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Recently I see many weird people, anger, scream, strip, laughs etc...our city is getting more and more stress! 😞

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.

https://asia.nikkei.com/Life-Arts/Life/As-Japan-s-empty-homes-multiply-its-laws-are-slowly-catching-up?utm_campaign=GL_JP_update&utm_medium=email&utm_source=NA_newsletter&utm_content=article_link&del_type=4&pub_date=20210612090000&seq_num=14&si=44594 As Japan's empty homes multiply, its laws are slowly catching up Unclaimed land could swell to the size of Hokkaido by 2040 if left unchecked An abandoned home with an ocean view, Kushimoto, Wakayama Prefecture. In Kushimoto, more than one out of four houses are vacant. (Photo by Thomas Shomaker) THOMAS SHOMAKER, Contributing writerJune 11, 2021 08:08 JST TANABE, JAPAN -- Outside of densely populated cities characterized by skyscrapers and tiny apartments lies another Japan. In much of this world, akiya, abandoned homes, and akibiru, abandoned buildings, form the backdrop to everyday life -- not a picture one immediately associates with the hustle and bustle of the world's third largest economy. But if current trends continue, more than 30% of Japan's housing stock -- 22 million units -- will be derelict by 2038, Nomura Research Institute predicts. In other words, Japan has a very large problem with unclaimed land -- one that could potentially reach the size of Hokkaido, the country's second-largest island, by 2040, according to another study, published in 2017. The most obvious reason for this situation is Japan's unfolding demographic crisis which has seen its population fall by roughly 200,000 people a year since its peak of 128.5 million in 2009. But a range of other factors -- many of which have legal and cultural underpinnings -- have exacerbated the problem. For the first four decades following World War II, Japan seemed destined for another fate. Buoyed by a surging economy, property was considered a sound investment, boosted by incentives such as tax relief for parcels of land with residences on them. Then came the collapse of Japan's bubble economy -- and with it property values -- in the early 1990s. As Japan entered a long period of economic stagnation, the precipitous decline in birthrates that began in the 1970s started to noticeably change Japanese society, especially outside the major cities. By 2010, as the total population actually began to fall, Japan's voluntary property registration system had become a problem. When property values were rising, heirs had an incentive to register land and dwellings left to them. But in a falling market, the expense and time needed to transfer the title of an inherited property simply became too much hassle for many. Top: A long abandoned home taken over by the forest. Hongu, Wakayama Prefecture. Bottom: The interior of an abandoned home, Hikigawa, Shirahama Wakayama Prefecture. (Photos by Thomas Shomaker) Complicating matters, the devastating March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami led to an exodus to higher ground, which in turn further emptied out coastal towns and cities up and down the country. While Japan's demographics and sensibilities have been steadily changing, the law is just now starting to catch up. This April, Japan's Real Estate Registration Law was revised to make inheritance registration mandatory, a potential sea change -- if enforced -- expected to take effect within three years. One person who has greatly raised awareness about Japan's outdated property laws is Shoko Yoshihara, a research fellow at the Tokyo Foundation for Policy Research and the author of the 2017 book "Land Issues in the Era of Depopulation." "Japan's Real Property Registration Law was modeled after France," Yoshihara said in an email, further explaining that the basic intent is to protect ownership from illegitimate third-party claims. But while France has stringent inheritance procedures, "in Japan there has been no strict system to foster inheritance registration which led to the current problem of land registrations remaining in the name of the deceased for a long period of time," Yoshihara said. Japan's lax property laws have created more problems than just empty houses. Until recently, local municipalities that wanted to tear down an unregistered building, either because it had become a hazard or for a public works project, were not able to take action until all