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I listen to This Is Home...and I can feel myself getting teary. I have many friends or colleagues who are PR or PR turned Singaporean...I wonder how many of them can feel the same way I do. Then again, I don't think I want to find out...makes life easier without knowing too much...

http://motoring.asiaone.com/Motoring/Drive...119-259025.html No real need to drive in S'pore By Amy Yeong WHEN I graduated from junior college in 1999, my parents asked if I would like to learn how to drive. >>I guess in 1999 she was 19 years old...so in 2011 she would be 30. It is a good skill to have, they said. And we will help pay for your lessons, they added for good measure. I refused. At the age of 19, I did not see the point of learning how to drive. More importantly, I was terrified of crashing the family car. Besides, why bother when my father often gave me a lift to wherever I wanted to go? >> A-Ha its her fear of driving/crashing! Some more got father to drive her around, no need to fork out fuel or petrol.....SHIOK lah! A few years later, my mother broached the topic again. "I'll sponsor your lessons, how about that?" she offered. Again, I declined. The family car had just been upgraded to a shiny charcoal-grey Toyota Altis and I was worried about denting it. I would have less qualms about damaging my own car, but buying my own ride was out of the question. >> Again she expressed her real reason why she says driving is not a need in Singapore!! Fast-forward to the present. "Do you ever intend to get your driver's licence?" asked my mother, this time in a tone of exasperation mixed with resignation. The family car is now a seven-seater multi-purpose vehicle. I am certain I will not make it out of the carpark in one piece. Anxiety over potential damage to the family vehicle aside, I've never seen a real need to learn how to drive, and no one has successfully convinced me otherwise. >> Most likely her BF/hubby also got car to drive her around....double SHIOK lah! Driving is expensive and stressful in Singapore, and I would rather let my mind drift while taking public transport than to stay alert all the time while driving. >> I can save my money to buy LV and Gucci, let my BF/hubby spent his money on car n petrol! And anyone who argues that taking a taxi is much more expensive than owning a car has not done his sums properly - unless he travels multiple times across the island every single day. I am admittedly an anomaly among my peers, many of whom had obtained their driver's licences - or even bought their own cars - by the time they graduated from university. If you have a real need to drive and can afford to finance your own car, I say: Good for you. But to learn how to drive just because everyone else is doing so, or just because it is a useful skill (that you know you won't need in the foreseeable future), seems to me a colossal waste of time and resources. >>Waste of resources? HUR? It makes no sense to learn how to drive unless you have frequent access to a car, or are capable of financing one. Otherwise, you end up driving infrequently - or, worse still, only once every few years. >>Graduate earning how much cannot afford, then how? Your driving skills will decay to a point where you no longer dare to get behind the wheel. And even if you do, your lack of practice might make you a road menace. The only reason why I would even consider learning how to drive would be if I intend to have a family of my own - baby strollers are a nightmare tomanage on public transport. >>I think she is implying that she is Definately not going to have kids. 30 years old woman saying this type of thing on national papers...challenging the gov is it? Meanwhile, the public-transport system serves me perfectly well. And I am fortunate to have a doting father and brother who would chauffeur me around when it is convenient for them to do so. >>Come on 30 years old still staying with rich parents is it? Otherwise, I can always hail a cab. After factoring in peak-hour surcharges and Electronic Road Pricing charges, it is still cheaper to take a taxi daily than to get my own car. Indeed, it would be possible for me to take a cab to work every day for a decade before my taxi expenses approach the cost of buying my own vehicle. Given this state of affairs, it is little wonder I refuse to get my driver's licence. Fundamentally, I believe that driving is a luxury - not a necessity - for someone in my circumstances. Until the day I can comfortably afford a car, I will resist the lure of that blueish-green licence. >>If her opinion of car is expensive.....then how is she going to buy her HDB or condo??

hi, would like to check if any of you sign up for such gym membership? yesterday is the first time i went to such gym, truefitness located at parkway. the exercise class really enticed me, full of energy and life. membership is $89 per mth over a year, personal trainer is around $90 per hour session.. thought of signing up the fitness-plus located at changi business park as it's really much affordable. $60 per mth however, the down side is not night classes but they have a 25m swimming pool. cool! i'm more keen into the exercise class compare to weights, free time would be after 7pm to 10pm. any gd advise?

