Naruto Stick Fight

Hehe. Cool, isn't it? Grin.

For the clueless, this is Naruto. Find out more from Wikipedia, "Naruto" and/or Narutopedia.

Image Source

Singapore Population Trends 2011 & arising questions...

Here are the burning questions after reading the statistics from the Population Trends 2011:

What explains the decline of the number of permanent residents? Is it because more stringet requirement for the foreigners to apply to be PR-s? Or is it because more PR-s became citizenship? Or is it because less application for PR-s? (In other words, being a Singapore PR is no longer attractive?)

I'd like to know the breakdown of this figure for a better picture.

I too am wondering how the social changes are going to be if there are just two categories: Singapore citizens and foreigners. Get rid PR-s from the equation, and see how the impacts (if any) will be.

Latest statistics from the Population Trends 2011 report released Wednesday showed Singapore's total population stood at 5.18 million as at end June this year.

The report also showed there were 3.79 million Singapore residents, of whom, 3.26 million are Singapore citizens and 530,000 are permanent residents.

There were 1.39 million non-resident foreigners as at end June.

The report said the total population expanded by 2.1 per cent, or 107,000, in 2011, due to increased number of citizens and non-residents.

The number of Singapore citizens grew by 0.8 per cent between 2010 and 2011 to 3.26 million.

Growth in the number of non-residents was 6.9 per cent in 2011, down from the peaks of 15 per cent in 2007 and 19 per cent in 2008.

In contrast, the number of permanent residents declined by 1.7 per cent to 532,000, after growing 1.5 per cent last year and at least six per cent each year between 2005 and 2009.

Reflecting the ageing population, the proportion of Singapore residents aged 45 years and over expanded over time.

The median age of the resident population rose from 37.4 years last year to 38 years in 2011.

Consequently, the ratio of working-age residents to elderly residents dropped.

There were 7.9 residents aged 15-64 years for each resident aged 65 years and over in 2011, a decline from 8.2 in 2010.

In 2011, the Chinese formed the majority at 74 per cent of the resident population, followed by the Malays with 13 per cent and the Indians with 9.2 per cent.

The report also showed the first decline in general marriage rates since 2003.

The Singapore Department of Statistics said in 2010, 24,363 marriages were registered.

That is 6.6 per cent lower than the 26,081 registered in 2009.

Sociologists said this is a particularly worrying trend given that the number of singles in the population has risen.

With more singles, the general marriage rate should be going up but it has gone down instead.

Experts said the reason singles are not translating their relationships into marriage may have to do with global economic uncertainty.

Singles may be too focused on maintaining economic and job stability to even date.

The Population Trends report also found more people aged 30 to 34 have never been married.

It found more couples are not having children and there are more families with only one child.

Experts said the fact that more women are marrying past their prime reproductive years means the likelihood of them growing larger families will be smaller.

From Channel NewsAsia, "S'pore population trends released".

To NEA: no news on last night typhoon or storm hitting Singapore?!?!

The truth is out there. No, it's not. Just a very strong wind ravaging the trees last night some time after midnight. The howling of the wind was enough to wake me up from my panadol-induced sleep.

Disappointing that there's no such an announcement or news update about the peculiar wind from National Environment Agency.

The only evidence I was not hallucinating was from this cartoonist/blogger, "Typhoon pass by Singapore...?" who ended his post with, "I am so bloody afraid when i heard the sound." (He too referred to the sound of the wind.)

Another evidence was also found from this STOMP, "Deepavali vendors out of luck as tent collapses in storm". Partially quoted:

"This happened at the bazaar in front of Mustafa Centre, in Little India.

"Around 11.30pm or 12 midnight, a storm hit, and the strong winds first lifted the tent up.

"When the winds let up, the tent came crashing back down, and the scaffolding was not strong enough to support its weight and hence collapsed.

"It was also raining heavily at this time, so the rain soaked through the tent, damaging the goods that my father and fellow vendors had already put out on display.

Some people speculate that the strong wind has to do with the Typhoon Nesta which killed 18 people in Philippines. Yes, the very same typhoon which tail wind lashed on Sabah’s west coast.

I'll be monitoring local newspaper closely for any further update on what on earth that strong wind hitting Singapore last night.

Any other readers experience the same, please kindly let me know! (I checked with my colleagues from Woodlands, Sembawang, Yishun, Changi - they so far did experience the same!!)

Lust, caution: being a lover to a runaway maid?!

Yeah. Stupid love story involving a somewhat noble man who persuaded a runaway maid who freelanced as a prostitute to stop being one & sheltered her in his place for about 3 years?!

A man was jailed for seven months on Wednesday for harbouring an Indonesian woman who had overstayed for close to three years.

Syed Muhammad Bashir Syed Samsudin Barakkbah, 25, pleaded guilty to sheltering Safitri, 26, at his Bedok Reservoir Road flat from November 2008 to July 11 this year.

The court heard that Safitri was working as a domestic helper when she ran away from her employer's house in 2008. She then freelanced as a prostitute in Geylang.

Bashir befriended her in October that year. Subsequently they became lovers. He then persuaded her not to work as a prostitute and offered her accommodation at his place with his parents. It was after he had brought her home that she confessed that she had absconded from her employer.

From Straits Times, "Man jailed for harbouring runaway maid who overstayed".

Fit, but not necessarily Slim

Because being slim does not by default equate to being fit. Yeah, I saw the above advertisement & put aside my admiration to the model, I couldn't stop thinking how (potentially) misleading the ad was.

On another note, Wisegeek has a curious article, "Why are Fashion Models So Thin?". You may want to check it out. Heh.

Yam Ah Mee in Celebrate Life on the Circle Line

Catch PA chief executive director Yam Ah Mee in his first-ever musical performance this Sun, 02/10. Titled, "Celebrate Life on the Circle Line" the musical will be held at the Buona Vista Circle Line station at 10am. The performance will feature other TV and stage artistes such as Chua Enlai, Irene Ang and Alaric Tay.

In case you have forgotten the extraordinary Yam Ah Mee (you should not!), the following 2 clips will serve as a good reminder. Heh.

Yam Ah Mee Election Club Mix (GE 2011)


the mrbrown show: the yam song (yam ah mee music video)

Singaporeans will get a chance to catch People's Association (PA) chief executive director Yam Ah Mee in his first-ever musical performance this Sunday.

Mr Yam will appear in "Celebrate Life on the Circle Line", a musical celebrating the opening of 12 new stations on the final stretch of the Circle Line, which will open its doors to the public on Oct 8.

The musical will take place Oct 2 at the Buona Vista Circle Line station at 10am. The performance will feature other TV and stage artistes such as Chua Enlai, Irene Ang and Alaric Tay.

Entertainment, games and prizes for everyone

The whole-day event will start from 10am and end at 6pm. Visitors will be able hop on the train at any of the 12 stations from Caldecott to HarbourFront for free, throughout the eight hours.

A free bus shuttle service will be available to ferry passengers between Marymount and Caldecott stations (bi-directional) throughout the day from 10am to 6pm at intervals of 10 minutes.

The activities and entertainment will take place at six stations - Buona Vista, Holland Village, Botanic Gardens, Kent Ridge, Telok Blangah and HarbourFront - each hosted by a celebrity deejay.

The public can look forward to full-filled activities such as sand painting, jewellery making, kampong games, giant Jenga, Lila drumming and origami folding.

There will also be free guided tours throughout the day at Haw Par Villa starting from 10.30am with the last tour at 5.15pm.

From Asiaone, "PA Chief Yam Ah Mee to debut in musical".

Bedok Reservoir suicides: Killing oneself is not an answer!!

A further continuation of this post, "Bedok Reservoir dead bodies due to suicide?".

Suicide is a sin. Life may be very harsh to you, but to give up by taking an easy exit should never be an option.

On the other hand, I find this particular song, "Suicide" by Rihanna to be somewhat suitable for this tragedy:

loving you is suicide
i don't know should go or should i stay
i'm tryna to keep myself alive
knowing there's a chance it's all too late
but i heard you say you love me
that's the part i can't forget
and i wish that you come save me
cos i'm standing over the edge

i should let you go
tell myself the things i need to hear
but my brain is why you're wrong
that's why i'm loving you when you're not here
feels like i drown in your every word
and every breath that's in between
somehow you got me where it really hurts
it's killing every part of me

Rest in peace, Mdm Tan Sze Sze and her son, Jerald Chin Le Hui. Do not be vengeful ghosts.

Over the past year, Madam Tan Sze Sze, 31, had become increasingly short-tempered and irritable. She was fiercely protective of her only child, a three-year-old boy, and spent most of her time looking after him.

At one point, she told her mother that life had become too much of a torture.

