Search the Community

Some of the short trips taken in 2024. Finally compiled them and dump them into the gallery below. http://www.keehian.com/japan2024/ FIrst trip was Chinese new Year 2024 to Tokyo area. It was just a few days by scoot I think. Just stayed around Tokyo area.

First photo of the trip. My wife got pickpocketed on the first day when we reach Barcelona sants station from the airport. Lost some money but thankfully no important documents. In our time in Barcelona Sants, we saw quite a few people reporting stuff to the police there... They have a small police office on station but you have to travel to another place to report the theft for insurance claim. Waiting for like 1 hour for a "translator" until the receptionist officer took pity on us and help us file the report. rest of the police is like totally useless and ignore you... We don't even want to catch the thief, just want to file the report and get it done. I have done a police report many many years ago in Austria for a lost Ipad and that took like a few minutes.....

I took some time and redid my travel photos into a 4k video.The last time I did this was 6 years back and it was just full HD. Added the new pics and up the resolution. You can see the camera's many years ago does not have enough resolution for 4k. Please view it in 4k 🙂

Glasgow. UK christmas trip, finally did all the photos. \

I've always wanted to own an SUV, with the commanding position, high hip point for entry and good boot size. So I recently decided to take a walk around the showrooms, with a basic search and some requirements: - five seats minimum, seven is a bonus, but basically a good size rather than a tiny one - high hip point - good boot size - not too slow 0-100 (under 11) - I'll need storage, good safety and things that a family with a young baby will appreciate I don't speed, but sometimes you need a bit of zoom to join traffic and drive up Genting or overtake and I do go to M'sia often. That also means EVs are a bit more tricky My mileage is low, 10-12k a year on average. Now, my car isn't due for another 3 plus years, but I wanted to see what's out there and I'm just sharing my findings here and my choices are purely personal, as YMMV.. I didn't have a specific budget, but I soon realised that most of the choices hover around the 200k mark, and this is almost twice what they used to cost due to the COE. Hybrids aren't my first choice due to my low mileage, and the cost of a battery replacement is a big deal, so even EVs are a bit tricky, but the number of petrol only cars are limited. The EV motors are also not great for the Malaysia jaunts, and CVTs are less desirable than autos, but you have to be careful which DCT you choose.. Cheers

Taxis can’t seem to catch a break lately. Touting, overcharging, and now possible injury of their own customers. What happened? A family had taken a ComfortDelGro Taxi and to somerset dropped off at the usual 313 spot. It’s a routine drop off as the passengers exit, but things go awry when one lady closes the boot. For some reason, the taxi driver started moving despite one of the doors still being open, right as the dad (or uncle, granddad) goes to pick up a small child from the backseat. It seemed the taxi driver did not realise not everyone had alighted until it was too late, and both man and child fell to the ground. Uncle heard the boot close and was immediately hunting for the next fare. Didn’t even get out to make sure they were ok. Luckily, it seems no one was injured, and the family seemed relieved enough at that as they did not pursue the matter any further. Online chatter Netizens however were not as forgiving, wondering how the taxi driver could be so blur, and didn’t even go check on the adult and child. Others praised the family for being so merciful to the taxi driver. ========= Be the first to get the latest road/ COE news and get first dibs on exclusive promos and giveaways in our Telegram SGCM Community. Join us today!

In any other country, this may not be a shocking sight. But this is Singapore, so it IS a shocking sight. Watch the video to see why! What happened? A camcar travelling along Kallang Road to Sim avenue was very impressed to see a family of 4 travelling on an e-bike at 60km/h. The mother was calmly leaning back as she took a call, the two children sitting there and the father expertly keeping the bike balanced. Never rode an e-bike before so riders, comment down below how difficult this would be! Behind the camera, someone can be heard saying “Steady Lah... Vietnam style!” For context, entire families taking a singular bike for transport is common in our neighbouring countries, such as Vietnam. Here’s one from India. And here’s another from Indonesia. Usually, this happens when the families are unable to afford a car, and so can only depend on bikes as public transport may not be considered safe or reliable enough. With how COE prices are going, we can all be grateful that our public transport is among the best in the world. Online chatter Quite a few thought the video was in Vietnam until the Singlish commentary started. Others were angry as there seemed to be no action taken by the authorities to prevent such dangerous behaviour on our roads, especially since they are going well over the 25km/h speed limit set for e-bikes. ========= Be the first to get the latest road/ COE news and get first dibs on exclusive promos and giveaways in our Telegram SGCM Community. Join us today!

My first overseas vacation in more than 2 years.....

went for a 1 week trip to Kyoto during the school holidays. Will post the food pics first. Katsukura in Kyoto. Supposedly the most famous tonkatsu in Kyoto according to my hotel receptionist 🙂 Not that expensive too. I thought it was good value for money and must try. Quite a few branches in Kyoto. DON'T try Unagi Sora. It is the most highly rated unagi shop on google map... I went and saw they give discount for google reviews.... which is like really rare in Japan... As expected, the meal is expensive and so-so....

