Here’s an interesting article. This article might help keep realistic expectations for Pinoy’s trying their luck in the Singapore employment scene.
As of last quarter, there were less workers that were hired compared to the number of workers that left or lost their jobs putting Singapore’s unemployment rate at a three year high at 3.3%. Last March, there were just 31 openings for every 100 jobseekers – far from 114 for every 100 last year.
According to an article on Today Newspaper, the unemployment rate could still go up to 4-4.5% this year.
The Great Singapore Sale is just around the corner with discounts of up to 70% off. (That’s according to their official site. Which ones are at 70% off exactly, beats me.) The sale starts May 29, 2009 and will run until July 26 2009.
It’s time to go bargain hunting once again. I’d say the best time to be a tourist on a shopping spree would be [Read more →]
I’m usually oblivious to these kinds of news but since coming home to Manila, Katrina Halili and Hayden Koh has been all over the TV and the newspapers.
All I can say is I pity Katrina Halili. She must feel so violated for having been filmed without her consent. I bet Hayden’s mom is so proud.
I guess it was bound to happen sooner or later that swine flu hits the Philippines. I just hope that the Department of Health is prepared enough to tackle the virus and keep it from spreading and that people at risk of contracting the virus are responsible enough to quarantine themselves until they are 100% sure they are free of the virus. [Read more →]
I just noticed a few days ago that the trains on the green East-West line (or was it the Red line?) now have LED indicators to help people especially tourists figure out where they are, and where the train is headed – much like trains in Hong Kong. I think this is a very useful feature since I notice a lot of tourists taking the train from the airport to the city have big question marks on their faces while looking at the train map.
I was introduced to Photofrenz.com through one of those regular IT fairs at Suntec last year when we bought a wireless router from Linksys. It came with free credits if you sign up for Photofrenz.
I used my credits to create a Travel book for our recent trip to Italy. Here’s what I think about their service. [Read more →]
In yet another exciting match vs Hatton, Manny has proved to be the best pound for pound boxer today making Pinoys all over the world happy and proud. The match was just how I like it – short and sweet. It was a quick happy ending and as always Manny made it look too easy.
One of the limitations I find frustrating with the iPod and the iTunes is that it’s not very straightforward – especially when it comes to tinkering with your podcasts. The iPod is very dependent on the iTunes that it syncs to. For me, the primary use of my iPod is really to listen to podcasts more than listening to music.
The problem I keep encountering is that you can’t just move your podcasts directory around since iTunes wouldn’t be able to track where you put them. When you do this, you need to double click on each file and locate the new path for that file which is tedious. (Tedious would be an understatement if you’re talking about hundreds of files!)
Another problem I had was how to move my podcasts to a new laptop. Currently, I’ve been syncing my iPod with the iTunes that’s on my desktop computer. But since I’ll be away for about 6 months, I decided to transfer my podcasts to a portable computer (Macbook) so I can sync anytime.
I’ve googled intensively trying to find a way how to go about this and I’ve even encountered some sites that seem to be helpful but didn’t really work for me. Anyway, I’ve listed them down just in case someone else is having the same problem and these sites might be able to help them: [Read more →]
I got this link through one of those forwarded emails (which I usually don’t read). This is a short movie by Ferdinand Dimadura that won the 2006 Berlin International Film Festival on the theme food, taste and hunger. The story is moving and the song he created to go with it fits perfectly. I hope this movie not only tells a story but also invites action. [Read more →]
Here’s an alternative to www.streetdirectory.com that I recently added to my list of useful links –> www.gothere.sg. Personally, I find the interface of gothere.sg more pleasing and easier to use.
Yesterday was like any. It was very hot like always and last night was no different. But for a brief moment the winds suddenly went from still to crazy. I was surfing on my laptop, when suddenly I heard what seemed to me like trucks outside our bedroom window passing by and for a moment I dismissed it as that but then I realized how could I be hearing trucks when our unit is on the 14th floor! Then I thought, it’s probably hubby watching YouTube on the other room with the volume on way high.
