You can buy a car, but you can't drive to work?

Cars are expensive in Singapore. Buying it is expensive, maintaining it with all the insurance, tax, petrol and ERP charges is expensive, but parking is even more expensive. A lot of us bought a car because we needed it to take us to work. Either our workplace is at some ulu pandan place where the nearest bus stop is a km away with one pathetic bus coming in every 15-30mins, or we need to be in office super early/super late. For me, it's always the first reason.

In the first company that I worked for, when we first moved into the building, parking was free and life was good. However as more departments moved in, the carpark is not adequate to support all 6 floors of workers. As a resort, the officials did what all Singaporeans fear most. They started to charge us for parking. At a rate that is equivalent to parking in Orchard Road/Shenton Way on a week day, even though our building is nowhere near town.

In order not to be too cruel, the official handed out free season parking lots to departments, with a few permanent staff sharing one and all the contractors in a department sharing one. With a population of about 10% permanents and 90% contractors in the company, our department ended up with 6 contractors sharing one little season parking. The rest of us? What else but pay two hundreds over a month for parking?

My second company was situated in a building with season parking lots as rare as diamonds, because there was a supermarket at the ground floor and the officials have to reserve lots for their customers. As a result, in order to avoid paying high parking fees, most of the workers ended up parking outside the private houses nearby. Oh yeh, thank God the area was so surrounded by private houses that we had no problem locating small roads without double yellow lines or non-breaking white dividers. But I feel kinda sorry for those private houses owners though, that privacy is lost when strangers park all over the road outside their houses.

Now to my third and current company, silly me had thought that parking will no longer be a problem, because the company is situated in a World-Class Research Hub whose official homepage introduced:

It is a self-contained development that includes serviced apartments, retail outlets, eateries, a supermarket, a fitness centre, a theatre, sky gardens and a Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) station. A Great Place to Work, Live & Play.

Phase 1 of was completed in 2001 at a cost of S$500 million. The 7-building complex, linked by skybridges, offers a built-up area of 185,000 sq m (2 million sq ft). Phase II was completed in 2006, and its 37,000 sq m (400,000 sq ft) houses more biomedical research institutes as well as private research organisations. Phase III is currently under construction and is expected to yield another 41,500 sq m (447,000 sq ft) of space to support clinical and translational research by end 2009.

But alas, when the naive me requested for the $90 season parking lot from the officials, I was so rejected...

We are sorry. From season parking record, your company had already exceeded the season ticket allocation quota based on every 250 m2 for 1 season ticket.

Yap, in such a gigantic World-Class Research Hub with many empty season parking lots, I get none, even if I am willing to pay for it.

One might feel that allocating season parking quota according to the company area size seems fair on paper. But is it really true that in a large company rich enough to own a whole floor, most of its employees drive? And that in a small company, most of its employees should not be driving?

I'll only say that the season parking allocation policy for this World-Class Research Hub is as flexible as all other policies found in the statboards...

California Fitness member no more

Finally I was going to the gym again.

For the past one year plus, I was tied up with a major project that bundled with countless OT and night conference calls. I was too tired and partly too lazy to drive all the way to the gym downtown after all the late work. And now that the project has ended, I was eager to get back to California Fitness gym and get back in shape.

However things don't always go one's way.

When I arrived at the California Fitness gym counter at Republic Plaza, the counter guy told me that I have not paid my annual fee. I was expecting that, so I asked him for the amount. But his answer was not in numeric. He told me that my membership has been terminated. I was stunted.

He then bluntly told me that my California Fitness membership was terminated because I did not pay my annual fee within three months of expiry. I told him that that was the first time I was hearing it, which he then replied that it was clearly written in my contract. Great. One of those fine prints in the Terms and Conditions that I was supposed to read and memorise.

I showed him my membership card that the "Start Date" written on it was October, so three months from October is December, which meant that I should still be within the three months expiry right? He then replied that no, my contract expiry date was February, not October. Apparently the so-called "Start Date" on the card was the date I joined California Fitness, not the date the contract started. How confusing.

I tried to explain to him that when the sales manager was so enthusiastically selling me the package, he did not tell me about this condition at all. However my explanation fell to deaf ears. I asked him since I was there, why can't I pay the outstanding fee then but all he did was shaking his head.

When I asked him why didn't California Fitness call me to inform me my annual fee was expiring, he replied that they don't do that. I was perplexed. All these time, I've been receiving calls from those personal trainers to invite me to the gym for body test, and yet nobody call me to remind me it's time to pay my annual fee.

"So, what do I do now?", I asked. And his answer? "You have to sign up a new plan with us because you're no longer a member".

Fantastic. After being a loyal customer since 2001, with the promise that my membership was a life-time membership, I was kicked out of California Fitness.

