Friday, December 31, 2010
Only one Tina Turner
This is the Song of the Year 1999 from Tina's award winning album "Steamy Windows". Man you young people don't know what great artistes are until you see the likes of the Stones, Tina Turner, Eric Clapton and Phil Collins.
Long Live Rock and Roll !
Geat New Song from Adam Lambert
This is the first song off his "For your Entertainment" album ; its on its way up the charts.
Take nothing away from the guy, his orientation, his heavily made up, mascara lined eyes. He is an awesome
rocker.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Video Highlights of the Liverpool - Wolves Game
l0-1w
Simão | Myspace Video
Historic win for Wolves never having beaten Liverpool at Anfied for 27 years.
Why I support a no-hope team like Wolves ?
Every week, Singapore would get the English Premier league shown on Channel 5 maybe delayed telecast (2 - 3 weeks later) IN COLOUR. And the games then were played in a very passionate and rough and tumble manner, and of course being part of the Commonwealth, English football took a firm hold in the hearts and minds of many ordinary Singaporeans and Malaysians. The games were less skillful than those today and we had no Serie A, La Liga, Bundesliga etc. to watch.
So, in those days, one of the more unique sounding teams was Wolverhampton Wanderers, or Wolves for short and I kind of fancied myself like their chief striker John Richards, who played once or twice for the English national team. I had no idea where they were or if they were even champions. But I faithfully bought the SHOOT ! magazine every week after school (it was available at the neighbourhood shop for about S$ 1 a copy, a princely sum then) and followed their fortunes. I was kind of naive, not wanting to follow a big name team like Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United etc. but the uniqueness of supporting an obscure Midlands team had its appeal. So I stuck with them, even though their glory days of winning the league twice in the 1950s to early 60s were long gone, even before I was born.
Since I followed them (say around 1976), they have only won the League Cup ONCE in 1980. That's IT. Andy Gray headed in a solitary goal against Nottingham Forest and it was 1-0. That's the ONLY major silverware they have won in the last 30 years. Very Pathetic YES. They have been relegated several times since the 1980s and their last stay in the lower regions has been almost 15 years. I forgot them altogether, although I visited the stadium Molineux in 1987 (23 years ago) with some University friends. So I am not a true blue die hard supporter. I am just a FAIR WEATHERED SUPPORTER.
Call me a romantic, but the PLUS POINT of supporting a no-hope team is that :
Whenever they win a game against any other Premier league team, its like WINNING THE CUP FINAL .No one expects them to win anything, let alone stay in the top flight of the Premier League, so their being in the top 20 for 2 years (2008 till now) is already a cause for celebration.
They invest a miniscule amount of money on players, have no brand name stars, and have been using their stadium for 30 years with little upgrade. Money is tight. I have been to the town of Wolverhampton and it is woefully sad and run down many factories have closed shop decades ago (it is an industrial town) and the onlyrevenue is from their university and polytechnics which offer decent degrees and diplomas in Engineering.
So when they win a match I celebrate like they have WON THE CUP FINAL !
Compare that to someone who supports Arsenal, Liverpool,Man U or Chelsea,their supporters expect them to WIN A TROPHY EACH YEAR. When the do, its EXPECTED. When they don't its a massive DISAPPOINTMENT. So the supporters are JADED, winning is like so boring. So when a team like Liverpool loses a match to Wolves, its a MAJOR DISASTER. So their emotions are OK we won (this week), BOO we lost to XXX.
Life must be quite torturous for those fans, the expectations are always rising each season.
My approach with Wolves is this ; They lost last week (OK) ; This week they won (YEAH, OLE,OLE, OLE !!! )
So I am a FOREVER OPTIMIST.
So on 30th Dec 2010, Liverpool 0 Wolves 1.
Its TIME TO PARTY ! OLE ! OLE ! OLE !
Monday, December 27, 2010
What goes through the mind of a Skier
I have been to ski resorts a total of 3 times and been skiing for the last 5 years on and off, and I can say that it is one of the most satisfying sports I have tried. It is also a very terrifying sport, especially when you are on the chairlift or ski-lift on the way up to the top of the hill or mountain as the only way down the hill or mountain is through your skis and one mistaken slip, overly fast downhill or uncontrollable speed can land one crashing and landing awkwardly can cause injuries amounting to broken limbs,or even loss of life.
Having said that, it is as safe as driving, if one takes lessons from qualified ski instructors and undergo fitness training before attempting the slopes. My son Andrew fractured his wrist when another snowborder knocked into him and I myself tore some ligaments when I fell awkwardly, in all places, at the ski training centre in Singapore. So it is best to come to the slopes trained and well prepared.
