Our Unrival Lady

IN the construction industry, the construction methods have been developing by time. One of them, top-down method is important but need high accuracy. I never heard about it until I work in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia despite I am civil engineer graduate. Conventionally, we use to construct our buildings from bottom to up to the roof. However, in top-down method, we don't need to follow the conventional way. Once we finished piling work, we start construct at ground floor level followed by basement floors. Sound a bit strange if you have not heard/experienced it before. But it's real and useful way for construction firms. We left some voids to dig out bored earth after laying top layer slabs. In a big projects like shopping malls or office towers, top down method is quite useful to minimize construction time.

How about in the politic? Recently our opposition leader ASSK spoke to its audience during her campaign for April-1 by-election. She said, Myanmar has been declined to bottom state from top among ASEAN countries due to flawed governance/system. She added, we have been independence for 6 decades now and some fellow ASEAN members got their independence on later years. She highlighted on Singapore who is considered top most nation in the ASEAN family. When Singapore got its independence on 1965 compared to Myanmar's 1948, Singapore's gifted founding father LKY promised his people that he'll try to catch up Myanmar within 20 years. Now Singapore has been much ahead of Myanmar and we don't even dare to say we'll catch up Singapore within 2 decades from now. She insisted that the country is the same, people remain unchanged, the thing make this country from top to bottom rock is due to ineffective policies/government. What a good remark is it? People who heard these remarkable speech cheer her and support it unconditionally. She is such a good political person and able woman to convince our people. No wonder she has conquered people's hearts.

This whole month, she is going almost the whole country and everywhere she goes, people are following. These are not due to they are being forced. It's the power of the Lady. The magic of her strength. Nobody can deny it. People are happy when they see her coming their region. No matter what race they are, all have equal respect on her. Everybody knows that only she can pull us out of poverty. People's hope fully rely on her progress. People trust in her ability on developing our nation. People has no doubt with her ability of diplomatic skill. It doesn't matter the person she meets is local or foreign. The ministers from the world are lining up their turn to meet her at her lakeside residence. Speaking English like native make her mission more effective. She needs no other to assist her move forward. At 66+, the workload she is doing now is really amazing. She works 7 days a week for our people. She has no time to sick. She never failed to wave her hand and to fulfill campaign program regardless of her health.

No wonder she has received several honors from the various universities and countries. She is selfless and her action proof that. She has put her personal life behind and make those all setback become strength to drive her move even faster. Detaining her alone in the house did not make her ambition spoil. It even make her stronger woman and more determined person. We, all burmese, are lucky to have such a lady. She represents our dream. She brings our hope to real life. We'll definitely vote her party, NLD, in upcoming election. She'll win by landslide result if the election is supposed to hold free and fair way. Lets see how much ruling party is fulfilling their promises with regard to upcoming by-election to the international community. It's crystal clear that NLD is going to win this time.

May we able to see our lady in the parliament soonest possible to escape our plights. If things goes right, we'll surely catch up island state within 20 years time. Our lady is already eye a place to be ahead of ASEAN as well as regional. Time will tell us. We trust in our lady and more importantly time to return home is coming soon day after day. Thanks the lady for making our life alive again.

Why not Burma in the list?

EVERY Friday, I received advertising email from Jetstar Airways as I was a register customer. Also notice on local papers that there are several low cost carrier advertising their highlighting routes for lowest fare possible. As Airasia's famous quote "Everybody can fly now", their convincing advertising seem their offer can be easily afforded by everybody. But what make me disappoint is I am unable to find my country's cities in the list. Even Cambodia has two cities in the list at capital city, Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. In fact, Myanmar is best known for its natural resource and wild beautiful spots that could easily attract any tourist from the world. We have several beaches to compete with Thailand & Indonesia's famous beaches. Our ancient city, Bagan, is no less quality than Cambodia's Anchor Watt. We have three seasons at summer, rainy and winter that our fellow ASEAN countries don't have. Geographically, We are at the cross-road of Asia. We are real gateway to ASEAN region from Indian Ocean.

Given condition, our tourism deserve than current position. What make our country outside the list of promotion? Perhaps, the difficulty of getting Visa and lack of cooperation with regional body are some of the reason behind. Why not our authority open fully to the market to ease transportation? If we are suppose to develop our tourism, we have to create level ground in the market. We are going to enter free-trade zone within ASEAN in 2015 which is near future. Our local companies should have been exposure with outside world amap. To date, we are still not eligible to enjoy promotion packages that are offered by low cost carrier while our counterparts from other countries enjoy to its fullest. I would like to request our authority to review the situation and improve the connectivity by allowing regional rivals to fly our land. It won't be a solution if our authority afraid of losing when they open market in favor of crony-own flights. May our leaders be long-sighted people with the interest of our people.

