Are you interested in the Greater China?

I took my precious time off this morning to attend the Information Session for the Overseas Development Programme organised by Public Service Division. Why precious time as I missed seeing my child which Dr Ho was kind enough to take a photo of his face (although I cant see a thing :P) for me.

I was late as I was waiting to see if I can finish the gynae appt. Precious time was also lost looking for a car park lot near Civil Service College as the carpark was full.

Back to the topic proper, I thought that the programme is flawed in terms of design and execution.

Firstly, the participants will go through some induction programme locally before being sent to China for 3-9 month. Afterwhich, they are expected to come back to Singapore to contribute to the sponsoring agency in terms for Singapore's positioning in relation to China.

Is the time sufficient to learn enough to contribute? I doubt. There is so much to learn in China and the senior officials have admitted that different parts of China have different culture and operate differently. In that case, isn't the duration way too short?

Next, in terms of execution, they want to get the money worth by tying the participants to the Civil Service by means of a bond. For each day sponsored to stay in China, they are expected to serve 2 days of bond in Singapore.

Sadly, due to the design, it makes the execution looked ineffective and a waste of resources. I wonder how many runs this programme will have.

Nation before Family?

先有国再有家，还是 先有家再有国？

It is a difficult decision to choose between flying to Taiwan for my annual in-camp training and staying in Singapore (in case my son decide to come out early). There is definitely some risk involved as you will never know when the baby will decide to come out, when the water bag will burst and so on.

While I was prepared to take the risk with some back-up plans to come back soonest once something happened (which will take abt 24hrs) in Singapore, my sub-unit commanders were advising me against it. One of them said "Its of paramount importance that you be around when your wife is in labour. You do not expect her to grab the doctor's arm and crying in pain right?" Another added "It's just the army. They are not going to give you the NSman of the Year award because of all this sacrifices".

The thought of leaving my men to train up there in Taiwan without me is tormenting me.

I do not disagree with them. Both have their pros and cons.

By staying in Singapore, I will be thinking what is happening up there in Taiwan? Are they able to cope with the demands of the Bn HQ?

Alternatively, my heart will be in Singapore although I were to be in Taiwan physically.

I guess I will just need to contend with more grey hair until I convince myself which way to go.

Productivity

I think it is important to reflect on a regular basis, to think through what you have done and how you have performed. Is there a better way to get by so that you will be more productive?

This is probably lacking among Singaporeans, especially those engrossed with routine tasks. This is probably why the Government is putting in new initiatives at the recent Budget to boost productivity.

Why should everything be driven by Government? Courtesy, productivity, marriage, procreation and etc. Is there too much interference from the Government? Should we be left on our own to decide what is the best path for ourselves?

Perhaps we are not able to do so and hence need the Government to guide us.

Am I getting old?

Not sure if globalization and economic progress has diminished the meaning CNY. If the old days, children are always looking towards CNY (my guess). All the new year goodies, new clothes, reunion dinner and angpao etc.

These days, we get to eat new year goodies like bak kua as and when we like. We also get to buy clothes throughout the year. Reunion dinner or special occasions like birthdays are occasions where people get to eat the better food like seafood. In older days, even food like chicken and duck are reserved for such occasions. In Today's context, Chicken rice or duck rice is more like a convenient food when people do not know what to eat or when they are in a rush.

Am I getting old or have I (over)progressed with the society? How do I go about highlighting the significance of such festive period and impact such knowledge to my son next time?

Before or After?

Everyone seems to be looking forward to see when the casino at Resort World (RWS) will open. RWS is actually waiting for the license from the Casino Regulatory Authority (CRA).

Most of us know that the most profitable feature of the IR is the casino. Those MICE, hotels and theme parks are just peripherals to ensure that they get the bid to operate the IR.

In that case, shouldn't the license be approved back then when they put up the bid? Is there a chance for the CRA to refuse them a license now then?

The process for this application appears strange to me.

Link-man

Link-man 也视为“灵魂人物”，是一个团队不可缺少的成员。

少了他就像汽车少了引擎一样，不能运作或发动。

This link-man may not be the most outstanding person around. He/she may also be disliked by others but you will only feel the importance of this person when he/she is not around.

