It really has been a long time since I lost wrote. I've been so busy getting ready and furthermore I didn't have broadband anymore (didn't think it was worth having it when I was about to leave) so I was stuck with dial-up for about 2-3 weeks. It was really terrible, anyone who have moved from LAN/broadband to dial-up (56k) would understand how I feel. There is no more instant responses. It takes about half and hour for me to just read my e-mails!
Anyhow, that is over and now that I've settled down I thought I'd starting writing again.
Settled down, yup, I'm now in Melbourne. I took me a while to get the hang of it but it is great now. T is still sleeping, enjoying the warmth of the bedroom/bed. Now the only thing is for me to look forward to working. Just wondering if I can push my starting date to a little later to just go a for a little break. It is so nice to be sleeping with him again.
At least the NKF saga is now over. But it seems to me that things moved a little too fast.
So now that my new life has started. It isn't as easy as I thought it would be. The good-byes at the airport was really terrible but I know I'll survive. I felt so homesick the first few days I was here. Wondering if I made the right decision and if this is where the Lord wants me to me. I was really blessed in moving here. It took me ages to get my PR (there were so many problems) but after that things started to look up. Before I came over, I already had a home, etc, etc done for me. I have a close friend in Australia who needed a roommate (at the right time) and I said that I would mind being his if he didn't mind waiting for a month or two before I arrive. So when I came here, I had everything, home, phone, internet connection... I just needed to transplant myself. Then the next thing was my job, I got one in the end 2 days before I arrived and now I'm just waiting for the big interview.
Back to the homesickness, I do hope that I'd be able to keep it in check as T will be going back to Singapore soon. I just pray that the Lord will give me strength and keep me busy so that I've no time to be really homesick. But I have survived in America when I had nothing (I had to find my own apartment, etc.) and had nobody to help me. I was really homesick then. Now, it is different, but the feeling of just wanting to drop everything and leave came back. It took me about 3-4 weeks to get over that in America, I wonder how long it will take for me to get into the routine here and start enjoying my life.
25 July 2005
14 July 2005
Backlash
NKF dropped the lawsuit against SPH yesterday after 2 days of cross-examination of the CEO. And now the backlash against NKF started. 3800 people have cancelled their monthly donations. Most of them said that they would resume donating when the CEO resigns.
I personally think that not only should the CEO resign but also the board of directors. I mean, the CEO had/did lots of things that they have to approve before he would dare to do it. For example, his 10 - 12 months bonuses during the time when Singaporeans either had: a) no job, b) suffered a pay cut. And in 2003 when he had a 10 month bouns, most people didn't get any bonus. The other example is NKF paying for his personal car's road tax and repairs.
So what I say is get the board and the CEO out instead of just the CEO.
I personally think that not only should the CEO resign but also the board of directors. I mean, the CEO had/did lots of things that they have to approve before he would dare to do it. For example, his 10 - 12 months bonuses during the time when Singaporeans either had: a) no job, b) suffered a pay cut. And in 2003 when he had a 10 month bouns, most people didn't get any bonus. The other example is NKF paying for his personal car's road tax and repairs.
So what I say is get the board and the CEO out instead of just the CEO.
13 July 2005
Ex-PM's wife's comments
I read with disbelief the under mentioned article. Mrs Goh (the wife of ex-PM of Singapore) making a statement like this?! Of all people I would have expected her to understand the situation but I was wrong.
NKF - charitable organisation indeed. Even I would like to be a CEO of NKF now. Who wouldn't want to earn so much money and all at the expense of well-wishers. And once again, I'm not saying that anyone should starve, but to became rich on other people's donated money is really too much.
What is the meaning of charity?
Although the law states that 30% of donations can be used for the running of a charitable organisation, it doesn't mean that all 30% has to be used up. And it doesn't mean that the 30% can be used to bestow lavish things, like gold taps and Mercedes Benz cars (6 in fact, company cars) on officers. It also doesn't mean that NKF should pay for their road tax, yes, Mr T. T. Durai's road tax, repairs for his personal Mercedes is paid for by NKF. Which means Singaporeans paid for his road tax and car repairs. Majority of whom use public transport.
*sigh*
------------------
The Straits Times
14 July 2005
MRS GOH: I've full trust in NKF and its CEO
The NKF's patron, Mrs Goh Chok Tong, told reporters at the close of the case that she had complete trust in the organisation and its chief executive. Mr T. T. Durai.
She had come to court on both days of the hearing and sat on the NKF side. Yesterday, she was there for part of the moring and again in the afternoon.
As Senior Conusel Davinder Singh led Mr Durai to concede point by point that he had no case, Mrs Goh, a lawyer, could be seen shaking her head.