What goes on in the minds of a skiier. I am going to say these :
a) a prayer to God to help me ski down that damn mother of all mountains and not break a leg or worse.
b) a self assured mantra (repetitive chanting) that I can conquer the steepest slope because I can swerve
and stop and control my speed and its not so difficult after all. Looking at all those young kids who ski
with no fear in their eyes and going at 60 km/h downhill makes my attempt feel quite pedestrian.
Its true that the older you are, the greater the fear of failure, danger and death. Its called 'KIASU' and 'KIASI' in Singapore.
c) Telling everyone in my group that each day I will attempt a tougher and steeper (bigger objective) hill.
After that I have no face but to conquer my fears by attempting the bigger objective because I said so.
That are the 3 things that go through my mind. It works well for those with a big ego, but the true test comes when you have to prove that YOU CAN DO IT !
When I am skiing down, I am terrified as well as exhilarated at the same time. The rush is quite
unbelieveable.
I should try sky diving next time, and see whether the adrenalin and endorphin (body's natural feel good chemicals released during high activity sport) high is the same.
Carpe Diem.
Friday, December 24, 2010
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Merry Christmas to one and all.
I have not been putting posts up as I have just returned from a short and thoroughly enjoyable holiday. Down with a bad case of the 'flu, I decided to put up some happy songs to amuse myself and also to remind us of the true meaning of Christmas, and that it is NOT the following below :
a) OPPORTUNITY TO PARTY AND MAKE A FOOL OF ONESELF. This is really a period of
reflection for Christians and non-Christians alike. Christians mark this day as the birthday of Jesus Christ
and and remind themselves of the promise He made to the world. Non-Christians will use this day for a
number of different things such as catching up with friends and relatives alike to enjoy the fellowship
of men and women.
b) SPEND LIKE THERE IS NO TOMORROW : This has been a good year for many working people so
be generous of your bonus to the less privileged but don't splurge on the nice-to-haves too much. For
every up year there will be equally or more 'down' years. So save that hard earned bonus.
c) EAT,DRINK AND BE MERRY. Sure go and have fun. Visit friends, family, acquaintences, office
colleagues. Drink and soak in the atmosphere. Come Monday 27th to Thursday 30th,
the WEIGHING SCALE is YOUR ONE HONEST FRIEND. CAN YOU FACE HIM ?
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY. ENJOY THIS SONG.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Great song with vulgarities for added flavour
This Eminem song has 163 million 'hits' (or views on Youtube) since it came out, earlier this year, making that an average of 16 million hits per month or 500,000 hits per day on average. Wow !
The vulgarities sometimes lend ammunition to the stand by conservationists who think that anti-hero Eminem is poisoning the minds of influential young people. Well yes and no, yes, if the youngsters believe that the images such as Eminem falling off the cliff and flying into the air can be replicated - but then again, every superhero does that, Superman, Astroboy and recently Hancock. Of course, the youngsters should know by now the difference between reality and make believe.
The other aspect of vulgarities. Now we all went through our teenage years, who never uttered a four letter word or swore in his life ? Emimen's lyrics reflect the growing disenfranchisement of society, about his daughter's problems and him trying to reach to her. The rest of the stuff "Fxxx the universe" all add colour.
So, enjoy the song. Understand the message and accept that we live in a multi-coloured multidimensional world, where Eminem, Teletubbies, Chinese xinyao, Bollywood artistes and Hillsong (a Christian band) all jostle for our attention.
Seize the day and enjoy it.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore 2010
Geoffrey Abisheganaden
1919 - 2010
Date : Dec 5th 2010
Start Time : 5.00 am
This is the 5th marathon that I attempted and completed,albeit the slowest one on record. I finished in a time of 5 hours 58 minutes or so (hand timed) today. The race started off late, because of poor baggage handling management at Anguilla Carpark next to Orchard Road. Queues started forming from 4.10 am but the organisers only opened the stalls from 4.30 am so many of the runners were stuck still trying to send in their bags when the siren call for the first wave of runners started at 5.00 am. I was one of those runners. First Wave runners started at 5.00 am sharp and I managed to get through in the Second Wave of runners at 5.20 am. It was one of the factors which at the later stages of the race, may have added me some additional minutes to my timing.
