Where the Flags?

Where are the Flags?

We have a weird rule about displaying flats outside our home. We can't display it too early (before Aug). And we have to take it down after Aug.

Lately some of us observed that the number of flags displayed at the HDB has declined. Is the flag display an indication of citizens satisfaction?

Why are they not putting it up?
a. Don't have flag
b. Don't know where the flag is
c. Flag is dirty
d. Don't mean anything. "The heart knows. That's good enough. Don't have to show off"
e. Not happy with the govt

They said that in the past, the residents have it for FREE.
Then later, they could buy it for a few dollars.
Now, I'm not sure if they are still selling it.

The Love of My Life

Marie, 4, the love of my life

Teach Less Learn More

Education
PM Lee Hsien Loong said that "We should cut down on the syllabus...We've got to teach less so that our children can learn more. " It's one of the most insightful paradox on education. Well said. I couldn't agree more.

6 metres from Freedom
Four Africans were just within 6m of from the Canary Islands. Freedom was within sight from their boat. Thinking the water was shallow enough to wade through, they jumped into the water... and drowned. To the world, it's just another statistics. But I feel sad for them.

To leave their loved ones at home, and smuggled themselves with only a shirt on their back to another foreign land, in search of some hope for a better life, thousands of African illegals tried to enter Europe each year. I could have been one of them. So I am very grateful for each day, for a roof over my head, for the family to come home to, for my 3 meals a day. Couldn't ask for more.

Stand Up for Jiawei

Jiawei, Zhang Xueling and Ronald Susilo has done Singapore proud. They have shown the world that they are capable of beating the best players in the world. They have put the name of Singapore on the Olympics map. To be in the top 4 is a already an achievement for Jiawei and Singapore. She has done her best. Singapore are proud of you.

PM Lee Hsien Loong said it well: "Sports isn't just medals. It's doing our best, trying again, overcoming setbacks..."

Wipe your tears, Jiawei. Singapore cheers for you. Though you bring no medal home, you have made Singapore proud.

Before You Commit Suicide

Before You Commit Suicide...read this

Every day in Singapore, about 15 people try to commit suicide. One of them will succeed.
Suicide is a crime in Singapore. Here's what happen.

If you die, your body will be handcuffed.

If you survive, they will send you to the Woodbridge Mental hospital and lock you up,
so that you will not harm yourself. You are a threat to yourself.

They might give you Electric Shock Therapy. The side effects - stammering, the vacant look in your eyes, the shivering of your hands.

When you have recovered and deemed safe to be discharged from the mental hospital, you are stigmatise for the rest of your life. When you apply for jobs, some employers asked you if you have mental problems and have you been warded for psychiatric treatment. If you are honest, you don't get the job.

Your career prospect is finished. If you want to adopt a kid, they might screen you too. If you want to migrate to other countries, they might screen you too. If you want to get married, your prospect might screen you too.

The Mental Hospital is a death sentence. Once you are in, you are labelled for life.

The good news is that there is HOPE. It's called inner makeover - a total transformation of your heart. Email me if you need help.

Study for What?

The Aim of Education

What is the aim of education? Depends on who you asked.

From what I interpreted from the speeches from the leaders,
their aim is to produce the right kind of manpower to meet the
needs of the economy. For e.g. if we are heading for biotechnology,
the schools will churn out more of such students.

If you asked the school principals, their aim is to focus on subjects where
their students can score well. Subjects like literature are hard to score.
So you don't see literature encouraged in schools.

If you asked the students, they say the aim is to pass the exam, score well
and get the paper. They say, "Don't teach me anything that will not come out
in the exam". They want to be exam smart.

Ask them who's who in the political arena, they don't know; they are not interested.
They don't want to know. It's not in their school syllabus.

If you think a school is for education, think again.

Build Your Speaking Practice

Building Your Consulting & Speaking Practice:Advice from Weiss



Here's such a good advice from guru, Alan Weiss.

Here's the extract from Flip's newsletter:

http://www.fripp.com/oddcouple.html



At the opening of a previous Odd Couple Marketing

and Strategy Seminar, Flipp's co-presenter Alan Weiss gave these

pieces of advice in an opening evening Q & A...



