in the correct way I don't want to go down that lane again.. well, i wasn't that bad to the extreme.
I'm lucky to have a sister who saved my 'life' twice, my turning points are where she is.
My big brother who always never fails to be so demanding in understanding the mathematics concepts than giving me answers, my maths was so much better with him around. Cannot do without him when computer breaks down wahaha.

well, i have a fantastic family..words can't describe. We all grow together don't we?
Pls treasure your loved ones.. u don't want to wait for another disaster to hit the world to realise and regret.

I pray for the children and survivors in China & Myanmar to be be able to get the needed help & be strong to move on in their journey ahead into the future.

Argh, have been trying to change my blog pic but to no avail boohoohoo. How i wish There's a blog site i can put up free flow of pictures without size limit & user friendly and FREE or course. I'm a hunger for freebies bwhahaa. That will be good. Cos it's time i want to do a re-vamp, changing to a new theme would be interesting.. aki getting bored...time for some light hearted moments right.

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duh, i think i have to use another website to do the job...just wait up for another new site add on. Will still keep this as this is my first baby site

Another forwarded email from a friend
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Author: Stephen Covey
Discover the 90/10 Principle.
It will change your life (at least the way you react to situations).
What is this principle? 10% of life is made up of what happens to you. 90% of life is decided by how you react.
What does this mean? We really have no control over 10% of what happens to us.
We cannot stop the car from breaking down. The plane will be late arriving, which throws our whole schedule off. A driver may cut us off in traffic.
We have no control over this 10%. The other 90% is different. You determine the other 90%.
How? ……….By your reaction.
You cannot control a red light. but you can control your reaction. Don't let people fool you; YOU can control how you react.
Let's use an example.
You are eating breakfast with your family. Your daughter knocks over a cup of coffee onto your business shirt. You have no control over what just happened.
What happens next will be determined by how you react.
You curse.
You harshly scold your daughter for knocking the cup over. She breaks down in tears. After scolding her, you turn to your spouse and criticize her for placing the cup too close to the edge of the table. A short verbal battle follows. You storm upstairs and change your shirt. Back downstairs, you find your daughter has been too busy crying to finish breakfast and get ready for school. She misses the bus.
Your spouse must leave immediately for work. You rush to the car and drive your daughter to school. Because you are late, you drive 40 miles an hour in a 30 mph speed limit.
After a 15-minute delay and throwing $60 traffic fine away, you arrive at school. Your daughter runs into the building without saying goodbye. After arriving at the office 20 minutes late, you find you forgot your briefcase. Your day has started terrible. As it continues, it seems to get worse and worse. You look forward to coming home.
When you arrive home, you find small wedge in your relationship with your spouse and daughter.
Why? …. Because of how you reacted in the morning.
Why did you have a bad day?
A) Did the coffee cause it?
Did your daughter cause it?
C) Did the policeman cause it?
D) Did you cause it?
The answer is “D".
You had no control over what happened with the coffee. How you reacted in those 5 seconds is what caused your bad day.
Here is what could have and should have happened.
Coffee splashes over you. Your daughter is about to cry. You gently say, "Its ok honey, you just need to be more careful next time". Grabbing a towel you rush upstairs. After grabbing a new shirt and your briefcase, you come back down in time to look through the window and see your child getting on the bus. She turns and waves. You arrive 5 minutes early and cheerfully greet the staff. Your boss comments on how good the day you are having.
Notice the difference?
Two different scenarios. Both started the same. Both ended different.
Why?
Because of how you REACTED.
You really do not have any control over 10% of what happens. The other 90% was determined by your reaction.
Here are some ways to apply the 90/10 principle. If someone says something negative about you, don't be a sponge. Let the attack roll off like water on glass. You don't have to let the negative comment affect you!
React properly and it will not ruin your day. A wrong reaction could result in losing a friend, being fired, getting stressed out etc.
How do you react if someone cuts you off in traffic? Do you lose your temper? Pound on the steering wheel? A friend of mine had the steering wheel fall off) Do you curse? Does your blood pressure skyrocket? Do you try and bump them?
WHO CARES if you arrive ten seconds later at work? Why let the cars ruin your drive?
Remember the 90/10 principle, and do not worry about it.
You are told you lost your job.
Why lose sleep and get irritated? It will work out. Use your worrying energy and time into finding another job.
The plane is late; it is going to mangle your schedule for the day. Why take outpour frustration on the flight attendant? She has no control over what is going on.
Use your time to study, get to know the other passenger. Why get stressed out? It will just make things worse.
Now you know the 90-10 principle. Apply it and you will be amazed at the results. You will lose nothing if you try it. The 90-10 principle is incredible. Very few know and apply this principle.
The result?
Millions of people are suffering from undeserved stress, trials, problems and heartache. We all must understand and apply the 90/10 principle.
It CAN change your life!!!

Dwindling fire,
Longing for the heat,
Wanting to rekindle,
yet dying slowly.

The burning fire
so uncontainable once,
now fighting with the wind,
darkness grew.
Where is the bright flame.
Lighting through the night.
Slowly & weakly,
engulfed by the dark.