801号房. . .内心深处的心声

9:05am. That’s roughly about 48hours (or even more) without sleep or have been surviving with little sleep. We have been up basically doing up our final stuffs for our final assessment. When all’s said and done, we have been up and running since last Tuesday after meeting up with Peter. We were having our tutorial at Page One, Ngee Ann City. Peter had told us that our presentation during our last formative assessment is relatively on the right track. However, he felt that we could have done it better. Better as in having showed more design, having show more elements on programs and storyline.

We have been working on and on, non stop on our 3D and boards. Some of us break down. Big sis broke down with stress. Princess Joey, too on the threshold of breaking down. As for me, I’m still fighting on to hold my fort. I’m trying hard to fight against the sleep bug. Every day, every minute, every seconds drag on. Every moment counts. Every seconds ticking away and whee . . . .! That’s it! Woohooooo.  . . . .!

Christine and I have not been sleeping for the past few days. We stayed up till 4am this morning, to finish our board. Why the rush? Actually, one of the major sponsors that forked out a huge sum of cash and their equipments to sponsor the show for the postgraduates and the undergraduates.

We were there since 9am this morning, and the project manager brought us to their level 3 studio to have our stuffs printed. It’s about 10am when we have finished discussed with the designer in charge of our project. We decided to get out of there, and breathe some fresh air.

The famous Changi Nasi Lemak

Since Changi is near the corner, Christine and I decided to take a bus there. Well, definitely, the famous Changi Nasi Lemak is on the top list. With our tummy filled, we decided to take a stroll down the coast line of Changi. Love Changi because of its tranquil.

I could Tekong from the coast line of Changi. We found a spot and sat down, to enjoy the breeze. So tranquil and so peaceful, the sound of the waves breaking the silence of the surrounding is a piece of nice music to the ear. We decided to return back to the firm and take a look at our prints. . . .and. . . .so tired. . . . .tired. . . . .very tired. . . . managed to strike a conversation with my ex-classmates working there. Have some light fun over there, while trying to keep myself awake. Denise called me half-way into my tête-à-tête. We stayed on for quite a while chatting and gossiping to help each stay awake. I realised the more we chat, the more lively it got. I guess we covered everything under the sun. Got most of our prints back from our sponsor. Hm. . . . Not sure is it alright to mention the sponsor’s name here. However, Denise and I had managed to secure this sponsorship and most of the terms in the contract benefited all parties. Whilst in the mist of doing so, Mandy, had came under fire from her class. Denise, Nadia, Sze Sze and I would spend out time hearing her out, understand her problem. I love this team, honestly Hayati and I love this team a lot. The team merely got to meet each other last December. I was roped in to lead the Team on and serve as their student advisor, knowing that the majority of them are new to canvassing and event marketing, there’s a lot to be done, nevertheless, we start slow and right, taking a step by each time. Each of the girls shows exceptionally great enthusiasm in their tasking. They strive for good results and better benefits. Though it’s tough, not many firms are willing to come forward to help, due to some of their limitations. If you have seen this team, you would notice the strong bond and team spirit is there. It’s rare to see a team started to function and got itself running barely within a week of meeting. Each girl push each other, working hard, play hard and suffer as one. Lovely. . . On ending this note here, I would like to wish these girls the best in their future endeavours. . . . .!

^上明^下义师父加油，为了仁慈医院的病患们, 加油！

Venerable Sir, Shi Ming Yi, We wish you all the best and best of all in your vertical challenge for the patients of Ren Ci Hospital.  It was indeed, touching  watching Venerable sir competing himself against his physical  strength for the sake of the patients of Ren Ci Hospital. I recalled 5 years back, the challenges . . . are real tough . . . .I recalled he onced mentioned to us while I was a student at MJR, he told the graduating students, do not be deter by the difficuilties that came across your path, confront it and clear the obstacles, learn as you grow. . . I still remember that, and now. . . I’m really tired, have been sleeping only 4 hours for these few weeks and last night I only slept for 3 hours, spending my entire day in front of my desktop, watching my rendering . . . 22 March 2007, is the day. . . .Its the day where we are all waiting for and the day, which we will count down to part each other . . . .sigh. . . .alright got to go back to my work now, talk to you guys later. . .

歌曲：等一个晴天

歌手：蔡淳佳

专辑：等一个晴天 新歌+精

阳光中风筝断了线
往事般落在我面前
那是谁忘了放风筝握紧一点
捡起了那年的秋天

阳光中我住雨里面
你给我风筝和蓝天
那是我忘了将幸福握紧一点
感谢你最后的相约

等一个晴天
我们会再相见
你说了风吹我就听见
笑着说再见
就一定会再见
心晴朗就看得到永远

阳光在抚摸我的脸
感觉到你还在身边
那是秋牵回忆的手温暖一点
我独自散步在从前

阳光在照亮你的脸
难忘你微笑的双眼
那是你让离别可以晴朗一点
你背影我目送到今天

等一个晴天
我们会再相见
你说了风吹我就听见
笑着说再见
就一定会再见
心晴朗就看得到永远

等一个晴天
我们会再相见
你说了风吹我就听见
笑着说再见
就一定会再见
心晴朗就看得到永远

因为很想念
每天都是晴天
心晴朗就看到永远

阳光中风筝飞上天
你笑着回到我面前
让我像那风筝贴着天空的脸
让爱是今生不断的线

歌手：徐婕儿

为什么黑暗之中充满期待
却传来更多沉默的无奈
忘不了爱只剩下手心里的温度
才知道幸福只是短暂的幻影
我走在迷雾花园里寻找爱走过的记忆
半清醒半迷醉来去的痕迹
梦醒忽然发现已经不是原来自己
一颗心徒留下错误的相遇
落花有意流水太无情
有缘相遇擦身又分离
琴声悠悠辗转到天明
最爱的人你在哪里
落花有意流水太无情
最爱的人你在哪里

好眼泪坏眼泪

　　作词：严云农 作曲：伍仲衡 歌手：徐若瑄

　　我曾 认真 深爱着一个人 他给我幸福的可能

　　我等 我问 未来何时发生 他只是给我一个吻

　　快乐 我哭 是因为你的手 曾答应带我向前走

　　难过 我哭 是因为我的手 找不到你说的以后

　　好眼泪 坏眼泪 我都曾为你流 感动和悲伤都是理由

　　只不过 在你不再爱我了以后 剩坏的眼泪慢慢流

　　快乐 我哭 是因为我付出 得到你温柔的答复

　　难过 我哭 是因为我认输 你的心永远留不住

　　好眼泪 坏眼泪 我都曾为你流 感动和悲伤都是理由

　　只希望 在我不再想你了之后 有好的眼泪慢慢流

　　好眼泪 坏眼泪 我都曾为你流 感动和悲伤都是理由

　　只希望 在我不再想你了之后

　　有好的眼泪慢慢流 有好的笑容陪着我

__________________________________________________________________________

生前录《好眼泪坏眼泪》 许玮伦边唱边哭(图)

虽然许玮伦来不及加入艾回唱片发新专辑，艾回还是决定将她试音时录的3首歌调整到最完美，于音乐会上播送，许玮伦试录的3首新歌中，对《好眼泪坏眼泪》这首歌的歌词很有感觉，录音时是在边哭边唱的情况下完成。

　　《好眼泪坏眼泪》是徐若瑄去年10月在KKBOX独家供粉丝下载的单曲，经纪人孙复华透露，对照歌词所写的“我曾认真深爱着一个人…难过我哭，是因为我认输，你的心永远留不住”，许玮伦可能是因触动曾被爱情伤害的心灵，而泪流不止。为了出唱片，许玮伦不但苦练吉他与电子鼓，去年在大陆拍电视剧《想飞》的空档，她特地到香港拜梁月玲老师学唱歌，这位老师在歌坛素负盛名，刘若英、梁静茹都曾是她的学生，在听过许玮伦第一次试唱后，梁老师即对孙复华说：“她的音质很好，是可教之材，我不会瞒你，如果她不行，我会立刻请你带她回家。”说来都是机缘巧合，《好眼泪坏眼泪》这首歌的制作人刚好也是梁月玲的学生，梁老师便拿这首曲子给许玮伦唱唱看，没想到一试效果好极了，孙复华说，当时许玮伦并不知道这首是徐若瑄的歌，只是对她说，她对歌词非常有感觉，而孙复华听她唱，也相当震撼，她说：“她唱得很感人。” 去年底，许玮伦录唱这首歌，当时她与男友小派（Patrick）正处热恋甜蜜期，心情应该大好，不过这首歌的歌词细腻地写出女子对爱情所能给予的幸福的渴望，在遭爱情背叛后却又只能独自流着「坏的眼泪」，对照许玮伦与李威、仔仔的两段情，一路默默承受的她，怎不触“词”伤情？艾回透露，毕竟是试音时录下的声音，当初只有简单的编曲，现在要把她的歌声调整到最完美，配上编曲等，成为完整的歌曲，届时3首歌在音乐会上播放。至于是否会发行？艾回表示，目前尚未有此计画，因为商业发行牵涉面广，必须与经纪人再谈，但烧录一片送给家人纪念，这是人之常情。

http://www.netandtv.com/ 

No one does adoration and worship of foreign icons of cool quite like the Japanese, and to prove that very fact you need look no further than that Nation’s thriving Vespa scene.