living heirs had been contacted. Depending on how long the property had been left empty, living heirs could mean grandchildren or great grandchildren, who could be living elsewhere in the country or even abroad. Lacking the resources to go on expensive wild goose chases, most municipalities ended up leaving the abandoned properties to the elements, often tying up redevelopment projects for years. By 2017, the problem had reached epic proportions, with a private study led by former Iwate Governor and Internal Affairs and Communications Minister Hiroya Masuda estimating that Japan's unclaimed land, including residential, farmland and commercial, had grown to 4.1 million hectares, an area larger than the island of Kyushu, the third-largest island of Japan's five main islands. This was the same study that predicted the Hokkaido scenario by 2040. A cascade of legislative changes over the last decade, including a 2014 law that gave local governments badly needed power to act unilaterally, as well as laws passed this April making property registration mandatory, should gradually start making an impact. A system to manage land of unknown ownership was also recently established. Calling the reforms significant, Yoshihara said the national government still had to work quickly "to make people aware of the new systems." This in itself is not easy, given that many of Japan's smaller, rural governments have themselves disappeared over the last 20 years, with villages merging with nearby larger towns as their populations contract. Take the former town of Hikigawa, in Wakayama Prefecture south of Osaka, where half of the village is abandoned, and the remaining population elderly. Ensuring that the residents of areas like Hikigawa -- and their heirs -- are aware of mandatory inheritance registration will be challenging, to say the least. Manabu Shimoda, a professional photographer and a resident of Wakayama Prefecture's second-largest city, Tanabe -- abandoned buildings make up around 20.3% of the housing stock in Wakayama Prefecture, the second-highest in Japan -- recently worked part-time taking pictures of vacant properties that can be posted online to attract buyers. Top: An empty building, or akibiru, in Tanabe, Wakayama Prefecture. Bottom: A long-abandoned stroller next to a vacated home, Hikigawa, Shirahama, Wakayama Prefecture. (Photos by Thomas Shomaker) "There are people who are attracted to old, wooden Japanese houses called machiya," said Shimoda. "The price is often cheaper than the surrounding market." But common issues such as termites or rotten foundations can obliterate potential savings. "In particular, roof repairs are expensive," Shimoda said. Like many towns with contracting populations, Tanabe is trying to lure new residents, especially with the surge in the number of people working from home, due to the pandemic, and a growing nostalgia for small-town life. Still, there is a long way to go. "My personal impression is that the vacant house rate is higher in the central city area, where more homes are emptying due to tsunami concerns," said Shimoda. Another quirk of the Japanese housing market is that the growing number of vacant homes has not corresponded with a slowdown in housing starts, especially as many younger couples are looking to move to higher ground. The conversation about akiya in Japan usually touches on the issues of property values, regulation and how Japan is dealing with an accelerating demographic change. But there is also an element of sadness that is often unspoken. "Every house has a history and a story and each one is very interesting," said Shimoda, who knows of one such home in Tanabe that still bears World War II shrapnel wounds in a beam in the living room. "The debris wasn't removed during renovation and is still preserved as a memory of the war." As small cities compete for newcomers, Tanabe has a fighting chance. It is only 30 minutes away from Nanki-Shirahama Airport and large enough to provide most of the amenities that urban dwellers are accustomed to. But for every success, there will be a town or village that fades into memory. "The current problem of vacant houses and land is a structural problem that has spread between a declining population and the existing system," said Tokyo Foundation for Policy Research fellow Yoshihara. "There is no panacea. I believe it is important to accumulate short-term measures and medium-term institutional reforms one by one."