Madam Tan had frequent fights with her estranged husband over his access to their son.

Her husband sometimes called in the police and applied for a court order to give him access to the boy on weekends, said Madam Tan's family.

The former secretary was found floating face down in Bedok Reservoir yesterday morning. She was holding on to her son, Jerald Chin Le Hui.Her sister, Ms Celeste Tan, 30, said Madam Tan had been suffering from depression for the past year, but she simply refused to seek help.

On Sunday, some men came knocking at their flat in French Road in the Lavender area, Ms Tan said in Mandarin.

When they identified themselves as policemen, Madam Tan grabbed Le Hui and crouched in a corner, repeatedly saying that she was afraid.

"The men said that if my sister did not comply with the court order, she would be fined. If she could not pay the fine, she might have to go to jail and the punishment would be heavier the next time."

Ms Tan said her sister had once allowed her husband to take Le Hui home sometime last year. But Le Hui, then two, came back with a bleeding nose.

Madam Tan's husband told her that it was an accident, and that it was just a bit of torn skin. But his nose did not stop bleeding for two days and he cried constantly.

After that, Madam Tan refused to let Le Hui go with his father. He was only allowed to see his father in the vicinity of their home in the presence of Ms Tan or her mother.

Things turned ugly when he threatened them with a lawsuit, Ms Tan said.

Madam Tan's mother, Mrs Tan Geok Lai, 53, claimed he would kick up a fuss at their home. She admitted to yelling at him to go away.

She said the couple had got married in 2006 after about two years of courtship, but did not live together for most of their marriage.

Not long after registering their marriage, their relationship became strained when Madam Tan found a condom in his car. When she asked him about it, he said that it belonged to his friend.

While they were renting a flat in Ang Mo Kio, Madam Tan became pregnant.

But the couple returned to their respective parents' homes before Le Hui was born.

Madam Tan's family believes that her death may be linked to her fear of going to jail over her refusal to let her husband take Le Hui home.

Said Ms Tan: "She loves Le Hui a lot. She is an introvert and does not have any friends. He is all she has.

"What if she lets Le Hui go over and he returns with bruises or cuts? The first time it happened, she couldn't stop crying."

Despite all that happened, Madam Tan refused to divorce her husband even after her family advised her to grant his request for a divorce, said Ms Tan.

Said Ms Tan: "My sister is very loyal and I guess she really did love him a lot."

Madam Tan and Le Hui were dressed in red tops when their bodies were found. Their fingernails were also painted red.

Ms Tan said she saw a red thread around her sister's wrist when she identified their bodies yesterday afternoon.

Dressed in red
It is a Chinese belief that when someone dressed in red kills herself, the person's spirit will return as a vengeful ghost.

A police spokesman said they were alerted to the two bodies at around 6.50am. At 7.15am, a paramedic pronounced them dead at the scene.

The police have classified the deaths as unnatural and are investigating.

Madam Tan and Le Hui visited Mrs Tan at her workplace in Clementi Central on Tuesday morning, just before they went missing.

Mrs Tan said in Mandarin: "She and Le Hui were both wearing red. Ah Sze looked very pained, very hurt.

"She told me that she was going to leave this world and I told her not to."

The pair left soon after, at about 10am. Mrs Tan tried contacting her daughter a few minutes later but her mobile phone was switched off.

At 2.30pm, Mrs Tan finally reached her. In their last conversation, Mrs Tan tried in vain to dissuade her daughter.

Said a stoic Mrs Tan: "I told her not to be silly. But she told me 'Do you think that I am so bored that I will joke about this? I will definitely die today'."

"I asked her to come and have lunch with me but she said that this was the last time I would hear her voice. If I didn't let her talk, I wouldn't be able to hear her voice again.

"I heard water and asked where she was but she refused to tell me."

Madam Tan reminded her mother that it was the 23rd day of the month in the Chinese calendar.

When she previously talked about killing herself, Madam Tan always said that she wanted to die on the 23rd as that was the day that her grandmother and father died.

When Madam Tan passed the phone over to her son, Le Hui told his grandmother: "Ah Ma, Mummy is very noisy. She keeps crying."

The call was cut and Mrs Tan couldn't reach her elder daughter again despite several attempts. She later found Madam Tan's set of housekeys in Mrs Tan's letterbox and feared the worst.

She said: "Ah Sze always said that because she brought Le Hui into this world, she must bring him along when she leaves this world too."

Ms Tan made a missing persons' report that day and cried herself to sleep, knowing that her sister wouldn't be coming home again.

Whenever she spoke about killing herself, Madam Tan would say that she would rather drown than jump off a building.

On Wednesday night, Mrs Tan headed out with Ms Tan and her son-in-law to nearby West Coast Park as they thought she might have gone there.

They called out to Madam Tan in tears, but there was no sign of her or Le Hui.

The next morning, their bodies were spotted by a passer-by at Bedok Reservoir. Mrs Tan suspects that Madam Tan chose that location as they had lived in Bedok seven years ago before moving to French Road.

Said Mrs Tan: "I feel like I am in a dream. But in her letter, she said that she was going to look for her father.

"If she can be happier in the other world, then I should just let her go."

In the same handwritten letter, Madam Tan thanked her mother for taking good care of her and her son, and told her to take good care of herself.

Today, Ms Tan turns 30, and next Friday, Madam Tan would have turned 32.

But there will be no birthday celebrations this year.

Madam Tan and Le Hui's wake will be held at French Road from today till the funeral on Sunday.

From Asiaone, "'Mummy keeps crying'".

A bitter custody battle continued after a tragic death Friday when the wake of a mother and son whose bodies were found in Bedok Reservoir was disrupted by angry family members who tried to drag the woman's estranged husband from a van and block his escape.

Police later arrested one of her relatives when they went to the husband's house to confront him.

Tan Sze Sze, 32, and her three-year-old son Jerald Chin were found dead on Thursday morning by officers from national water agency PUB. They were reported missing two days before.

Angry family members set upon her husband Willy Chin, 33, when he arrived at the wake to pay his respects.

Tan's mother and younger sister, who were waiting by the road, wrenched open the door of the van in which he was a passenger and tried to pull him out. Throughout, they hurled vulgarities at him and accused him of causing the deaths.

Chin managed to break free and close the door but a few family members chased after the van while Tan's mother tried to block its path.

After 10 minutes, it managed to leave the area. Police were also called to the scene by passers-by.

But the family did not let the matter rest. Tan's mother, sister, the latter's husband and two other relatives decided to confront Chin at his Jalan Bukit Merah house.

They created a scene when they did not get to see him. Police later arrested the sister's husband when he refused to leave.

Tan's mother, Teo Guek Lai, told reporters her daughter had become increasingly upset after becoming embroiled in a bitter custody battle with her estranged husband. She also feared her son would be taken from her after she was fined for not allowing Chin access to Jerald.

“Her son was her life,” Teo said.

The day she went missing, Tan told her mother she planned to kill herself and take her son with her. She was later found cradling the boy, their bodies joined at the wrists by red string. They were wearing red T-shirts and their fingernails were painted red, a customary Chinese symbol of revenge after death.

Earlier, Chin gave reporters his side of the story at his home in Bukit Merah.

“I didn't do anything wrong. From start to finish, I just wanted to see my son. If she had just allowed me to take my son out on weekends, I wouldn't have had to pressure her by going to court,” he said.

He added that he went to her flat every weekend in the past year to try to see his son, but largely to no avail.

Chin, a restaurant chef, last saw the boy in February. Tan's sister brought Jerald down to see him for half an hour.

Looking tired and distressed, he added that when he first heard the news of his wife and son from the police, he was at a total loss.

On Friday morning, Tan's family went to Bedok Reservoir to carry out prayers and rituals.

Mother and son were later laid side by side in matching white coffins. Jerald's was covered with stickers of animals and adorned with some colorful balloons - some of his favorite playthings.

Toys selected by his nine-year-old cousin Shawn, whom he was close to, were also placed beside him in the casket.

“He always played with me... I miss him,” said Shawn.

From Jakarta Globe, "Anger at Wake for Mother and Son Found Dead in S'pore Reservoir".

F1 Night Race 2011 - Photos Galore

So I got a $1,288-ticket for a Grandstand Turn 2 for yesterday 2011 Formula 1 Singtel Singapore Grand Prix! (I do wish I could have said it that I was given the ticket in my capacity as a blogger. Alas, that's not the case! Heh.)

Anyway here are some of the photos I snapped:

1. Yes, so it's not night yet. I was early.

2. So I did a lot of walking. I came from Gate 1 (Zone 1 - refer to the map below) & I wandered all the way to Zone 4. Hur hur.