But then I heard hubby calling me with a little panic in his voice. [Read more →]
I dunno if it’s just all the pc’s that I have access to – maybe because the cookie is set or something but when I visited the home page of the National Geographic Magazine, it’s my shot that’s displayed on the upper left corner which links to the Daily Dozen. I guess it’s no biggie, but it makes me kilig and excited.
A really heartfelt thank you to everyone who voted for my shot – especially to those who invited their other friends to vote for me and to those who didn’t know me and still voted. I know there are a lot of great/er shots in the set and if you’ve already voted you would have noticed that the odds of me getting the top vote are slim but I still really appreciate all the support. Voting is until May 4. Of course, still wouldn’t hurt if you still vote for my shot. Anything is possible, right? Thank you, thank you, thank you!
My pic got chosen in the Nat Geo’s Daily Dozen for Week 4. I’m not sure how easy or hard it is to get chosen because this was my first entry but nevertheless it got me excited. So maybe you can help me take this to the next level and vote for the pic through this link: http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/your-shot/voting-machine (hopefully by giving me a rating of 10 )
Whadaya know? A few days after my post on Hawker horror stories, some 100+ people got food poisoning from a Hawker stall in Geylang selling Rojak. There was even 1 casualty and at least 1 woman got a miscarriage. Prior to this, I always tried to convince myself that my fears are just over the top since I haven’t heard of any major food poisoning or outbreak in the news. This is tragic and scary and just validates my fear of hawker hygiene. I hope this event make people take food hygiene more seriously.
As much as I love hawker food, I’m never at ease with eating at just any Hawker place. That’s because I’m not really sure how they prepare and handle the food. There are definitely hawker places that serve delicious food which makes my “perceived” risk worth it for me. But then there are other places that are just BLAH. I just get so annoyed with myself for making myself eat there.
When I first came to Singapore, I had to get used to the idea of eating at Hawker centres because I had the impression it was dirty. Call me sensitive, but I’m the type of person who can’t stand eating in front of other stranger’s leftovers and dirty dishes. I also get uneasy eating with people who put their discarded food on the table or the tray instead of on a separate plate or on the edge of their own plate. The sight just completely wipes out my appetite. Fortunately, I’ve adapted quite well and gotten used to it – except for that one Hawker place behind my previous workplace where apparently ALL the dishes were just gathered by the faucet near the entrance waiting to be washed. I almost puked and I was wondering to myself if I was the only one bothered by it. And it was also beyond me how those dishes are going to be washed thoroughly that way. I’m sure some hawker centres wash the dishes the same way but I would rather not see it. After all, out of sight is out of mind.
Today when I went down to the Kopitiam just beneath our HDB block for lunch, I ordered at this mixed veggies stall and told the Auntie, I just wanted a small amount of rice. And though it seemed like she heard and understood me, she still came back with a big full cup of rice. So I told her I just wanted half of it, so she went back to her rice station and put half of my rice back. In the process my rice got out of its cup shape, and she simply but it back in shape using her hands. I wanted to scream “STOOOPP!!!” But I didn’t and just proceeded to point at the dishes I wanted to go with my rice. After which I then asked her how much. She said S$3.50, and I gave her a S$5 bill which she took with the same hand she shaped my rice with. The same hand she used to give me change. While eating, all I can think of is the Safeguard and the Dettol advertisement showing all that invisible germs in my rice.
That reminded me of my first time ever eating at a Hawker centre. [Read more →]
I recently upgraded my Sony Ericsson K610i to the LG Secret K750. I’m not really the type who needs to have the latest phone on hand but our phone package allowed us to upgrade phones every year which we didn’t do last year and hubby thinks we’re losing out. (Yeah, we’re suckers for marketing schemes that make us think we’re saving when we’re actually spending.) To me, as long as the it can call, has a calendar, alarm then it all’s well. Before my Sony Ericsson K610i, I was purely a Nokia phone user. One of my apprehensions with switching to a different brand of phone is having to get used to the different features. But with the Sony Ericsson, I didn’t have too much of a problem. In fact, I found my Sony EricssonK610i very user friendly and convenient. I expected pretty much the same for my transition to the LG Secret K750. [Read more →]
So maybe you can help me take this to the next level and vote for the pic through this link: 
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