Flew to Copenhagen in June and then went to Billund, Hamburg, Amsterdam, Cologne, Berlin and back to Copenhagen. Legoland First stop.

Alpaca World.

This is a good start The bosses interviewed said the surcharge is similar to previous years and has not been significantly increased due to recent inflation.

My last trip in June to France after covid, I did not really get any photos I really really liked which was quite disappointing. I got one really good photo this trip. This is probably my best photo of the trip. 2022, Fussen, Germany.

Mont St Michel

<Dodge Sets 2024 Death Date For Charger And Challenger To Make Way For The Brand's "eMuscle" The best selling muscle cars in America will be gone in the next two years as Dodge transitions EVs Dodge Charger and Challenger Jailbreak models. Image: Dodge It’s finally happening: The Dodge Charger and Challenger muscle machines will be no more by 2024. Motor Trend spoke with Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis about the brand’s plans for the next two years as the company tries to appease muscle fans and appeal to EV buyers. Kuniskis is aware that a lot of people won’t be happy with the direction the brand is taking (he’s already receiving death threats for the changes). He calls it, “feeding the beast.” Image: Dodge The discontinuation of the Charger and Challenger, and the start to the brand’s EV models are all a bigger part of its “Never Lift” plan. Within the 24 months of the plan, Dodge plans to release special editions of each departing model: Editions they think will get people talking like the recently introduced Jailbreak. It’s really more of a softening of the blow to muscle car fans who will soon be robbed of their Hemi fix from the brand. Image: Dodge So, you’re asking, “what’s replacing the Charger and Challenger?” Those of you waiting for an EV muscle car won’t have to wait long. Kuniskis says a concept version of the “muscle EV” is coming in the next four or five months. And in a surprising nod to automotive outlets, it’ll be able to be driven and tested. Dodge also has a plug-in hybrid expected to go into production at the end of 2022. We speculate it may be a version of the Durango, but Kuniskis didn’t say whether or not the Durango would be moving to a new platform or if the model would be around at all. A third new model is also in the works. Kuniskis is light on details, but says “The third one is going to be a very, very, very, significant car at the end of the year.” And in a move that should make our very own Jason Torchinsky very happy, Dodge’s made up Fratzog badge will be used exclusively on EVs. Whatever floats your boat, or rather, charges your batteries. So you muscle car fans who are mad about this: calm down. Chances are the power output is even better than your Hemis anyways, and it needs to be done for the planet. You can expect these new models to take the stage at major auto shows next year, presumably in Dodge’s Detroit home, at the North American International Auto Show.>

https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/in-your-opinion-podcast-does-a-family-of-4-in-spore-really-need-6426-a-month-for-a-basic-standard-of-living-pt-1 In Your Opinion Podcast: Does a family of 4 in S'pore need $6,426 a month for basic living standard? Synopsis: The Straits Times' opinion editor Grace Ho takes a hard look at political and social issues of the day with her expert guests. In this episode, the first of two parts, she looks at whether a family of four in Singapore needs $6,426 a month for a basic standard of living. In the studio to explain the study and its methodology are Associate Professor Teo You Yenn of the School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University; and Dr Ng Kok Hoe, Senior Research Fellow and Head of the Case Study Unit at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. Highlights (click/tap above): 00:41: Is there a household budget that captures the lived realities of Singaporeans? What is the Minimum Income Standard? 04:55: Addressing criticisms of the study and its methodology 10:00 How is the Minimum Income Standard applied in the United Kingdom, and how does the UK decide what is a living wage? https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/thinking-aloud-6426-a-month-for-basic-standard-of-living-study-on-family-budgets-must-be Does a family of 4 really need $6,426 a month for a basic standard of living? It depends It is about what people feel they need to be socially accepted, not just what they can afford For a few years, money at home was tight. I did not go on overseas field trips or to the cinema, and made excuses to skip class gatherings at restaurants. Each missed activity meant one less shared experience and common talking point - and one step closer to feeling as if I did not belong. This is where the minimum income standard (MIS) approach, which relies on public consensus and not just expert opinion, comes in.

First off to NTUC to stock up

Does anyone know how much is the market rate currently to hire a full time chauffeur ... Like from Morning to Evening ... Monday to Friday only ... I'm just curious ... Pls don't "Suan" me ...