Dear TR, I am writing this letter to you in order to confirm suspicions that have been made about People

Hi everyone, recently i was approached by my great eastern insurance fren. he wanted to propose a retirement plan for my father. its some 3 generation series or smth like tat 1st pay 1k per month for 10 yrs.. on the 2nd yr onwards you will get $500 per month till u pass away.. when u pass away, ur son will continue to get the pay out.. when ur son pass aways ur grandson will continue to get the payout till he die and will get a lump sum of death $$... there is oso 2k per month for 10 yrs and get 1k per month.. Is it true? i think it sounds too good to be true leh... it sound more like MLM, like sunshine empire.... any bro have heard about it or got it b4? how the hell is GE gg to earn the $ to give all the pay out? sry i not insurance agent... just curious about this policy... i think its call legacy plannig or smth...

Earlier last week, i have posted about an issue in my newly bought used car. I have taken the car to a mechanic shop and was told that there was short circuit within the steering wheel circuit and it needs rewiring which would cost around 150$ or changing the steering wheel would cost around 1000$!! I doubted their diagnostic skill and took the car back and posted about the issue in the forum. One fellow forumer (Neutralsg) asked my contact number and called me. He is so good and patience in listing to what i said, suggested to take the veh to C&C for problem identification and before doing that, he asked to me check couple of things. One of them was to check the battery of my remote key and helped me how to put the new battery into the remote key. I did the same thing and that fixed the whole issue in my car. Just because the battery in my remote key went flat, the theft alarm was being triggered and though i have mentioned all these things to mechanics, they doesn't even bothered or nor realized about this simple thing. I am posting this thread to just spread the word for the true meaning of forum where each of us help together to resolve our issues rather than stirring\creating new issue through the forum. I am grateful to Neutralsg, not for just saving me some bugs, but for his spirit to help me even though i am totally stranger to him. He spent almost 15 mins on call to listen my issue and given his expertise to resolve it. Kudos Neutral sg, people like you makes life beautiful.

Hi bros, Just want to find out whether this is true: My mobile phone holder has a power cable connected to it directly. This cable gets its power from the lighter socket. I have come across reading that when parking overnight, don't leave the power cable in the lighter socket as it will continue to drain battery life of the car. Is this really true?

http://singaporeseen.stomp.com.sg/stomp/sg...capped_lot.html Quite obvious the GTR has a handicapped-driver label, so ignore the original complaint. But this other post caught my eye (quoting it verbatim):

U think this is possible? Subject: 10% commission for recruiting church members! Senior Pastor gets 40% I saw this posting http://sgforums.com/forums/1381/topi...#posts-9886001 Can anyone confirm this?? Today I met with a long lost secondary school friend who is working at city harvest now. She revealed to me the secrets of how CHC and Kong Hee earns big bucks. Actually, from cell group leaders all the way to Kong Hee earn a commission when they get new members to join the church. For example, a member who earns 3k a month is recruited into the church. He donates 10% of his salary which is $300 a month to the church. He will be introduced into a cell group and as long as the cell group leader(CGL) manage to make him stay and make him donate 10% of his salary every month, the CGL will earn a commission. CGL earns 10% of $300 which is $30 a month. Each cell grup is estimated to have around 10 to 30 members so we shall take 20 members in a cell group as a example. The CGL will earn $30 multiply by 20 members which is already $600 a month. On top of that, the CGL will encourage his cell group members to bring new members into the church in which he will get the commission which is $30 a month assuming the person earns 3k a month. The CGL does not tell his cell group members about this so his kum gong cell group members keep on brining in new members not knowing that its the CGL and the Pastors who benefits while they get nothing. The Pastor gets a higher commission of 20% a member. So Pastor gets $60 a member. Each Pastor is in charge of arou! nd 10 cell groups and assuming each cell group have 20 members the Pastor gets $60 x 20 members x 10 cell groups= $12k a month. Kong Hee gets the highest of 40% commission. Assuming that there are 30 000 members in city harvest and earn of them earns 3k a month, he earns $120 X 30 000 members=$3 600 000 a month which is even more than what our Ministers are earning. The remaining 30% which is $90 multiply by 30 000 members=$2 700 000 goes into the church fund which is used to pay staff salaries, electricity bills, investment etc. Do note that using 3k a month salary as a guideline is already very low as CHC is full of rich people who easily earn more than 3k a month. On top of that, CGL and Pastors are entitled to claim for travelling expenses etc so their earnings are much more than that. So people, next time when you want to donate 10% of your salary to CHC think carefully..

http://www.google.com.sg/imglanding?q=BMW%...wAg&start=0 http://www.bmw-sg.com/bmw-general/best-mot...000/2009/03/13/ This is my fav car.......