My colleague and I had a short discussion over some work issues and we really missed our former director who managed to keep things in check. At times, she appeared to be micro-managing, not giving us the room to develop and do our own things. However, only when she is not longer around and you will appreciate her wisdom, dynamism and presence.

Am I a link-man for other projects? I wish I am but I doubt.

Civil Servant

What defines a Civil Servant?

a) An occupation that many considers an "iron rice bowl"
b) A job to serve the people other than joining politics.
c) A way to influence the life of an ordinary Singaporean.
d) It is just another job.

I ask myself the question this evening. I am not sure of the answer myself although I thought the answer was closer to b) or c). I am sure there are many out there who will choose a) or even d).

If the primary purpose is to make a difference to others, shouldn't we work closely towards a more holistic objective? I thought that given the lack of profit making motive (bottom line matters for private sector companies), the approach to working in the civil service should be entirely different.

However, I did not observe this at my workplace. Perhaps it is just another job. Don't think too much about it and look forward to the next payday.

Life Compass

With numerous emails to clear and tonnes of issue to resolve, I am taking time to pen down my thoughts.

Just like UK faced the coldest winter and Australia looked to receive the hottest summer ever, the weather in my office seems to have taken a turn for the worse too.

Perhaps it is just me. Low EQ and picky with the working arrangement. I never felt working so tough, thinking that the working environment is amicable and all are willing to chip in to work towards a better future. The kampung spirit in the office seems lacking. Has work caught up with everyone and resulted in everyone busy looking internally rather than holistically?

If it is true, then it is rather sad as it is no longer the workplace I thought it was. Just like Ryan Giggs looking to finish his career with Manchester United, likewise for Raul for Real Madrid, is this option available for me?

It's just a job, xy reminded me. No wonder xy and s gave me the cup with the following wordings "It's only a job... My job is secure... Nobody wants it.".

I guess it is the life that is important. But where is my life heading? Sigh, I am still looking for the compass and inspiration.

Emotional Quotient

The following was the conversation between my staff and me:

s: I went for an EQ talk last weekend. I think you should go too.

me: So you are saying that my EQ is very low?

s: No, your EQ is quite good I think, except for one part. You need to learn how to scold people, to let go of some emotion within you. Else once you snap, you will explode.

I guess she is right. I always thought that my EQ is ok. Perhaps I was wrong. EQ is more than just saying the right thing at the right time, doing the right thing at the right time. Its about control, controlling your emotion and managing them, not letting them control you.

It is not easy but you just got to learn and manage it. Have signed up for an EQ course in March. Hope to gain and benefit from it.

Is it that difficult?

I was heading to work as usual this morning. There were about 6 to 8 people in the lift. When I was in there, those near the buttons did not hold the door open, resulting in some of the people being caught by the door.

When it was time for me to leave the lift, the same happened to me as well. Is it that difficult for someone to hold the door for others? Where has the basic etiquette gone to?

When I was young, i remember the campaign "Courtesy begins with me". Currently, there is still several of these "Singa" standing near the Central Fire Station as mascots, probably reminding us of the need to show courtesy to others.

"Do to others what you want others to do to you." This is the principle I am holding close to my heart and I am not changing it anytime soon. However, I would appreciate if everyone shows a bit more consideration for others in the daily living and the world will be a better place.

995

Last night, my colleague and I worked late to rush out something as my big boss will be overseas from this Saturday onwards and we need to get her to clear it asap.

After a long night and with my eyes going to shut anytime soon, my colleague asked me if I smell anything burning. Later, she directed me to the rooftop of Funan IT Mall where there were smoke emitting. However, we conclude there was probably no fire since the smoke was pretty clear, not the black "sooty" type.

She asked me what is the number to call if there is a fire. I thought that any Singaporean should know, especially those who went through the Singapore education. However, I forgot that she is a Hongkie wannabe. =P

I told her its 995 and asked if she knew the origin to it. "No" was answer. As usual, being extremely helpful, I shared with her the version I got from Primary School.