3. Here I was at Zone 4 - Padang.

4. And at Zone 4 - Esplanade Outdoor Theatre. Getting ready to watch Bollywood Express performance. Jai Ho!!

5. Then after laughing out loud at Forbidden Broadway hilarious performance (sorry, no pictures. Busy laughing!), I sneaked back to Grandstand Turn 2 & snapped some photos of the race.

6. Yeah, this was another of such photos. Mostly blurrish. I have much to learn. Heh.

7. The 10 planets blazing near Gate 1. Yeah!

8. Some stalls--beside those selling the usual merchandises--had also a game! This man didn't allow me to try, though. Hur hur.

9. Back to Zone 4 - Esplanade Outdoor Theatre for Neal & Massy Trinidad All Stars (Trinidad) performance.

10. Behold Marina Bay Sands - possibly the second best integrated resort after Resorts World Sentosa!

---

OTHERS (from the official website of Singapore F1 - 2011 Formula 1 Night Race - Singapore Grand Prix):

Download Circuit Park Map

Bollywood Express

Forbidden Broadway

And the following YouTube clips of Forbidden Broadway will give you the idea why I failed to take any of the photos of its show:


West end live 09 Forbidden Broardway Lion king


Forbidden Broadway - Les Miz

Not Google+: The First Antisocial Network

Joining Not Google+ is simple: "Don't join Google+." The next step is simple as well. "Once you've done that, don't invite your friends to join Google+."

LOL...

Can you be Hypnotized? Self Hypnosis Video

Watch this video, follow the instructions and you will be hypnotized. A great video if you haven't tried Self Hypnosis before!

Bedok Reservoir dead bodies due to suicide?

A follow up to this post, "Bedok Reservoir dead bodies...". Possible suicide has been considered as both the mother's & son's fingernails were painted red (See, it's a Chinese belief that when someone commits suicide while dressed in red, the person will return as a vengeful spirit). What saddens me most is the irony that the mother of Mdm Tan Sze Sze is actually a part-time fortune teller, yet she couldn't foresee the tragedy...

THE bodies of a woman and her young son were found floating in Bedok Reservoir yesterday morning, three days after they were last seen in Clementi Central.

The bodies of housewife Tan Sze Sze, 32, and her three-year-old son, Jerald Chin, were said to have been found by PUB officers.

Police were notified of the find at about 7am and paramedics pronounced them dead about 15 minutes later. The police have classified the case as unnatural death and investigations are ongoing.

Madam Tan and her son were both dressed in red tops, the same clothes they were wearing when they went missing. She is said to have been hugging her son when their bodies were found. Their fingernails were also painted red.

According to The New Paper, it is a Chinese belief that when someone commits suicide while dressed in red, the person will return as a vengeful spirit.

The pair were last seen by Madam Tan's mother, Madam Teo Guek Lai, 53, at the latter's workplace in Clementi Central on Tuesday morning.

Madam Tan had told her mother that she was going to leave this world when they met.

Later that day, Madam Teo called her daughter on her mobile phone. They had a short conversation before the line was cut, and Madam Tan became uncontactable.

In that last conversation, Madam Teo had tried to dissuade her daughter from committing suicide.

Madam Tan then told her mother: "Do you think that I am so bored that I will joke about this? I will definitely die today."

She also told her mother that it would be the last time she could hear her voice.

Madam Teo told my paper that her daughter had been distraught over marital problems, which involved an impending divorce and custody battle for Jerald.

She had also become increasingly short-tempered and irritable over the past year, The New Paper said. Madam Tan told her mother that life was becoming too much of a torture.

Madam Tan was said to have lived with her mother at a flat in French Road, near the Jalan Besar Stadium, while her husband, Mr Willy Chin, lives at his mother's flat in Tiong Bahru. Mr Chin is said to work as a chef in a Japanese restaurant.

The New Paper said the couple were married in 2006 after two years of courtship, but lived separately for most of the marriage.

The relationship became strained when Madam Tan found a condom in Mr Chin's car.

Sometime last year, Madam Tan allowed her husband to take Jerald home. However, the child returned with a bleeding nose.

Madam Teo said: "The bleeding did not stop for two days, so something serious must have happened. Willy just brushed it off."

Madam Tan then refused to allow Jerald to visit his grandmother and father in Tiong Bahru.

He was only allowed to see his father near their home in the presence of Madam Tan's sister or her mother.

Mr Chin then applied through the courts to gain access to him. A court notice was served to Madam Tan on Sunday.

According to The New Paper, when the court officers visited their flat to serve the notice, Madam Tan grabbed Jerald and crouched in a corner, repeatedly saying that she was afraid.

Madam Tan's sister, Ms Celeste Tan, 30, said: "She was very shaken after a court officer visited her to serve the notice. She had lost all hope."

Despite all that happened, Madam Tan refused to divorce her husband even after her family advised her to grant his request for a divorce.

This is the second instance of bodies being found in Bedok Reservoir this year.

In June, the lower half of the body of 23-year-old Chinese national Lin Xiao was found floating in the reservoir.

From Asiaone, "Bodies of woman and son found in reservoir".

A woman and her three-year-old son were found dead in Bedok Reservoir early yesterday, two days after they were reported missing by their family.

Officers from national water agency PUB found the bodies at about 6am.

It is understood that Tan Sze Sze, 32, was cradling her toddler, Jerald Chin.

Tan's mother, who saw the bodies, said they were joined by red string at their wrists, wore red T-shirts and both mother and son's fingernails were painted red. According to Chinese belief, red in death symbolizes revenge.

Just before she went missing on Tuesday, Tan had told her mother, Madam Teo Guek Lai, that she planned to kill herself and take her child with her.

Madam Teo, 53, said Tan had a history of post-natal depression and she became increasingly upset after being embroiled in a bitter custody battle with her estranged husband, chef Willy Chin.

Madam Teo said her daughter had been fined for not allowing her husband access to Jerald and worried that she would be jailed if she could not pay up.

"She was afraid that Jerald would be snatched from her," she said in Mandarin. "Her son was her life."

Madam Teo added that her daughter was introverted by nature and easily depressed, and that she was extremely protective of her son, whom she called "Baby".

Tan lived with her mother, a part-time fortune-teller, and four other family members in a one-room rental flat in French Road in the Lavender area. She was unemployed and lived on her mother's Central Provident Fund savings as well as a $300 monthly allowance from her husband.

Madam Teo said her daughter had spoken of suicide several times in recent months.

On Tuesday, Madam Teo was at work in Clementi Central when her daughter arrived with Jerald and cried inconsolably, saying she was a disappointment and unable to protect her son.

"I told her not to be crazy," said Madam Teo.

After they left, Tan switched off her mobile phone. When the family could not reach her, they called the police, who released a missing persons statement to the media at about 7pm on Wednesday.

Family members found Tan's house keys in the mailbox, as well as a box of documents that included a suicide note and instructions on what to do after her death.

In the box was the namecard of undertaker Roland Tay, who had handled her father's funeral three years ago, and a photo album.

The dead woman's family alleged that her relationship with her husband soured about two years ago and she had initiated divorce proceedings.

Neighbors said that Chin would come to the flat every week for more than a year, pleading to see his son. They added that, often, the door would stay shut, or Tan would chase him away with a slipper and swear at him.

Supermarket assistant Goh Hee Kiow, 59, said she had seen Chin waiting outside the flat with a bag of diapers for the child. "Sometimes he would squat by the door and call the boy's name," she said in Mandarin.

Madam Goh added that the last time she saw Chin was in the early hours of Wednesday morning, when he came with the police.

No one answered the door when The Straits Times visited Chin's home in Jalan Bukit Merah last night, although the lights inside were on.

Consultant psychiatrist Ang Yong Guan said that it is not uncommon for post-natal depression to last three years after a birth, especially if the mother was not receiving support from her husband.

"If the personality is lonely, pessimistic, a worrier, the post-natal depression can last very long. Marital problems also prolong it," said Ang.

Police have classified the deaths as unnatural, and are investigating.

From Jakarta Post, "Mother, Son Found Dead in Singapore's Bedok Reservoir".

The dangers of fame - Amazing Animation

Heh. Somewhat predictable, but still...amusing! Grin.

Bedok Reservoir dead bodies...

Two bodies--possibly of Mdm Tan Sze Sze and her 3-year-old son Jerald Chin Le Hui--were found floating near the shores of Bedok Reservoir early this morning.

Of course I'm very much concerned to learn who the heartless killer (if it's a murder) or the reason of suicide (if it's indeed the case).

On the other hand, I'm equally curious to see how PUB shall respond to the reservoir (AGAIN!) being used for dead bodies to float around. Last time when the first body was found in June, PUB assured that "the water treatment process at its Bedok plant is stringent", and thus "its water is safe to drink".