hi all, ask more. learn more. know faster. chanced on this website a few weeks ago and it is very useful. My own kids find it useful. Students from around the word come tog to share knowledge and solve problems. Students bring their own special skills to share and collaborate to learn together. Good app for your growing kids and teenagers. Do check it out. https://brainly.co/

Just joined a new team. This senior like to stand too close when he talk. When I back off, he close the distance. Got any polite way to handle? Might be a little sensitive to tell him directly. Advice appreciated. Kum Siah.

Wifey is having this problem where she feels very uncomfortable in the presence of people who are very rich. She feels very out of place and is affecting her mentally. Yet can't avoid these situations. Those people got those 狗眼 who look down on people. I told her to ignore those people but not helping much. What to do?

Increase of taxes, as country is more developed. Though a citizen of a higher tax bracket status, I do encourage to the gov to tax more on the rich, while maintaining those who are at the mid or lower tier tax brackets. This is a way to contribute back to the country. Taxes Must increase for social spending

I read and felt disturbed. I read with great concern. Social media has its pros and cons. Humans do all sorts to get quick results and fix for one reason or the other. Bangkok clinic draws 100 men a month for penis-whitening service Health authorities disturbed as Thailand pioneers penis whitening laser service Thailand is probably the first country in the world where services are available to lighten the skin tone of male genitalia. Health authorities, however, have expressed worry and warned people about possible adverse impacts from such treatments. "The skin of the private parts is sensitive. Such laser services may cause irritation, allergies and inflammation," Health Service Support Department deputy director-general Dr Thongchai Keeratihuttayakorn said yesterday. He added that such services would do more harm than good. "What if your skin becomes spotted?" he asked rhetorically. Thongchai said he had never heard of such services being available in other parts of the world. He also pledged to encourage the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to check if equipment used in such services had already been approved. "If not, the service provider will be liable for punishment," he said. Laser services for skin lightening are nothing new in Thailand. But a social media post about lightening male genitalia has become the talk of the town. A Facebook user, who goes by the name of "Atittayapa Photiya", posted a message about the services. She described herself as working for the Lelux Hospital. "New services. Reduce pigmentation. Make penis whiter. No pain. No recuperation needed. Let's tag people who should do it," the post said. The hospital has confirmed that the services are available and insisted that they are not dangerous. A patient who had used the service said he "loved" laser facial treatments and had been keen to try the service when he found out it was available. "And I am impressed with the results," he said on condition of anonymity. "I will complete the programme of five laser treatments." According to AFP, Lelux Hospital's genitalia whitening services have attracted about 100 men a month and they cost around $650 for five sessions. Urologist Dr Kampanat Pornyoskrai said laser treatments on genitalia might have different results depending on each particular person. "Usually, the male genitalia is darker than other parts of the body because of androgen," he said. "No other medicines can change that." He said lasers could be used to whiten faces and might work as well for genitalia for some people. "But before you go for it, study the bad points of laser treatments first," Kampanat said. http://www.asiaone.com/asia/social-media-aroused-health-authorities-disturbed-thailand-pioneers-penis-whitening-laser?xtor=EREC-16-4

http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/news/story/0,...,151459,00.html? If so happens that u found out your gf or wife used to be a social escort for whatever reasons, how would u react? I believe the above article showcase the minority of sg women so guys pls refrain from flaming other women.

Warning to parents. Know what your children do and friends online. The last girl really got into the van of a total stranger.

How true the message is! Time to re-educate.