Hi have come across a article in temasek review: Inside scoop on Singapore politics: Fact or Fiction? They memtioned past events regarding DEVAN NAIR. As I am still young at age @ that point of time, so like to find if the offical appointment held by him and his activties carried out, are true? please advise.

Ok... this is a true story that happened to yours truly.... You may google doppelganger. This happened years back when I was in ns. I was booking out of camp one Saturday morning and had plans to follow a platoonmate to JB to fill up petrol. So after coming back in the evening, I was having dinner with my mum accompanying me and chatting as well. Suddenly my sis(fr upstairs) shouted as if she saw a ghost. Stayed in a masionette. I rushed up and asked what happened. She said she saw "me" going into my room. She called out to me and wanted to follow me into the room. But at her corner of her eye, she saw me eating downstairs. Ok, I felt abit mystified. Dad came back and said a few prayers. I booked in camp the next evening and several of my campmates keep asking me if its the real me.I was abit puzzled as I nv related the incident that happened at my own home. Later i found out that several of my frens saw "me" loitering at company line on Saturday morning. They had known my plans to pillion to JB and asked "me" why I did not follow. Unknown to them at that point of time, I was already on the way on my fren's bike 5 minutes away. I dun think what happened in camp was a prank seriously. This has not happened to me since then. My deduction: Probably something followed me from camp. Does anyone have similar stories to share?

Currently, my honda jazz is on 15' wheels. However, stock is 14'. The previous owner of my car must have changed it. I heard that bigger tires (as in circumference) will lead to worse fuel consumption and noisier ride. How true is this?? Shouldn't bigger tires lead to better consumption?? And why noisier??

What will the take next? 27 Jan 2010 Car thieves steal all 4 of this Mazda

Loss of Income - Protect the goose that lays the golden egg All working adults are like goose that lay the golden eggs. We are able to generate an income, as long as we are healthy.While many breadwinners work hard to provide for their families, they often neglect to protect the goose that lays the golden eggs. Many people may have some insurance, but often inadequate. The goal of any insurance adviser is to ensure that if something should happen to the goose, the dependants can still have the golden eggs for long enough to be self sufficient. As a general guideline, most working adults should have life insurance cover amounting to 3 to 10 times of their annual income. For singles with no dependants, 3 to 5 times is a comfortable level. Married couples with children will need a about 6-10 times of their annual income. So a married couple earning an annual income of $50,000 should have life insurance cover between $300,000 to $500,000. This will ensure that the family can survive about 10 to 15 years, if the insurance proceeds are invested to earn 3-5% p.a. Most people would do well to have a basic whole life plan and complement this with riders (low cost add ons). Found this on NTUC website bros any input thanks since the coming CNY thinking of re-organising my insurance needs

Well OK, superhuman may be over-doing it, but he does have a nickname that deserves comic book status: the Iceman. Jenson Button may have secured the McLaren hotseat to race alongside Lewis Hamilton, but outgoing F1 driver Kimi Raikkonen leaves both men trailing in the category marked 'superhuman' The Iceman (a woefully underused way of describing sporty Scandinavians, we're sure you'd agree) was frozen out at Ferrari earlier this autumn and now seems set for four-wheeled frolics on ice as a rally driver. In common with many comic book creations, the Iceman doesn't say a lot and his words aren't weighed down with deep meaning, but his animated F1 driving has been the stuff of dreams... or nightmares, depending on which side of the 'no pain no gain' credo you fall. When Raikkonen's car burst into flames in the pit lane on the first lap of this year's Brazilian GP and drops of petrol trickled into his eyes, rather than leap out of the car, douse his eyes in Optrex and run to an optician, he put his foot to the floor and rejoined the race. The fire went out, but the flammable fluid in his eyes remained. Despite the risk of an incendiary outcome just around the cornea (apologies), he continued for the duration of the race - 70 laps - and finished sixth. Afterwards the flaming Finn monotoned: "I ended up with some drops of petrol in my eye from the fuel line stuck on Heikki Kovalainen's car and then I was engulfed in flames and blinded. I was going to stop, but luckily the flames soon went out." He added, with all the emotion of Schwarzenegger delivering a Hollywood line: "My eyes are still burning, but I'm all right." Driving at speeds of up to 200mph for 70 laps while virtually blinded with your eyes about to combust may seem superhuman or stupid, but this is mere child's play for a man who has been described, often and unimaginatively, as born to drive... brings to mind an image of a baby Raikkonen driving his mother back from the maternity ward with the umbilical cord still attached like a fuel hose feeding a Ferrari. Born to drive indeed. In 2002, while racing for McLaren, Belgium GP fans looked on incredulously as he powered his car into a sea of smoke caused by the blow-up of a BAR Honda. Most drivers would have slammed on the brakes knowing that, somewhere in the dense black cloud, the obstacle of a slain F1 car was lying, but the Finn accelerated into the blackness and emerged from the smouldering plume like the T1000 in Terminator 2. A best qualifying lap was in the bag. And at Suzuka in 2005 he put in a Herculean effort to rise from the back of the grid and torpedo past Giancarlo Fisichella's Renault on the final lap to take the chequered flag. Oh and he won the world championship in his first season at Ferrari. While Raikkonen's F1 driving was dramatic, his interviews were devoid of drama. When he spoke to the media - he preferred not to - he did so in a Dalek-like drawl. He sometimes needed waking up shortly before the start of a race after a power nap - or just a nap - and he could be ruder than Amy Winehouse. His response to being asked if he would get over the disappointment of missing a special presentation involving football great Pele and Michael Schumacher at the 2006 Brazilian GP: "Yeah. I was having a ----." Now the flying Finn is heading for a Formula One sabbatical. He leaves F1 unchallenged as the paddock's monosyllabic maverick. Interviewer: Kimi, have you ever got angry about anything? Raikkonen: Yeah, many times but more in normal life than racing. Interviewer: Can you give us examples? Raikkonen: No, not really. Interviewer: What are the kind of things that make you angry in normal life, as you say? Raikkonen: If you keep asking questions like those.

