Steve Jobs 1955-2011

What Steve Jobs created, was not just amazing products, but an entire way of life. Apple's iPhone, iPad, Macbook, has defined the way we live today. And the way we communicate with each other. Look all around you and someone will have an Apple product in their household. Kids want them, adults need them. Especially when we have friends/relatives overseas, Face Time is invaluable. The stability and quality of Apple products are legendary. And the whole concept of iTunes and the Apps... Nothing else comes close.

Not just Apple fans, but the whole world will miss Steve Jobs. He is an absolute genius. May his legend and spirit live on.

Razor Thin

So the results of the Presidential elections in Singapore are officially out. After a recount and a nail biting finish. Dr Tony Tan won by a razor thin margin. Only 7000 plus votes. After more than 2 millions votes were cast. That's about 0.38% only. And he only got the votes of 37% of the people of Singapore.

I was disappointed. Very disappointed. I felt that Dr Tan Cheng Bock, who came in a close second was a clear winner. He spoke from the heart and he would be a people's president. And he would unite Singapore under one president. I didn't think Dr Tony Tan would be able to achieve that given that there are a lot of Singaporeans who are still anti-PAP. And everyone knows Dr TT is the unofficial PAP candidate.

I hope the ruling party gets the message. I hope they realise that even in their own party, the people are split. It will be a long 5 years for them. They need to start listening to the ground instead of living on their own high horse. And finding better PAP candidates to represent the people.

The Presidential Elections

This Saturday is the Presidential Elections for Singapore. This follows a rather interesting General Elections earlier in the year. And this time there are 4 candidates. Previously there haven't been as many (or even just one). So it's going to be very interesting. Even if I'm just going to be sitting on the sidelines.

For one thing, in this elections, only the post of President is up. And in Singapore, the post of the president is very different from the president of other countries. The President of Singapore doesn't have as many executive roles. As far as I know, he has the final say on the use of the country's reserve. He doesn't have any political clout on any other government policies. But he is an important figure to Singapore as he represents Singapore to other countries.

For the 4 candidates in the elections, this is important. There is no use campaigning about being the voice of the people or wanting to institute change. I think most of Singapore is also aware. And the elected president will also have to be able to conduct himself properly in the international scene. I don't think Singaporeans want someone to stir up more trouble with the government itself.

That being said, since the president is supposed to safeguard the reserves, he should also be one to stand his ground if he feels the government is using the reserves unnecessarily. So he needs to be someone who doesn't just agree with everything that the government does. Most of the candidates at the moment are trying hard to show that they have their own mind. But in the end, whoever Singapore ends up voting, has to be someone that the whole of Singapore can stand behind.

MIA

For the next week, our family will not be around in Singapore. We are all taking a much needed break over in Melbourne, Australia. It's been 8 years since I've left Melbourne after graduation. And I haven't been back. I do miss Melbourne. I have lots of good memories of Melbourne. And I've made a few good friends there too. It will be great seeing some of them again and visiting some of our old haunts.

Of course the kids will be going with us this time. And we will be doing some fun stuff with the kids. Including bringing them up to Mount Buller to play in the snow. Bryan is super excited about it.

I spent the last weekend packing. Had to start packing early. So I don't forget anything. With the kids around, I need to pack for them too. And I definately can't forget things like the socks, underwear etc. I almost forget that we are going to Melbourne. If we do forget anything, we are probably going to find it in a shopping centre there...

Busy Weekend

I was hoping to have a few photos of stuff we did over the weekend to post. It was a weekend with the kids.

On Sat, I spent the morning with Gabriel. Took him for a bit of shopping. He was very good. And in the afternoon, I took Bryan for his Chinese class, and bought him a new pajamas.

Sunday we went to church. And had lunch at Raffles City. The boys were quite well behaved. Bryan finished his fried rice all by himself. So in the afternoon, I brought Bryan to the nearby public library to borrow some books. It's his second time there and he was very excited about the trip.

But for some reason, I've been exhausted the whole weekend. Didn't pick up my camera. I wondered if it's because hubbie isn't around. He left for a photography trip in China. Well, he'll be back on Wednesday. It's been a while since hubbie travelled by himself for business or otherwise. So I do miss him a lot.

Great Shots

It didn't rain today. Yay! So we finally made our zoo trip. I managed a couple of really good shots. Some of the animals were cooperative today. We walked all the way up to the Kidzworld, where Bryan rode on the pony. Then we took the relaxing boat ride back to the exit. Gabriel sat in his pram and enjoyed the view.

Rain, Rain, Go Away

It was a very cool, rainy weekend here in Singapore. Which brought us relief from the usual hot sun. But it also meant that we couldn't do anything outdoors. We had planned a zoo trip, but it was raining quite a bit.