Our start was outside Wisma Atria at 5.20 am and although the Orchard Road lights were pretty to look at, as it was approaching Christmas, I was in no mood to really check out the sights. I had a race to run. My previous race times are shown below :
2003 : 5 hr 23 min (Penang Bridge Marathon)
2004 : 4 hr 52 min (SC Singapore)
2005 : 4 hr 59 min (SC Singapore)
2007 : 4 hr 48 min (SC Singapore)
2010 : 5 hr 58 min (SC Singapore)
The sirens blared and we are OFF ! The first 2 kms take us along Orchard Road, Penang Road and up to Stamford Road. The pace is slow - about 7 min. per km and there were lots of runner bunched in between the balustrades which the traffic marshalls had cordonned off solely for the runners. It was not a nice feeling running next to all these sweaty bodies and moving too slowly for my liking.After Stamford Road, we head towards Hill Street and run all the way to Maxwell Road, again the runners have to keep to within road markers which are zealously controlled by volunteers. I have to add that this year's inspirators, or teams who are encouraging the runners are practically non-existent, I saw perhaps 2 to maximum 3 teams of guys and girls who sang and danced but it was too little and not motivating enough.
From Maxwell Road, we head down to Telok Ayer Street running parallel to Robinson Road, and then on to Esplanade Drive where we see the start point of the 10K. It is about 7 km and the pace is slow mainly because of the runners all around me and perhaps my insufficient training. So bunched in between alot of slow runners and boxed in by the road dividers, it was very difficult to make my way forward unless there was a 'window' or I nudged someone aside. We make a right around Raffles Avenue and then on to Nicoll Highway and Mountbatten Road, in the lead up to the East Coast Park stretch. There was a water point around Mountbatten Road, (around 10 km mark) and some of the runners were beginning to tire. I tried to push it, but dared not, as there was over 30 km left to go.
At East Coast Park, I was familiar with the run routes, so we were able to spread out and I was able to increase my stride length to a faster pace, around 6 minutes per km.I made up for lost time and by the time we reached the half way mark, it was 2 hours and 30 minutes and I was on track for around 5 hr and 30 minutes if the cramps didn't set it. At the half way mark, I popped in the 2nd of my Power Gels and drank up the Accelerade in my handcarry bottle. After some stretching and massaging, I topped up on the water and headed on for the 2nd half. Things seemed to be going according to plan. I was speeding up and I was aiming to try to run a faster 2nd half.
It was a pipe dream, by the time I hit around 26km, the first twinges of aches started below my left knee, my calves were beginning to pull. I decided to stop and do stretches along the way, so it was from 26 to around 30 km at the end of the ECP, I was taking regular stops every 15 minutes or so to stretch and not be laid up by cramp. I brought out my magic bottle of Salonpas and sprayed onto the problem areas. All around I was surrounded by the wafting almost puking smell of Counterpain, the gel used to massage runners and there were runners whose legs were literally caked in the stuff.
32km it was getting hot, down went my sunglasses and out came my handkerchief. Ahh, the tricks of the trade of en experienced runner. I stopped at each water station and soaked my kerchief. We ran past the Marina Bay Gardens at around 9 amish and it was scorching hot. Lots or runners were now walking and I was employing a run 500 m, walk 200m strategy. I recognised that I wasn't pushing myself because of lack of training and desire for the timing and the drama of 2005 where I collapsed near the end still played out in my mind.
35km and 40 km were the worst bits, the body was aching from the waist down. I was now running maybe 300 m and walking and stretching 700m. Many young runners had collapsed or given up along the way, that was how hot and unbearable it got at the later stages. At the 40 km mark, I told myself, Cmon, last 2km, you can run the last 2km, its only 15 minutes to the end !
So I willed the aching body to run through the many walkers and RAN the last 2km through to the chute.I finished in 5 hours and 58 minutes and managed a smile for the bank of photographers towards the finish line. Some satisfaction that I did not ache that badly, but disappointment that it was the slowest time of my 5 marathons. I remind myself of the below phrase :
ITS NOT HOW FAST YOU RUN IT, BUT FINISH IT AFTER YOU HAVE GIVEN IT YOUR 100%.
In a nutshell, the marathon was within expectations and below expectations in these aspects :
ABOVE EXPECTATIONS : BEAUTIFUL ROUTE no doubt, the Orchard Road section was nice running under the lights and the Floating Platform gave a beautiful view.
ENOUGH WATER POINTS : Every 3km at the early stages and 2km at the later stages was good.
BELOW EXPECTATIONS : BAGGAGE HANDLING : 1. Anguilla Park carpark started collecting the bags from 4.30 am. Only half hour to the start. Handlers were overwhelmed by the sheer number of bags, and processing was slow. Took me almost 45 minutes to hand in my bag, and had NO PROPER WARMUP. At the finish point, they located the bag collection at the F1 Pit Building some 2 km away.