Once again, Japanese have taken everyone by surprise with another cool trend: tuning large scooters. Far from the other rebels, this happy mob cannot wait to welcome you into their crazy world. Check out their scooters!

An All Nippon Airways passenger plane with 60 people aboard made a successful emergency landing Tuesday morning at Kochi airport after its nose gear failed to deploy.

The propjet had circled the Shikoku airport for two hours with the nose gear retracted before touching down.

None of the 56 passengers and four crew members was injured, the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Ministry said. Everyone deplaned around 11:10 a.m.

The nose of the twin-turboprop DHC-8Q400 Bombardier briefly gave off sparks as it scraped the 2,500-meter runway upon landing at 10:54 a.m., according to the ministry.

Flight 1603, operated by ANA subsidiary Air Central Co., departed from Osaka’s Itami airport at around 8:10 a.m. The problem occurred around 8:50 a.m., five minutes before its scheduled arrival time, after which the plane circled Kochi airport for two more hours burning off fuel.

The successful landing followed an earlier attempt to dislodge the gear by touching down briefly at around 10:30 a.m., ministry officials said. The plane touched down on the runway with its main gear and then took off again to circle above the airport.

Firetrucks were on hand before the plane landed.

According to aviation expert Akira Maene, the nosegear glitch is a recurring problem with this type of aircraft, indicating there may be a structural or design flaw.

ANA said it has grounded the 12 other Bombardiers in its fleet and nine at an affiliated carrier until an emergency inspection can be completed.

Designed by aircraft manufacturer de Havilland Canada and produced by Bombardier Aerospace Corp. of the Montreal-based Bombardier group, the model has recently suffered a series of mechanical problems.

The transport ministry said 44 incidents affected DHC-8 service in 2005 alone, of which 26 involved the DHC8-Q400.

After which passengers aboard an All Nippon Airways propjet that made an emergency landing at Kochi airport Tuesday after its nose gear failed to extend recounted their two-hour ordeal before their safe touchdown.

No one was injured among the 56 passengers and four crew members when the twin-engined Bombardier DHC-8 turboprop made a safe landing on its main gear and then carefully lowered the nose to the runway at 10:54 a.m.

“The passengers were told about the nose gear malfunction some 20 minutes after takeoff,” said Shuji Kurebe, 30, a travel agency worker in Osaka Prefecture. “But all the passengers appeared calm and no one panicked.”

Another male passenger said no one initially appeared to take the matter seriously. But he said a flight attendant later began to give away candies to help ease the stress of passengers.

ANA Flight 1603, which had left Osaka’s Itami airport and was heading to Kochi, had to circle above Kochi airport for nearly two hours while it tried to deploy the nose gear and to reduce fuel to minimize the chance of a fire if the landing turned rough.

Kurebe said passengers knew the pilot was trying to deploy the failed gear. “Sounds of the gear being moved were repeatedly heard, and we knew the pilot tried many times.”

Kurebe said he felt a chill when he saw the emergency vehicles lining the runway while the plane was circling. “Then I thought something serious was going on.”

A few minutes after the passengers were instructed to prepare for an emergency landing by lowering their heads, Kure said he felt the nose of the plane scraping along the runway. Heat from the friction was also felt, he added. The plane landed at 10:54 a.m.

“I would never want my customers to experience something like this,” the travel agent said.

But another passenger said he was confident the plane would land safety. “I was relieved because no big sound or huge shock was felt. The pilot must be very skilled.”

Aviation expert Akira Maene said Capt. Hitoshi Imazato, 36, did a very good job.

“The pilot followed the proper procedures,” Maene said, adding it was important to reduce speed as much as possible, plant the main gear first and then ease the nose to the runway.

Imazato has flown some 8,000 hours since 1996, including some 3,000 hours on DHC-8s.

Maene noted the same type of aircraft has had this type of trouble often, indicating there may be a structural or design flaw.

You sometimes hear female porn stars and prostitutes declare that what they do for a living is an assertion of sexual independence, that it’s some kind of feminist statement about opening up the strictures placed upon women’s sexual expression. (I’ve never heard a male porn star — not that this is an industry I follow closely — offer or even be asked for a rationale for his line of work; the assumption seems to be that any man would be no more than a rutting animal, given half a chance, which I don’t think is a fair assessment. But I digress.) Scratch the surface of these women’s psyches, though, and for all their political posturing, they don’t seem terribly happy.

Now, I’m emphatically not saying that women would be any happier if we all returned to Wendy Shalit’s girdle-bound world of virtue and modesty. But you have to wonder what kind of freedom there is for a woman to find in an industry like that of pornography, in which men commodity women for the pleasure of other men. It’s like locking yourself in a cage and declaring yourself free. It’s an Orwellian thought process: War Is Peace. Slavery Is Freedom.

In 1995, Grace Quek, known to porn fans the world over as Annabel Chong, decided, as a feminist and artistic statement, that she wanted to have sex, on camera, with 300 men in one day. Why on Earth would anybody attempt such an unprecedented feat? That’s the primary question Gough Lewis’s documentary, Sex: The Annabel Chong Story tries to answer.

A Singaporean native educated partially in England, Quek was a sexually adventurous student at the University of Southern California, sleeping her way through the enrolment roster, when she began her career in porn with appearances in movies like I Can’t Believe I Did the Whole Team! It was a form of rebellion against the image of “the good girl” of her native culture — Quek says the Singaporean attitude is to “close you up to the world.” As a passionate scholar of sexology highly praised by one professor, Quek talks about how misunderstood and misused female sexuality is (and she’s right) — she mentions that ancient religions often used sex as part of their rituals. Her adventures in porn are meant to help her redefine female sexuality — or at least her own sexuality — perhaps even recapturing that ancient sense of reverence.

Disturbingly, though, Sex demonstrates that Quek’s rationale for her behaviour has little to do with the psychological needs she is apparently trying, probably unconsciously, to satisfy. Quek is confident only when she talks of her high intellectual ideals. More often, she is strikingly pained and insecure. A trip home to Singapore to visit her parents becomes heartbreaking when her mother — who had earlier spoken happily and proudly of her daughter as a little girl — learns of her claim to fame. Quek is dismayed at having disappointed and shamed her mother, yet she has also told of piano lessons that began at age 3, as soon as she could reach the keys. Has she been rebelling not only against the limits of traditional culture but also against high parental expectations? And in London, where Quek lived for a time, she returns with the filmmaker to the place where she was gang raped — is her “gang bang” an attempt to gain back a sense of control she must have lost then?

Most distressing, however, is the scene in which Quek cuts herself repeatedly, drawing blood with a knife to her arm, just because she needs to feel something… anything. As we watch behind the scenes at the making of The World’s Biggest Gang Bang video, the director announces that since Quek, after allowing 230 men penetrate her within a matter of hours, is now in considerable pain, she’ll only be doing another 21 before calling it quits. Is this just another way to feel something, anything?

For all of Quek’s talk of female empowerment, there’s precious little of that to be seen here. Quek never received the $10,000 salary she was promised for the gang-bang video, and the director who cheated her out of the money has the gall to say on camera what a shame that is. Worse, Quek professes not to care. But money is obviously an issue for her — on a how-do-I-pay-the-rent level — because she has to haggle with porn directors over a matter of 50 bucks for her work. Even after her video is such a huge success, she can’t make more than $1000 for appearing in a porno. And as for her record-breaking marathon, no matter how much she talks of feminism, it’s still couched — by the men producing and promoting it — as a “gang bang.” It’s still about them doing it to her. It’s all about her getting screwed… one way or another.

But the most ridiculous thing about Annabel Chong’s gang bang — and about all pornography — is how absurd and unsex it makes sex look. Fictional depictions of the porn industry — such as Boogie Nights — can’t approach the oozy iciness of the real thing. From Quek’s sleazy agent to Screw publisher Al Goldstein, every man on camera in Sex who makes his living in porn is a disgusting pig whom you have to imagine only gets sex from women who are paid for it. You can practically smell the rancid sweat emanating from porn superstar Ron Jeremy as he takes the place of honour in being the last of the 251 men in Annabel Chong’s gang bang. (Why anyone would want to pay money to see his fat, hairy body do anything is beyond me. I know: Guys watch porn’s for the women. But The World’s Biggest Gang Bang is, according to Sex, the top-selling porno of all time. I have to wonder what it is about seeing all those naked, aroused men — and only one woman — that made this video such a hot item with the mostly male porn audience. But I digress again.)

If Quek was looking to retrieve a sense of the mystical about sex, I can’t see that she can convince herself that she has accomplished that. Dispassionate discussion, in Sex, about the mechanics of “double and triple penetration” sounds like an exercise in engineering. Behind the scenes of the gang bang, all the naked men (some, actually, wear socks and shoes) standing around with, literally, their dicks in their hands, are laughable. And when Quek says that sex is worth dying for, that she doesn’t care if she gets AIDS, it’s hard to believe her: she looks plenty scared when she goes for an HIV test.