So we decided to go shopping indoors instead. Bryan picked up some more Toy Story 3 stuff. And we found the Lotso bear. It even had the strawberry scent. So cute, cuddly and PINK! Gabriel liked it. So I used that excuse to buy it. Heh.

We spent the nights watching the World Cup quarterfinals. I've always been a fan of Brazil. So I was a quite disappointed when they lost. Oh well, next time. Meanwhile, I thought Germany played really well. And they beat Argentina 4-nil. I think they have quite a good chance of winning this year.

Resorts World Singapore

A bit of a disappointment really. Nothing much was open. Only the casino. But we did visit the lobbies of the hotels there just to have a look. We didn't go into the casino because there was a levy of $100 just for citizens/PRs to go in. And the parking fee was exhorbitant - $8 for 2 hours... Definately not going back there until the Waterfront area and the Universal Studios is open.

Flash Flood

I finally understand the meaning of 'flash flood'. Yesterday, there was a sudden huge downpour during lunch. And within just half an hour, the huge canal in between Bukit Timah Road and Dunearn Road filled up almost to the brim. And it overflowed at the lower lying areas. Right next to the clinic.

We watched as the main road became almost impassable to traffic. There was a major jam right outside the door. Apparently the waters were knee high at some parts of the flood. And we had some cancellations of appointments.

Then as suddenly as the water levels rose, once the rain petered out, the water levels dropped, and the road became passable once again. It must have been quite a deluge to actually overwhelm the canal system. I was a little worried that I may not be able to leave the clinic at all. By the end of the day, everything seemed back to normal except for a few stalled cars at the roadside.

The flood was all over the papers today. The photos were quite stunning. It reminded me of the times before the canal was widened, when Bukit Timah Road used to flood quite a bit. We always had to avoid that stretch of road whenever it rained heavily. I hope yesterday's flash flood is just a one time thing.

Congratulations Larry & Connie

This is the One Degree Marina Club. It's tucked into a corner of Sentosa. In the middle of all these developments. But it's actually very nice. Quiet, serene. When we were arriving, we saw a couple taking their wedding photos. I think it's a very unique venue to have a wedding dinner.

And Congratulations to the happy couple, Larry & Connie. The decorations were a lovely mix of roses and lilies. I especially liked the centrepieces, a very pretty candle. The bride wore a beautiful wedding dress, embroided with beads and crystals in the bodice. Absolutely gorgeous. It was too bad we had to leave early. I would have liked to have tried out the dessert, a mix of ice cream, cakes, brownies... Yumm...

Work Life Balance

After 2 years of going to Saturday afternoon lectures and tutorials. Then exams in the past couple of weeks. I'm finally done with my postgrad studies. It's such a relief! I think I'm developing mild post traumatic stress disorder from my OSCEs. I still get a bit of palpitations when I think about it. Which I think should get much better after I get the results next week. *Crossing my fingers*

I do feel much more relaxed at work now. I used to study when I can catch a breath between consultations. And I don't mind that my clinic is picking up and I see more patients in the morning too.

Yummy Dessert

Met my best friends on Saturday for lunch at Cedele. The pasta was quite good. I had the mushroom bacon one. The soups were ok only though. Neither of us had the sandwiches or the main courses, so no comments there. But we did have the dessert, which looked really yummy. It was a Chocolate dessert. There was a chocolate cake and brownie with strawberry sauce. Mmmm...

Falling Sick

Both my boys are down with a rather nasty cough. It's one of those coughs that sound really gunky and phlegmy. And I wince when I hear it. Bryan doesn't seem to be very much bothered by it. He's as active as usual but he does get tired out a little bit more. But he's been good. He is waits until I'm done with Gabriel before he takes his medication or his temperature. At least I don't have to worry about him too much.

It's Gabriel that's seems to be much more miserable. He also doesn't seem to be able to clear his throat as easily. He also wants to be carried more and he feels more lethargic. At night, he wakes up a couple of times feeling miserable. Sigh... My poor baby. I've given him all the medication that he's able to take. The last time he had such bad bronchitis was a few months ago. He took 2 whole weeks to recover. I hope he gets over this one faster though. I miss his usual happy, cheerful self.

Weekend Photos

Bryan at Seletar Country Club where he swims for fun on weekends.



Gabriel enjoying himself in his cot. He can play quietly by himself for a while, which is great when I need to get things done.

Flu Pandemic

The WHO (World Health Organisation) has just upgraded their flu alert from a 4 to 5.

"Phase 5 is characterized by human-to-human spread of the virus into at least two countries in one WHO region. While most countries will not be affected at this stage, the declaration of Phase 5 is a strong signal that a pandemic is imminent and that the time to finalize the organization, communication, and implementation of the planned mitigation measures is short."