Imagine running 42.195 km and then having to walk with your aching body another 2km to collect the bag. They screwed it up on this one !! Race director, please in future have the baggage collection at the PADANG. We have finished a damn marathon in 4, 5 ,6, 7 and 8 hours so spare a thought for us !
COURSE : I felt it was trying to accomplish too many things all the the same time, a tourist sight seeing jaunt, a race and too spread out start points. It spread the resources very thin as far as I am concerned. See how the bag handling was stretched probably gives me the impression it would be the same for the other half and 10 K quarter marathons.
INSPIRATORS : Too few and not inspiring enough
ROAD MARSHALLS :Too inexperienced.Let the runners do the running, asking them to stay in lane is impossible when thousands of sweaty individuals are pushing forward and the only way to overtake is to run at the edge or outside the barriers.
LATE START TIME : Again I state this categorically, why start at 5.00 am ? So that the winners which are most likely the Africans can come in at 7.20 am and there are nice photo opportunities ??
START AT 4.00 AM OR EVEN 3.00 AM !! Spare a thought for the thousands who are coming in at 10.00 am to 1.00 pm. Its very hot and blazing at those times. Give the runners a chance to record their PBs or Personal Bests . Many are running for their first or second times.
I don't mean to sound like a complainer but lessen the number of runners, have one central location to start and finish, keep baggage handling under control and within the start and end points,get more inspirators and groups going and you have a perfectly organised marathon. I did not mention anything about the heat and humidity which is a given in Singapore, that is beyond the organisers' control.
2007 was a great one for me, very well managed and I ran well. Rate : 9 upon 10.
2003 in Penang was lovely too, early start at 4.00 am and finished at 9 am or so, running over the suspension bridge twice was great with the sea breeze blowing into our faces. Rate : 8 upon 10.
2010 Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore
Rating Upon 10 based on past marathons experience : 6 - NEEDS IMPROVEMENT, like my timing.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
5 days before the Big Race
I am up early at 5.30 am, do the toiletries, clean up and manage to head out the door a couple of
minutes past 6 o'clock. I am quickly adjusting my body clock to wake up earlier so as to be ready for
the Standard Chartered Marathon - a running must have for me - in 5 days time. After a 'short' run of 35 minutes or 5 km,I reach home, all fresh and energised to start the day. this post is written at 7.55 am,
something which I have not done for years, so yeah, it feels good !
The flag off time this year is 5am, something which many runners welcome. Additionally, it will start outside the Marriot Hotel in the heart of Orchard Road. So the Orchard Road stretch outside ION building will be a place which won't sleep this weekend given the amount of officials, security personnel, runners and well wishers all congregating there. How exciting !
The training (how much or how little) has all been done, the massages to ease the aching body have been taken, the mental preparation and the carbo loading (eating of high carbohydrate foods to provide energy such as pasta, rice or noodle dishes) starts NOW.
This is the 5th time I am running and I am as enthusiatic as a first time runner. This is because each new race heralds a new beginning, of me wanting to better my last personal best time. Although it is not likely, it is good to have a strong conviction, like they say, its mind over matter.
So, the message to my fellow runners, Fast or Slow, Run your own Race. At the finish line, we are
all Winners. For those who say " Ah I'll do it tomorrow, there may not be many tomorrows left when the time comes".
Good Luck ! Carpe Diem ! Seize the Day !
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Reflections on this day
The well -off youth of today have never had it so good, they are travelling as early as infants, have been to perhaps 4 - 5 continents by the time they are young adults or in their mid 20s. And, judging from my birthday dinner at a swanky Chinese restaurant in town this evening, many young people are also able to afford dinners at top class restaurants of all cuisines in Singapore.
So the young people it appears - or the 'strawberry generation' soft and bruise easily, are
a) materialistic - they want the best things in life NOW
b) well off - can buy a sports car (from their parents money of course), fancy meals and
take exotic holidays and visit the most 'happening' night spots to blow away their parents
money.
c) have no real direction in life because everything is laid out or prepared for them
How lucky these young people are !! But how many sports cars, or holidays, or fancy meals does one take before he is sick of this ? See what good has Paris Hilton or Lindsay
Lohan brought to themselves and their families. Party girls and boys become an embarrassment after their shelf life has gone out. Its time for them to look at what life is or are they too full of drugs and alcohol even to analyse their sorry state.