If you are aware, the 3rd President of Singapore is Devan Nair (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devan_Nair). It was rumoured that there was a fire at his residence once and his wife shouted "Nair, Nair, Fire" for assistance. That was how 995 came about.

She laughed at it and gestured to hit me (not for the first time already).

Today I got another version from an ex-colleague, which seems fairly reasonable as well. She shared that it is because it sounded like "救救我".

Whichever the true version may be, just remember to dial the correct number in times of need. Of course, it would be ideal if you never need to call this number. :)

Have a good weekend.

No Pride

The renovation project for my house has been far from a smooth experience but I guess you learn and grow with such incidents.

Other than price, sometimes you are hoping that with the reputation they are protecting, vendors will be more careful and experienced and hence warrant the higher fees charged.

The following was what the salesperson told me when I was shopping for my air-conditioners.

"The price is probably similar with different shops. The difference is the workmanship and skill. We do not sub-contract out to other vendors, we have our in-house technicians to do the installation for you. (Pointing to a picture with about 300 staff surrounding several vans) Look at this, this is something other companies cannot boost. We have the staff and reputation."

Being the sucker that I was, I trusted them and went along with them.

Little did I realise that they are unable to do the job they were told to. To think that I paid extra to get the installation to be done in 2 phases (at the request of my ID).

At the end of Phase 1, there will be loose gas pipes and water pipes around before the blowers were installed. I went to take a look on Saturday, in case anything goes wrong. To my horror, the insulation used were of different brands and different size as specified in the contract. I complained and the customer service followed up.

Today, they called me to say that its been rectified. Eager to see the outcome, I met with disappointments as majority of the errors have not been rectified. To be strict, none in fact.

If the insulation used all belong to a single size, I would say that you might have mixed up the orders and provided the wrong insulation. However, they came in a variety of sizes, just like pots in the house.

This mistake is so obvious and can probably be done by someone with no pride in his work (note that I am giving them the benefit of doubt that they are not trying to cheat me deliberately.).

This has been a disappointment and it is holding up my renovation as my ID wants to cover up the false ceiling and move on from here.

Sighzzzz....

Management Skills

七天内，三幢白事。

生老病死是一个自然现象，谁也不能被幸免。

Of the three who departed, one of them is a senior staff of my office although I don't remember working with her before. Given the post she was holding, I was expecting something more from the management to inform the rest of the colleagues about the demise of this particular officer. There was no official notice/email from the management.

There was also no intention to put up obituary notice in the papers until prompted by a PS from a separate ministry. I thought it was rather callous, both from HR and the management on the follow-up action. Apparently, there was also no instructions to the staff of this senior officer on the future working arrangement. Everything seems to be in limbo. So much uncertainty.

Sadly, worse is to come. OM gave instructions to clear her room within 3 days of her departure. Staff were asked to get the office key from her family to facilitate this process (i believe). Is there such a rush to do so? Why can't they wait till the people settled the funeral and grieved over the death of their loved one before doing this?

Doesn't make sense to me. This seems to exhibit a lack of management skills (i just remembered that we are professionals, not managers) and empathy towards those who needed them. If this is going to be the policy, it will make the place even colder than before and more talent will leave.

How sad....

It's a Boy!!!!

The moment of truth is out. Junior is a boy. No more he/she in my subsequent post.

Interestingly, there are people in some camp feeling disappointed that he is a boy. Reason being that a boy is so boring as he only wears t-shirts and pants. On the other hand, they can "decorate" the girl. When has the baby become a christmas tree?

男或女都可以，只要健康就好。

Below are the latest scan pictures, with the 2nd picture showing the true gender.

Stereotype

Humans have this tendency to group things that are possibly similar or alike together. This is otherwise known as stereotyping.

One typical stereotype that is not to my liking is the assumption for civil service takes things slowly and is over-staffed, i.e. inefficient.

I guess in any organization, there are different types of people. Be it good or bad, strong or weak, they usually co-exist. The existence of one is necessary to make the other more obvious. 请别用一竹竿打翻全船人。

Anyway, just take it a practice for better things ahead. In the meantime, just need to persevere and continue whacking. :)

Ice-breaker that went wrong?