Interesting and unpretentious article. For all delusional people out there who thinks our society is fair, it is not. We are not a communist country. Enjoy.... Source: http://www.allsingaporestuff.com/article/average-sporean-rich-elites-can-never-understand-our-simple-local-lifestyle Byline: Fred, ASS contributor "Dear All Singapore Stuff, I would like to share my reflections on what the upcoming SG50 anniversary means to me, based on my personal experiences as an average Singaporean. I have come to realize that the poor and lower-middle class represent an entirely different Singapore from the rich and upper-middle class. We are like two different nations. Kids from the rich and upper-middle class are different from birth. They are equipped with skills an average Singaporean will never get. They are taught to play various musical instruments, taught a variety of sports and even go for supplementary classes from a young age. Not surprisingly these kids end up doing well academically and also excel in other activities. Even if they do not succeed academically,they have the financial support and necessary connections to set up their own businesses to establish themselves. These kids dominate the better schools and will inevitably become the next generation of elites. As an end result, we have the elite producing more elites. What happens to the kids from the poor and lower middle class? The vast majority ends up in the neighbourhood schools. Less conducive environment, no guarantee of good teachers (I was once scolded by a MOE teacher for bothering her with too many questions about a humanities subject) and limited enrichment programmes. There are less opportunities for students to participate in competitions to boost their own confidence. Many cannot afford tuition. Quite a number are from broken families (myself included), and they are troubled by family problems even as they study. They also have to deal with exposure to kids who smoke, gangsters, bullies and other delinquents. These kids even have to work part-time during school holidays to increase their monthly allowance. Most end up in polytechnics or neighbourhood jcs and very few enter the local universities. Being one of the few neighbourhood school kids who entered a good jc and then a local university, I experienced a culture shock. I could not relate to the majority of my classmates in my jc. Almost everyone in my jc class stayed in a condo or landed house. I could not effectively communicate with them because I lacked relevant experiences like overseas trips as well as musical and sports talents. I couldn't understand why every outing had to involve eating at a restaurant in the city area and why there was so much spending. Most of the girls stayed in condos and frequently called others to come over for tennis games, swimming, barbecues and other frivolous celebrations. I actually felt embarrassed to be staying in a hdb flat with so few fun facilities as I could not engage my classmates in a similar manner. They had perfect families with supportive parents and they went on overseas trips every holiday in contrast to neighbourhood school people who usually worked part-time during holidays. They were seasoned travelers who had no qualms about staying overseas for weeks without their families! Same thing in university. I found that there were fewer and fewer of the neighbourhood school kids with whom I could better identify. Those I know who went on exchange programmes and overseas CIP trips were mostly scholars and wealthy people. Those with greater purchasing power also enriched their university experience with participation in marathons, camps and clubbing events whereas those who were poorer were stuck with memories of lectures and tutorials, school activities and the inevitable bank loan. Most of the rich people tend to think and behave similarly. For instance, during jc, they were taking their Grade 8 piano examinations at the same time, they took SATs while preparing for 'A' levels and later on in university, they took up driving lessons simultaneously. I could not even afford to take up driving and I didn't see the point of it because I have no car. I think the poor and lower middle class appreciate simple pastimes better. A stroll in the park, running at the stadium, playing board games or card games at a void deck or playing basketball at a public basketball court is simply too boring for the wealthier people. Window-shopping without any purchase is ridiculous to them. They will never be seen doing any of these activities and will sneer at you or look bewildered if you even suggest any of these activities. If you say that $13 is too expensive for a movie or that $70 is too much for Universal Studios, they will just scold you for complaining so much. Gradually,they will abandon you for being such a boring and negative person. I have seen enough to believe that the non-elite can never truly be part of one Singapore with the elites. We have different upbringings, different values, different lifestyles, different educational experiences and a different sense of identity. Our life goals are also different. While the elites love to say that what we see as elite is what they see as meritocracy, the hard truth is that there's such a thing as inherited meritocracy, and the non-elite lack the necessary resources and upbringing to properly compete with them. This leaves the majority of the non-elite with limited social mobility. Equality is a lie. Rather than deceive myself into thinking that there can be a true, lasting friendship with an elite person, I choose to believe that elites can never understand or appreciate simplicity while living within the comforts of their condos and landed houses. Of course, I will work hard. But I also accept the reality that I am disadvantaged relative to the wealthier segments of society. Fraternization with them will only be counter-productive to my life goals. As far as the non-elite like myself are concerned, it is best to leave the elites to their extravagant lifestyles. I strongly believe that the poor should not provide any entertainment to the rich. If we are invited to their parties, we should decline. Leave them to celebrate with their ilk. As we prepare to celebrate Singapore's golden jubilee, let's not deceive ourselves into thinking that we are all one. We certainly are not."

Stupidity has no limits!!! Netizen sacked after posting vulgar reply to PM's Facebook post PUBLISHED ON MAY 15, 2014 6:56 AM 2141 1133 1 0PRINTEMAIL A computer user looking at the social-networking website Facebook. -- FILE PHOTO: BH BY K.C. VIJAYAN SENIOR LAW CORRESPONDENT A Facebook user who posted vulgar abuse in response to Mother's Day wishes by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has been sacked from his job. Mr Ridhuan Abdullah, 30, had identified himself as a security officer at "Keith Morton" on the post, which triggered the move. The security firm's owner, Mr William Morton Jr, said yesterday that such conduct cannot be condoned, particularly from security officers who are expected to uphold basic standards of decorum. "He clearly breached our company's code of conduct and we cannot tolerate this," he said. - See more at: http://www.straitstimes.com/news/singapore/more-singapore-stories/story/netizen-sacked-after-posting-vulgar-reply-pms-facebook-p#sthash.88UI6GDy.dpuf

Did anyone here get invited to do this study? Just surprised to get this "invite" in the mail, hope I did not do something wrong . Curious to know how people get chosen for this. Any ideas?