But many times these young people do not know it. They assume everyone is like them and feel that this life is the norm. But the reality of it all, is that in Singapore, the income inequality is huge between the rich and the poor. There are many young people who cannot afford even 3 basic meals a day, and only eat 1 meal. Many live with some relatives or move from place to place if the parents divorce or domestic problems cannot be settled. Many families live from 'hand to mouth'.
Its time to put things to perspective. I would like to teach my children and myself that selflessness is an ideal, and helping the poor will give us an insight into what our lives really mean to us.
Its time to get real about the hard reality of life.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Beijing Tour 8 - 12 March 2008
viA short trip taken to Beijing by my wife May and younger son Andrew in March 2008.
Andrew has since grown much taller and leaner in the 2 and a half years since this
picture - movie.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Wake and Funeral Service on 21st September 2010 - Geoffrey Abisheganaden
Testing the Picasa 3 Movie making function.Click on screen to run movie.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Fathers play your part
It was sad to read in the newspapers about the resurgence of street corner gangs, made up of teenagers and even young children (as young as 8 years old), as has been reported in the Straits Times the last 2 weeks. The case of one Darren Ng, who was murdered in a gang fight recently in Downtown East is shocking and while the police do their part to apprehend and put to justice the culprits, lets take a deep look into this sad facet of our fast paced, so called highly developed society and the problems which are now surfacing. I am not an expert in any way on gangs and their culture, but the gangs in Singapore are the end result of a need for the youth to get engaged in activities which are meaningful and will enrich themselves and those around them. I mean this in a spiritual and emotional way.
Many can blame the breakdown of the family to today's jobs which are a) fast paced b) expect people to put in long hours on the computer and in overseas travel c) highly stressed d) lacking in a proper work-life balance.
Imagine a dual income household where both parents are busy working to make a decent living. Grandparents nowadays don't want to be a burden to their children so would prefer their own privacy and live elsewhere so there arises this generation of 'latchkey children'. Son or daughter comes home to an empty house in the afternoon, and there is only a computer or TV for company, so it is quite logical he will want to have some 'family time' with his outside 'family' or friends. So if he or she mixes with the wrong company, then the problem starts. This is just based on a relatively well -off dual income family.
How about a dysfunctional broken apart by divorce, or jail or one where one parent has passed away ? It is doubly lonely for the children. The parent has to make supreme effort to be there for the children and that takes time.
Finally, a plea to those fathers including myself, the children, especially the young boys who will turn to men, need you as the father figure to show them the way ahead. Our actions, attitudes and presence in making time for the family is ever so important now, as if you are not there, the results as seen in recent weeks are disastrous.
This is a story to illustrate my message, there was once this young man who lived by the sea, he would love to take walks along the beach and would often jog and sit and watch the waves rush in and slowly move out. Once, the tide had gone out and he was shocked to find that on his beach, there were more than a thousand starfishes stranded by the fast receding tide.
Stunned into action, he ran and started picking the starfishes one by one, knowing he had little time to save them as the day was fast turning into night and he could not see. The tide would come back up in about 12 hours,but many starfishes would be dead by then. So he ran along the beach and picked up each starfish and flung them back into the sea. Soon, he was walking slowly picking up each starfish and walked to the edge of the ocean and threw them into the sea. His task was impossible and he was getting tired by attempting his mammoth task.
A middle- aged man walked by and was struck by this boy's enthusiasm and attitude. He called out to the boy and said, "young man, what are you doing ?"
" Saving the starfishes sir" came the answer, the boy answered wearily.
"Do you know that there are thousands of them stranded on this beach ? the ligjt is fading fast and it will be night soon. What difference will it make ? "
The boy, picked up a starfish and walked near to the ocean, and threw it into the sea.
" I made a difference to THIS ONE". the boy replied.
Even if we can make a difference to the lives of just one starfish or young person, it is worth the time and the effort.
Do your part, fathers.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Why is rock music 'evil' ?
This is a classic video from Coldplay, one of Britain's top bands featuring Chris Martin (lead singer and husband of Gwyneth Paltrow) and is very entertaining.
Rock music (some anyway) has been labelled satanic, morally decandent and imbibing all the wrong values in the youth. But give it (this genre) a break ! Why ? Its been around for 60 years, since Bill Haley and the Comets, Elvis Prestly, the Everly Brothers, the Beatles and Chuck Berry and countless others have been giving the baby boomers (those born from 1946 till 1975) endless hours of enjoyment, and hey, every new generation which comes after the previous one always gives the former a great deal of concern and headaches. There is a certain billionaire called Bono (frontman for the band U2) who has been at the forefront of charity work in Africa, helping thousands if not millions of starving Africans better their lives. And don't forget Sir Bob Geldof (Boomtown Rats) with his "Do they knowits Christmas album" and Voices that Care - all made their money through rock music and other popular music media, and helping millions in the process.