I still could not figure out how a California Fitness life-time member can no longer be a member, but what I do know is that, if I'm going to start a gym membership all over again, it will not be California Fitness.

I need to find a gym that treats their customer with better respect. Oh, and with better Terms and Conditions.

Are you a Mac or a PC?

苹果说...





微软说...



云里风说...

• 我买的是PC，因为它比较便宜。


• 我用的是Vista，可是我超讨厌这个史上最不讲道理的OS。我不可以自由自在的做我要做的东西，它什么都要管，从来也不跟我好好的解释，却又不能给我我要的东西，整天只当我是小孩，总是说“It's for your own good”。哦... 对不起，说最后那句话的不是Vista。


• 我上网用的是Firefox，因为它比较容易用，也比较有用。


• 我听音乐时用的是iTunes，因为它比较简单，歌曲资料一目了然，而且最重要的是，我要听我的podcasts。


• 我看电影时用的是Quicktime，因为它比较灵活。


• 我整理照片用的是Picasa，因为它会确保我一下子就找到我要的照片。


• 我打字，做统计用的是Microsoft Office。可是那是工作。

Weird sightings during NDP 2009

(1) Three F16 fighters just suddenly zoom past. Liddat only. Seriously, why were they there?

(2) Why were the finale fireworks concentrated at the right side of the stage? Because all the VVVIPs were seated there? Its not like there's a ticketing system and those people sitting on the dark green sector paid the least lor!

(3) Not all songs sound nice in remix, and those old ndp songs suddenly don't sound so familiar anymore!

(4) What is pole-dancing doing in ndp? To prove that we've "progressed" and we're not conservative?

(5) To have a solo WRX to come out just to race against the marina wave is... hmm... abit waste of time for the WRX right?

Thanks for conning me $8k, now please accept my $2k!

Few years back, a colleague received one of those "Congratulations! You've won yourself a trip to Bali!" call and after listening to hours of coaxing, signed up a ten years package with the resort agency and paid $8k+. That Oriental Travel company claimed that they represented Gold Crown Resort and promised to offer super duper good unbeatable hotel deals for most five stars hotels around the world for their members. Yah, I know. Sounded just like those typical Time Share Scams. But, my colleague had paid, so, oh well...

Eventually, I've been listening to my colleague grumbling that he has got so much problem trying to talk to anyone on the hotline (too hot for the agency to handle?) and even when he emailed them, nobody bothered to reply. And one fine day when a living human being eventually did answer the call (must be his lucky day, wonder did he go buy 4D), my colleague requested quotation for a five stars hotel in Hong Kong. Guess what? The room rate that they quoted him (that special membership rate as promised!) was higher than any random quotes on any online hotel booking sites! Heck! Even any random tour agency at the basement of Peoples' Park can give my colleague a better quote!

Fast forward to a few years later today, my colleague came into office furiously, ranting that a manager from the Oriental Travel had setup a meeting with their members and told them that due to the overwhelming number of members they have got, they could not provide efficient service to all members (Har? Cannot employ more employee meh? If can't afford expensive Singaporeans, still got the cheaper ones from China and India what!) and thus the members have 3 alternatives to solve the issue now:

• Pay another $16k+ to upgrade to the oh-so prestigious 95yrs membership package
  WTF?! Because they screwed up on their $8k 10yrs membership package, you should pay another $16k to join their 95yrs membership package?! And 95 years? I wonder where will my colleauge, who is 40yrs old now, be travelling to on his 94th year! Will he even be around?


• Terminate the current membership. Will be able to retrieve back $16k+ or a minimum of 75%, but have to pay $5k+ of admin and legal charges upfront
  Wait a minute... pay $5k to get $16k? It sounds just like those "Pay just a little admin and legal fee of a few thousands to receive a few millions of lottery prize" old school email scam!
  


• Terminate the current membership. All the $8k+ previously paid are down the drain, but have to pay $2k+ of admin and legal charges upfront
  Is it just me, or is their admin and legal charges abit too flexible? How can it be $5k and $2k at the same time? And WTH? After paying $8k for nothing, now you have to pay another $2k to terminate the con? I reckon their accountants can start applying for jobs at Temasek.

So I asked my colleague, so now what? And his reply?

"Just pretend all these are just a bad dream and forget about the whole damn 8k!"