This was what happened at an interview.

Interviewer (A): (Looking at the datasheet) Oh, you stayed at Sembawang. Very far from our office huh...

Interviewee (B): It's ok. I took the MRT here.

A: Oh, there is a train station near your place? Which station is that?

B: Yes, there is. It's Sembawang (Feeling weird).

A: Is it near your place?

B: It's about 1km away, or 3 bus-stop away.

Well, B thought that its pretty weird to start the interview in this manner, only to know that worse is to come.

Anyway, A told B that they are actually looking for a Jack-of-all-trade due to the nature of the work. From here, A gave the impression that he thinks that B is too specialised and may not be able to cope with the type of work.

If only A had tried a little bit harder, A will probably find out that B is actually more of a Jack-of-all-trade than Master of One.

Oh well, this is the reality of life and how much you can find out from a short 20 mins chat with the interviewee.

忐忑不安的心情

一月七日，雨。

今天显然有点紧张，无法入眠，害怕会误了时间。
这次的准备稍微充足一些，但还是赶不走那忐忑不安的心情。
有人对我说过，尽力就好，不要太在乎后果。
或许他是对的，那就全力以赴，向前迈进吧。

是与否

你是否试过想要靠近又不敢靠近？ 害怕靠近以后的后果？

压抑的感觉是不好受的，可是有些事是没有办法的。

人终究必须做应该做的事而不是想要做的事。这或许就是责任吧。

你能体会吗？

肮脏吃，肮脏大

I spent 8hrs and 59mins in IMM today. An amazing feat considering I am not a shopper by occupation nor is shopping one of my hobby. Anyway, that is history since I managed to strike off 3 items of my "Need-to-Get" list for my house renovation.

During our break at Kopitiam (a food court chain), I saw 2 interesting things.

First - I was sharing a table with another family of 5. The mother was busy feeding her kid porridge bought from one of the store. The kid is probably less than 6 months old. From my experience (seeing how my nephews and nieces grow up), they did not take outside food until they were more than 1 years old due to the flavouring and MSG.

Before the mother feeds the child, she puts the food in her mouth to check the temperature is suitable for the child to consume. This is done repeatedly until the desired temperature is attained. This is not done by swallowing but achieved by tasting the food and letting the food out of the mouth. This is very "old-school" in our opinion whereby few people do such things already. Even if practised, I was expecting the old generation to do it and not someone in their 30s.

肮脏吃，肮脏大。Is this correct? Nowadays, parents tend to be extra careful in their preparation of baby items, ranging from food to clothing. Is this the correct approach? I am not sure. I am more for allowing the kid to build up their anti-bodies naturally. However, timing is important so as not to over-introduce the germs in case the baby cannot take it. Sounds difficult? I think so. Not sure how I am going to manage it but i will try.

Second - At the next table, there was this lady who had a bowl of kang-kong (presumingly from yong tau foo store). The kang-kong are raw and there are probably 6-10 bunches of them. Later, the lady took one bunch and removed the leaves before dipping the stems into some sauce she brought. This went through for a while. The auntie sitting next to her was looking at her. The sight of this reminded me of "Gotcha" or "Just for Laugh - Gags". What shocked me later was that she tried to feed her baby (about 6 months old) with the raw kang-kong too. How is the baby going to digest it? I never understand how some parents think actually.

Year 2009 in Review

It has been a roller-coaster year, both personally and professionally. It has been a tremendous learning experience (steep learning curve too) for me to learn how to manage all this. I guess you grow from such experiences.

It is also a year where new friendship was forged and I truly appreciate the company and advice that comes with it. With these, you gain new perspective of things. It does not matter if this person is much younger than you as different experiences bring about different point of view.

In the coming year, I will be expecting a new member to my family which poses a challenging time as well. With all the support I can garner from my close ones, I am sure I will be able to pull through with flying colours.

Lastly, thanks all for reading this blog faithfully (I know that at least 2 out of the 6 billion world population reads this). I will continue to use this to pen my thoughts, with more interesting posts hopefully.

Have a great 2010 ahead.