Sure, there was the rise of the drug culture during the 60s, but rock and roll was only one aspect of the 'freedom movement' which was so vibrant representing the Flower Power of the youth. The youth of those times were no different from each generations' youth, they just want to do things their 'own way'much to the consternation of the older generation.
So the establishment (that is people like you and I who are middle aged, married probably with or without kids and are earning a decent income) will feel threatened that the next generation is going to the dogs with their music, attitudes, drugs, gangs, reverse messages etc. etc.
So I say to these people, "grow up and think logically". Our children will grow up just fine provided we give them the necessary guidance,values, love and most importantly, our time. Music is part and parcel of our subculture, like it or not. Its been around for centuries and will continue to evolve for centuries to come
Rock music, House music, Rap music etc. are just forms of stimulating our young minds. They are about as evil as tomorrow's newspapers. We just need to provide the young minds with the correct perspective, understand the fine line between the what is legal and illegal and encourage debate.
Up till today I can't understand the appeal of Justin Bieber , does that mean he is evil ??
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
KSK Club Photos Collage
Another Collage of my Karate Club where I have been training for the last 8 years.
Chief Instructor : Sensei Chia Kwek Fah ; 7th Dan Shitoryu Karate
Asst. Instructor : Mickey Tey ; 2nd Dan
'New' Software 'Toy' Picasa 3
This is a 'new' software which I have been playing with for the past few days. Called Picasa 3, it has many edit, and collage functions as well as movie production presentations which enable the user to easily put up pictures, hand held videos and trips in a fun and eye-catching manner. Here is a long overdue collage of ex- associates like Frank Rigley (forerly Regional Sales Manager of Weiss Technik till end 2009), and other current colleagues like Erhart Geto (Weiss Technik Regional Service Manager), N. Kannan, Rufus Pinto, Liew Hon Nien, Fhiyionna Tan and their spouses.
The occasion was the retirement of Frank Rigley and this was taken before the Chinese NewYear 2008 at the restaurant named 'End of the World' at Batu Feringghi and at Ingolf's Kniepe bar and Restaurant at Bayan Baru.
Good Times of the Past.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Visit to Thai Satellite Center - THEOS
Radio Telescopes in the Distance
Several months ago I had the opportunity to visit a Satellite Center located in Thailand's Eastern Seaboard town of Chonburi. Roughly about 2 hours drive South East of Bangkok, the THEOS Center houses a number of radio telescopes focussed up in the sky at 2 satellites hovering above the Earth's atmosphere. The Thai scientists stationed there had received training in France and were part of a technology transfer from France to the kingdom of Thailand.
The satellite model is rather uninspiring, all decked out in yellow reflective panels and weighing about 3 tons, its primary purpose is to detect changes in weather patterns all over Thailand, so as to assist the rural farming populations about extreme weather conditions like storms approaching and hot spots in the countryside. They offer the services not only to the Thai Government, but also for commercial purposes.
I wonder why the neighboring countries, with all this technology readily available, and with 12 years of past experience, are still unable to prevent the out of control fires - which can be easily located, caused by slash and burn methods employed by farmers and resulting in the haze which has engulfed both Singapore and Malaysia recently ?
Saturday, October 30, 2010
The Funny Thing after gaining an Education
Andrew's Sec 1 Class
The funny thing about Education is that modern day society is so enamoured or in love with the concept of studying or gaining as much paper as a means to 'move up' or achieve higher social status in life that alot of times, when I look at the education landscape in Singapore and in many Asian countries, I wonder whether all those years of studying amount to anything. Don't get me wrong, education or schooling is essential for a young person, but many times, the most successful people in life, as far as seizing opportunites or doing well and living a balanced life do not have degrees or postdoctorate qualifications. This leads me to question :
a) We put in 12 years of schooling, junior, secondary, high school or preuniversity or college and
b) another 4 to 6 years of undergraduate study
c) perhaps another 2 to 3 years of post graduate study
For the most part, we study for exams, we learn things like pythagoras theorems. flood plains, ancient Chinese history, algebraic and quadratic equations, convalent bonds and De Brogli's theory and packet light pulses. We spill all these out for the exams, semester after semester, year after year. We put in days, weeks and months of 'burning the midnight oil' to study for the year end exam.
At the end, we get the coveted paper - the A Level cert, the Degree in Science. And apply for a job.