Goodyear ran far far away already~

Picture taken using Nokia N97 camera

哇~ 老大不易当啊！
以其坐在那边等被人家摆上台，不如跑为上着！
Adidas X Goodyear，跑路最紧要是要够快！

Modesto's thin and crispy pizzas

那天跟朋友一起去Modesto's意大利餐厅用餐。不是我们有钱，是因为有一张买一送一的固本啦！由于我们有三个人，没理由叫两份意大利粉嘛，当然就叫了两份regular的大皮萨啦！看菜单上Modesto's的皮萨种类有超过20种，就叫了两份$20.50的皮萨，一个是有tomato，cheese，chicken sausages的Wurstel，另一个则是有tomato，cheese，black kalamata olives，garlic，oregano的Mediterranea。

等了一会儿后，两个皮萨上桌了！我们叫服务生把cheese，chili flakes和tobasco sauce拿过来准备开动！不过为什么在廉价Pizzahut那边他们会主动把这些配料放在桌上，但在这边的高消费意大利餐厅却还要我们向服务生讨咧？啊！难道因为吃高级皮萨是不可以放配料的？就好像吃法国牛扒不可以放辣椒酱一样？

吃了那两个皮萨后，我们发现其实它们的味道好象一样的咧，只是Mediterranea上有橄榄，而Wurstel上有鸡肉香肠罢了... 不过好在皮萨的饼皮本身还蛮好吃的，香香薄薄脆脆的，所以还ok啦！而且可以肯定的是，三个人吃两份regular的大皮萨，再加上免费送上的餐前面包配橄榄油，再加上几大杯的白开水，是很饱的喔！

No free iced water at these restaurants!

从澳洲到欧洲到美国，从小cafe到大餐厅，只要你一坐下来，服务生就会很自然的拿一杯冷水过来。如果是香港、台湾、韩国或日本的话，你甚至可以喝到热茶！对这些国家的人来说，免费的饮料是服务的一部分。

但在新加坡，有很多大大小小的餐厅都没有这种服务，有的甚至要你付钱！就算你叫的主菜已经不便宜！就算你已经还了10%的服务费！这里就有网友收集的一堆专不给白开水的贪得无厌的无良心餐厅！下次要光顾之前，记得先到7/11买一支$1的可乐！

如果你知道还有哪一些餐厅不给客人白开水的话，快上这位网友的网站去纪录一下哦！
http://sparklette.net/food/restaurants-that-do-not-serve-water

后来,Sunday Times也报导了这位网友的网站，但比较让人意外的是有些餐馆的反应！

"Our patrons are serious diners and come for our food, not to taste water." - La Forketta

"To be frank, I don't think customers will just boycott because of water. There's no urgent need to take action at this point of time." - Cafe Le Caire

"People who complain are not educated about business costs because nothng is free." - Mad Jack's

What happened after you have eaten only mussels for lunch

今天同事们建议去The Mussel Guys那边吃午餐，因为他们有$10.50的特价Executive Lunch（为什么要叫做“Executive Lunch”咧？如果职位是specialist还是officer的话就不可以吃吗？）。坐下来后，服务员告诉我们说如果我们有某银行的信用卡的话，吃mussels main courses就可以拥有1-for-1的折扣。哇！1-for-1咧！同事A立刻问谁有兴趣跟他一起吃！其他两个同事对于只是吃mussels当正餐觉得很奇怪，我倒觉得可以试一下，便跟同事A一起叫了Spicy mussels和Creamy mussels各一份。

其他两个同事：就只是吃mussels很怪咧...
我：应该有面包配吧？记得我在Fish & Co吃的时候，他们有给我几片面包喔！

结果咧？

服务生拿来了那两大盆mussels和另外一个空的大盆子让我们丢壳。那两大盆的mussels里除了mussels就只有mussels，还真的没面包的说。同事A突然好像有点后悔的问：“呃... 这样子会饱吗？没有碳水化合物咧...”。不过后来我们发现他的这个顾虑是多余的。因为原来连吃350g的mussels也会超饱的！再加上那些mussels还真的蛮不错吃的，这个1-for-1的午餐应该算是很划算吧！

唯一的问题只是... 我们两个应该会有好一段时间不想吃mussels...

Maybe Long John Silver should stick with fried fish...

很久没去Long John Silver了。毕竟他们卖的都是油炸的食物，炸鱼片、炸鸡片、炸虾，好像超罪过的说。如果有快餐之华山论炸的话，他们应该就是天下第一了。听老妈说他们最近“改邪归正”，卖起了比较健康的grill fish套餐，便决定去吃它一吃。

我叫了一份deep sea fish（深海里那么多鱼却偏偏不告诉你是什么鱼，应该就是所谓的catch of the day吧！），老妈就叫了一份salmon。既然是套餐，除了鱼，还包括了一些饭，一小片好像pita的面皮加一些好像蘑菇酱的东东，还有一个side。本来想吃马铃薯沙拉的却not available，我就只好选择了淋上芝士酱的带皮炸马铃薯片（哈~ 还是逃不过炸的食物！），而老妈就选择了那几片菜的沙拉。有点不满的是虽然这些套餐不便宜，要整$8，却没有包括饮品。一杯汽水的成本有那么贵吗？

两份鱼片的大小差很远。那片salmon只有好像我的手掌那么小（不包括手指哦！），deep sea fish却是它的一倍大！虽然说salmon的成本比deep sea fish贵，但它的套餐的价钱也已经多收$1了啊，干嘛那么小气！不过那片deep sea fish是很大片啦，却淡而无味，全靠淋上的黑胡椒酱才有点味道。问老妈那一小片的salmon如何，她说：“还好啦”。

感觉上我家楼下kopitiam的姜葱鱼片饭好像比较好吃咧，而且才$4.50!