True Story that happen in China in year 2008 and this was shown in BBC & CNN......... 發生在中國的一個真實的故事。 A true story that happened in China 滿載乘客的長途客車行馳在盤山公路上。 A bus full of passengers was traveling on hilly road. 山間公路上三名持槍歹徙居然盯上漂亮的女司機，強迫中巴停下， 要帶女司機下車去「玩玩」。 Midway through the journey, 3 armed thugs was eyeing the pretty woman bus driver. They forced the bus to stop and wanted to have fun with the driver! 女司機情急呼救，全車乘客噤若寒蟬。 The woman driver naturally shouted for help, but all the rest of the passengers just kept quiet. 只有一中年瘦弱男子應聲奮起， 卻被打傷在地。這位男子氣極， 奮起大呼全車人制止暴行，卻無人響應， 任憑女司機被拖至山林草叢。 Then a weakly looking middle-aged man came forth to ask the 3 men to stop; but he was instead beaten up. The man was very angry and appealed loudly to the other passengers to stop this uncivilized act but nobody responded. And the driver was dragged by the 3 men to the bushes nearby. 半個時辰後，三歹徒與衣衫不整的女司機 歸來回到車上。車又將行 ~~~ 女司機要被打傷流血的瘦弱男子下車。 男子不肯，僵持起來。 An hour later, the 3 thugs and the ruffled driver came back to the bus and the driver is ready to drive off again.... ' 喂，你下車吧，我的車不拉你！ ' 'Hey you, get down the bus!' the woman driver shouted to the man who tried to assist her earlier on. 中年男子急了，說：「你這人怎麼不講道理， 我還救你呢，難道我還錯嗎？」 The man was bewildered and said: 'What's wrong with you? I was trying to save you just now and was I wrong in doing so?' 「你救我？你救我什麼了？」 女司機矢口否認，引得幾個乘客竊笑。 'You save me? What have you done to save me?' The driver retorted, and a few of the passengers were quietly laughing away. 中年男子氣極，恨自已身無大俠之力！ 救人未救成，可也不該得此 ~~~ 被驅逐下車的結果呀，他堅決不下。 「再說我買票了，我有權坐車！」 The man was really angry. Even though he did not have the ability to save her, he should not be given this treatment at all. He refused to get down the bus and said; 'I paid for the trip and I have the right to remain.' 女司機揚起臉無情地說：「不下車，我就不開。」 The driver put on a grim face and said: 'If you don't get down, the bus will not move on.' 沒想到的是，滿車剛才還對暴行熟視無睹的乘客們， 卻如剛剛睡醒般，齊心協力地勸那男子下車： 「你快下去吧，我們還有事呢，耽擱不起！」 What was unexpected was that the passengers, who were oblivious to the barbaric act of the thugs just now, suddenly woke up and in a concerted effort asked the man to get down the bus saying: 'You might as well get off the bus, we have things to attend to and cannot afford anymore delays!' 有幾位力大的乘客 ~ 甚至想上前拖這中年男子下車， 使人想起莫泊桑筆下【羊脂球】的情節。 . A few stronger passenger were indeed trying to drag the man down the bus 三個歹徒咧著嘴笑，得意地笑了。 其中有個黑皮無賴毫不知恥地說：「哥們把她玩恣了！」 另外兩個歹徒也胡言亂語：「她是我對象，關你屁事！」 The 3 thugs were smiling knowingly at each other and commented: 'We must have done a great job to the lady!' 一場爭吵，直到那男子的行李從車窗扔出， 他隨後被推擠而下。 After much ado, the man's luggage was thrown out the bus window and he was ousted out of the bus. 汽車又平穩地行駛在山路上， 女司機掠了一下頭髮，按響了收音機。 The bus started on its journey again. The driver straightened up her hair and turned the radio to full volume. 車快到山頂，拐過彎去就要下山了， 車左側是劈山開的路，右側是百丈懸崖。 The bus was reaching the hill top and will go downhill after a turn. The right side of the bus was facing an unfathomable cliff.. 汽車悄悄地加速了，女司機臉上十分平靜， 雙手緊握著方向盤，眼睛淌出晶瑩的淚水。 The speed of the bus increased gradually. The driver's face was very calm with both hands on the steering wheel. Tears started to swell in her eyes. 一歹徒似乎覺察到了什麼，說： 慢點開，慢點開，你想幹什麼？ ' 」 One of the thug realized something amiss and said to the driver: 'Drive slowly, what are you trying to do?' 女司機並不說話，車速越來越快。 歹徒企圖撲上去搶方向盤， 汽車卻像離弦的箭向懸崖衝去。 The driver said nothing, but the bus traveled faster and faster. The thug tried to grap hold of the steering wheel, but the bus shoot towards the cliff like an arrow leaving the bow. 第二天，當地報紙報導：伏虎山區 ~ 昨日發生慘禍， 一中型巴士摔下山崖。 車上司機和十三名乘客無一生還 。 The next day, the local paper reported a tragic accident at the 'Tiger Taming Hill' region. A medium sized bus fell through the cliff and the driver and the 13 passengers were all killed. 半路被趕下車的中年人看到報紙哭了， 誰也不知道他哭什麼，為什麼哭？ The man who was chased down the bus saw the paper and cried. Nobody knew what was he crying about and why he cried! 現在你知道他為什麼哭了嗎？ 若你身在當時的情境，你會不會 ~ 也像那個中年人一樣挺身而出呢？ You know why he cried? If you were in the bus, would you stand up like the man did? 這才是人心，這才是正常的社會！ We need people like him to create and sustain a normal society! 當我們用心對人時 ; 有心人將以熱情回報妳 ; 希望我們都是用心的人 ; 也是有心的人 When we treat others with our hearts; we will receive warmth and love from people! It is a very tragic story. What will you do if you are the bus driver? Life driven by anger is no life.

