Peninsular unrest

PENINSULAR, sound beautiful to speak and looks nice by its sleek shape. In realistic world, peninsular in the region are not feeling well for the time being. Most visibly, Korean peninsular is at the risk of nuclear war flash point and the world is exciting looking at its updated news. Small but poisonous nation is N Korea that always seek controversial matter. World's citizen were surprised to learn North's leader has signed the documents to declare 'state of war' with south recently. Since then US and its major ally South's troops has been alerted to maximum level to counter potential attack from North. The region is of course not happy to learn the longest war story between Korean. We all know that nuclear war will adversely affect the region both political and economic ground. I am hopeful that US led allies will have enough capacity to sabotage north's attempt to invade others' territories. 

Korean peninsular is not alone with trouble in the region. Look Malaysian peninsular and we see some flash points between Malaysian army troops and Philippine's self-claim intruders. Nevertheless, the local people have been suffering from the unrest happening to their soil. Likewise, Thailand's peninsular is always problematic place with southern most islamist seperatist group. Thailand has been struggling to restore the place from terrorists threats and bombing frequently. Luckily, Myanmar's southern peninsular is still peaceful and wish our region free from war and unrest for ever. We do not want war indeed. War never give us a good things. It only produce regrettable things that make families broken and people disables. We have so many other things to worry about in life. Let's make our world a peaceful place together to live in. Our world has been very good to us and we owe a peaceful atmosphere to our planet.

May our world free from the wars at all time.

Accommodation headache

WE all know that Singapore is one of the most expensive cities in the world. If I am not wrong it is ranked 6th most expensive city worldwide in recent survey. As a married couple, we need to rent a room in public housing as our work pass type do not provide accommodation by our respective employer. We need to pay S$850 per month for a common room with air-condition. There are quite basis furniture provided inside, such as small wardrobe and raw bed frames for two. Other amenities such as washing machine, gas stove & refrigerator need to be shared with other flatmates. Last week our head tenant sms me to notify the news that he may need to adjust room rental fees based on new extended contract. The message highlight us that room rental is going to be S$900 with effect from May 1 this year. 

In fact, it is complying term and condition which allow both sides to give one month prior notice for terminating their current deal. Of course the message is not for good for all of us but have to consume if we cannot find new cheaper place. Finding a cheap and proper place within short period is not an easy job. Moving one place after another is also a task we all don't want to do frequently. As such, my wife and I have to continue pay with new rate as we believe our head tenant also needs to pay government more. Coming Saturday, two sisters and my daughter will come here to visit us during school summer holiday. Upon my enquiry on how much extra room-rental need to pay this month, he just sms me to pay S$400 more for 2 adults and 1 kid for their 30 days stay.

I was expecting to pay S$300 for premium as PUB bill may go up due to more users during my family visit. When I receive the sms saying 400, I am really upsetting as it is not expected amount. I replied sms to counter-offer with 300 as like last year and he counter sms me to make deal as middle at $350 which I agreed. If he is me, I would not take so much extra for family short visiting. But understand that everybody has their own set of attitude toward things. I have to respect it. One thing I could do to protest is to give 1 month prior notice to move out next month and find new place. As the current place is quite comfortable for us and I tried to persuade my wife to continue stay. It is always my wife to complain room rental fees and I avoided to keep move. Perhaps the moving story would be coming our way sooner than later in search of cheaper place.

Unexpected return

IT was about 9:00 PM when I received a call from my friend. He seem panic with the matter. Once I asked the cause, he said that he just lost his wallet and don't know what to do next. I asked him to report the bank and police as soon as possible. He only knew his wallet has been dropped on the way when he pull out to pay his phone-bill payment at nearby 7-Eleven store. He immediately rush back the way he just walked through to find nothing. He then called me for advice as he is distraught at least for that particular moment. 

I tried to console him not to panic. I shared him a story in which my colleague had lost his wallet two times and get it back later. Few minutes later, my friend called me back to tell me good news. Like my friend, I was amazing to learn that he had got his wallet from neighborhood police station upon report. What a good feeling will it be for a person who just lost and panic for losing wallet is it? I could imagine how my friend would be happy. He said, police just asked him to fill up the form and ask if there are some items which he didn't fill up. He said 'yes' and police asked him why not in the reporting list. He answered, he didn't report them because they are deemed minor items. Then, police no longer ask him and pass wallet to my friend. My friend was so happy and grateful to a person who has returned his wallet. Sadly, he didn't ask police who had returned wallet.

