I was listening to bbc.co.uk while i was on my way home…it was reported about China’s reform policy that their government would pay parents in rural areas who had no more than one son – or two daughters – 600 yuan ($100) a year each starting at the age of 60.

In Singapore, on the other hand, the govenment is providing a ”Baby Bonus” Package, to entice more couples to give birth. What it means is parents will get a cash gift of $3,000 for the 1st child, and a cash gift and co-savings of up to $9,000 for the 2nd child and up to $18,000 each for the 3rd and 4th child.

Here’s a video clip about Singapore edited by Zsolt, in which you can see more of the cute little girl in the above photo.
I found her very adorable:) and sweet!:)

Back to the initial note, what’s gonna happen to those (Chinese in China) who long and love to have more children but is limited by their ”one child policy”?
Does your country have such kind of pro-family or population control policies?

One of the tabloid newspaper we have here in Singapore that targets younger readers with more eye-catching “tabloid”-style journalism coupled with often sensationalised headlines. The NEWPAPER. And while I was at the Takashimaya Square, I saw this setup for the Grand Finals. The tracks (for the contestants to ‘cat walk’ on) looks funny in my view with the ‘little men’ on this topview now, as if some children’s board game:)

Wanna see how the winner looks like? Yes | No, Thanks

It’s Autumn, the only thing we will know that autumn is here is by the main chinese festival called Mid Autumn’s Festival. So it means even before the full moon nite, it’s mooncakes sales, lanterns etc. Other than that, no obvious signs of autumn becos our weather will not change. It is still like Summer! Sunshine. Even if we hope that it rain a bit to clear the hazy conditions becos of the Sumatran forest fires, it will not. We have to wait for a couple more days then it will start to pour abit:)

This was found outside the stretch of road called Orchard Road. Orchard Road got its name from the nutmeg, pepper and fruit orchards that used to lie on either side of the street in the 1800s. Now it is rather strange if you try to match its look with its name. See the overall effect on this pix here. This photo shows the ad panels of Paragon at night, it is like a “Moulin Rouge” wanna-be. Don’t you think so?

When I was a kid, like 8, I enjoyed reading a rather popular (at least at my time) children’s magazine called ”Young Generation” So being my very first children’s magazine subscription, I learnt that I need to pay using Money Order. It can only be purchase from a Post Office. To mail out the form/letter, we MUST go to the post office. First to buy the stamp or to weigh the postal item. Very conventional as we have to wait for office hours, queues etc.

Today, most of us can buy a stamp at any hour since these SAM machines are 24hours islandwide. It serves like an automated post office. With the touch screen features, I am glad that we can weigh the item, buy stamps as well as pay bills.

It was good news as today our government announced that it plans to provide free wireless Internet access to the entire island by 2007 and at the same time, offer about 10,000 subsidized computers to low-income students in an effort to give all of its citizens more opportunities in the digital world. Hence I guess this will be just the beginning of everything self-automated

Just curious, how is the postal service like that is available in your city? Post office? or self automated?

7……6……5…….4……………….

NO, he’s not a suicide bomber…dun worry…

Neither is he a Ghost Buster not in the broad daylight:p

This is a grass ‘cutter’, this tool that he carries with him is actually an engine (it makes some mechanical noise). He would brush over the grass, and a translucent plastic, like a wire fastener acts like a ‘blade’ at its tip of the long lever. Then with a sweeping motion across the long grass, it’ll cut the grass under these ”blades” giving off a fresh green smell… Can you imagine how dangerous it is for him, for this ‘engine’ that he was carrying was labelled ‘DANGER: KEEP AWAY!’ ?

A Ramen treat from my friend Ching Sian, a belated Birthday ”celebration” for me at Ajisen Ramen (my favourite japanese ramen)…This is Ching Sian, dun you think she looked mysterious like this?

i kind of like the lighting effects of this restaurant, nice warm cosy experience:)

In a bus interchange, there will be rows of stone seats like these. I guess it’s becos of the height of these seats that makes them really comfortable even for a short moment. Cos u know why? As by the time you’ve done with lots (or some) of window shopping at a mall nearby, you’ll find these stone seats really comfy to rest your legs and feet:). Somehow in Singapore, there’s bound to be a shopping mall somewhere when a bus interchange is found.

Childhood. Especially when celebrating the Mid Autumn’s Festival, I always chose lanterns which MUST be lit using candles only and my favourite design is always the BUTTERFLIES. I still remember the ‘thrilling moments’ of ‘walking my butterfly lantern’ so afraid that it will ‘la ti tu’ (as my grandmother liked to say in Teochew, which means ‘caught fire’) :p These days, I can’t find anymore cellophane butterflies traditional laterns It has been mostly replaced with battery operated plastic icons such as Power Puff Girls and the CG cartoon characters that blinks and comes with childish musical tunes.

This ‘YUAN’ means the chinese currency renminbi, the greetings used by Chinese when you first called into china would be ”Ning Hao” But how would you say it?

In Singapore, Singaporeans will just say ‘hello’, some say ‘Har – LOU’, some say ‘hey-lo’
I will sometimes say ‘hi!’ but if I am calling japan, I’ll say ‘moshi-moshi’

Do share with me what you say when you first pick up the phone to greet your caller…i’m simply curious;)

Not a new biological disease…POLKA dot is used becos polka dot is kinetic; it’s a circle, it’s never-ending.

When thot of kinetic energy, it’s thoughts of dancing, not just fashion but theatrical.
This is part of the Singapore Biennale, 60 trees along Orchard Road have received a make-over.

They were dressed in red and white polka dotted strips of cloth which took 15 workers an average of four hours to wrap one tree.

Found this big sexy ad on the building of Specialist Centre, somehow this curvaceous body will draw the attention of the Singaporean men. But hey no, it’s a women’s Perfume by Salvatore Ferragamo.

These street lamps were probably inspired by Darth Vader, the famous fictional character in Star Wars Universe
The more I looked at it, the more it looked like the outer silhouette of Darth Vader’s head gear :p

The moment I was capturing this photo, I recalled the heavy breathing made by Darth Vader which was always the first you’ll hear before he took scene. Since he has a chest-worn, computerized control panel unit that regulates his respiratory functions.