Singapore Podcaster on the News! The Shareen & Joe Show!

哇！哇！哇！在Mr Brown之后，我们终于有第二个本土podcaster上报咯~

不像美国，甚至香港或台湾，新加坡人听podcast怎么说还是很落后（还有些人不知道有podcast这种东东的说！），也就造成说本土的podcaster少之又少。

这其实是个很奇怪的现象。在podcast盛行的国家，他们似乎都蛮挺自由言论的。比如说在香港，电台DJ时常都有那句说那句，尤其是881903的那些牙尖嘴利的家伙如林海峰、森美、吴君如等，只要谁说了或做了些笨蛋的事就该被讲，连特首也不放过！

但为什么在新加坡这个言论不是太自由的国家里，podcast反而流行不起来咧？在这里，电台的DJ每天都很小心不要讲错话骂错人，40%的话讲给听众听，60%“咕”一声吞进肚里。那照理来说实话实说的podcast应该很受欢迎才对啊！在podcast里，podcaster不会替政府传话，不会帮政府推政策，podcaster会对政策说出真心的感想，会替小市民说出他们真正心里的话。为什么新加坡人还是不怎么听podcast咧？

唯一可以想到的原因就是，他们怕听到不被批准的东东，不该被听到的东东。他们一定是怕被政府抓到然后被骂说“大胆刁民！岂可听信民间谣言！”

JOE'S BACK - ON THE WEB
The Electric New Paper

FROM a little cupboard in Bukit Timah, Joe Augustin is broadcasting a morning show.

No, the DJ hasn't been re-hired by any of the three radio stations he used to work for.

He and former Power 98 morning show partner Shareen Wong, 34, have started a podcast, The Shareen & Joe Show.

But you won't find this morning show on the radio dial. It's broadcast every weekday online at www.morningjam.com, where netizens can listen to the shows directly on the site, or download them onto their mp3 players to listen later.

It's a new direction for the duo, who were cut from Power 98 in early February for allegedly breaching their contracts.

For Joe, 40, it was the third time he'd left the station, and the second time he'd been axed from a morning show within nine months.

So when the going gets tough, the tough get entrepreneurial.

The pair did their first podcast on 10 Mar, almost a month after they were fired.

It is a half-hour version of the show they used to do for the airwaves, but without any music because licensing rights are too expensive.

In mid-April, Joe Twitter-ed that he didn't want to be 'half-assed about overthrowing mainstream radio'.

When asked whether the podcast was a way to get back at his former employers, Joe would only say that 'there is no love lost' between him and the radio stations.

Joe Augustin was fired from Power98FM eight months after getting fired from Radio 91.3FM.

As for whether this format was an actual threat to radio or if he was trying to prove a point that he could wing it on his own, he demurred.

'A podcast is not an act of revenge,' he said.

Podcasts are not new to Singapore. Its most famous proponent to date is probably blogger Mr Brown who posts weekly satirical podcasts on his blog.

By contrast, Joe claims their project is Singapore's first 'professional' podcast as he and Shareen used to do radio for a living.

According to the pair, the idea of a podcast had been discussed for a long time, but they were always too 'busy doing an actual show' to work on it.

But still keen to work with each other post-firing, they forged ahead with the podcast, recording it in a cupboard - yes, an actual cupboard - that serves as the makeshift studio that Joe built in his home for his voiceover work.

'We still had a desire to do something radio-esque. And then now I had all this time ...' Joe trailed off.

And why would Shareen continue partnering with Joe despite his blemished record and short-lived radio stints?

'Joe and I are not joined at the hip,' she said 'We have other projects, but the podcast is something we do because we love radio.'

The lack of music didn't matter. The message was loud and clear: fans wanted to hear, well, talk. And boy, do they get a lot of it.

But just because they no longer have to adhere to rules set by radio management or the Media Development Authority (MDA) doesn't mean the show is half an hour of blind cussing.

'It's like, you can get attention by streaking, but how many times can you get someone to come back to see you do it again?' said Joe.

But there are, inevitably, places where the pair can boldly go where they have never gone before.

A few weeks ago, a friend of Shareen was invited to the show to teach Joe some Hokkien bad words, a show that Shareen noted 'would have never happened on radio'.