You get the Job. Now comes the funny part.
How much of these things which you study do you apply to your working life ?
a) addition, subtraction,division, multiplacition perhaps
b) Yes, No, and English stuff to write emails to colleagues and present some reports to the management
c) Understanding balance sheets (if you are an accountant or accounts assistant)
d) Reading and understanding some electrical circuit diagrams (if you are in the technical line)
Everything else is new, we learn about banking, engineering processes, cashbook,MYOB etc. etc. ON THE JOB
So what was the 12 - 16 years we put in so much effort,time, sweat, countless Red Bull drinks and nights inthe University Library to gain the "A"s or "B"s for ???
Do you tell your customer, who is facing a delivery time problem from your principal or supplier "Oh don't worry, I know how to solve this problem, I got 2nd class honours in Engineering". He will probably laugh at your face.
Whats most important is the "school of life", people need to start work early and learn how to
a) interact meaningfully with your coworkers and colleagues for the benefit of your employer
b) meeting objectives and goals set out by company management and presenting them in a manner
which will obtain maximum results for both the company and the person
c) hone in on interpersonal and life skills like good public relations, marketing, selling, adverserial
and strategic planning
Maybe the answer to achieving success in the businessworld is to start working EARLY. Then and only then will the person understand how deals are clinched, objectives met and goals are set and achieved.
It has been noted that the most afraid to lose or kiasu people are those who have studied for the longest time, its like they have this mentality, "oh, I put in 12 years of my time and my parents 'money on computer science studies , I need to look for a job in the computer industry, at least I have a job". It may be a lousy paying job in a sunset industry but he doesn't see it.
The risk takers are those who have nothing to lose, so they will try almost anything.
There is a famous quotation that bears repeating, "I have learnt whatever I need to learn in kindergarten, how to stick together and share our food, how to avoid the bullys, to clean my plate after my meal and never ever forget to say "thank you".
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Now is the Time
My trusty Kayano 16s
My 'office' gear
Its exactly 6 weeks till the Standard Chartered Marathon, and I have been training intermittently for the last 2 - 3 months. This post is a timely reminder to me to get going and be serious about the runup for the 5th full marathon I am attempting. The target I will set for myself is 4 hours 45 minutes which broken down to 2 half marathons (of 21 k each) is 2 hours 22 minutes. As the famous ultramarathoner Dean Karnazes put it into perspective during his 100 miler (consecutive) :
"you run the firs half with your legs, the second half with your mind".
My ultramarathon running friends, Jane Peng and Thaddeus Lawrence have another similar quote :
"your run first with your legs, then you run with your mind, finally you run with your heart"
I will be aiming to hit around 60 km to 70 km per week in training so, I plan to be running almost daily, with the odd rest day, and I plan to hit the road even when I am overseas travelling in Europe (in late November) and Thailand (mid November). So its no rest for the wicked I guess.
Time is of the essence, I hope that by using the running techniques like Pose running, and landing on the midsection, I can improve my running speed, and distance.
4 hours 45 minutes - the goal for 42.195 km on 5th December 2010.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
120 mm Mortar Fire Mission on Armoured Personnel Carrier Video
A video (US Armoured Artillery) showing how the 120 mm mortar is fired off in the vehicle. The commander is at the top of the APC (near the copolla) and the person loading the mortar is called the Loader or No. 3 Man. Normally the Fire Mission Officer would call "Fire Mission Mortar No. ###" and only 1 detachment would be called to action. In those days, that was normally done by my buddy Chong Wai Kiong.The entire Battery consisting of 6 vehicles would first secure the deployment area and the lead vehicle would then be required to fire off the first round of mortar - within a maximum time, normally less than 2 minutes. So the ranging 'piece' is first required to find the target by shooting 3 times and once the bombs reach within 100m of the intended range, then the rest of the Battery would follow suit and a full fire mission would take place. The range of the mortar is normally about 3 - 6 km depending on the elevation of the mortar (trajectory) and also what incendiary flares (circular and flammable) are attached to the mortar to ensure it flies as far as it should.
Normally, the ranging mortar fires to get the range of the bomb,ie. to ascertain that the bomb reaches the target within the intended distance. That woud normally take about 3 rounds maximum, following which the entire battery (platoon of mortar soldiers) would be called to 'fire for effect', that is for the entire 6 to 10 mortars to hit the target at the same 'line'.