Travel lockdown, time to dig up old travel photos... I curated like 200 photos... going to post like 3-4 a day. hopefully when I reach the end, the lockdown is over... Starting from many many years ago, without the kids.... Some of these are posted previously last year but many are probably unposted. Added a drop shadow frame. China, Beijing. Newly weds Korea, Yongpyong. Portrait with tele lens Japan, Kyoto. Overblown skies... Australia, Great Ocean Road. No kids only Wife

Pictures from my trip to Hokkaido 2013. Ann was just 5 years old. The peak of her cuteness 🙂 Alex has no pictures in 2020... when he is 6 and cute. Hopefully I can go somewhere this year... http://www.keehian.com/hokkaido/

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/woodlands-double-murder-go-find-mummy-strangled-daughter-11691008 I thought this is pretty sad...

https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2178279/singapore-allows-same-sex-fathers-adopt-their-surrogate-son Singapore allows two fathers to adopt their surrogate son in landmark ruling The two men are 45, of Chinese ethnicity, and are Singaporeans. The men have been in a relationship for 13 years, living together since 2003 The process was treated as single-parent adoption and will confer to one of the men sole parental rights and responsibility for the child PUBLISHED : Monday, 17 December, 2018, 12:16pm UPDATED : Monday, 17 December, 2018, 1:13pm In a landmark decision, Singapore’s highest court has allowed a gay couple to adopt their son, who was conceived through surrogacy in the United States. The case began in December 2014 when fathers “James” and “Shawn” applied for James – whose sperm was used for the assisted reproduction – to adopt their son, “Noel”, hoping to remove the stigma of illegitimacy. Their real names have not been disclosed. James and Shawn, who heard the news at 10.25am through their lawyers, were elated. They had gone to work as usual, despite knowing the judgment would be released on Monday morning. “It was business as usual because we didn’t want to get our hopes too high,” said James, who is a doctor. Booming surrogacy business is a legal grey area Shawn works in the marketing industry. Both men are 45, of Chinese ethnicity, and are Singaporeans. The men have been in a relationship for 13 years, living together since 2003. James said the family was happy and relieved that the High Court allowed the adoption of Noel. “The fight to raise our family in Singapore has been a long and difficult journey,” he said. “We hope that the adoption will increase the chances of our son to be able to stay in Singapore with his family. His grandparents and us really want Singapore to be the home of our family. Our family will celebrate this significant milestone.” His grandparents and us really want Singapore to be the home of our family. Our family will celebrate this significant milestone JAMES, FATHER The process was treated as single-parent adoption and will confer to James sole parental rights and responsibility for the child. Both fathers hoped this will make it easier for Noel, now four years old, to acquire Singapore citizenship. The South China Morning Post in January reported on the family’s legal limbo. Noel had been rejected for citizenship and at the time the fathers applied for his adoption, Noel was on a dependent’s pass that has since been renewed every six months. Last year, the couple had their bid rejected by the Family Justice Courts one day after Christmas, although District Judge Shobha Nair said Noel would be provided for, with or without an adoption order. The couple then appealed the decision in the High Court, and in a 145-page judgment released on December 17, Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon ruled the adoption should go through. He wrote the adoption would be for the child’s welfare “essentially because it would increase the child’s prospects of acquiring Singapore citizenship and securing long-term residence in Singapore”. The court considered Singapore’s public policy on same-sex families and its relation to this case as well as any policy violation if an adoption order was made, but thought neither reason was “sufficiently powerful to enable us to ignore the statutory imperative to promote the welfare of the child and, indeed, to regard his welfare as first and paramount”, the chief justice wrote. China looks at making surrogate motherhood legal This is Singapore’s first legal acknowledgement of same-sex families. James’s lawyer Ivan Cheong, partner at Eversheds Harry Elias, said the case was important because it showed how the Court would take in public policy considerations. “In the current case, notwithstanding that the court found that there is a public policy in favour of parenthood within the marriage and a policy against the formation of same sex units, the court found that the welfare of the child would be significantly promoted if an adoption order was made,” Cheong said. “At the end of the day, it is about what is in the child’s best interests.” Surrogacy in Hong Kong: all you need to know about the risks and legal ramifications The case has also provided clarity on surrogacy issues in Singapore, he said. The court found there was no public policy against planned or deliberate parenthood by singles through the use of assisted reproductive technology or surrogacy. Koh Tien Hua, partner at Evernsheds Harry Elias, who was also James’s lawyer, said this was the first time surrogacy and gay adoption was canvassed in court. The outcome showed that “family is important no matter the orientation of the parent and family is the cradle of society”. =========================================== never expected this, sure to be a shit storm in the usual religious circles soon. but dont see how the courts can throw the kid out.

Took the new direct flight to Seattle. Picked up the car and drove to Whistler. Stayed there for 3 nights but I did not see ANY mountains at all because it was cloudy and snowing. The tours were also not open on mid Dec. Basically just play snow and idle in hotel Whistler Canada

Kind of curious. how many kids do singaporeans have? What makes you stop there? Is there anything the government can do that will encourage you to have more kids?