Quek avers that having sex with 251 men in 10 hours is “no different than having sex with one guy for 10 hours.” If she can’t see the difference (though I suspect she can), then she might want to rethink her redefinition of female sexuality.

This is a personal insight on the Annabel’s Story . . .

I truly agree with Joey on how tough Annabel is. She is indeed true to herself. Many might wonder that she’s after the money and fame that this industry would brought upon her. I believe she has her own reason in doing so. I believe that she wouldn’t want to talk about it any further. Come on, everyone of us wish to move on, who wants to stay on and linger around all these stuffs of gossips and paparazzi.

Here’s an insight on Sex: The Annabel Chong’s Story

A film titled Sex. It cannot get more explicit or sensational than that. Why choose to be so blunt and crude? In order to shock and attract viewers or because this documentary is actually about sex and other issues around this divine, ongoing controversial topic. Exploration of sexuality, satisfaction of sexual appetites, pushing all boundaries beyond the missionary position and claiming a woman’s right to enjoy sex as much as a man does is Annabel Chong’s story. A frank and profound insight into the personal journey of a young Singaporean scholar turned porn star Grace aka Annabel Chong who takes us to her hell and back in order to heal herself from the tribulations of her past and her oppressive ethnic background.

The documentary paints a bleak yet amusing picture surrounding the sleaze of the porn industry. Like a sordid fairy tale, its setting is no where else more perfect than Los Angeles, USA. We are slapped in the face by the heroine’s journey of self-discovery. Through candid interviews with Grace and close friends, we are presented with an intense exploration into her sexuality; Grace, from humble beginnings as a nude model to her fame as the kinky porn star, and embellished with an English Accent and Asian beauty, has an incredible sense of confidence and determination to reach her mission.

Her most famous achievement is “performing” intercourse with 251 men in 10 hours. A true Olympic marathon, where Annabel’s craving for sex is relentless and paralleled by the horny urges of the chosen candidates. The whole affair, drowned by cameras from the hungry paparazzi and media vampires, seems like a circus for most present. But for Annabel it is an ego trip, while satisfying her huge sexual appetite. So it seems. Glamorous and horny at the beginning, we see her impatiently luring the men onto the stage and ready for anyone and anything. “You can do it to her any way you want in any hole you please. Just make sure you can keep it up and don’t hurt her.” The promoter lays the rules down while the candidates, lined up and naked, are tugging their organs wondering whether Annabel will let them all in.

Her performance proves that women do possess strong sexual urges and that being a porn star is one way to fulfil them. We meet her many sides: as the strong queen of kink with an incredible appetite for anal sex who enlightens us about double and triple penetration. Her own ego explodes a little when she realises how many men desire her. Misunderstood and portrayed as a nitwit by Jerry Springer, who asks her the obvious: why sleep with so many men?

Annabel, aware of the prejudices floating in the room is honest and blunt: why not? she confronts the majority of the audience, who feel embarrassed simply at Annabel’s openness.

Often we see Annabel as the academic confident enough to argue about her sexuality within the Cambridge Debating Club. Upright and proper, she reclaims her right to be a female stud and to discover her sexual powers.