A tough vocation but fun.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Army Days 1980 - 1983
My Army Detachment No. 4 in the Battery
Left to Right : Goh Gek Piau (Loader),Loh Swee Chuah (Driver),
Me(Commander),Tan Beng Chong (No.4 Man),Yeo Ah Seng (Layer)
This is some history of my past days when I was doing my National Service. In thoses days, young teenage youth of 18 years of age are enlisted for 2 and 1/2 years and sent for Basic Military Training in Terror Camp (name is there for a reason) after which we are sent either to army units or further training to be a commissioned or non-commisisoned officer (NCO).Most of the enlistees at that time, were a mix bag of school dropouts, poorly educated, secondary school, or pre university college students like myself and my friends. It was a tremendous eye-opener for me to share the same sleeping quarters as men who mianly spoke Hokkien or had a very basic command of English.
I was selected to be undergo the Commissioned Officer training but I ultimately chose to be a Non-Commissioned Officer, and underwent training as a section leader at Pasir Laba Camp in Jurong, I underwent further very rigorous training at the Artillary Command Center at Kangaw Camp (12 weeks). The going was very tough, as we were trained by hardened regular sergeants and other corporals who were themselves trained by Army rangers. To say the training was tough was an understatement, we had an entire week of field exercise whereby we had only 2 hours sleep per night for 5 nights. We had some trainees who suffered injuries and dropped out before the end of the 12 week training course. Only about 2/3rd completed the tough course. On our commissioning parade, we proudly put on our '2nd stripe'or corporal (and later sargeant ) as all of us earned it through (literally) blood, much sweat and (some) tears.
I was posted to the 46 SAR Armoured Regiment and served in the 120mm self-propelled mortar battery of 6 APCs (Armoured Personnel Carrier) in the ranging mortar unit (selected as the best and fastest team).My team of soldiers were all 'Hokkien Ping' or Hokkien speakingsoldiers. Although we had some teething problems first, with them adjusting to my hard style (I was a very tough trainer, my men can attest to that), we ultimately bonded well as a unit and were awared the 'Best Detachment' (out of 6) and even put up a show of our coordination for the entire armoured company to see.
Those days of rigorous training taught me to be mentally tough and take whatever difficulties physically or mentally that come along the way as challenges and try to surmount them in the best way I can. National Service is a fine way for our youth to grow into responsible men.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Singapore's Ultramarathoners in Sahara 250 K Desert Race Oct 4 - 9th 2010
From Left : Jane Peng, Trish Tan and Vanessa Tan
Today 9th October marks the final torturous day of 6 days of hard running in the sand, in the Sahara desert no less, for 3 of Singapore's ultramarathon ladies. They are Jane Peng, Trish Tan and Vanessa Tan. All of them completed the race with Vanessa Tan taking 10th position for the ladies category. Trish and Jane Peng both completed in what can be described as a 'take no prisoners' race where one has to train for at least 6 - 9 months with exposure to sand and high heat and sunlight. How do I know ? I am
proud to say that I am Jane's 'running khaki' or running buddy since the early part of 2010.
"V" for victory
From those early days of running 10 to 15 K per run at Macritchie to East Coast Park to completing in a 50K combined run in May 15th this year. Jane has improved her distance to an ultramarathon of 84 K the following week (!), Since then, she has set her sights on 'racing the planet' and decided to sign up and run 250 K in 6 days which included a murderous 94 Km on Stage 5 ; (it took many competitors upwards of 24 hours to complete this segment !). All this with a 9Kg backpack and running on sand, with temperatures hitting 40 to 45 deg C in daytime, occasional sandstorms (I hope not) and metres high sand dunes. There are a total of 4 such extreme 6 day marathons, they are :
- Sahara Desert Run
- Atacama Desert Run
- Gobi Desert Run
- Antartica Run
Well done Jane, Trish and Vanessa !
Saturday, October 9, 2010
22 Sept 2010 4pm St Andrew's Cathedral Service Vol.3
The hearse leaving for Mandai Columbarium
Section of the friends and family
John doing the Scriptures Reading
Close Friends and Family
22 Sept 2010 4pm St Andrew's Church Service Vol.1
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St Andrew's Cathedral - oldest Anglican Church in Singapore The church entrance filled with flowers |
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| Guard of Honor made up of prefects from St.Andrews School and Junior College |
Another photoshot of the church
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| Uncle Alex Abisheganaden |
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| Canon Dr. Louis Tay conducting the service |
A section of the friends and relatives at the service
Our family
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
22 Sept. 2010 Vol. 2
Wreath from the Bishops and Diocese of Singapore
Andrew's love note to Grandpa
Andrew preparing his note
Family friend Tuck Meng
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