My friend was so impressed with the rule of law happening in this small island nation. And he told me that he wants to share his experience on social media service like Facebook if he can write. I didn't pledge him to write the post on my blog one day. Now I feel that I should record the true story so that I could able to recall when we are getting old and of course share the good attitude of unsung hero who has found somebody's wallet on public road and returned to police without taking a single piece inside. Hopefully my friend and I will try to do the same manner if we got the chance finding things not belong to us on public places in future. If all the people around the world adapt such manner, our world will become a peaceful place to live in for doubtless.

EOS lesson

SECOND time in a row, my daughter will come visit us this Saturday. As a part of preparation, my wife and I bought a digital SLR camera to capture lifetime memory during our daughter's month long holiday here. We attempted to buy similar quality camera last year just before our daughter visits us for first time. After prolong discussion with some close friends who already owned DSLR camera and we chose not to buy it. The common reason that bar us was the problem attaching with DSLR camera's maintenance. We learned that the major risk with DSLR camera is moisture that make lens kit infected with fungus which can cost owner few hundreds dollars.

With the desire of my wife, we bought it on last expo sale to taste DSLR experience. As a beginner level, I needed to learn from A to Z by reading all inclusive manual books to familiarize myself with camera components as well as how to operate it properly. It is easier said than done. As a compact family camera user, almost everything with DSLR camera is new and advanced technology. It took me some sizeable time to understand some basis to begin operation. Besides, I need to make sure the dry cabinet is set at 45% RH value as it is recommended by manufacturer. Dry cabinet is another area I needed to learn together with DSLR camera. I sometime felt that I have bought a troublesome expensive toy to punish my desire. When we don't have things, we want to own it. When getting, it turn us to worry from losing, spoiling, etc. As time is limit, I certainly need to surrender doing something I like such as reading and surfing because we could able to do once at a time. Hopefully, owning DSLR camera will make us worth for investing our hard-earn money in the long run despite we got initial difficulties which is temporary.

Japanese make us dream

ANOTHER mission I am attached during my recent trip back Rangoon is to detect the land related rumor and make a decision to mitigate the risk. Hence, I managed to visit the area where my land plots are existing. The lands are locating just beside mouth-watering project called Thilawa Industrial Zone which will be developed by Japanese assistance. As a promising land, everybody wants to own a piece of parcel land around the region. I am not exception and purchased two plots with the help of my friend since a year ago. In recent months, there were some bad news saying residents are striking for their rights against government's order to move out with immediate manners. Nobody know the true story. But such news make land owners concern with their unfenced land parcels indeed. Especially for owner like me because the money I paid was hard-earn money. I may not afford to miss my land for certain reasons. 

Fortunately, I won an air ticket lucky draw and decided to visit the place. I went the industrial zone with the intention of assessment toward current affairs. I last visited 7 months ago and see some visible improvement in infra-structure. Also found some basic tests conducted by JICA. Some local companies already started their operation to figure out their dream. I witnessed the huge block which is meant for Japanese investors. There are planned residential block next to Japanese firm's industrial wards bordering with two ways concrete pavement roads. There are several busy trucks with carrying soil from one place to another to make some plots get level ground before it is go ahead with development. When I asked my friend where is affected area related to recent protest, he explained by showing the places and it help me decide on whether sell back or maintain my land.

In fact, there are buyers there but hardly found no sellers for the land plots. There are some property agent offices by the roads. There are some stalls to feed patronage around. There are some cars looking forward a suitable deal. There are some people who are looking at their property in physical. I also witness some transaction between seller and buyer through agent. I visited regional government authority office which is governing on all transaction. All buyers have to come across that office to check the documents are correct or not. Some owners are busying with constructing of fencing to their plots so that they can block some intruders inside their premise. It also serve to warn other onlookers that the land is belong to somebody else. In brief, the lands are quite promising to own as Thilawa Industrial Zone is quite sure thing to be developed right now. It is widely considered the first priority of ruling government during their term and meant to open phase-1 before next election on 2015. I finally easy to make decision not to sell back my plots for good investment. I however realize that the value of land in future will purely fall on the Japanese firms. For the time being, people who own a piece of lands including me are day dreaming with the prospect of successful industrial park in near future coming in without falsifying.