During the course of
the film we return to
the “gangbang” and
we watch Annabel’s
stamina through sweat,
tears and orgasms. We
wonder at times whether
her face melts with
pleasure or pain.
~~~ Gaby Bila-Gunther 2000

Her lifestyle and behaviour indicate how much she enjoys being an extrovert, a sexual deviant who is searching to stretch all sexual boundaries. At a supermarket we are aroused as we watch her buy the largest zucchini and we laugh at her t-shirt which spells “Slut” across her breasts. We see her playing the sex kitten by laying naked at the promotional press conference pushing her sexual assets on to the screen.

Annabel is erotic and ready to devour. One understands where she is coming from.

Family, friends, teachers and colleagues tell us how much they admire her and how determined she always was. Annabel is the new feminist icon who provokes and is not ashamed of showing her body to be viewed as nothing more than an object, assurance she acquired while modelling naked in order to finance her studies.

Her childhood memories portray her as a single daughter surrounded by profound love and secular icons. Sent to a convent and brought up within a strong religious family one understands her need to be erotic and explore her sexuality.

Alongside Grace’s journey we taste the brutal facts about the porn industry in LA. After having intercourse with 251 men, Grace didn’t make any money out of it.

The promoter shifts the blame upon her entourage and greedy gold diggers while he still owes her an outstanding fee. Reality bites her in the face when copycats out-do her efforts and she quickly loser her crown.

AIDS and other sexual transmitted diseases could be her next enemy as she was promised most guys were tested. Disillusioned, Grace physically harms herself to override the emotional pain from inside. Her sense of being betrayed is crushing. Slashing her arms with a knife feels more tragic than the pain from triple penetration.

Her attempt to distance herself from the industry takes her back to London where she was gang raped after getting off the Tube at a wrong stop. Her reunion with her family makes her look almost like a lost child. Her sentiments behind the tears that she shares with her mother bring you closer to the oppressive cultural expectations of Singaporean society. It makes you understand why she needed to overcome negative experiences through sexual liberation. Her mother’s faith in her is also very emotive and empowering.

Along her journey, she experiences a full gamut of human emotions, such as conflict, sadness, tenderness. Shocking and confronting images exist alongside funny ones, such as when during a break from shooting a porn flick the actors stand around, smoking, wearing nothing but their “work clothes” and rubber dildos, totally at ease.

Her courage to become a porn star in order to overcome the tragedy of rape is admirable. Although the perpetrators stripped her dignity away by raping her, Grace refused to remain a victim. She also empowered herself to the extent where she could restore her self-respect as regards her family. Although she can’t tear herself away from the industry which almost crushed her, she remains an academic and graduates.

The final image, pain in her eyes and sweat drops as tears as she completed her mission, left us to watch and feel how she would have felt at the end of the rape.

The film did receive loud responses from the audience I saw it with recently in Melbourne. Amongst the laughs and giggles, sighs and comments under anxious breaths voiced disapproval. The presence of so many Asian faces glowing with opinions overwhelmed me. Whether they identified with or condemned Annabel’s story is their journey.

Here’s another insight on The Annabel Chong’s Story

Is Sex: The Annabel Chong Story (Gough Lewis, 1998) a celebration of sex and female sexuality? Is it a character study of a porn idol? And, considering the presence of a great many porn luminaries is it possible that the documentary is a pro-porn polemic?

It is all of the above and none. Primarily, what is most memorable about Sex is that it is a saddening tale about a vulnerable and unstable young woman, who becomes embroiled in a world she does not fully comprehend, despite her claims to the contrary.

Grace Quek, alias Annabel Chong, starred in the best-selling porno video, The World’s Biggest Gang Bang (John T. Bone, 1995), in which she accommodated 251 men over 10 hours. In Gough Lewis’s documentary about the event, she is presented as a woman with an insatiable appetite for a cornucopia of carnal pleasures; a woman who goes for it with vigour and enthusiasm before internal bleeding puts a stop to the marathon.

In the early stages of the documentary, it was heartening to see Quek create the appearance of enjoying and even revelling in the role of porn rebel. For a brief moment, pro-sex feminists and porn adherents dared hope that they might have found another worthy spokes-woman firing from the trenches, someone who would follow in the footsteps of Marilyn Chambers and Annie Sprinkle. But then Quek throws on the breaks with the first of her many delusional remarks, namely: “I just want my parents to be proud of me.”

So, who is Grace Quek? Although she was born and raised in Singapore, Quek was educated at an English private school. Her further education at Cambridge University, at a time when post-modernism and women’s studies dominated, may partly explain why she uses feminism to justify her work in pornography.

During the course of the documentary, Quek claims that she did not appear in the notorious video for money (she’s still owed the $10,000 promised her), but to “explore” her sexuality, to “reclaim” her body and “empower” herself. She says she wanted to show that women could be “studs like men” and has consequence-free sex. All very admirable and salutary, but this turns out to be the second of her delusions.

When Grace Quek first appears in Lewis’s documentary, it is through footage from television’s “The Jerry Springer Show”. She is highly strung, manic, and surprisingly inarticulate for a university graduate. Unfortunately, she also plays the part of the giggly, girlie, breathy women stuck in Lolita overdrive only too well – hardly the model of self-empowerment and sober level-headedness that is needed to carry the message of pro-sex feminism to the world. When Springer announced to his audience that the woman sitting before them had had sex with 251 men, they were agog, speechless, before erupting into the simian hooting which characterises that proletariat show. Chong read their response as some kind of support and acts accordingly, but close-ups of the audience reveal another less digestible fact.

Later in the documentary, a warmer and more generous Grace Quek begins to emerge. She presents herself as a bright young woman, who is drawn to the edges of society, even though the path has been very obviously laid before her for a more conventional life, should she have chosen to take it. Perhaps due to her middle-class, Christian background she delights in provocation and flaunting convention. She is highly sexed; perhaps even a nymphomaniac, which would explain her more manic displays and lack of self-control at certain points.

What becomes evident very quickly is that, despite her outwardly unconventional lifestyle, Grace Quek remains the product of her middle-class background. Furthermore, she mouths self-empowerment clichés without really understanding their deeper meaning and implications for her as a woman. Inwardly, she continues to believe that her elite education and class will shield her from life’s rougher side; and that mummy and daddy will always be there should she fall. All of which may have led her to commit her worst crimes: not accepting responsibility for her own actions, and not having the courage of her own convictions.

If the three great monotheistic religions of the world hadn’t spent so much time moralising sex, we might not see anything intrinsically wrong with a life of pornography. However, such is not the case in the world today. And since we hold highly ambivalent attitudes towards all matters sexual, we have demonised the people who choose to make their livelihood via the flesh. Consequently, as the documentary demonstrates, if one chooses to live in that milieu, then one must also accept the consequences born of such a life. You need backbone and stamina to survive not only the harsher aspects of the industry itself, but also the judgement of the world.

Once you have been sucked into the porn vortex, you can rarely ever go back. Most pornographers who have made a name and reputation for themselves, forfeited a ‘normal’ life for that of the social outcast, and even sacrificed the love and support of family relationships in order to fulfil their chosen destinies. But Grace Quek wanted to be a pornographer and still have the approval of her parents. She quickly discovered that such is not always the way of world, even in an age when sex saturates the airwaves.

The porn actress and stripper Megan Leigh recently spoke out about the close relationship she enjoys with her in-the-know mother. It still holds true; however, that only the most enlightened and sophisticated of parents would be proud of a child who is a pornographer. And Mr and Mrs Quek are hardly that. They are a Christian Singaporean family, who live in blissful ignorance of their daughter’s fame until the final minutes of this documentary. Interestingly, Quek and her mother keep the ailing father in the dark about his daughter’s occupation – a good example of how women often collude to protect men.

The scenes of Mrs Quek slowly packing her daughter’s suitcase as she tearfully asks her to not return home until she has restored her mother’s ‘dignity’ is the emotional core of Lewis’s film. It contains a nugget of truth and humanity that seems to be lacking in Grace Quek’s world of dizzy friends and lubricous acquaintances. As we discreetly watch her mother’s concept of the daughter she bore, raised and loved crumble, the documentary also uncovers the real victims of pornography.

The true victims of porn are not those who dedicate their lives to it (Grace Quek was emotionally and psychologically damaged before she entered porn); nor are they the consumers; or even rapists and their victims. The real victims of pornography are the virtuous, moral men and women who live all of their lives with blinkers on, denying the unstoppable force of nature that is sex, and the often brutal realities of life that exist outside their safe suburban homes. As we see here, when they are confronted with the truth, they often fall apart.

On the surface, there is nothing about the Quek family that alerts us to the destiny awaiting their daughter. We see no history of abuse or violence, emotional or otherwise. (Though the images of Quek’s distant and withdrawn father, who seemed to be frozen rigid, did leave a lingering feeling of unease.)

However, most viewers will very quickly come to the conclusion that the feminist rhetoric is a salve for that which truly ails Grace Quek, an ailment which may be manifesting itself in her pornographic work and self-mutilation. Long after the documentary was over, the questions linger. Why did she find it necessary to slash her arms with a knife in order to “feel alive”? What emptiness did the blade fill with pain? What had died inside her that only the cut of a knife and the impact of 251 cocks could revive? And what was that skittish uncertainty behind her eyes?