Now we're talking not one, but TWO dead bodies! Will the stringent water treatment process be still adequate? Or should the relevant authority not review on the security of its reservoirs?

The bodies of a mother and her young son were found floating near the shores of Bedok Reservoir early Thursday morning.

They are believed to be that of 32-year-old Tan Sze Sze and her three-year-old son Jerald Chin, who have been missing since Tuesday.

They were last seen at Clementi Central, where Madam Tan's mother works.

It is understood that when the Public Utilities Board officers found the two, Madam Tan had been hugging her son. Both were dressed in red tops, the same clothes they were wearing when they went missing.

From Straits Times, "Bodies of mother and son found in Bedok Reservoir".

The bodies of a woman and a young boy were found floating in the waters of Bedok Reservoir on Thursday morning.

The bodies are believed to be that of 32-year-old Tan Sze Sze and her 3-year old son Jerald Chin Le Hui who were last seen in Clementi on Tuesday morning.

The dead woman and boy were both dressed in red tops.

And even though their bodies were found a stone's throw away from a coffeeshop and other retail outlets, no one noticed anything out of the ordinary in recent days.

It's understood that Madam Tan and her son lived in a one-room flat at French Road in the Kallang area.

MediaCorp visited her apartment but no one appeared to be home.

Their immediate neighbour, Madam Zahara, said about five people live in the flat and they moved in about four years ago.

"There's a daughter, her mother, two children and a man. Sometimes another daughter will come and visit. But I don't know where she lives," said Madam Zahara.

Madam Zahara also said that a man, whom she believed to be the husband of one of the daughters, always visited the flat presumably to meet his child in the flat.

"The man would come and knock on the door to see the kid. The elderly mother will make noise and use vulgar language to tell off their visitor. Once, she even took a shoe to hit the man! He would call the police and officers would come," she said.

Madam Zahara said the family kept to themselves and did not mingle.

Another neighbour, 18-year-old student Alson Ngian who lives a few doors away, also said he found the family aloof.

"I mean, they are not rude. But we don't talk. We don't usually smile at each other," said Ngian.

He was also aware that the family had squabbles.

Police said they were notified of the two bodies at Bedok Reservoir at around 7am.

Paramedics at the scene pronounced the woman and the boy dead about 10 minutes later.

The authorities have classified the case as unnatural deaths.

From Channel NewsAsia, "Two bodies found in Bedok Reservoir".

The bodies of a dead woman and a young boy were found floating in Bedok Reservoir Thursday morning.

They are believed to be Tan Sze Sze, 32, and her three-year-old son Jerald Chin Le Hui, who were last seen on Tuesday morning at Clementi, where Madam Tan's mother works.

According to a local news broadcaster, both were wearing red tops, the same clothes they were wearing when they went missing.

Police said they received a call at around 7am today. The pair were pronounced dead about 10 minutes later.

The Straits Times understands that when Public Utilities Board officers found the two, Madam Tan had been hugging her son.

The case has been classified as unnatural death and police are investigating.

This is the second time dead bodies were found in Bedok Reservoir this year - a decomposed partial body was found in June.

Police managed to identify the lower torso as belonging to a 23-year-old Chinese national named Lin Xiao, who had disappeared on May 18.

From Asiaone, "2 bodies found in Bedok Reservoir".

The police are searching for a 32-year-old woman and her young son who went missing on Tuesday, and are appealing for information about them.

Ms Tan Sze Sze and her three-year-old son, Jerald Chin Le HUi, were last seen near Clementi Central on Tuesday morning at about 11am.

Ms Tan, who is about 1.65m tall and of medium build, was last seen wearing a red t-shirt and black pants, while her son was clad in a red t-shirt and white shorts.

Anyone with information on their whereabouts can call the Police at 1800-255-0000.

From Straits Times, "Appeal for information on missing woman and son". (21/09/11)

National water agency PUB says the water treatment process at its Bedok plant is stringent, ensuring that its water is safe to drink.

The assurance comes after part of a decomposed body was found floating in the nearby Bedok Reservoir.

The water treatment process at the Bedok facility takes six steps, two of which involve an enhanced disinfecting technology called ozonation.

The treatment starts at four tanks, each containing high-voltage electricity.

Ozone - a gas converted from oxygen - is produced in the tanks.

When infused with water, ozone kills bacteria and micro-organisms like algae and plankton which float on the water surface initially.

A coagulant called aluminium sulphate is then used to clump the dead particles. Due to their combined weight, the dead particles sink to the bottom of the tanks, leaving clarified water at the top.

At this point, the water looks relatively clean, but it will go through three more steps to ensure it is safe to drink.

Ozone is introduced to the process once more, this time as a disinfectant. The ozonated water is then passed through filters to remove finer particles. To sustain the disinfection, chlorine is added, together with lime and fluoride.

And in four hours, the process is complete.

PUB says this is all part of a robust water supply system.

Lee Mun Fong, deputy director at PUB's Water Supply (Plants) Department, said: "We have a plant that is able to treat water with multiple barriers and on top of that, we have a system that monitors from the source all the way to our tap. So I want to assure our customers that our water is safe to drink, even from the tap."

In its full capacity, Bedok Waterworks supplies one-tenth of Singapore's demands, distributing water to areas like Tampines, Simei and Bedok.

Bedok Waterworks is one of two plants that have been using ozonation for more than two decades, due to the environment of its catchments which require more treatment.

From Channel NewsAsia, "Body in Bedok Reservoir: PUB says water safe to drink".

OCBC Bank - Our CEO, David Conner, explains OCBC's system outage on 13 Sep 2011

Received the folowing email with the subject line, "OCBC Bank - Our CEO, David Conner, explains OCBC's system outage on 13 Sep 2011". So what do you think how genuine his explanation and/or apology was?

Dear Customer

I owe you an explanation of what caused our systems to go down last week along with an update as to where we are now.

Since cutting over to our back-up system mid-day on Tuesday, 13 September, our information technology team focused their efforts on identifying the root cause of the technical problem which caused our banking channels to go down from 9:00 am for more than three hours - services were restored progressively from 12.20 pm and were fully operational by 1.00 pm. Our team was determined to find and fix the problem so as to ensure there would be no repeat channel outage.

After reviewing several possible causes, the team isolated a network device that did not function well. This device acted in combination with a parameter setting in the main banking system to trigger a suspension of the system’s network communications. This situation in turn affected our ATM network, branches, and internet and mobile banking channels island wide.

Our team took the time to identify the fault, simulate it and repeat the simulation to confirm that they had indeed identified the exact cause of the technical problem. This deliberate process was followed so as to ensure that we rectified the problem correctly and, in so doing, would prevent any future recurrence.

After implementing the repair, our team tested our main system thoroughly to ensure that it was working well and then returned our technology operations from our backup system to our main system over this past weekend.

The service outage did not meet our commitment of having our channels operating for you at all times. This is unacceptable. Again, I apologize for any inconvenience that this incident caused you.

I am grateful for your patience and understanding during the time our systems were down and thank you for banking with OCBC.

Yours sincerely

David Conner, CEO

ZEITGEIST: MOVING FORWARD | OFFICIAL RELEASE | 2011

10,518,074 have views since it's uploaded 7 months ago! Check out the Official Online (Youtube) Release of "Zeitgeist: Moving Forward" by Peter Joseph and it's the full video of 2 hours 41 minutes!

From its YouTube clip description:

On Jan. 15th, 2011, "Zeitgeist: Moving Forward" was released theatrically to sold out crowds in 60 countries; 31 languages; 295 cities and 341 Venues. It has been noted as the largest non-profit independent film release in history.

Kelvin Gan Boon Wah is guilty for being an idiot...

Yes, that's his only crime. How on earth could this Kelvin Gan Boon Wah think to display a funeral banner issued by a secret society at his own mother's wake.

'Tekka Righteous Brothers' is for sure one secret society with a good intention (they want to show respect!) but without a consideration how the banner will give a trouble. Sigh.

A man was convicted on Wednesday of displaying a funeral banner issued by a secret society at his mother's wake.

Kelvin Gan Boon Wah, 34, an office boy, pleaded guilty to displaying the banner with the words in Chinese meaning 'Tekka Righteous Brothers' at the void deck of Block 91 Henderson Road on April 6 2011.

The court heard that the banner was seized by a police officer at the wake.

A triad expert of the Secret Societies Branch said in his report that the five Chinese characters on the banner referred to members of a secret society. He also said it was the practice of the fraternity to hang such banners at funeral wakes of gang members or relatives of gang members as a sign of respect from the gang.

From Straits Times, "Man hung gang-related banner at mum's wake".