Their fans try to push them to do more, but Joe said, 'There's smart podcasting and then there're people who are silly for the sake of being silly.'

So far, the show has been making the rounds in local circles through Joe's Twitter updates and the occasional Facebook promotion.

A recent Twitter update from him read: 'Stop listening to lousy crap radio. Upgrade to high-quality crap.'

This 'high-quality crap' - 55 episodes and counting - has received over 26,000 downloads so far, according to Joe.

It's a tiny number compared to the 365,000 listeners he pulled in weekly during his heyday as a morning show host with Flying Dutchman Mark van Cuylenberg on Class 95.

But Joe and Shareen call it a 'good start'. After all, the podcast isn't a business - yet.

The pair claim potential sponsors have approached them to be 'associated with the show', although how or when this will happen is still up in the air.

They say that they're 'not in dire financial straits' - Shareen has her homeware shop Kai Life at Holland Village while Joe continues to do voiceover work and emcee gigs.

A recent bizarre news item brought up by Shareen about a prisoner faking an injury to his nether regions in order to escape prompted Joe to share that he had accidentally done the same thing before.

Perhaps too much information for some, but Joe prefers to think of it as a way to be more personal. After all, the show's tagline is 'real people, real stories'.

Part-time tutor Samuel Fong, 27, said he enjoyed Joe as a morning show host on Class 95, but isn't sure whether he would download the podcast.

'It would depend on their content and how funny they are,' he said.

Shereen Ali, 28, who listens to podcasts frequently, was also unsure whether she would take to the show.

'I prefer my podcasts to give me music or educational stuff, like serious discussions on the news,' she said.

Industry friends like former co-host Petrina Kow, though, are encouraging of their efforts. 'Joe's not a quitter. He never lets anyone rain on his parade,' she said.

When asked whether he thought podcasts were a serious competition to radio, Jamie Meldrum, programme director at Radio 91.3, said no.

'I wish Joe all the best, but the market is quite limited for that sort of thing.'

Receiving my first Adult spam SMS

刚在手机上收到一则三级的spam！已经很习惯收到银行，商场等寄过来的spam，但这种成人内容的还是头一回！

LIVECHAT for Adult Audience! **Under 18 is NOT allowed** Call 19009xxxxxx @ $1.20/min(excl GST) Stop? Sms L to 77177 MobileFusion Ptd Ltd 62951130

Under 18 is NOT allowed？可是他们又怎么知道我是不是18岁以上？除非打通后情色接听员会先问：“先生/小姐，请问您几岁？” 那如果我撒谎咧？

$1.20/min(excl GST)？原来打三级电话也要付7%的GST！哈~ 你听三级电话，政府也要分一份咯！不过一分钟$1.20好像还蛮贵的咧，随便讲个十分钟就要$12了喔！试想想接情色电话的人问了：先生/小姐，怎么称呼啊？您干哪行啊？想谈些什么啊？这样子五分钟就已经过去了咧！如果之前还问了“Press 1 for English,华语请按2...”和“男生请按1，女生请按2...”的话，那又多五分钟咯！

唉~ 世风日下~

How my $5.90 Subway meal became $8.60!

周末的时候，经过Subway时偶然发现他们有$5.90的特价套餐。哇噻，平时Subway的一个面包就要这个价钱了咧，现在同样的价钱还给多两片饼干（也可以选择薯片的啦，不过我怕肥嘛~）和一杯汽水喔！二话不说，立刻就决定在那边吃午餐！而且既然不管选择任何面包也是$5.90，当然是选择平时最贵的Roasted Beef啦！（穷酸的贪小便宜心魔又出现...）

星期一午餐时间，跟同事分享了这个好康，大伙儿变决定到附近的Subway去吃午餐。到了Subway，还是看到一个$5.90特价套餐的广告牌，不过感觉上好像跟之前看到的广告牌有点不一样，不过也没管他啦，反正价钱是$5.90没错嘛~

既然之前已经吃了Roasted Beef，这回我就叫了一份Subway Club。哪知道还钱的时候，服务员竟然跟我收了$8.60!

云里风：Err... why is it $8.60?
服务员：Oh, because it's a meal. You wanted a meal right?
云里风：Yah... but I thought it's $5.90?
服务员：Oh that promotion! We don't have that anymore!
云里风：HUH? But you still have that promotion board there! Then it's a bit misleading right?
服务员：Oh, that $5.90 promotion meal is only for Tuna and Roasted Chicken!

之后我再走近点看，广告版上果然有小小的一行字说明$5.90的特价套餐只限于Tuna和Roasted Chicken的面包！昏~

又证实了好朋友的那句名言：Don't always assume!