Writers such as myself can wax lyrical for pages about any given topic, but all that talkativeness somehow goes straight out the window when we’re caught in an “accidental” social situation. Suffice to say, I completely dread Chinese New Year “pilgrimages”. These visits are made all the more painful by the fact that I’m single. Because of my bachelorhood, I’ll be forced to endure questions on when I’m getting married, all the while resisting attempts by my mother to sell me off to the lowest bidder. Once that particular minefield has been negotiated, and before the conversation trails off awkwardly as we gravitate towards the pineapple tart jar, I’ll have to fi eld questions on “What I Do For A Living” and “Which Car I Like Best”. The first question is taken care of quickly, but the second is usually my cue to launch into a rambling monologue. But you know us writers. We’ll cast around aimlessly for ages, but once we find something we can relate to, we latch on like so many starving leeches. (Or, it could be that because of my extraordinary social ineptness, I’m interpreting the question wrongly – like going on endlessly about cloud patterns to non-meteorologists when someone asks about the weather.) It first starts with the notion that fast, exotic and astronomically expensive isn’t everything – which, I’ve come to realise, is a bit counter-intuitive to your average Joe. So, if their eyes haven’t glazed over yet, I proceed to then break the news that my favourite car so far isn’t even a car. It is, in fact, a van. Or more accurately, a light commercial vehicle. But whether you want to call a spade a spade or a multi-purpose gardening implement, it’s hard to escape the fact that the Renault Kangoo was built for more, ahem, utilitarian pursuits. Yes, the Kangoo handles like a soggy marshmallow, its 0-100km/h time is best measured in days (20.3 seconds actually, but same difference) and its 70bhp 1.5-litre turbo-diesel engine is a little… agricultural. All signs should point to me hating it, but here’s the thing – I don’t, primarily because it’s far and away the most honest vehicle I’ve ever driven. “I’m a van,” it seems to say. “So what?” In a time when overwrought seems to be the order of the day, the Kangoo is a breath of fresh air. At this point, the person I’m talking to will most likely have adopted a slightly glazed look, or started walking to where the bak kwa is as an excuse to end the conversation. Either way, I’d like to think it’s a win-win. For me, that is, because I’ve successfully fended off more questions while getting to indulge myself a little. As I grow older, I realise I’m deriving far too much glee from seeing those glazed expressions. I wonder if I should get that checked out... Daryl counts driving the Ferrari 599 as the closest he’s come to having a religious experience. And he doesn’t think he’s that antisocial This article was written by Daryl Lee, Associate Editor for Torque.

so any mega corporations with enough money can abuse social media too. http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/technology/story/political-messaging-wars-white-house-deploys-twitter-army-20131104 In political messaging wars, White House deploys a Twitter army WASHINGTON (REUTERS) - Besieged by unflattering stories about the launch of President Barack Obama's healthcare programme, the White House saw a news report that it wanted to swiftly knock down. It was from NBC, which said that Obama had overpromised when he said Americans who liked their insurance could keep it, and that the president knew that many people would see their coverage change. White House officials quickly began firing off a barrage of tweets on Twitter, which has become one of the administration's most potent and relied-upon weapons in trying to shape public opinion and media reports. Josh Earnest, the principal deputy press secretary to Obama, began the assault with a series of tweets that said the healthcare law did protect Americans against changes in their coverage - unless insurers altered such coverage.

Went to ICA to try renewing LTVP for my parents and found that the process has become more complex and stricter now. Need 3 years of income tax, employer's letter confirming salary and employment, CPF contribution... Macam like I want to apply PR for myself. Don't understand why so strict. It's not like they are here for any social benefit nor do they vie for a job here.... I wonder what would have happened if I had chosen the job in Japan. Would that mean their renewal will be rejected?