Winner's Feeling

EIGHT months ago, I bought a SONY digital photo frame to give birthday present for my one year old daughter. As she cross one year anniversary line, she started to recognize her surrounding and my wife and I wanted her to see us oftenly. Following one of my friends suggestion, we bought a photo frame and installed several hundred photos in it. I left the photo frame after returning to celebrate her birthday with the prospect of getting her recognition. My wife and I are working in foreign land and leave our child alone behind our home land. Thus, we afraid that she'll not recognize us once she grow up and able to understand that her parent are leaving her alone for money chasing job. We wanted to minimize the cold relationship and want her familiarize with us through the help of photo frame. The photo frame also can play some background music while the photos are moving in style. We hope she'll find it interesting and used to see us and familiarize by time. This is solely reason why we bought a digital photo frame from one IT show.

Couple week ago, I got one invitation from SONY to participate in S-Frame Survey Contest via email. I was needed to answer 10 questions online and conclude with one essay to show how does it useful to user. I sincerely wrote how does it help us in bridging mission between us and our little princess. For us, it's invaluable in term of helping rate to warm up cold relationship. It's only one option to convince our daughter who still can't speak. Surprisingly, today I receive a congratulation letter from SONY saying I am winner of the S-Frame Survey Contest. I never won such competition in my life and this is first ever time I did so. It's amazing to know I am winner despite the prize is not attractive. In the same email, they mention a place to collect price and things to produce while collection is made. The prize is S$50 voucher. I believe something is better than nothing. As we all know that nothing is free in this cynical world and I am glad to go and collect my prize. I can't really wait to get this evening.

Thanks SONY, I'll keep participating in future contests if invited.

Myanmar Hospitality 3

FOLLOWING the irregular sound, people get back the car to look for a faulty part again. This time, sound come out of body and people crawl and look the lower part of car body. They found one faulty item which is disconnect with the part that is suppose to join. The experienced villagers immediately know some parts have been dropped in the stream where we trap in. They without delaying rush back to the creek which is 20 minute running distance from the sense. Luckily, they managed to retrieve some missing parts under water and return to car to repair. As these all parts are not work well, they needed to modify and customize some part to repair. About half an hour later the faulty body have been rectified and we are ready to off again.

I don't know how to thank them really. The way they are helping is really appreciable. They seem have no expectation for their helping. There are altogether 5 persons who have been assisting our repairing process since morning. I requested their mother to accept some money to recognize her son's tireless afford. The father shouted at mum not to accept my money on the spot. She only take only when we double request to take this, otherwise we won't be happy. In fact the amount I gave her again is quite small compare to their help. It was only 5,000 Ks (S$ 7.81) for their almost the whole day hard working. In total, I paid them 10,000 Ks for their invaluable service. They gave us a plastic water tank to top up heating water on the journey as we still have long way to go. Besides, they gave us their home phone no to call if there is something wrong on the journey. Even they promised us to come and fetch with their own jeep in case we need. They show their sympathy to us due to our a little over one year old daughter. Fortunately, our little princess didn't add burden to the existing crisis. She just curiously look around as that journey was her first ever out of her room in life.

In brief, I learned a good lesson from the trip with regard to our people's hospitality. I will never forget such help and hope to get a chance to repay their exceptional help in future. This life time experience really make me proud of being Myanmar citizen.

Uphill Task

TODAY my sister in-law will come to lion city with the prospect of getting a job. Just like other foreign workers, she has to pass all the barrier if she is about to succeed her mission. As we all know that there is no other time than post CNY days for any job seeker. Under the usual circumstance, we have to agree with the higher probability for job hunter. However, this year is going to be a strange year for foreign workers in the wake of 2012 budget. The latest budget brought one apparent cruel package towards foreign workers as well as SMEs bosses. The foreign workers levies is to be raised while dependency ceiling ration decreased to 20% from current 25% for construction sector. The same manner apply to manufacturing and servicing sector that hit rock due to their labor-intensive nature. The good news is some MPs and local business men calling budget too much to handle to them. Despite the budget bring several schemes to raise productivity, most of the employers feel they can't raise productivity over the night. They need time to practice. The major reason behind the policy change is to create better chance for unemployed locals who keep noisy towards government policy makers.

In fact, foreign workers are working in the jobs that most of locals shy away from. They are plugging in the gap in those 3D works. Some SMEs know it's mission impossible to convince locals to work those hard works with long hours. But the government has shown how much they have taken into consideration for the benefit of its people despite the voices from some walk of life. Anyway, the recent policy change will definitely affect on foreign workers especially on the new comers. Nowadays, we heard a lot unsuccessful work passes application around us. Besides, even some existing work pass holders unable to extend their expired pass. It doesn't matter how much the employer need them in some cases. I'm sure the new requirements to qualify for work pass has made those job expectant hard to meet.

In this circumstance, my sister arrives on with the recognized diploma and 5 years local experience. We hope for her success while expecting the worst. Currently we could pray hardest for her luck drive well to get grant visa when she enter Singapore this evening. Later on, we'll see how and the time will tell us her destiny sooner or later. May all job hunters get favorable result amid turbulent job market.