A 34-year-old man pleaded guilty in a district court today to displaying a secret society funeral banner during his mother's wake.

Kelvin Gan Boon Wah, an office boy, admitted doing this at the void deck of Block 91 Henderson Road on Apr 6.

A police officer from the Secret Societies Branch checked on the wake that day and saw the banner with the words, 'Tekka Righteous Brothers', on it.

It was seized and sent to the Branch's triad expert who said the words referred to members of a secret society operating in the Tekka area at Little India.

The expert added it was a practice in the secret society fraternity for such banners to be hung at wakes of gang members or their loved ones as a sign of respect.

The stocky bespectacled Gan, who has visible tattoos on his neck and on the back of his hands, appeared in court dressed in a white long-sleeved shirt and blue jeans.

Court documents said he is a secret society member.

But Gan disputed this saying he had left the gang four years ago.

He told District Judge Christopher Goh he was depressed and could not get over his mother's death.

Gan, who was unrepresented, also said in his mitigation plea that he was currently attending a computer course to improve himself.

Judge Goh asked the prosecution to confirm Gan was no longer a secret society member.

The case has been adjourned to Oct 17.

Gan can be jailed up to two years, fined a maximum of S$5,000 or both for displaying the banner.

From Today, "Man admits to displaying secret society banner at mother's wake".

Wang Wenfeng gets death sentence for murdering a taxi driver...

Justice is served. The Chinese national, Wang Wenfeng was found guilty and given the death sentence for the murder of a taxi driver.

The report says that Wang Wenfeng is an odd-job labourer. Kind of a puzzle that we need a foreign talent to be employed as an odd-job labourer!

A 32-year-old Chinese national was found guilty on Wednesday and given the death sentence for the murder of a taxi driver two years ago.

In an attempted robbery, Wang Wenfeng had inflicted deep stab wounds on Mr Yuen Swee Hong during a struggle in the SMRT taxi, resulting in the victim bleeding to death.

According to earlier reports, the 58-year-old cabby had picked Wang outside Sun Plaza in Sembawang during the wee hours of April 11, 2009. Wang said he wanted to go to Bottle Tree Village.

While in the taxi, Wang held a fruit knife to Mr Yuen's chest and a struggle broke out.

Despite multiple versions from Wang about what happened during the tussle, Justice Lee Seiu Kin said in High Court today that there was no doubt of an intention to inflict injuries which were enough to cause death, The Straits Times reported.

Wang, an odd-job labourer, later dumped the body in a forested area near the end of Jalan Selimang in Sembawang.

The taxi was then driven to a multi-storey car park in Canberra Link and abandoned there.

Wang also took Mr Yuen's handphone, and when the cabby's wife called, he demanded $150,000 for her husband's safe return, although he was already dead.

Mr Yuen's decomposed body was found six days later. Wang was arrested at a travel agency in Chinatown on April 13, 2009, trying to collect a plane ticket to China.

During earlier hearings in March this year, Wang said that he had originally intended to rob a money changer, but gave up the idea as he saw a queue of taxis in front of the shop.

He later thought of a plan to rob a taxi, but being nervous and afraid, he did not flag down any cabs.

It was Mr Yuen instead who drove by and stopped to ask Wang where he wanted to go - a move which led to tragedy shortly.

From Asiaone, "Chinese national gets death sentence for cabby murder".

In sentencing a 32-year-old man to death for the murder of a taxi driver, a High Court judge said he found that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt.

Chinese national Wang Wenfeng was yesterday found guilty of murdering Mr Yuen Swee Hong, 58, inside his taxi in April 2009.

Justice Lee Sieu Kin said: "... The accused's actions after the deceased had died are not inconsistent with the evidence that proves his guilt and they do not constitute any cause for reasonable doubt."

Justice Lee noted that Wang had even "tried to exploit the situation" that Mr Yuen's wife was in after murdering her husband.

During his trial earlier this year, the court heard that Wang had called Madam Chan Oi Lin, claiming that he had kidnapped Mr Yuen and demanded S$150,000 in ransom even though Wang had already killed the cabby and dumped his body in a forest.

Mr Yuen was killed in the early hours of April 11, 2009, in Jalan Selimang in Sembawang after a struggle with Wang in his taxi.

Wang had boarded Mr Yuen's taxi at Sun Plaza in Sembawang with the intention of robbing him.

The court had heard that the stab wounds Mr Yuen suffered were of such depth that they resulted in heavy bleeding and caused him to lose consciousness within a short time.

This showed that Wang "could only have done it with the intention to inflict that injury" and that injury "was sufficient in the ordinary course of nature to cause death", said Justice Lee.

During the murder trial, which was held between March and April, the High Court had also heard about the circumstances leading to the tragic event.

Wang, a labour agent who had been struggling to make ends meet in Singapore, had to leave the country by April 15 in 2009 after his work permit was cancelled.

He had tried borrowing the money for his flight ticket back to Fujian. When he asked his sister and his wife - who were both here - for money, they could not help him.

Thinking that robbing a cabby would help him get the money, Wang packed a fruit knife and a pair of cotton gloves in his haversack and walked to Sun Plaza in Sembawang.

But Wang got nervous and thought of abandoning his quest. He walked along the road without hailing any taxis when Mr Yuen drove past, stopped and reversed, and asked him where he wanted to go.

After Mr Yuen was killed, Wang drove his taxi to a multi-storey carpark, cleaned out the bloodstains there and left.

Wang was arrested when he turned up at the travel agency two days later (April 13) to collect his flight ticket which he had booked to leave Singapore on April 14.

From Today, "Cabby's murder: Chinese national gets death penalty".

Gear up for "Gears of War 3"!

Well, the craze of queuing is not just something uniquely Singaporeans. Also reported by The Guardian that hundreds queued outside Game's flagship store on Oxford Street in London on Monday night to secure a copy of the Xbox 360 title, with 400 other stores open throughout the UK.

And according to CBS, "Gears of War 3 delivers satisfying end to an epic franchise":

One of the largest divergences for the series is its narrative. Most fans don't play Gears for its story, but will be pleasantly surprised to see the attention it receives here. Gears of War 3 easily delves into more character depth and story development and exposition than the first two games combined. From its diverging narrative between the now numerous members of Delta squad to its surprising emotional turns and desperate undertone, things have gotten a lot more sophisticated. Don't worry though, amidst the bleak and hopeless backdrop, the series' classic humor is still intact.

Promising, huh? I wish to have this game, but sorry no queuing for 29 hours for me. Hur hur.

29 hours. That was how long Nanyang Polytechnic student William Ten queued at Funan DigitalLife Mall, to be the first gamer in Singapore to own the latest game release "Gears of War 3", on Monday night.

Despite the hours of queuing, the 22-year-old was none the worse for wear as he excitedly clutched his copy of Epic Games' latest release which drew more than 1000 fans to the launch event for the third-person shooting game.

"I feel great. I've been playing from 'Gears of War' till now. I am a huge fan of it.

"Previously 'Gears of War' and 'Gears of War 2' didn't have any official kind of launch. This one is the final episode and they have a big event so I definitely had to come," said Ten, who has even cleared his schedule to play the game.

"No more going out for the week, just 'Gears'!" said the student of the latest game which completes the "Gears of War" trilogy.

Receiving a slew of special "Gears of War 3" premiums for being the first fan in line, Ten revealed that he couldn't have pulled off his feat alone.

Apart from loyal friends, he said his mother and sister, who both play video games too, helped him make it through the 29-hour wait.

"My mother and sister play as well. My mother came to accompany me while I queued," said Ten.

Interestingly, Ten's mother is not the only one who went out of her way to help her son out.

65-year-old Florence Phua was spotted patiently waiting in line for hours in order to collect a pre-ordered copy of the game for her son.

"I'm collecting the game for my son. He is in his 30s.

"He is not free, he is working today," added Mdm Phua who waited some five hours before she received her copy of the game.

"Gears of War 3", the biggest release of the year for Microsoft's Xbox 360, revolves around a group of human soldiers lead by grizzled war hero Marcus Fenix.

They embark on a desperate attempt to find a path to salvation for humanity, through the onslaught of the Locust and the Lambent, two hostile races that seek its destruction.

The Xbox 360 exclusive M18-rated game features more multiplayer modes, a wider range of weapons for players to experiment with and boasts even better graphics than its predecessors, which together sold more than 12 million copies worldwide.

From Channel NewsAsia, "Fan queues 29 straight hours for latest video game "Gears of War 3"".


Gears of War 3 - E3 2011: Gameplay Demo


Gears of War 3 - The Gun Show - Weapons and Executions


Gears of War 3: First 45 Minutes Commentary / Walkthrough [HD]

Halloween Horrors in Tampines? Boo!