Spiros Markou, the Greek writer and critic, summed up Chong’s dilemma when he recently said to me “emptiness, she seems to be filled with emptiness, and therefore tries to get fulfilled through the body.” While pondering his remark, an early scene from the documentary kept coming back. It is of Mrs Quek reminiscing of happier times, when her daughter was very young. She fondly remembers her daughter’s independence from a young age, and tells of leaving her alone while she and her husband were away. She used to pin a handkerchief to little Grace’s clothes, she says, and instruct her daughter that if anything went wrong, or if she wanted to cry, to use it.

It doesn’t seem to occur to the well-meaning woman that leaving a child with a handkerchief as baby sitter is cold comfort, indeed. Or that this might have repercussions later in life.

Viewers will very quickly realise that this documentary is not a pro-porn polemic. Rather, it is a cautionary tale in a long line of red-light cautionary tales; the most recent of which were Boogie Nights (Paul Thomas Anderson, 1997) and 8 MM (Joel Schumacher, 1999).

For all its in-your-face tactics and bravado Sex: The Annabel Chong Story is a timid sexual tourist looking for instant gratification and a quick getaway without any telltale stains on his person. I kept hoping against hope that it would rise to the level of psychological complexity of Monika Treut’s Female Misbehaviour (1992), Sex is Sex: Conversations with Male Prostitutes (Brian Bergen and Jennifer Milici, 1995) or the various documentaries about Annie Sprinkle.

On a more positive note, the documentary does unwittingly bring the sleaze back to porn. In an effort to ensure its survival in the face of congressional and feminist attacks in the 1980s and 1990s, the American porn industry launched a laughable campaign to clean up its image. There was much talk about ‘legitimacy’ and ‘wholesomeness’, and how these videos were providing a ’social service’ and a ‘marital aid’ for happy couples spending a romantic evening at home in front of the telly.

But the reality is that porn is sleazy. That’s why consumers like it and why some people aspire to be in it. It’s dirty and secretive, beyond the pale and completely unacceptable to social or Judeo-Christian norms. It is taboo, forbidden. In a world that has become increasingly commoditised and sterile, sexual exploration may well be the last frontier, offering both adventure and self-knowledge. As soon as porn becomes squeaky clean and acceptable, a family pastime, it will lose its allure and significance for those who want to use it as a tool of masturbation, rebellion or self-expression.

This refusal to accept the true face of pornography, even by insiders, is nowhere better exemplified than in the hilarious scene wherein a puffed-up porn actor, Michael J. Coxx, says that he is ashamed of Annabel Chong’s gangbang video and is enraged by its makers. This Mother Teresa in disguise goes on to say that he objects to Chong’s behaviour because she makes porn ‘look sleazy’. After briefly considering what he’d just said, he looks to the camera in some confusion and mumbles, ‘But I suppose it is.’

The antiseptic nature of most modern porn, full of scrubbed, buffed and perfect Californian bodies doing mechanical things under the glare of bright studio lights and the scrutiny of perfect camera work, has taken the eroticism and salaciousness out of watching porn. In response to this sanitising process, there has been an increase in ‘amateur porn’ where ‘real people’ do it for the cameras and beam their digital selves across the world via the Internet. Some porn filmmakers have even taken to scouring the newly reopened Eastern European countries for darker, swarthier talent – a welcome respite from what Camille Paglia calls “the tyranny of the blonde”. And it seems ‘hidden cameras’ are popping up in every locker room and college dorm across the globe. Independent, rebel pornographers like Dick Wadd are also upping the stakes with some highly disreputable, politically incorrect ‘bare backing’ videos that have stirred controversy even within the porn industry itself.

With its eye-popping demonstration of a triple penetration and across-the-board proliferation of body types and age ranges, the other positive thing that can be said about Sex: The Annabel Chong Story is that it brings real people back to porn. Here for your delectation are all the distended bellies, sagging pecks, hairy backs, nerdy looks and nervous, high-anticipation men that have been censored out of pornography; the very people who take their pleasure from these entertainments.

Belying Quek’s own assertions to the contrary, the documentary goes on to suggest that it may be that feminism and pornography have to remain exclusive, unless the participating women are alert and focused on who is holding the reins. Unfortunately, from what we see here, Annabel Chong had lost control of her horses of passion long ago. At a Sexpo, we see her encircled by leering, camera-wielding men who are commanding her to strike all manner of poses. There is no joy evident as she tries to please. She simply comes across like a puppet terrified of disappointing her commandeers. There was no sign of the much-vaunted empowerment or control in her frantic displays, just someone that had sadly become less than human.

Ostensibly, Grace Quek wanted to prove that women could be ’studs’ like men and to have sex without suffering the consequences. What she really meant was that she wanted to exorcise her personal demons through a medium, which ends up devouring her instead. Her lesson seems to be that, due to social and biological impediments, women might not be in a position to have consequence-free sex. Men have a little more leeway than women do in this area. But even they cannot indulge excessively without nature eventually knocking on their door. Just ask Marquise de Sade, Pier Paolo Pasolini, thousands of gay men, Marco Vassi and John Holmes.

The writer Anne Rice once said that pornography is a place you visit, but you do not live there. What this documentary shows is that perhaps for those who do live the pornographic life full time, there is a price to pay. Pornographers may be invited inside millions of homes across the globe daily, but it’s a temporary invitation, quickly, coldly, revoked once the hosts’ senses are sated. The reward stuffed into their glittering g-string is the world’s disdain and ostracism. And you either live with it or you don’t.

Chinese Opera Delights 2007
神话仙韵/Of Legends & Myths
In Collaboration with Esplanade-Theatres on the Bay

Chinese Opera Delights – Of Legends and Myths
by Chinese Theatre Circle Singapore

Enjoy an evening with fairies, spirits and other otherworldly beings in Cantonese opera excerpts presented by Singapore’s Chinese Theatre Circle

DURATION

Approx 150 mins

LANGUAGE

Cantonese
With English & Chinese Subtitles

DATE

24 Mar 2007 3pm & 8pm

VENUE

Esplanade Recital Studio

TICKET PRICE (Exclude Booking Fee)

Standard – S$50, S$30

Please add to above price $2 Booking Fee for tickets above $20 and $1 Booking Fee for tickets below $20. Charges include GST where applicable

Artistry of the highest order. Culinary delicacies of unmatched finesse. All brought together in magical matrimony in an alluring traditional mirror tent.

For the first time ever in Asia, The Crystal Mirror is set to regale your senses with an entertainment extravaganza of exquisite continental cuisine and awe-inspiring acts that will leave you spellbound.

Welcome to a world of joie de vivre and indulgence. Welcome to The Crystal Mirror.

DURATION

Approx 3 Hrs 30 Mins

LANGUAGE

English

DATE

09 Mar – 15 Apr 2007

Gala Premier – 9 March 2007
(Tickets are sold out.)

Tue – Sat, 7.00PM / Pre-dinner Cocktail: 6.45PM

Sun, 6.30PM / Pre-dinner Cocktail: 6.15PM

VENUE

Padang, B Connaught Drive

TICKET PRICE (Exclude Booking Fee)

*Seats will be allocated at the door.
Gala Premiere
Standard
Circle (Cat 3) – S$300
Booth (Cat 4) – S$300

Tue – Thur & Sun
Standard
VIP (Cat 1) – S$320
Arena (Cat 2) – S$249
Circle (Cat 3) – S$210
Booth (Cat 4) – S$159

Fri & Sat
Standard
VIP (Cat 1) – S$350
Arena (Cat 2) – S$279
Circle (Cat 3) – S$239
Booth (Cat 4) – S$179

*Seats will be allocated at the door.

Please add to above price $2 Booking Fee for tickets above $20 and $1 Booking Fee for tickets below $20. Charges include GST where applicable.

Annabel Chong burst into history in 1994 in a world-record 10-hour gangbang with 251 men. The first porn star to come out of Singapore, she became one of the most internationally recognised Singapore icons, right next to the Merlion and Tiger Balm. With her unique brand of feminism, she became the focus of feverish media attention and a controversial public figure, not least because she represented an otherwise conservative country.

Join us on this racy journey set amidst the landscape of her boudoirs, sleazy studios, raunchy strip clubs, porn parties and the constantly evolving world of the cyberspace.

Presented by Toy Factory Productions, 251 is directed by its Associate Artistic Director Loretta Chen and written by Ng Yi-sheng. Leading the provocatively talented cast is well known theatre and tv personality Cynthia Lee Macquarrie as Annabel Chong, 251 also stars Cheryl Miles, Amy Cheng, Lee Weng Kee and Paul Lucas.

DATE

05 Apr – 15 Apr 2007 Tue – Fri, 8PM.
Sat – Sun, 3PM & 8PM.

VENUE

Esplanade Theatre Studio

TICKET PRICE (Exclude Booking Fee)

Standard – S$33

Please add to above price $2 Booking Fee for tickets above $20 and $1 Booking Fee for tickets below $20. Charges include GST where applicable.

UKULELE CONCERT LIVE IN SINGAPORE

5年默契合作, 10年各自单飞, 优客李林重聚于15周年纪念。
是第一次也是最后一次的演唱会。名为《再见。优客李林》, 是重逢的 “再見“，也是告別的“再見” 。优客李林在新加坡唯一演唱会，绝对值得捧场！

DURATION

Approx 2 hrs (without interval)

LANGUAGE

Mandarin

DATE

31 Mar 2007 8pm

VENUE

Singapore Expo

TICKET PRICE (Exclude Booking Fee)

Standard – S$128, S$108, S$88, S$68

Please add to above price $2 Booking Fee for tickets above $20 and $1 Booking Fee for tickets below $20. Charges include GST where applicable.

 Veteran Hong Kong singer Alan Tam takes to stage to commemorate the 30th anniversary of  his singing career. This will be a concert of showbiz spectaculars says Tam and the concert  will see him belting out hits in Mandarin and Cantonese.

The concert, reminiscing his 30 glorious years will have a discotheque-like atmosphere with  excellent lighting and smoke effects. Tam is popular for his Cantonese ballads like Pin Ngoi  (Biased Love), Sui Ho Goi Pin (Who Wants To Change), Don’t Say Goodbye, Peng Yau (Friend)  and Gong Pak Chuk Joi Gin (Cannot Say Goodbye). And his Mandarin hits include Sing Sou Siang Lian (Hand and Heart Connection), Ching Chun Mung (Youthful Dream), Pi Chuok Yang Pi Dek Lang (Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing) and more.

DURATION

Approx 2 Hrs

LANGUAGE

Cantonese & Mandarin

DATE

28 Apr 2007 Sat, 7.30PM

VENUE

Singapore Expo – The MAX Pavilion

TICKET PRICE (EXCLUDE BOOKING FEE)

Standard – S$188, S$148, S$128, S$98, S$68

Welcome to this new category, this category is set-up with some requests coming in from some of my friends, citing that by putting up such categories would help to being in more clouds, i.e. the review wrote on the Korean and Japanese drama. I’ll soon post up some review on a Taiwanese drama, title ‘Mico. . . Go . . .!’. So stay tune for it.

For a start here’s some of the show or entertainment in which I felt personally it’s good therefore would recommend you catching them if time and monetary consents. Meanwhile, do sit back and read through them with leisureliness.