Just wanna share with you guys an article from another local forum. Interesting read. Do not agree 100% with the writer but a good read nevertheless. The sentence that resonates with me most is the one I bolded, and I am pretty sure it touches many of you deeply. Regards. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Written by Hawk Cut Weis as a Facebook note, 17 May 2012 Of Ferraris, PRCs and Social Integration

...or so some would think. It's actually a viral campaign by Greenpeace. Anyway, some of them are really clever. Check it out! http://arcticready.com/social/gallery?sort...sort_order=DESC I created one (attached).

http://www.facebook.com/notes/hawk-cut-wei...368844529841068 JackJack fails his homestay, due to the complaints of his adopter's PRC neighbours The recent horrific road traffic accident involving a Ferrari, Taxi and Motorcycle which have left 3 dead and 2 injured has no doubt sparked off a furore unlike any other since the General Elections 2011. While many are furious about the reckless behaviour of the PRC Ma Chi, condemning PRCs as a whole, labelling them as reckless, drunk drivers, and all sorts of derogatory terms, others are defending Chinese Nationals, saying that we cannot label all of them simply because of one incident, calling Singaporeans intolerant, uncouth and ugly. Let's take a step back, and examine the why the accident has sparked off such strong emotions nationwide. It cannot be the accident in itself? In actual fact, the Ferrari crash is simply a culmination of the tremendous social tension which has built up between the locals and the PRCs. Just like the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria which sparked off World War I, this is not an independent event which is revealing the ugly side of Singaporeans, as some say. This is a precipitant. Had the accident involved an Australian, of American, or Arab, yes, there will still be social outrage, but it would have been directed toward the driver himself, and not the ENTIRE race. Conversely, had the Ferrari crash not happened, there would just be another incident in the near future involving PRCs and Singaporeans, and a similar uproar would have ensued -- It is just a matter of time. And why such tremendous social tension? There must be a reason why so many Singaporeans feel this way? Simply put, it is a mismatch of cultures and social norms. The way PRCs act and think, is vastly different from that of Singaporeans. They have grown up in a hostile environment with 1 billion people, where to survive, you need to stand your ground, you need to be aggressive, or you would be pushed around. Where there was immense social upheaval like The Cultural Revolution, where people endured immense hardship and social norms were turned topsy-turvy. Where it is a dog-eat-dog world, where morality takes a backseat, and money and connections are the most important things in their world. On the positive side, their environment has bred a race which is hardworking, hardy, and fearless. The negative part, evidently, is that the Chinese Nationals are socially backward, integrating with other races poorly.- We cannot blame them for the way they behave - this is the only way they know. We cannot change the way that they think - that takes time. Sometimes, generations. Supporters of the government's immigration policies will cite the fact that Singapore is in fact a colony where our forefathers all came from China. Absolutely, but such comparisons cannot be made, for that was generations ago, and the Singaporean today is tremendously different from his ancestor who boarded a junk and sailed across the South China Sea. Comparing a PRC and a Singaporean is like comparing Hematite (Iron Ore) and Stainless Steel - we are all of the same element, but many times more refined. I have had the opportunity (or misfortune) to interact with PRCs on a regular basis. I stayed in Geylang for more than a year, where PRC prostitutes peppered the streets downstairs right outside my apartment; where women would quarrel at the top of their voices in the middle of the night, keeping me up, where men walk with their bellies exposed and chatter loudly. Where men stare at me walking my dog then proudly tell me: 我吃狗肉的！ I had to move out of Geylang because I felt myself becoming a very racist person. After I did, I thought I would see the less of them, but my new neighbour turned out to be PRC. Worse - a rich one. A businessman, his wife and babies, and a few fancy cars. This man and his wife are worse than the PRCs in Geylang - they are endowed with money, which gives them a natural sense of entitlement. My neighbours have called the authorities on me many times, complaining of my dogs, which are licensed and chipped. This despite me speaking to them nicely. They bang my gates when the dogs bark, scold my maid for having too many items in the recyling bin, accuse me of causing their mosquito problem (your dogs are stray. They are full of insects!), and climb over the dividing wall to take photos of me and my dogs (but failed to get me into trouble cos I am NOT doing anything wrong). Their babies wail at the top of their lungs every morning at 6 - 7am, waking the whole neighbourhood, but they do not seem to think that they may cause anyone any inconvenience - it can only happen the other way round. Recently I had a string of problems where PRCs created trouble for me at my workplace, barging in, demanding free services, then creating a commotion, threatening to call the media, the ministers and the president, requiring