And so I ate a Value Meal for lunch

午餐时间，走进kopitiam看有什么可以打包的。又吃板面？鱼圆面？有点闷咧... 杂菜饭照样排长龙，但其实我也不大有胃口吃一大碗饭的说...

突然想起附近有间麦叔叔的店，好像还有午餐特价餐的说！走去看看，果然！十二点到两点之间，value meals只须$4.50！哇噻！Kopitiam随便一碗面也要$3，再加上水要$1.50，就已经是$4.50了咧！不如吃麦叔叔的value meals好了，反正也很久没吃薯条的说...

到了柜台...

服务员：Hi, may I help you? Would you like to have a value meal?
云里风：Are the value meals really $4.50 now? （还是问清楚一下下比较好...）
服务员：Yes, except for the Big Mac and McSpicy value meals, which will be $5
云里风：Okay, lemme think about it...

因为太久没吃快餐了,突然不知道要吃什么好!Fish fillet, McChicken... 好像很多都是油炸的咧... （可是好像薯条也是油炸的说...）我也不大想吃牛肉... 啊~~ 最后还是决定多加五角钱吃McSpicy好了啦！因为想说McSpicy的肉怎么说也是真的鸡肉，不是McChicken的那种鸡肉饼嘛...

云里风：I'll take the McCrispy! (不知怎的,竟然会联想到KFC的Crispy or Original！糗死了！)
服务员：You mean the McSpicy? Okay... do you want to upsize? If you add 50c to upsize, you get to take this Coca-cola glass home

啊！有免费的Coca-cola玻璃杯！还是我喜欢的青色！啊~~ 当然upsize啦！

就这样，吃了一顿超有罪恶感的午餐后，那天傍晚立刻去游泳！唉~

Cloudywind's Days... 风的生活 #7 - 前面的路不好走啊~

最近常看到关于交通工具的新闻。对外国人来说这是非常不可思议的。如果可以在一条直路上开车从新加坡的最东端跑到最西端的话，所需要的时间应该不会超过一个钟头。所以外国人很难明白为什么在这么一个好像豆仁那么小的地方，交通可以变成一个大标题。当然，他们更不可能明白为什么在这么一个小地方里，交通可以变得那么贵。

因为的士起价了，大家都转搭地铁。对地铁公司来说这本来是件好事，因为生意突然欣荣起来了。谁知道因为这些突然涌进来的人潮，地铁变得不分昼夜地爆满，结果可能负担太重了，所以地铁决定在最繁忙的时候出状款，不做工了。搞出了这么一个大头佛后，地铁公司为了安抚民心，就宣布了新路段的计划，也为了让人们知道地铁公司关心他们的安全，宣布他们打算为陆地上的地铁站建安全闸门。当然，地铁公司忘了宣布说为了实行这些计划，车费会涨多少。

也因为的士起价了，大家都转搭巴士。巴士公司也生意欣荣起来了，但问题也来了。巴士本来就已经是不定时到站了，但因为人潮突然多了，更容易爆满的巴士不停站了，巴士就更加不定时到站了。因为更多人搭巴士了，所以也更多人发现巴士系统有问题，更多人投诉巴士的服务了。也许是因为这些投诉，政府决定来个巴士大改革。要加更多更广的路线，要设计更多确保巴士准时到站的新科技，要开放巴士市场，增添更多的巴士公司。当然，政府没保证说在这些改革以后，车费不会涨。

既然公共交通工具变得不便宜了，大家可能会想，不然买车吧！反正车价比较低了，尤其是中国制造的，反正COE也跌了。汽车广告上说一个月只需要三百块的分期付款就可以拥有一辆车了，但却没有提醒你说油价起了，交通管理局也在你家门口加了一个ERP闸门啊！

或许，是时候让三轮车再次成为其中的一个主要公共交通工具了。再次回到那个搭三轮车去买菜，甚至上班的年代。反正新加坡那么小，只要三轮车夫肯锻炼一下脚力，应该可以从最东端骑到最西端...

Cloudywind's Days... 风的生活 #6 - 我们的教育变了样

本来就知道新加坡的教育制度是属于“现实派”的。会读书（其实很多时候是会“背书”）的，可以考到好成绩的（在这里，好成绩是九十分以上，虽然七十五分就已经是A1），就有机会上大学，还可能可以拿个政府奖学金出国深造，再回国当个部长。成绩不是最优但还是过得去的，就跑进理工学院埋头苦干，勤劳的话还可以考进一些外国大学，然后毕业后再当部长门下的执行人员。成绩完全不知所谓的，就只有进ITE的份了，毕业之后可能可以再试试考进理工学院，但如果还是不长进的话，就只能帮部长修车或替部长太太修头发了。

本来就知道新加坡的学校都很在意学生们的成绩，而且很多时候并不是因为关心他们，是因为怕笨学生们的烂成绩会把整校的总成绩拉下来。但没想到有位校长可以在意到在开学的第一天就劝告那些考上中五的学生，他们应该放弃考O水准而直接进ITE。更没想到的是，教育部长也认同了这位校长的见解。

在新加坡当学生真是苦啊~

其实在很久很久以前，“教育”这个词好像不是这样子用的耶... 读书跟成绩这两样东西好像不是这种关系的耶... 因为那时候有个叫“孔子”的教育家，他的理想是要实现人与人之间充满仁爱的大同世界。而为了实现这个大同世界，他需要把仁爱思想灌输到广大群众中去，而办法就是需要培养一大批可以推行仁道的志士和君子。孔子心目中的教育应该是这样的...