Q: How do I build my business?



Alan: "There has to market need for what you do;

you have to have the competency to meet the need;

and, you have to have the passion to want to fulfill it.

When those three things converge, you have a brilliant career.

It doesn't matter

what the economy is like; it doesn't matter what the

competition is like; it doesn't matter what government

regulation is like. The great thing about what we do is

e control our own destiny. So, look where those three things

are and you have a brilliant career."



Q: How do I look stand out in the crowd of other consultants

and professional speakers?



Alan:"When I started my career, quality circles were very big.

I wrote an article called "Why Quality Circles Make No

Sense." Completely contrary. They published it in an instant.

You don't want to be the 457th person talking about

where leaders have high integrity and they're ethical.

You want to talk about the fact, for example, that right now you

have two kinds of people in leadership. You have people

who are in their 50s and 60s near the top of organizations,

who didn't grow up with diversity, who didn't grow up

with high-tech, who didn't grow up with instantaneous

communications, who know nothing about it. You have a

second era of leadership - people in their 30s and

40s - who have never led in down times, they've only led

in boom economies. Now, given that juxtaposition of these

senior people who aren't used to some conditions and the

next level people, you have a leadership crisis. So, I've

created a whole new route here. I can do that all day long.

I can get anyone interested in what I have to say about

leadership, or you name a topic, I'll make it up.

That's what you have to do .



So, if you want to enter a field, whether it's team building

or leadership or priority setting, diversity, whatever it is,

come out with your own viewpoint. Read what people have

said and then decide how you'll be slightly different."



Q: How do build I credibility with future clients when I

am still fairly young and inexperienced?



Alan: "I worked with a woman in my mentor program.

She said to me, 'My problem is this. I don't have a college degree;

I'm younger than I look; I have no experience in any of these

industries; how do I overcome that?' And I said,

'How does the prospect know this?' And she said, 'I tell them.'

I said, 'Stop doing that.' So, what you do in your case is publish.

You start with position papers that you publish and put in your

own press kit on your philosophy of leadership.

You publish in the local newspapers. You get up and speak somewhere,

for free if you have to, on leadership, and you have it taped,

and you create a CD and white paper. This is what you do to

create an aura of authority and accountability around yourself

about whatever topic you like. Never feel you're going to walk

in and sell to G.E. That's not what you do. What you want is G. E.

to come to you and say, 'I've read something you've written.'"

Stupid Person

Nin*com*poop - a fancy word for a silly stupid person. E.g. a bunch of nincompoop

Some people don't know what a ghostwriter means. When I told a classmate that I'm a ghostwriter, she thought that I write ghost stories.

The Olympics is on. It's the only time when the world comes together as one. Sometime I wonder if it is worthwhile for one to give his life to training everyday for a shot for a moment of glory. Glory is a transient thing. Time will erase the memory. Generations will forget you.

If I stop writing henceforth, the world wouldn't miss a heart-beat either.

Maybe, having a goal keeps a person alive, keeps a person going until he finds something better to do.

Recently a distant colleague of mine died in a car accident at a bright age of 26. Yesterday, another young man on the brink of a new life, died in a car accident. I don't assume tomorrow always come.

I'm just thankful for today and whatever life brings. I'm missing my daughter Marie dearly. It's Sarah who's keeping me alive. I feel helpless fighting against the system but I reminded myself that if God can raise Saddam Hussein, God can also destroy Saddam. I'll do whatever I can, and leave the rest to God.

The feeling of hatred, depression, and helplessness is very toxic to the system. I'm trying to shut down the emotional floodgate before the body is overwhelmed with the poison.

In Iraq, in a town of Bagdad, US-bombs were raining. The family ran out of their house and were fatally hit. One girl lost her legs. Got fixed with an articial set of limps and sent back to her hometown to face an uncertain future. Her family were wiped out by the Americans. Try explaining that to this child.

Everything has an expiry date - our lives, our moment of glories, our achievements. That's why I have no hesitation to stop what's I'm doing at any point of time. The mail will still come, long after you are gone. The world will still goes on...without you.