Will we see Halloween Horrors event at Tampines? I know it's all a shocking, uhm, horror for those Singapore Poly students who have toiled for seven months working with the Night Safari to put together Halloween Horrors, as part of their final year project.

Really. But to have it in Tampines in one of the parks--either the Sun Plaza Park or the Eco Green Park?

Please. Those who attend the event will likely to do so out of pity. Not because of the interest. See, Halloween Horrors is already a brand name & it goes together with Singapore Zoo / Night Safari, and not with some vague parks in some part of Singapore!

Member of Parliament (MP) for Tampines Group Representation Constituency (GRC) Baey Yam Keng has offered alternative sites to Singapore Polytechnic students affected by the cancellation of the Halloween event at the Night Safari.

In his Facebook posting, Mr Baey said they could either use the Sun Plaza Park or the Eco Green Park at Tampines.

Wildlife Reserves Singapore had cancelled its signature Halloween Horrors, just two weeks shy of the event.

Students from Singapore Polytechnic had spent seven months working with the Night Safari to put together Halloween Horrors, as part of their final year project.

In a statement issued through its principal Tan Han Cheong, the school said it's encouraged by the "interest shown by several organisations who called up to explore opportunities for engaging" its students in their project.

The school added it has met with the students and have assured them that their grades will not be affected as a result of the cancellation.

It added the students naturally are "devastated" with the decision to cancel the event, after many months of hard work and sacrifice, but they have learnt much from the process.

Their plight has prompted at least one MP to offer a solution.

"When I first heard about the cancellation, my heart goes out to the students, because they spent a lot of months preparing for it," Mr Baey said.

The Tampines Eco Green Park located at Tampines North is one of the possible venues suggested by Mr Baey for the Singapore Polytechnic students to hold their Halloween event.

Many netizens supported the idea of having it there because of the huge area and the park's low lighting conditions.

Netizens also raised the issue of who's going to bear the cost of the event if it's to be held in Tampines.

"Certainly the community would not have the kind of resources like a commercial company. So probably, we might have to down scale the project," Mr Baey said.

"But I think we will have to find ways to find the finances (and) I'm happy that north east CDC mayor Teo Ser luck called me over the weekend to say that he thinks it's a good idea and if indeed, we are going to bring the event to Tampines north; the CDC will come in with some support."

However, there is no word on whether the offer will be taken up.

A spokesperson told Channel NewsAsia that the "rights" to the Holloween Horrors do not reside with the school and therefore it cannot put up a similar show.

Meanwhile, Wildlife Reserves Singapore CEO Isabella Loh said the decision to cancel the Halloween Horrors event, while a difficult call to make, was "made with the best interests of the park and its many visitors in mind".

In a statement, Ms Loh said over the years, the event has not contributed to a noticeable increase in visitors in the month in which it takes place.

By contrast, family themed events such as the National Day celebration and Hari Raya have resulted in a significant increase in visitors.

Ms Loh said the mission of the company is to inspire an appreciation of nature through exciting and meaningful wildlife experiences.

"Our focus is on education, conservation, family recreation and bonding within the context of a wildlife reserve experience," Ms Loh said.

She added the company will "honour all contractual obligations to suppliers of goods and services" in connection with Halloween Horrors.

It will also "fully reimburse each of the 169 patrons who have purchased the 800 tickets sold".

Ms Loh said: "I appreciate the efforts that have gone into preparing for the event and especially the passion and commitment displayed by the students at Singapore Polytechnic who have been involved in this project.

"We are exploring ways in which that passion can be directed toward activities that will provide Singaporeans and overseas visitors to the park with an experience more in keeping with the objectives of the Night Safari and more inclusive of people who seek a family evening exploring the park's many wildlife attractions".

From Channel NewsAsia, "Halloween Horrors to be held in Tampines?".

Screenshot of Night Safari - Halloween Horrors

Wildlife Reserves Singapore has decided to cancel its popular "Halloween Horrors" event at the Night Safari.

Students from Singapore Polytechnic, who've spent seven months organising "Halloween Horrors", said the abrupt cancellation of the annual event was unexpected.

They are disappointed but are taking the decision in their stride.

The students had conceptualised the theme, auditioned individuals and even designed the costumes.

Their involvement in "Halloween Horrors" is part of their final year project for their Diploma in Integrated Events and Project Management.

The polytechnic said the cancellation will not affect their grades.

Some 1,000 tickets were sold online for the month-long event, due to make its return for the sixth year on September 30.

Ticket holders will be refunded.

Night Safari's parent group, Wildlife Reserves Singapore, said it is refocusing its energy on other events with an Asian focus, like a Deepavali festival in October.

Isabella Loh, Director & Group CEO of Wildlife Reserves Singapore, said: "The successful launch of Moon Night which was attended by the President, marks the first of many Asian-themed festivities and family bonding events to be held at Wildlife Reserves Singapore parks.

"We are now staging a festival centered around Deepavali in October in our parks. This is a multi-cultural family event for all Singaporeans and tourists to join in. With our focus on Asian festivities, we have therefore decided to cancel Halloween in view of the clash in dates.

"The partnership with Singapore Polytechnic will now be directed to assisting us with the Deepavali event and we thank them for their continued efforts and support."

Lecturers at the polytechnic have requested for the students to have a last look at their work before it's taken down.

"It's a closure for this event, for them to move on. It's a learning experience for them as I would say, and for the students, to be able to say that okay, we have actually done a very good job," said Jacqueline Ho, lecturer at Singapore Polytechnic.

"Around 80 per cent of the work has been (completed) so far. We have done everything up to the point of rehearsal; we are only left with the execution of the event," said Kingsley Khng, a final year student at Singapore Polytechnic.

From Channel NewsAsia, ""Halloween Horrors" at Night Safari cancelled". (14/09/11)

The surprising truth about what motivates us

Check out this cool animation on 'serious' topic, "the surprising truth about what motivates us" by RSA Animate - Drive.

Bukit Batok double tragedy: more is revealed (The mother carried her daughter to fall together to their death?!?!)

Tragic. May they both rest in peace.

A mother who fell to her death with her young daughter from a Bukit Batok flat in April had carried the girl before making the fatal leap, the coroner's court heard Monday.

In an inquest into the double tragedy, the court heard that the mother, former China national, He Xuejing, had intended to end her own life and took nine-year-old Bao Peiqin with her.

Both fell to their deaths from a 12-storey flat at Block 290B Bukit Batok Street 24 at around 7am on April 15.

Forty-five-year-old Madam He was initially very positive about her move to Singapore almost 15 years ago.

She had no major complaints about her new life here, but her husband, 49-year-old Bao Xiaoming, an A*STAR researcher, recalled that her attitude changed late last year.

He noted that she became more agitated over what appeared to be trivial matters and could sense that she was losing her enthusiasm about living in Singapore.

The Baos, who came from China, obtained their Singapore citizenship in 2003.

But even after nearly 10 years here, Madam He frequently told her husband that their own behaviour and mannerisms were not like native Singaporeans.

Her elder daughter had also overheard her saying that unlike China nationals, Madam He felt that Singaporeans tended to not reveal their feelings and opinions.

Madam He also felt that Peiqin was not welcomed in school and should return to China.

She deliberately did not send her to school one day to see how it would react to her daughter's absence.

And Madam He arrived at that conclusion after she claimed that staff members there did not call her to enquire about Peiqin.

Investigating officer, Sergeant Russell Lim Fang Yu, told the court that shortly after discovering the bodies, officers went up to the Baos' flat and noticed that a black chair had been placed beside a wide open bedroom window.

Officers also found three handwritten letters, most probably written by Madam He addressed to her parents, husband and elder daughter.

The court heard that the letters stated that she loved her family members and that she was about to "leave" with Peiqin.

State Coroner Imran Abdul Hamid said that Madam He had unlawfully caused her daughter's death, adding that Peiqin was a victim of her mother's "impulsive act".

Both died from multiple injuries and were pronounced dead at the spot at around 8am that day.

From Channel NewsAsia, "Bukit Batok double tragedy: Mother carried girl before jumping".

A joint coroner's inquiry found that a Shanghai-born woman had unlawfully caused the death of her eight-year-old daughter after the woman leapt from her 12th-storey bedroom window with the girl in tow.

The Straits Times reported that State Coroner Imran Abdul Hamid found that He Xuejing, 45, had jumped from the window with the intention to end her life. Her body, together with that of her younger daughter, Bao Peiqin, were found lying next to each other on a grass patch behind Block 209B in Bukit Batok.