So far, 9 countries have officially lab confirmed 148 cases with 8 official deaths from the H1N1 virus. But these are official figures. Unofficially, it's something like 2500 with the flu and 152 attributed deaths. "Swine" flu is a misnomer. It's actually an assortment of human, avian and swine flu genetic sequences.

Interestingly, the death rate in Mexico seems to be very much higher than in the other countries affected. Some believe that it may have been around for sometime and there is a possibility of tens of thousands being affected. However, it wasn't reported until now, when the death rate started to rise. There is possibly a complicating factor of malnutrition, crowding and poor housing. Also antivirals need to be taken within hours of onset of illness in order to be effective. But the people in Mexico may not have seeked medical advice until it was too late or if at all.

We in Singapore are very much more prepared this time round after the SARS incident. Even in my clinic, all staff each wear an N95 mask and gown. Patients with flu symptoms and a travel history are immediately identified and isolated. Hopefully it's enough to at least slow down the spread of the flu.

Of note, the seasonal flu kills 250,000 people a year worldwide. But we currently have a flu vaccine to prevent this.

In contrast, the Spanish flu in 1918 and 1919 killed some 50 million people worldwide in just that year alone. The virus is also a H1N1 virus. The way it worked in theory was that it overstimulated the immune system, ultimately causing destruction of the lung tissue. Hence the people who died were young adults with strong immune systems.

Interestingly, our current flu vaccines do provide partial protection against the 1918 strain, according to tests done by the US CDC in 2006. But it's yet to be proven if current vaccines protect against the Mexico strain.

Watch this spot for the latest updates.

Wild Weather

If I thought Singapore was hot, the weather in Victoria, Australia was worse. Apparently, the temperatures over the past week soared to an unbelievable 47 degrees. Setting off bushfires over hundreds of hectares of land. The death toll alone has reached past 100, with thousands left homeless.

It's also shocking to hear that some of the fires were deliberately lit.

Police now suspect arsonists could have caused the deaths of more than 130 people in the weekend's horrific fires.

CFA volunteers are still battling 15 fires across Victoria after containing 17 others and bringing 99 under control.
--Herald Sun

My heart goes out to all those who have lost family, friends and homes in this disaster. Melbourne holds a special place in my heart, having spent 7 years of my life there. I have friends living out there as well and I hope that they are ok too.

Meanwhile, the worst is not yet over. Fires are expected to continue burning.

Fire authorities warned bushfires would continue to burn in the coming weeks and asked all Victorians, including those in metropolitan Melbourne, to be prepared to fires particularly with next week's predicted hot weather.
--Herald Sun

Click here to donate to the Red Cross Victorian Bushfire Appeal

Mozzie Izzues

The weather lately has been rather erratic. Mostly hot with spots of showers. This is the perfect condition for mosquito breeding.

My poor little Gabriel has got so many mozzie bites, mostly on his arms and a couple on his face. *#!#@! mosquitoes. I hope you fly into a window pane and DIE! *evil laugh*

Happy 'Niu' Year!

This lunar new year, we welcome the year of the Ox. It's a year of hard work for all of us. Meanwhile, to welcome the new year, my in-laws got new curtains for the house.

Patience

We had this air plant on our window sill for almost 2 years. It finally flowered!

Recall of White Rabbit Candy

That used to be my favourite candy while growing up. I must have consumed packets of it so far. Maybe that explains why I didn't graduate with honours.

Also other foods officially recalled include the Dutch Lady brand of strawberry milk. Which has also been shown to contain melamine.

Melamine - used to manufacture glues, fabrics, flame retardants and inks. It is also used to make fertilizers. It is an irritant when inhaled or in contact with skin. Ingested, it can lead to acute renal failure, kidney stones, reproductive damage and bladder cancers. Melamine crystals don't dissolve easily and there is potential for chronic toxicity. (Wikipedia)

In 2007, there was a recall of pet foods due to the amount of melamine found in them, causing hundreds of pet deaths in the US. Melamine has no nutritional value but is high in nitrogen content It was added to increase nitrogen content in the pet food and hence artificially elevate the amount of 'protein' in the food to pass minimal requirements. (Wikipedia)

Now, it's milk products from China. Suppliers believed to be trying to cut costs have added it to watered-down milk to cover up the resulting protein deficiency. It's estimated that about 20% of milk from China is contaminated with melamine. With thousands of infants affected and already 4 deaths, those involved should be shot. Not only that, but it appears that the milk company may have already known about the contamination as early as July/August but withheld this information from the public and didn't recall any of it's products. It was only when a NZ company notified the NZ government which in turn informed the Chinese government then did the situation come to light.

Who knows what other things are going on in China. I'm checking all food labels from now on, I'll avoid anything from China. And I'm prepared to pay the premium for imported milk/foodstuff from Australia/NZ.