Singapore should reform the assessment system in its schools – says MP Denise Phua, who has spoken out against what she calls the “T-Score Syndrome”.

The T-Score refers to the aggregate marks obtained by students in the Primary 6 School Leaving Examination.

During the debate in Parliament on Thursday, the MP for Jalan Besar said if she had her way with the budget – she would first spend some money and effort in reforming the assessment system.

Next, she would reform the minds of all Singaporeans.

This is so that one’s potential or talent can be measured by more than his or her academic score.

Ms Phua said, “Just last month, a very able mainstream Secondary School principal told me how disappointed he was because his students did not fare as well in the GCE as in the previous year. I know of a boy who failed his GCE this year and was refused by his school to stay on to try another year because his poor results will affect the overall standing of the school. Come close to the season of the release of PSLE and GCE results, the conversation of almost everyone is still centred around exam scores – every other achievement is greeted with a polite smile, not ‘congratulations!’”

The Acting Principal of Pathlight School added, “Even when I was helping out with the Enabling MasterPlan for the disabled, I was asked to highlight the excellent PSLE results my students with autism have achieved, to impress the funders of my school that they are worth the investment.”

Yet, she said, many know that high academic scores do not necessarily make great leaders or workers.

Ms Phua recounted how one of her top performing staff and an ex-creative director said he was scoffed at when he chose the design school route instead of going to university.

She said, “Another one of my colleagues, Dennis Tan, GCE O-level-holder, single-handedly created an Enrichment Activity Unit now offering countless special needs children with holiday programmes. These children were previously rejected by other enrichment programme providers who think that they are too much of a trouble.”

Her conclusion: there’s merit in installing a formal “Portfolio Assessment” system instead.

This is so that the potential and talent of a student – and eventually an adult – is measured by a visible portfolio of not just his examination scores, but also his contributions in other areas like the arts and to the community.

Second Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam unveiled a slew of goodies when he delivered the Budget Statement for fiscal year 2007 on 15 Feb in Parliament.  Aptly entitled Ready for the Future, Ready for the World, the Budget clearly reflects the far-sightedness of the Government in steering and preparing the country and its citizens for the many challenges that lie ahead with greater trade globalization.

Without doubt this is one Budget that reaches out to those who are most in need of assistance without sacrificing the principles of self-reliance and entrepreneurship. As Mr Tharman said: “We must maximize opportunities for all, but we must also accept that doing so does not result in equal rewards for all. We should never reduce the incentive for Singaporeans to work and to make the most of their skills and talents, so as to get higher reward for themselves. That has to be the basis for our society, for how we keep our economy growing, and for how living standards of Singaporeans can rise over time.”

Here is a snapshot of the benefits for

INDIVIDUALS AND HOUSEHOLDS

1. GST Offset Package

A comprehensive set of measures to help Singaporeans cope with the increase in GST. The GST Offset Package will cost $4 billion over five years and comprises the following schemes:

GST Credits

- Up to $1,000 for all Singaporeans aged 21 and above.

a. Amount that a person receives will depend on his annual Assessable Income and
Annual Value of his home.

b. NSFs and NSmen, including those aged below 21, will get additional one-off $100 of
GST Credits.

c. GST Credits will benefit 2.4 million Singaporeans and cost $1.8 billion over four
years.

2. Senior Citizens’ Bonus

- Up to $1,000 for all Singaporeans aged 55 and above, and who have an annual
Assessable Income of $100,000 or less.

- Two-thirds of the Bonus will be given out in cash and one-third credited into the
Medisave Account on 1 July of each year.

- Senior Citizens’ Bonus will benefit 544,000 senior citizens and cost $400 million over
four years.

3. Property Tax Rebates

- One-off property tax rebate of up to $100 per year in 2008 and 2009, for all owner-
occupied residential properties.

- Property tax rebates will benefit about one million property owners and cost $200
million over two years.

- Three-room and four-room HDB flat owners will pay little or no property tax during
these two years.

-  Assistance for Low-Income Families with Young Children

- Enhanced subsidies for Kindergarten Financial Assistance Scheme (KiFAS) so that
low-income families will enjoy an increased level of subsidy from 75% of
kindergarten fees to 90%, or about $80 a month.

-Enhanced subsidies for Centre-based Financial Assistance Scheme for Childcare
(CFAC), which will be increased by between $20 and $40 a month for each child.

- Enhancements to KiFAS, CFAC and other ComCare Fund programmes will cost a total
of $6 million a year.

4. Assistance for Pensioners

- Increase Singapore Allowance by $20 per month and raise gross pension ceiling from
current $1,100 to $1,150 per month, for government pensioners residing in Singapore.
Revision of Singapore Allowance will cost $4 million a year.

5. Public Transport Fund

- $10 million over three years to provide lower-income households with additional help
for their public transport costs.

6.  Assistance through Citizens’ Consultative Committees (CCCs), Self-Help Groups and Volunteer Welfare Organisations (VWOs)

- $10 million over five years to help needy Singaporeans through the following channels:

     a. $5 million top-up to the CCC ComCare Fund for the grassroots to provide flexible
assistance to low-income families.
b. $3 million for Government-funded VWO programmes.
c. $2 million to Self-Help Groups (CDAC, Yayasan MENDAKI, SINDA, and the
Eurasian Association).

7. Additional Subsidies for Healthcare, Education and S&CC

- $12 million a year for restructured hospitals and polyclinics to absorb the additional
GST on subsidised healthcare services.

- $40 million a year to absorb the GST payable on school and miscellaneous fees, as well
as fees and tuition grants at ITEs, polytechnics and universities.

- $10 million a year for Town Councils to absorb additional GST payable on Service &
Conservancy Charges.

8. Other Tax Changes that Benefit Individuals and Households

- Abolition of Cess to Offset GST Increase on Tourism Sector

- Remove the broad-based Cess that applies to F&B outlets. This will cost the
Government about $30 million a year.

- Reduction of Road Tax for Passenger Cars and Motorcycles

- Reduce tax rate by 8% per annum. Details will be announced by the Ministry of
Transport.

-  Reduction of Foreign Domestic Worker Levy (FDWL)

        a. Reduce FDWL by $30 from $295 to $265 from 1 July 2007.
b. Extend FDWL Concession (reduced from $200 to $170 a month) to employers
with disabled family members, or who are themselves disabled and need
additional care-giving support from 1 Nov 2007.

- Extension of Tax Relief for Cash Top-Ups to CPF Accounts by Siblings

- Extension of $7,000 tax relief for cash top-ups to CPF Retirement Accounts of siblings
aged 55 and above and who earn $2,000 or less a year.

CPF CHANGES AND WORKFARE

9. Raising the Employer CPF Rate

-  To help the majority of Singaporeans save more for their future needs, the employer
component of CPF contribution rates will be increased by 1.5% from 1 July 2007.

       a. 1% will go into the worker’s Ordinary Account (OA) and 0.5% will go into the
Medisave Account (MA).
b. This will not apply to older low-wage workers – those who earn $1,500 or less
and are also above 35 years old.

10. Restructuring CPF for Low-Wage Workers

- For older, low-wage workers who face a different set of challenges, the CPF will be
changed to increase their take-home pay and improve their employability.
11. Increase Take-Home Pay of Low-Wage Workers

- Reduce the employee component of CPF contribution rates for all employees earning
$1,500 or less a month. – Employee component of CPF will now increase from 0% at
a wage level of above $500 to the full rate of 20% at $1,500.

–The rates for employees above 50 years old will be scaled accordingly.
12. Increase Employability of Older Low-Wage Workers

- Reduce the employee component of CPF contribution rates for workers above 35 years
old and earning $1,500 or less a month.

-Increase employer CPF contributions gradually from 0% at a monthly wage of above
$50 up to 13% at a monthly wage of $1,200. The 1.5% increase in CPF will be
phased in between $1,200 and $1,500. (Employers currently pay the full rate of 13%
when monthly wages exceed $50.) – Figure 2 (next page) illustrates the change in
employer CPF contributions for those aged above 35 to 50. 

- The rates for employees above 50 years old will be scaled accordingly.
13. Reduced Medisave Contribution Rates for Self-Employed and Informal Workers

- Reduce the Medisave contribution rate to one-third of the full rates, ie less than 3% for
those with an annual net trade income of above $6,000 and up to $12,000. The
contribution rate will gradually rise to the full rates for those with an annual net trade
income of between $12,000 and $18,000.

- Self-Employed Persons earning an annual net trade income of $6,000 or less do not
have to contribute to the CPF. But those who meet the Workfare Income Supplement
(WIS) scheme criteria can voluntarily contribute at the reduced contribution rates to
qualify for WIS.

14. Workfare Income Supplement (WIS) Scheme

- To complement the above CPF changes, the Government will institutionalise Workfare
as a long-term scheme and introduce the Workfare Income Supplement (WIS)
Scheme to boost the take-home pay and CPF savings of low-income workers.

- The WIS will more than compensate for the reduction in CPF contributions. The
principal target group for WIS are full-time workers aged above 45 years who earn
$1,000 or less. But WIS benefits will extend to a wider group – those above 35 years
who earn $1,500 or less – at a lower rate. The WIS scheme will be reviewed after
three years.

- Eligibility Criteria

a. Singapore Citizen;
b. Monthly salary of $1,500 or less;
c  Above 35 years old;
d. Lives in a property of not more than $10,000 annual value; and
e. Works at least three months in any six month period in the calendar year, or at
least six months in the calendar year.

- Payout Structure

a. Payouts will be given to eligible beneficiaries earning above $50 and up to
$1,500 a month.
b. Higher payouts for those above 45 years old, up to a maximum of $1,200 a
year.
c. Maximum of $900 a year for those aged between 35 and 45.
d. For employees, the WIS will be paid with a cash-to-CPF ratio of 1:2.5.
e. Payments will be made twice a year.
f. Eligible workers who have worked for at least three months in the first six
months of 2007 can look forward to their first payout on Jan 2008.

15. Workfare for Self-Employed and Informal Workers

- Self-employed persons and informal workers who meet Workfare eligibility criteria will
be required to contribute into their Medisave Accounts (MA) in order to receive
WIS. 

-  WIS for self-employed persons and informal workers will be two-thirds of the amount
for employees, as they contribute much less in CPF.  The WIS will be paid entirely