Garmin announced yesterday that they are selling a Nuvifone in Q3 2008. Now this is the real GPS phone that you want to get your hands on! not the GPS pretender Nokia... http://www8.garmin.com/nuvifone/

Just thinking out loud... Had some friends who in all appearances appear to be successful....but they are still staying in their parents house after marriage, even after they have kids. When I was younger, my dad used to tell me to be a true real man, the very basic is he has to buy and own his own house. While thoses friends of mine will say stuff like..."Oh my husband/I am a very filial child and thats why staying with parents". Then again, there is a difference, a great difference between staying with your parents VERSUS your parents staying with you. If that person is that great, he should have bought his own house (with his own money), invite his parents over and ask them sell the house and keep the money for their (his parents) own use. Hehe being diplomatic, of course I do not say such stuff to those friends. But personally I think no matter how successful they are, they still cannot make it. Whats your take on this?

hi all, every time ask se at jap AD, why the price shoot compare 4-6 months ago, always say yen $ goes up/ strong and for continental car, when go to, got disc a lot from their price list. is they want clear they old stock or really euro $ goes down/ low thanks for any reply/ opinion :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Djar_kYCl3w

is this true? I thought Middle East are very very strict could this be a joke or photoshop anybody been to middle east to confirm

This is a real story of a young college girl who passed away last month in Pasir Ris. Her name was Rui Ping. She was hit by a truck. She was working in a call center. She had a boy friend named Peter. Both of them were true lovers. They always talked on the phone. You would never find her without handphone. In fact she also changed her cell connection from Starhub to Singtel, so that both of them can be on the same network, and save on the cost. She used to spend half of the day talking with Peter. Rui Ping