• 教育的作用 - 既重视其社会作用，也重视其在个人发展中的作用。《礼记》中《大学》篇关于“格物、致知、诚意、正心、修身、齐家、治国、平天下”的著名论述既说明了儒家关于大学教育的过程和步骤，也清楚地表明了儒家对教育作用的看法。通过格物、致知做到诚意、正心(要有正确的伦理道德观念)从而达到修身的目的(形成完善的人格)，这是教育对个人发展所起的作用。有了这样的基础后，每个人就应该积极为促进各自家庭的和谐美满和国家的繁荣，努力地作出自己的贡献(齐家、治国)，这是教育对社会发展所起的作用。


• 教育的对象 - 孔子有一句名言“有教无类”(《论语· 卫灵公》)，意思是说不分贵族与平民，不分华夏与狄夷都可以接受教育。


• 教学的内容 - 应划分为学、思、习、行等四个阶段。前两个阶段是学习知识的过程，后两个阶段则是要求学生将所学知识应用于实践。

这样子的教育制度很赞吧？可是我们现在是怎么搞教育的？好像是这样子的哦...

• 教育的作用 - 为了以后可以养活自己和家人（可以养家就很好了，还齐家？），为了可以确保自己的文凭足以在自己的国家里找到工作，而不让外国的人才把工作都抢光了（治国？可能还轮不到新加坡本地人呢！）。格物、致知、诚意、正心、修身？这些值多少钱？


• 教育的对象 - 几次小学分流之后，再看看中学成绩，就应该可以知道自己到底是本地大学的教育的对象，还是ITE的教育的对象了。


• 教学的内容 - 只要成绩可以考到九十分以上，教的是什么内容，到底有没有学到知识，这些其实并不重要吧？至于运用所学到的知识，那就要看将来做什么工作了。有些工作看似很难（可能因为职位很高），其实只要把自己的工作交给属下去做，功劳记得拿，那就够了，还需要什么知识啊？

Cloudywind's Days... 风的生活 #5 - 开放不开放？

最近有两件很轰动的路边新闻。一位议员轻松地告诉了媒体说如果新加坡的部长也搞出了性爱光碟的话，他并不需要辞职，因为人们应该看到的是他的贡献，不是他的私生活。结果除了被一些其他的议员和部长否决，还被一些网民臭骂。一个自称十八岁的女生在网上贩卖穿过的内衣裤，甚至还放了一些穿制服的性感照片。结果不但生意欣荣，还在网界上出名到可以上报。

一方面，新加坡人似乎是保守的，但另一方面，新加坡人好像又很开放的说。难道我们有双重性格？不是的，我觉得这些只是就是新加坡人被性压抑的证明。政府压抑我们，但我们也选择了被压抑，因为新加坡人是爱面子到极点的，爱到已经是到了虚伪的境界了...

• 我们不鼓励色情，所以这里卖A片是犯法的。但当有人在网上放了理工学院生的性爱自拍影片后，她的名字成了当时搜查率最高的keyword。


• 我们不鼓励色情，所以在这里卖淫是被管制的。在这里当妓女就好像当医生一样，只有当她们有执照证明她们是合格合法的，只有当她们的工作场所是有还执照费的，她们才可以开门营业。但新山的色情场所里的常客多数都是新加坡人，每个周末跑到新山去按摩，然后要求“特别”服务的都是我们的已婚阿叔。

其实到了今时今日，所有的管制真的有效吗？保守的政府真的可以用压抑来确保新加坡人不变坏，可以告诉其他“乱来”的国家我们的人民是品德兼优的吗？在这里不被批准的东西，人民还是有办法弄到手的吧... 他们会出国，会上网吧？那么压抑还有意义吗？

既然把色情扫到地毯下不能防止他们出门寻找更多的话，不如把色情放在桌面上再教导他们如何看待？中国都改革开放了，我们还在等什么？

Cloudywind's Days... 风的生活 #4 - 人是健忘的

人是健忘的。至少现在所有的的士司机都那么希望。自从的士费涨了之后，习惯搭的士的人为了省钱，都试着改搭地铁和巴士。本来就不常搭的士的人就更不想搭了。车费涨了，收入却缩了，的士司机们都闷了。被访问时，他们只能说“迟些时候，当人们都习惯了新车费后，他们就会搭的士了”是啊~ 司机们都希望人们快点忘了车费曾经涨了35%，快点回来坐的士！

其实有很多的证据证明人真的是健忘的，譬如...