into their Medisave accounts.

- Self-employed and informal workers who earn $6,000 or less in annual net trade income
can make voluntary contributions to qualify.

-Overall Impact of WIS and CPF Changes
a. WIS is designed to complement the CPF changes.
b. The reduction in CPF contributions from the CPF changes will in general be made
up for by WIS.
c. Low-wage workers will be better off compared to the past.
d. Employers will enjoy savings from hiring these workers.

NB: You can also refer to the Budget 2007 Household Benefits Calculator on the MOF website, http://www.mof.gov.sg/, to find out how much you are going to receive.

BENEFITS FOR BUSINESS

Making Singapore the Best Place to Start and Grow A Business
16. For All Companies

- Reduce the corporate tax rate by two percentage points to 18% from Year of
Assessment (YA) 2008. This will cost the Government $800 million a year.

- Increase the corporate tax exemption threshold from $100,000 to $300,000 from
YA2008, with the following exemption rates: – 75% exemption for the first $10,000
of chargeable income; and

- 50% exemption for the next $290,000 of chargeable income. This will cost the
Government $150 million a year.

-With the above changes, the corporate tax structure will be as follows: Amount of
chargeable income

- Effective tax rate
a. First $10,000 4.5%
b. Next $290,000 9.0%
c. In excess of $300,000 18.0%

-Allow tax deduction for other specified borrowing costs that are paid as a substitute for
interest expense, from YA2008. IRAS will release details by May 2007. This will
cost the Government $110 million a year.

- Extend the concession permitting writing down allowances for acquired intellectual
property from 31 October 2008 to 31 Oct 2013.

- Increase the qualifying period for the investment allowance incentive from five to eight
years, for assets acquired on hire-purchase basis. This will be effective for assets
purchased on hire-purchase terms from 15 Feb 007.

17.  For Start-ups and SMEs

- Remove the YA2009 expiry date for the corporate tax exemption scheme for start-ups,
which exempts the first $100,000 of chargeable income.

- Grant SMEs cash rebates on the first $80,000 of total employer and employee CPF
contributions over two years: – In the first year (1 July 2007 – 30 June 2008), the
rebate is 2% of the first $40,000 of total CPF contribution and 1% of the next
$40,000 of total CPF contribution.

- In the second year (1 July 2008 – 30 June 2009), the rebate is 1% of the first $40,000 of
total CPF contribution and 0.5 % of the next $40,000 of total CPF contribution.
This will cost the Government $100 million. Further details of the application
process for rebates and the eligibility criteria will be released by 1 May 2007.

- Provide a grant for SMEs voluntarily registering for GST (capped at $5,000 per SME)
to support up to 50% of GST registration-related costs, such as hardware, software,
Internet connection and IT implementation consultancy and training.

GROWING “HIGH-TRUST” SERVICES

18. Promoting Legal Services

- Allow 50% tax exemption for law firms’ incremental income from international
arbitration activities. The incentive will be available from 1 July 2007 to 30 June
2012. The Ministry of Law will release more details by May 2007.

19. Promoting Financial Services

- Remove the 80/20 rule under our tax exemption scheme for non-resident funds under
Section 13C of the Income Tax Act, subject to conditions.

- Enhance tax exemption schemes for income of funds managed by local fund managers
with effect from 15 Feb 2007: – Expand the list of designated investments to
cover qualifying loans, physical commodities, and commodity derivatives; and
- Extend the schemes to Collaterised Debt/Loan Obligations.

-  Enhance the Financial Sector Incentive (FSI) scheme, with effect from 15 Feb 2007,
to include income earned from providing investment advisory services under
fund management delegation arrangements with foreign fund managers.

- Expand scope of activities qualifying for the Finance and Treasury Centre (FTC)
incentive scheme by allowing investments in qualifying unit trusts, with effect from
15 Feb 2007.

- Extend the existing tax exemption on over-the-counter (OTC) financial derivative
payments by five years to 19 May 2012.

- Enhance the Qualifying Debt Securities (QDS) scheme to include prepayment fees,
redemption premium and break cost which are paid to holders of qualifying debt
securities issued on or after 15 Feb 2007. MAS will release details of the above tax
changes by May 2007.

20. Promoting Philanthropy Services and NPOs

- Grant income tax exemption to all registered charities without requiring them to spend
at least 80% of their annual receipts in Singapore within two years.

- Relax the 80/20 spending rule under the fund raising permit for foreign charitable
causes for donations raised from private donors and not from the general public.

- Allow double tax deductions for donations to foundations and grantmakers as long as
the donations are channelled to charities with Institution of a Public Character (IPC)
status within a specified time frame. Details will be released by September 2007.

-Grant income tax exemption to attract not-for-profit organisations (NPOs) with regional
or international charters that can bring economic value to Singapore. This scheme
takes effect from 15 Feb 2007.

21. Promoting Logistics, Maritime, Aviation Services

- Extend the incentive period for Approved Shipping Logistics Enterprise (ASL) scheme
from 5 to 10 years with effect from 15 February 2007. MPA will release the
details by May 2007.

- Enhance the Aircraft Leasing Scheme (ALS) for the period of 1 March 2007 to 29 Feb
2012 by: – Offer an additional 5% concessionary tax rate category on qualifying
leasing incomes;

- Extend the scheme to aircraft financing structures; and

- Expand the list of qualifying lease incomes to cover incomes from onshore leasing and
leasing of aircraft engines. EDB will release details by May 2007.

- Zero-rate GST for expenses incurred to service, buy, or lease containers in the
international transport of goods with effect from 1 April 2007. Details will be
released by IRAS in March 2007.

22. Other Tax Changes

- Extend stamp duty relief for intra-group transfer of assets to unlimited companies,
Limited Liability Partnerships where partners are companies, and Statutory Boards.
This will take effect from 15 Feb 2007. IRAS will release details in Feb 2007.

Just how much is a homemaker worth?

What they do every day — clean, cook, balance the household budget, care for the children — is worth an average of 34 per cent of the Gross National Income in places such as Europe and North America, according to research studies.

Nanyang Technological University’s Economics head, Associate Professor Euston Quah, puts the figure for Singapore at about 5 per cent, or $10.2 billion, attributing this difference to the “unique” prevalence of domestic help here. In his calculations, he took into account items such as the average wages of a small-time manager and the cost of hiring a private tutor.

The Singapore housewife brigade, which numbered 360,922 in 2000, has often been relegated to the back of the nation’s consciousness. This disparate brigade ranges from the lower-income, middle-aged with limited work experience to the former professionals typically in their 30s.

The absence of Budget goodies for homemakers this year prompted several Members of Parliament (MPs) to speak up for them in Parliament. Many say homemakers deserve to be treated similarly to senior citizens and NSmen.

Said West Coast Group Representation Constituency MP Ho Geok Choo: “Even a token sum (like what NSmen and senior citizens get) is a recognition that makes homemakers feel included in society.”

In 2005, homemakers — especially those who left the workforce, albeit by choice, to raise their young brood — looked on with envy when the Working Mother’s Child Relief was introduced to give working mothers 5- to 25-per-cent tax relief on their earned income.

In recent years, while the Government dished out goodies for specific profiles ($200 million was allocated for NSmen as a one-off cash reward last year) and this year’s Budget yielded good news for senior citizens to receive up to $1,000 over four years, homemakers never had such bonuses to look forward to.

Proponents cite the impact of homemakers on the country’s current and future manpower resources. Husbands can perform effectively at work when there is a stable home environment. As the children’s primary caregiver, housewives play a key role in moulding and sustaining Singapore’s future pool of manpower and leadership.

What the society should be paying for is not the benefits that only households enjoy, but the positive benefits to society, said Prof Quah.

National University of Singapore sociologist Paulin Straughan links a lack of parental attention to juvenile delinquency, a problem for both the family and society.

But if homemakers rule the roost and the family is often lauded as the bedrock of society, why are they left out of the goodies?

A key reason is the lack of clarity over the work they do and how much it is worth. Its output, price and quality cannot be determined easily by market forces of demand and supply, Prof Quah said.

Also, the decision to stay home is a private “family arrangement”, Madam Ho said.

TODAY reader Fanny Chan also pointed to the intangible rewards a full-time mum gets in bringing up her children and pointed to examples of career women who have successfully brought up their children, and equally, numbers of full-time mums whose kids turn out otherwise.

Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the Environment and Water Resources, and South West District Mayor Dr Amy Khor, who called for a one-off bonus for homemakers in Parliament, cautioned against “sending the wrong message” while recognising homemakers.

There is some concern that upping incentives for homemakers will encourage women to leave the workforce, which can be detrimental at times of economic expansion, talent shortage or when the authorities are trying to promote a work-life balance.

Executive director of the Singapore Human Resources Institute David Ang suggested a tiered system to commensurate with homemakers’ years of contributions. This could mean a larger bonus to the older housewife with little working experience and no CPF contributions, and less for their younger counterparts who have just stopped working.

To stay-at-home mum Swee Bee Lan, 34, however, a better allocation of resources would be more helpful, especially for the better-educated and higher-skilled ones, such as part-time or even full-time employment that suits their educational qualifications and work experience.

Said the mother of two: “A lot of jobs for homemakers who want to work either do not match their qualifications or pay so little it doesn’t warrant their time away from the family.”

Ms Chan urged the Government to do more to make it easier for women with young children stay in the workforce.

And even if no concrete measures are taken now, what Singapore needs are more detailed studies on this.

Prof Quah pointed out: “Measuring that component — the economic value and benefits to society — is critical. We should encourage more studies to understand how we can better reward homemakers.”

This was captured this morning. I was in my room, clicking away with my PS2. My mum told me there were 3 people lying on the upper most deck of our MSCP. I went on to sneak a glance. I knew someone would have dial for the police. The way these teenaged lying there could have meant 2 things. 1.) They could have chatted the entire night, and decided to have a nap there, since the MSCP of my estate is isolated. 2.) They could have been attacked [impossible, we could have heard the commotions].