me to engage the police and lawyers. After all the legalities were in place, they toned down, and expressed that all they wanted is for me to continue providing services for them since they did not trust anyone else to do it, and they probably thought creating a ruckus was the best way to get free services. Buddha reminds us that all living beings do what they do so that they can obtain happiness and be free of suffering. I understand that completely, and I can understand why the PRCs behave this way - they think they can solve problems or make things better for themselves by creating a ruckus and causing inconveniences for everyone else. Unfortunately, they do not understand that this is not China, and things simply do not work this way. No, Singaporeans are not making the bad behaviour of the PRCs up. One PRC behaving badly will not cause us to generalise that the majority of them are bad. But when 5 out of every 10 PRC we interact with behave like social retards, you cannot blame us for forming the current impression we have of them. There are very nice Chinese Nationals of course. One of my favourite colleagues is a lady from China. She is cultured, driven, soft spoken, efficient and extremely nice. And she too expresses regret and embarrassment about the behaviour of her countrymen. I truly believe we are a very tolerant society when it comes to welcoming people from other countries. Filipinos, Australians, Indians, British, Americans, Malaysians, most of us had no problems with them. But problems arise when there is too sudden an influx of a people whose social norms clash violently with ours. The Bangladeshi men, for example, like to sit in the open on patches of grass and hang out - that is perfectly fine and in fact very charming. They have brought a piece of Bangladesh culture to Singapore, but in the process, they have not disturbed anyone, blending in harmoniously with our social structure. Immigration policies are not easy to tackle at all. Opening the floodgates to foreigners have undoubtedly made Singapore the prosperous nation it is today. If the ruling party were to restrict foreigners from coming in now, we will all suffer, directly or indirectly. After the last election, steps have been taken to ensure more jobs are given to locals via the restriction of the proportion of foreigners working in a company. The fallacy of this policy is that now, the working class foreigner finds it more difficult to come to Singapore, but our arms remain wide open to those who are rich. And a large proportion of them are the rich PRCs who can afford limited edition Ferraris. It is important to put Singapore's policies into perspective - Singapore favour economic growth more than anything else. Building casinos are more important than the resultant gambling issues. Building roads are more favoured over preserving Bukit Brown. Relentless development of open spaces - and culling of dogs to make way for it is more important to ensure that the moolah continues coming in. Inadvertently, this grand plan requires the participation of foreigners, especially rich ones. Don't get me wrong. I have utmost respect for many of our Ministers, and I am fond of our Prime Minister, but we must understand that no matter how much noise Singaporeans make, how unhappy we are, the policies will not change. This is the Singapore that the ruling party has envisioned, and this will be the Singapore that will be. There is no right or wrong. People myself who value the simpler things in life will not like it. And if we do not like it, it is easier to leave than to wish that things will be different here. The Ferrari accident is not what prompted me to write this long social commentary. The heartbreaking story one of my fosterers just told me did. She has been fostering one of the Punggol puppies, JackJack for awhile now, with the intention to adopt him. But she cannot because of complaints from her neighbours. Neighbours on both sides are foreigners - Filipinos on one side, and PRCs on the other. Her Filipino neighbours are perfectly fine, but her PRC neighbours are giving her trouble, saying that the puppy's barks are scaring the PRC children, threatening to complain to have the dog removed. Everytime I speak about bringing JackJack away, I can sense her bond with him and reluctance, and her helplessness of wanting to keep him but being unable to. The social behaviour of the PRCs has affected all spheres of our lives, including our innate wish to love animals. It is unfair to call Singaporeans ugly, uncouth and not understanding. Those things we are not. Our society has simply reached a dangerous boiling point whereby even small incidents involving foreigners, in particular PRCs can incite immense emotion. It is not easy, but the ruling party will have to take strides in improving social integration between the indigenous people and the newly arrived Chinese Nationals, or Singapore will fragment. It is matter of time.

九万牛一毛？A drop in the 7 oceans? [laugh] From CNA: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/sin...1181298/1/.html MBS, RWS fined for breaching social safeguard requirements Posted: 06 February 2012 1924 hrs

RIP. SINGAPORE : Singapore

New guide to foster harmony at workplace http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/S...ory_638275.html http://www.mom.gov.sg/Documents/highlights...20Employers.pdf

need inputs from bros and sis here..... what it takes to become one?? -where to study -whom do we approach for help if interested to take up as a career? Thks