• 刚失恋的人很快的又爱上了当时在附近的某个人，因为她已经忘记了失去的痛苦


• 竞选后的政治人物在被选上之后，会很快的就忘了以前的一些他答应了选民但却自己觉得不重要的诚若


• 老板都会忘了属下立了什么大小功，所以才吩咐他们年底时写一份报告提醒他他们到底做了什么

当然，既然我们都知道我们有多健忘，我们也当然会企图改掉这个坏习惯，所以我们会...

• 强迫我们的孩子从小就熟背九九乘法表，虽然我们知道他们长大后会有足够的钱买电脑和计算机


• 利用考试来强迫我们的学生记得所学的东西，虽然他们进社会后会发现很多理论都是用不着的


• 强迫我们心爱的人记得我们的生日，结婚纪念日，第一个吻纪念日... 而希望这样子的话他们不会把对我们的感情忘了

Cloudywind's Days... 风的生活 #3 - 办公室恋情

最近有个外遇事件闹得满城风雨。一个有个怀孕的老婆的男人，跟他的女同事搞上了，而这个女同事竟然还是个有夫之妇。狠心的男人承认了外遇，也告诉老婆说他打算跟她离婚。伤心的老婆就借由部落格吐诉心事，而好死不死，互联网的力量再加上无聊没事干的网民，就这样把一件再普通不过的外遇事件传开了。待产的老婆想多一事不如少一事，就把部落格关了。但科技的发达，又让打抱不平的网民把她的部落格复活了。如今互联网上的部落格都在臭骂负心的男人和淫荡的女同事。

其实这是一件很普通的办公室婚外情。我就不信有哪个办公室是没有恋情发生过的。就算是菜市场，谁又知道卖猪肉的阿明没在暗恋卖青菜的阿莲？搞不好，发生在办公室里的恋情比婚姻介绍所介绍的成功恋情还多呢！

一个男人在一天里清醒地对着他的老婆的时间，到底有多少？

• 上班前，在早餐桌上的一个钟头


• 下班后，在晚餐时的一个钟头


• 在电视机前的两个钟头


• 睡觉前的一个钟头

顶多有五个钟头，如果他真的专心对着他的老婆的话。

但是男人在一天里从早上九点到傍晚六点，就已经有九个钟头跟女同事相处了。

日久生情这句话不是无中生有的。不然杨过也不会喜欢上朝夕相对的小龙女。

当然，我并不是说每个男人都可以有借口在办公室里搞外遇！结婚证书并不是用来应征工作的，也不是镶起来炫耀的。结婚证书上的每一个字都有“责任”这个沉重的东西牵着。男人既然已经成偌了要让女人幸福，他就应该克服所有的诱惑来完成这个一辈子的任务。

当然，被动的女人也应该克制一下自己，别胡乱成为人家的第三者。毕竟未婚的好男人还是有的。

Cloudywind's Days... 风的生活 #2 - 一个人旅行

有个朋友刚从日本旅行回来。她一个女孩，带着一个行李，就这样在东京住上了一个星期。我这个朋友漂漂亮亮的，追她的男孩可不少，肯放下工作陪她玩的一定大有人在，不过偏偏她就喜欢独自一个人去旅行。

我除了出国公干以外，从来没试过也没想过要一个人旅行。就算刚刚去的西藏是一个人跑去玩的，但至少也有一整团的团友和不同的导游陪同陪了我十天！

我不喜欢一个人旅行也不是因为我怕寂寞。而且不喜欢的原因还挺多的。

• 不喜欢一个人搭飞机。因为不知道坐在旁边的会不会是个有狐臭的，还是个肥到会把赘肉挤到我的座位那边的。


• 一个人的胃大小有限。就算餐厅里各式各样的食物看起来有多么的好吃，也只能选一份而已。但如果是跟朋友一起的话，就可以叫几份来试试了。


• 看到好玩或神奇的东西时，不可以转身说“你看这个！是不是很赞？” 只能默默地把那份兴奋“呱”一声吞进肚子里。


• 一个人的话就只能拍风景照了。如果企图用DSLR自拍的话，看起来应该会很傻。


• 当有冲动要买贵又不实际，买回家几个月后还肯定会后悔的纪念品时，没有人在身边唠叨提醒“别买这种浪费钱的东西”。

所以这种一个人旅行的自由嘛，还是不适合我的啦~