Sure enough, some residence from our estate has indeed dialled for the police. Here’s some snap shot and video on the happening. . .

The protagonist is Sodong, a commoner who strives to become a top technician. Sodong later became King Mu, the 30th king of Paekche as he was finally recognized as of royal birth.

The main background of the drama is Taehaksa, Paekche’s prestigious institute of science technology. As it possessed and developed the most up-to-date technology at that time, the institute was always in danger of industrial espionage from other countries like the Koguryo Kingdom and the Silla Kingdom.

“The 21st century is an era of information technology. The viewers will be able to see not only the splendidly rich culture of the Paekche Kingdom but also their ancestors’ passion for information technology, which is in line with today’s trend”, said the drama’s writer Kim.

The drama also reveals the role of monks as industrial spies at that time, an aspect of monks in the past that is rarely focused 0n.

“Monks were the advance guards of intelligence war at that time. The leaders of the three countries made the best use of the monks’ mobility as they were allowed to move freely from country to country on sacred missions”, said Kim.

The drama also features a character who was originally from the Silla Kingdom (57 B.C. – A.D 935) but went over to Paekche as a child and smuggled himself into Taehaksa, concentrating on secretly getting out high-quality information over a long time.

Various agricultural technologies considered the most up-to-date at that time also appear in the drama.

In some episodes, to solve the problems of excessive dryness of the land, they released earthworms, and used ondol (hot floor) for the first time to decrease the humidity of homes.

“Sodongyo” is said to be one of Korea’s oldest folk songs. According to Samgukyusa (The Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms) from the Silla Kingdom, the song was written by Sodong, a commoner from the Paekche Kingdom. Hearing that Princess Sonhwa, a daughter of King Chinpyong of the Silla Kingdom was beautiful, he writes a song saying that the princess visits Sodong’s room every night and spreads the song around. When her father hears the song, he condemns the princess to exile. Sodong picks her up and takes her to Paekche, and they become the royal couple of the country.

Cast

Jo Hyun Jae as Suh Dong (King Mu of Baekje)
Lee Bo Young as Princess Sun-hwa of Shilla
Ryu Jin as Sa Taek Gi Ru / Kim Do Ham

I recommend this serial to those who love Korean dramas. This is indeed one of the best that I have watch. The story line’s great, and the romance within simply touches my heart! The most memorable scene for me would be when Suh Dong proposed to Prince Sun-Hwa through Sun-Hwa’s father via an envoy from Baekje. That’s was so touch, that I ahem . . . yeah you bet, I shed tears! That’s was so touching! I bet you would too! And the next scene is when Prince Sun-Hwa, now the Queen of Baekje, passed away of illness, the love of Suh Dong to Sun-Hwa was so magnitude that nothing in this world could do anything to stop them from loving each other.

I used to have my jockey cap, now I have my Nike cap.
I used to have to 11b, now I have my pink ic . . .

11^th April 2006. 11^th April 2007. Alright to be exact, I was on leave from the 2^nd week of January 2006. Nope, frankly speaking I started to clear my off –in- lieu(s) since September 2006. I took it on and off, as I had 1 whole year worth of Offs and even my leaves un-touch. I was pre-occupied by a national project that my colleagues and I simply had no time to clear any of it. That was back then. . .

Time flies, and now I’m an NSman. This is the transition term from a NSF into an NSmen is something that many young Singaporean males have to go through. Some shared bad experiences about it and dread their lives and days through their 3 years of it (Its now reduce to 2 years, after MINDEF went into 3^rd Generation Transformation). I’m in that transition batch, where the Division I’m in, was the first to be the Division that was all geared up, and ready to go into battle any time, any where.

I truly enjoyed my days with the service. I met many great commanders and mates, that we all shared tears and joys with one another. I love my mates, they are a wonderful lot! We ate, sleep, toil and sweat together as one during exercises and work towards a common goal. We had fun together, making sure everyone’s down with it. We cover each other 6s well, we always look out for one another, and we left no one behind! We go into battle as one; we left the battle field as one.

These are the bunch of guys ranging from specialists to officers that I would go into battle with, because, we trust each other, we knew how each other functions and each styles of work. Because, not just we are all in greens, this is what we call “Brother-Hood”!

Salute to the fellow NSmen and Active:

BG (NS) Loh Wai Keong (My ex- Div COMD, a great commander that you are willingly to lie down you life for)

MAJ (NS) Alan Teo (My ex- HDCOLL, he taught me Human Management)

CPT (NS) Gaston (My ex- Officer who look after me)

CPT Alan Poh (I always regard him as my big brother, and I will always regard him as my OC, who make me realise what a good officer is)

MAJ Alywn (He taught me how to respect myself and others)

MAJ Laura (I always respect her as my elder sister in the Army; she taught me the values of respect and mutual respect and care)

CPT See (I always regard her as my big sister, and pal)

1WO (RET) Tan (great mentor)

1WO Paul (great mentor and friend, who always look after us and watch our back)

1WO Lim (great mentor and friend, who always look after us and watch our back)

SSG Yong Huat, SSG Melvin (lovely mates and friends to have)

LTA (NS) Voo, 3SG (NS) James, 3SG (NS) Lam, 3SG (NS) Shawn 3SG (NS) Jiaqi, 3SG (NS) Darren, CPL (NS) Kelvin (lovely mates and friends to have)

Wishing all my mates, great endeavours and great success in all you do!

Our Reunion Dinner, NSmen and NSFs and Active personnels of the best!

Finally, 2 more weeks to go; we had just been through a round of formative assessment last week. And yeah, you have it right; we are all talking about seafood grilling. Nope, don’t get it wrong, we were all talking about been ‘grilled’ by the assessors! Haha. . .! Yeah, each one of us talks about it. It’s a smooth process for us. Yes, well as usual, that BBO, yeah no comments on her stuff man, as usual. No content. She got grilled on the bloody first slide! Cool!

Yeah, we had our tutorial at town. These days most of our tutorials with Peter are in town. It’s usually at Far East, Taka, Wheelock Place, Hilton Hotel, Forum, Space and there was once recently at Club 21. We had ours at Taka’s food court. This tutorial is to go through what went wrong with our design. Peter actually says that we are there. We have our story, our character, and we just need to tidy up our story. And at this moment, we all just need to do a collage for our presentation.

He told us this is what a Master student should do. . . He’s spending more time with us this time. I remembered my Bachelor’s time, the time is usually short with him. However during this Masters, the longest we have is about 2 hours with him. Sister did I remember correctly?

2 more weeks! Now its full steam ahead!

CHRISTINE , JOEY . . . Go GO GOoooo…!!!!

The Lantern Festival (元宵节) also known as the Shang Yuan Festival (上元节) is a Chinese festival celebrated on the fifteenth day of the first month in the lunar year in the Chinese calendar. It is not to be confused with the Mid-Autumn Festival, which is also sometimes known as the “Lantern Festival” in locations such as Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, and Malaysia.
The Chinese Lantern Festival is the last day of the traditional Chinese New Year celebration period. The Lantern Festival is also known as the Little New Year since it marks the end of the series of celebrations starting from the Chinese New Year. Koreans celebrate this festival as the Daeboreum.
During the Lantern Festival, children go out at night carrying bright lanterns. In ancient times, the lanterns were fairly simple, for only the emperor and noblemen had large ornate ones; in modern times, lanterns have been embellished with many complex designs. For example, lanterns are now often made in shapes of animals.

Traditionally, the date once served as a day for love and matchmaking. It was one of the few nights in ancient times without a strict curfew. Young people were chaperoned in the streets in hopes of finding love. Matchmakers acted busily in hopes of pairing couples. The brightest lanterns were symbolic of good luck and hope.

Those who do not carry lanterns often enjoy watching informal lantern parades. Other popular activities at this festival include eating tangyuan (汤圆), a sweet glutinous rice dumpling served in a sugary soup, and guessing lantern riddles, often messages of love.

It’s also another reunion dinner tradition in my family, where everyone in the family would try to return home early to have a meal together. It’s usually steam boat, where we have our meals over laughter. Right after a good hearty meal, it’s tangyuan time! Love this Chinese tradition desert! Love it especially when it comes to that you has to knead the dough yourself and add colour to the dough. Love this process!
Here’s my little secret recipe for the tangyuan dough.

Use glutinous rice flour, depends on how many serving you want. I usually use half a pack.
Boil a pot of pandan leaves water. (My mum planted at least 2 pots of pandan leaves) I love pandan flavour water as it enhances the fragrance of the dough. In this case, I can leave out the sugar content in the dough. It depends on what soup base you want to have. Once the dough is done, I usually love to have it set in the fridge for about an hour. I will prepare a set of dough which is added with edible red food dye. Just a small tiny winy drop will do. We just want the colour will do. It’s usually pink in colour. This is because, in Chinese customs, white is usually associate with death, and it’s an auspicious period of the year in the lunar calendar, therefore a lot of red will be added. In this case, it symbolise a good balance of ying and yang.

Now the soup base, this time, mum told me that it’s going to be long-gan soup base. Now for the soup base; boil a pot of pandan flavour fragrance water. Add 5 tablespoon of brown sugar after the dry long-gan has been added. This time round, I will not add any ginger, as in Chinese cuisine and Traditional Chinese Medicine, ginger and long-gan does not mix well, as it is believe that both sources emits ‘heat’ as long-gan itself is a ‘heaty’ food. Red dates can be added to taste and flavour. Once the soup base is done, turn off the stove and leave it for serving later.

Boil another pot of water; this is to simmer your tangyuan dough. The dough is ready when it surfaces to the surface of the boiling water. I will prepare another pot of iced water (with ice cubes) this is to ensure that the tangyuan has a nice texture when chewed.

This is to be done in a real fast mode; otherwise your tangyuan will have a rubber texture. You have to drain off the excess chill water of your tangyuan before transferring them into serving bowl. Then the last step will be the serving of the soup base. And this is done!