The double deaths of mother and daughter in Bukit Batok caused a lot of shock as it happened in the early hours of the day as nearby residents went to work and school. Various media reports in the middle part of the year carried interviews of witnesses who had seen the incident.

The inquiry heard that He arrived in Singapore in 1996 to join her husband Bao Xiaoming. The couple then brought their older daughter to Singapore shortly after that.

Dr Bao, 49, a researcher with Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*Star), had informed police that his wife had adjusted well to life in Singapore during the earlier years.

But she began to become more agitated over trivial matters late last year, and complained about the contractor's work at their executive apartment in Bukit Batok. The family had moved there last December.

He also stated that He had always kept to herself, and she could have been upset for not being able to find a job here.

From Asiaone, "Coroner finds that woman in death fall caused daughter's death".

Malaysian deaf artist Leon Lim in Bravo's Work of Art: The Next Great Artist

Check out the official website, www.bravotv.com/work-of-art and yes, Leon Lim is indeed featured as one of the contestants. In fact his is the first of the contestants' bios. Heh. All the best for you, Leon!

Leon Lim - Work of Art Season 2

A Malaysian deaf artist who has never owned a television is set to become a reality TV star in the United States.

Kedah-born Leon Lim (pic), 31, is one of 14 contestants vying to be the next Picasso in the second season of Bravo's Work of Art: The Next Great Artist. He was selected from thousands of artists who attended auditions in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles early this year.

The 10-episode series, filmed in New York, is scheduled to air over NBC Universal network on Oct 12 in the United States.

The winner of the cutting-edge competition will take home US$100,000 (RM308,950) cash and hold a solo exhibition in Brooklyn Museum.

From The Star, "Malaysian deaf artist set to become US reality TV star".


Bravo's Next Great Artist (Season 1)

FB Fabrications about the PAP - more likes please...

Kudos for Mr Jason Chua who sets up the Facebook page, "Fabrications about the PAP". Total of 1,532 likes so far as per today, 17/09 1805 hrs. I'm genuinely curious how much 'likes' this Facebook page will gather.

After two divisive elections, a Facebook page has been set up by pro-establishment Singaporeans in what appears to be a first major citizen-led response to anti-government sites.

Called 'Fabrications about the PAP', the two-week-old page has garnered more than 340 'likes' so far. Its declared mission: 'To re-present the misrepresentation of information in the real light with facts.'

Among the topics it has wrestled with: whether Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts Yaacob Ibrahim's son will serve national service and whether former minister mentor Lee Kuan Yew called Islam a 'venomous' religion.

Both were among a cache of WikiLeaks cables made public a few weeks ago, and prompted swift rebuttals from Dr Yaacob and Mr Lee. The Facebook page reproduces the WikiLeaks cables and official rebuttals.

From Straits Times, "Netizens set up Facebook page to defend PAP".

Mio Lin Chin Hung: SingTel Grid Girls 2011 winner!

Congratulations to the winner of the 2011 SingTel Grid Girls 2011: Mio Lin Chin Hung and the 2 runners-up: Nadiah Binte Mohamed Halim and Khoo Shu Yun! (Their photos above are from inSing.com, "SingTel Grid Girls Unveiled!")

SingTel announced student Mio Lin, 18, the winner of the 2011 SingTel Grid Girls competition on Saturday.

Ms Lin beat over 500 hopefuls to walk away with $10,000 in cash and the opportunity to represent Singapore at the front of the starting grid on race day (Sept 25) of the 2011 Formula One SingTel Singapore Grand Prix. She will have the honour of holding the national flag at the this year's race, which will be broadcast 'live' to over 600 million viewers worldwide.

Coming in second and third were Nadiah Mohamed Halim, 20 and Khoo Shu Yun, 25, who won cash prizes of $5,000 and $3,000 respectively.

The judges also decided to award Tabitha Loke, 19, and Deborah Heng, 20 with special prizes and each received a 32-inch LG TV.

From Straits Times, "Student named Mio Lin wins 2011 SingTel Grid Girls competition".

An 18-year-old student has beaten about 500 hopefuls to win the SingTel Grid Girls 2011 competition.

Ms Mio Lin won S$10,000 in cash and the chance to represent Singapore at the front of the starting grid on race day.

She'll hold the Singapore flag at the SingTel Grand Prix on September 25.

The event will be broadcast 'live' to over 600 million viewers worldwide.

In second spot was 20-year-old Ms Nadiah Mohamed Hali, followed by 25-year-old Ms Khoo Shu Yun.

The girls went through various challenges such as tests of their knowledge of Formula One and quizzes on their wit and spontaneity.

They'll be on the track on race day to guide the drivers to their cars.

From Channel NewsAsia, "Teen wins SingTel Grid Girls 2011".

A student beat 500 over hopefuls to represent Singapore at the front of the starting grid at the upcoming Singapore Grand Prix next Sunday.

18-year-old Mio Lin was crowned the winner of the SingTel Grid Girls 2011 competition, which saw a record number of entrants.

The Taiwanese student at TMC Academy will have the honour of holding the national flag at the SingTel Grand Prix on Sept 25, which will be broadcast live to over 600 million viewers worldwide.

Coming in second and third were Nadiah Binte Mohamed Halim, 20 and Khoo Shu Yun, 25, who would have the honour of carrying the Formula One flag and the Singapore GP flag respectively.

While the top three were chosen by judges, the public also had a chance to decide the winner. Votes which were cast on SingTel's website made up 50 per cent of the results.

The SingTel Grid Girls will be on track come race day, guiding drivers to their cars and adding a touch of glamour.

Lin walked away with a $10,000 cash prize while the first- and second-runner up won $5,000 and $3,000.

The judges also decided to award special prizes to two Grid Girls, Tabitha Loke, 19, and Deborah Heng, 20 with special prizes. Both received a 32" LG TV.

From Asiaone, "Taiwanese student crowned as F1 SingTel Grid Girl winner".

Singapore Grand Prix tips

Wonderful tips by Ernest Luis. Check them out especially if you intend to attend the 4th Singapore Grand Prix!!

The Singapore Grand Prix returns for its fourth edition on Sept 25. But the 'race weekend' officially starts from Friday, Sept 23.

Singaporeans though, will be gearing up for this annual event, and there will surely be two camps.

One group will be lapping it up, and all the news associated with it, from the sports-related updates, to the latest news concerning events around the race and organisation itself, to lifestyle-oriented news, and even the economic-related debates surrounding this world event.

The other group will naturally, be staying far away from the city centre due to the hive of activity and usual traffic diversions, and we will have announcements related to such developments like bus route diversions, MRT services, here.

This Big Story section on the 2011 SingTel Singapore Grand Prix will cater to news for both groups, so do come here daily for all the stories related to the noisiest but arguably, most exciting event of the year.

Here then, are some tips from the race promoter - Singapore GP - for ticket holders.

1. Non-stop entertainment from 3pm-12.30am.

The Circuit Park gates open from 3pm to 12.30am daily. If you're looking for an adrenaline rush, two support races - the JK Racing Asia Series and the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia - will take place on the Marina Bay Street Circuit before the Formula One action.

Besides these, there is plenty of entertainment off the track as well. Check out the seven stages across the circuit park where all-day entertainment will be provided. And if that isn't enough, look out for the captivating roving acts like the Brazilian Samba girls, Transe Express or the Jaipur Maharaja Brass Band.

2. Get live broadcast visual feeds at trackside

Instant replays? Watch interviews, team and driver data, statistical analysis and much more in the palm of your hands anywhere in the circuit by renting a FanVision set. To find out more, visit the Fanvision booth at Esplanade Park (Zone 4) or F1 Village (Zone 1).

3. Dress appropriately.

Enough said, given our weather. Prayers that the haze will not strike during race weekend, are optional.

4. Bring the right tickets for the right day.

That's because tickets are colour-coded for each day.

5. Public transport is the best way to go.

Give your car a break for the weekend. Despite the road closures, the Marina Bay Street Circuit is easily accessible by public transport. Train services are extended until 1am from Friday (Sept 23) to Sept 25.

If you have a Zone 1 ticket, take the free shuttle bus service connecting Lavender MRT station to Gate 1 of the circuit park. The shuttle bus service operates from 2.30pm to 1am, or two hours after the last race of the day, whichever is later.

The nearest gate(s) to your grandstand is indicated on your ticket. Do plan your route to get to the indicated gate as not all 10 gates allow entry for all ticket holders. Some gates only grant access to selected zone's patrons.

6. Travel light and don't bring prohibited items.

Keep your bag as light as possible. Carrying a small bag with only the necessary items will help you pass through the security clearance at the gates faster. Do note that there is a list of prohibited items, which can be found on Singapore GP's official website (see our link at top left of page).

7. Pick up a Survival Kit.

The event goes on, rain or shine, so be prepared with a survival kit which contains a poncho and a pair of earplugs for just $2. Proceeds go to two charities - the Singapore Red Cross Society and St. John Ambulance Singapore. Survival kits can be purchased at all entry gates.

8. Map out your day.

The Circuit Park is divided into four zones, with each having its own entertainment as well as food and beverage offerings, so do get a map at the entry gate or from the ushers and familiarise yourself with what each zone has to offer.

Shane Gavin, who was a Premier Walkabout ticket holder in 2010, suggests that the area near the finish line (between Turn 23 and the Pit Grandstand) is 'the best place to cheer your favourite driver home, and it is also the best place to be if you want to get onto the track and over to the champagne celebration at the end of the race'. He added that another ideal spot to be at the start of the race and when seeking shelter from the rain, is just under the Benjamin Sheares bridge.

Over at Zone 4, walkabout ticketholders looking for a breezy area should head to the Esplanade Bridge. 'Standing closer to The Fullerton Hotel will give you the chance to see the cars make the turn and feel the power of the F1 cars speeding up', said student Candy Lee.

9. World-class entertainment at Padang Main Stage.

The Padang Main Stage can actually fit 41 Formula One cars. It will host sensational Korean trio, GD & Top and Seungri from Bigbang and Glee-starlet Charice on Friday (Sept 23), global mega star Shakira on Saturday (Sept 24) and multi-award winning rock band Linkin Park on Sunday (Sept 25), and 2,000 Fan Zone wristbands will be given out from 3pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday on a first-come-first-served basis at the side of the stage along Connaught Drive. The collected wristbands will only be valid for the day.

10. Theatre performances.

If it's humour you're after, catch Forbidden Broadway at Village Stage (Zone 1) on Friday (Sept 23) and Esplanade Outdoor Theatre (Zone 4) on the Sunday as they re-enact spoofs of Broadway classics. If you would like to enjoy some song and dance, 'Jaiho' along with the cast of Bollywood Express at Esplanade Outdoor Theatre (Zone 4) on Friday and at the Village Stage (Zone 1) on Saturday.

I don't know about you, but given my retro tastes, I might just wander along to catch 80s pop icon Rick Astley sing that he's 'never gonna give Singapore up' at the Esplanade Outdoor Theatre (Zone 4) on Saturday and Village Stage (Zone 1) on Sunday.

Here are some quick links to check:

Guide to race weekend entertainment acts:

http://www.singaporegp.sg/media/entertainment_2011.php

Guide to getting in and out of race:

http://www.singaporegp.sg/race/getting_there.php

11. Supersized food and beverage options.

Indulge in wine and dine options available from 59 outlets across the Circuit Park. On the menu is international cuisine from America, Australia, India, Italy, Middle East, Persia, Singapore and much more. At the Hawker Village in Zone 4, dine under the canopy of trees at Connaught Drive. Expect delicacies from outlets including Shiraz, Al Dente, Barossa, Go India Express, Peach Garden, The Mexican, Quiznos, Kazbar and Go-Go Franks.

Need your local food fix? An array of Singapore-style seafood dishes will also be available in Zone 1. Race fans can sample local specialities such as barbecued seafood and chilli crab claw served with deep-fried buns from Tung Lok. Okay, stop drooling over your computer or touchscreen device as you read this.

Another new addition for this year is the Singapore Street Food @ Bay located under the Bay Grandstand. Patrons can savour Kampong mee siam, shrimp paste chicken, vadai and more from Kriston Food & Beverage. Do note that most outlets accept cash payments only.

12. Re-entering the circuit park.

You can leave and re-enter the circuit park at any time as long as you have your ticket with you. As high human traffic is expected at the vicinity, do make sure you allocate enough time to get back to the Circuit Park for the race.

13. Free rides on the Singapore Flyer (exclusive to Zone 1 patrons).

Get an unparalleled bird's eye view of the Marina Bay Street Circuit from 165m above the ground with a free ride up the Singapore Flyer. Unlimited rides are valid for all Zone 1 and Premier Walkabout ticketholders. There will be dedicated express lanes open to Formula One Paddock Club and hospitality suite patrons.

Tim Neale from the United Kingdom suggests Zone 1 ticket holders should 'take the Singapore Flyer during a session when the Formula One cars are on track for awesome views of the cars as they speed down the start/finish straight.'

14. Business as usual for stakeholders in the vicinity.

Retailers at the Esplanade located within the Circuit Park will carry on business on usual. The food outlets located at the Singapore Flyer including Popeyes, Ya Kun Kaya Toast and the hawker-style Singapore Food Trail, will also be open to ticket holders. Businesses at malls located right outside the Marina Bay Street Circuit like Marina Square and Suntec City will also not be affected, allowing you to continue shopping and dining at your favourite malls before entering the Circuit Park.

15. Thirst quenchers

Last year, over 82,800 glasses of beer were served to the hospitality guests alone. For 2011, Singapore GP has upped the ante by introducing new concept bars throughout the Circuit Park. Tiger Beer will deliver an unforgettable experience with their newly introduced 'Bartainer' and a unique brewery tavern bar. Also available elsewhere are two Margarita Bars, six Grid Bars and the Coates & Ice Cold beer bar that has become a popular feature in Zone 1. I don't know about you but reading this part, has already made me thirsty.

16. Bring a piece of Formula One home.

Formula One team memorabilia will be available for sale at the F1 Village (Zone 1 and Zone 4). There are also merchandise booths that dot the circuit park where exclusive official merchandise will also be sold. Outside the Circuit Park, merchandise will also be available for sale at selected World of Sports outlets and the Podium Motorsport outlet at the Fairmont Hotel atrium. Do visit Singapore GP's website for the full list of retailers (link at the top left corner of this Big Story section).

17. Track openings for partying after the action

New for 2011, selected parts of the track will be open for ticket holders to access after the final track activity until 11.30pm on Friday and Saturday, and until 12.00am on Sunday. This is to enable spectators to experience the Marina Bay Street Circuit up close and to provide Zone 1 with an alternate route to catch the entertainment acts at the Padang stage in Zone 4. The quickest way to the Padang would be to walk on the track in front of the Bay Grandstand through a temporary/controlled opening at Turn 20, past the Esplanade Outdoor Theatre and the Esplanade Park.

18. Photo opportunities aplenty.

You wouldn't want to go home without capturing memories of the world's only Formula One night race and the larger than life art work around the circuit park. For starters, there's the spectacular recreation of 10 planets as high as five metres, which will be illuminated in Zone 1. Also not to be missed are the life-size driver cut-outs placed around the Circuit Park where you can have some fun posing and taking photos with. There are also performances throughout the circuit park by artistes like Rick Astley, Boy George and Shaggy (sure to draw the retro crowd), mesmerising roving artistes and thrilling race action throughout the weekend.

For the enjoyment of other spectators, do note that tripods and monopods will only be allowed in the general walkabout areas and not in the grandstands. Turn 5 is recommended as a good spot for photography by second-time ticket holder Tim Neale, who said: 'The cars are coming directly at you before they turn into the corner. Remember to wear earplugs as the driver will hit the gas at the exit of the corner. The Formula One engine screams to 18,000rpm and it's shatteringly loud!'

19. Fireworks for all

To add to the festival atmosphere, there will be several displays of fireworks. Bay Grandstand ticket holders will be treated to a pyrotechnics display at the end of each Ocean Symphony performance at the floating platform on Friday (Sept 23) and Saturday. On Sunday (Sept 25), be sure to eye the Marina Bay skyline as there will be a spectacular fireworks display after the race.

20. Singapore Ink.

Look out for the tattoo tents at the Padang and Zone 1 and get inked by our team of temporary air-brush tattoo artists. There are several race-themed temporary tattoos to choose from, and best of all, they're free for ticket holders. Do check out Brian Olsen's amazing technique of painting iconic personalities using up to six brushes at a time, over at the Marina Stage in Zone 1.

Returning spectator Greg Lynas advises avid shutterbugs to 'use the practice and qualifying sessions to get up close to the barricades in Zone 4 for some good photos - best when the cars aren't going top speed. And take ear plugs for when you're not listening to the commentary.'. And for F1 newbies attending, they should not think that their iPod-type headphones can double up as ear plugs against the noise.

If you prefer to relax under the stars and soak in the electrifying night-race ambience, Lorinda Lee - a mother of three - who has been to the Singapore Grand Prix twice, said: 'My kids and I always make it a point to have a picnic on the Padang on race day. We love lying on the grass, catching the action on the big screens and hearing the cars zoom by.'

From Straits Times, "Tips to make most out of Singapore Grand Prix" (Part 1 & 2).