After the hearing, Mrs Goh was asked by reporters what she thought about the way the case went.
She said it did not make sense to her to attack an organisation which helped the sick. All the NKF had wanted from The Straits Times was a retraction, she said, but the case had been extended to question NKF's transparency and "expensive things".
"Why make a fuss out of it?" she asked.
She said she would continue as patron, and added: "I have complete trust in the NKF and Mr Durai."
Asked if Mr Durai's annual salary and bonuse were "excessive", she replied: "For a person who runs a million-dollar charitable organisation, $600,000 is peanuts as it has a few hundred millions in reserves."
NKF - charitable organisation indeed. Even I would like to be a CEO of NKF now. Who wouldn't want to earn so much money and all at the expense of well-wishers. And once again, I'm not saying that anyone should starve, but to became rich on other people's donated money is really too much.
What is the meaning of charity?
Although the law states that 30% of donations can be used for the running of a charitable organisation, it doesn't mean that all 30% has to be used up. And it doesn't mean that the 30% can be used to bestow lavish things, like gold taps and Mercedes Benz cars (6 in fact, company cars) on officers. It also doesn't mean that NKF should pay for their road tax, yes, Mr T. T. Durai's road tax, repairs for his personal Mercedes is paid for by NKF. Which means Singaporeans paid for his road tax and car repairs. Majority of whom use public transport.
*sigh*
------------------
The Straits Times
14 July 2005
MRS GOH: I've full trust in NKF and its CEO
The NKF's patron, Mrs Goh Chok Tong, told reporters at the close of the case that she had complete trust in the organisation and its chief executive. Mr T. T. Durai.
She had come to court on both days of the hearing and sat on the NKF side. Yesterday, she was there for part of the moring and again in the afternoon.
As Senior Conusel Davinder Singh led Mr Durai to concede point by point that he had no case, Mrs Goh, a lawyer, could be seen shaking her head.
After the hearing, Mrs Goh was asked by reporters what she thought about the way the case went.
She said it did not make sense to her to attack an organisation which helped the sick. All the NKF had wanted from The Straits Times was a retraction, she said, but the case had been extended to question NKF's transparency and "expensive things".
"Why make a fuss out of it?" she asked.
She said she would continue as patron, and added: "I have complete trust in the NKF and Mr Durai."
Asked if Mr Durai's annual salary and bonuse were "excessive", she replied: "For a person who runs a million-dollar charitable organisation, $600,000 is peanuts as it has a few hundred millions in reserves."
12 July 2005
Charity
When I think about charitable organisations, I usually think of the people as loving and very self-sacrificing people. Who (most of the time) give up a high paying position to do this self-sacrificing work. But it seems that there are black sweep here too. Take the beloved CEO of the National Kidney Foundation (NKF), Mr. T.T. Durai. He is earning SGD600,000 a year with a monthly salary of SGD25,000. He takes first class flights and have taps in his bathroom in the office has taps that cost SGD990. This has come to light because of a law-suit that NKF filed against The Straits Times.
Gosh, it is amazing. No wonder he left his law job to be CEO of a chartable organisation and I thought he was being self-sacrificing but no, it is for his own pockets and interest. I really wonder how do people like him sleep at night (most probably in his SGD8,000 bed), knowing full well that he's taking the money of kind people, some of who are poor and yet try their best to help the more needy.
I mean, I'm not against people earning a good living but if you are working for an organisation that relies on the donations to help the needy, then don't expect to get high salaries/allowances. Donations are made in good faith that majority of it will go to those who need it.
This is a really sad case. The worse part about it, this would make the real charitable organisations suffer because people will think twice about donating.
------------------------------------
An extract of the cross-examination by chief prosecutor Davinder Singh.
Davinder Singh: So for the past three years you have earned about $1.8 million from the NKF.
T.T. Durai: Yes.
Davinder Singh: And the man who earns $1,000 a month who takes out $50 of his pay packet every month thinking that it is going to save lives, should he not know that that is the kind of money you earn?
T.T. Durai: There is nothing wrong with the money I earn.
Davinder Singh: $1.8 million, I wonder what is wrong. $1.8 million. Should the man who takes $50 out of his pay packet of $1,000, leaving $950 for him, his wife and his children, with no savings, should he not know that some of that money is going or has gone into a $500,000 to $600,000 pay package for you?
T.T. Durai: Surely he knows.
Davinder Singh: Tell me, how does he know?
T.T. Durai: Let me explain. People donate money to the NKF to run a dialysis programme that saves lives. We have built a dialysis programme. We run...
Judge: Please answer the question.
Davinder Singh: You said: 'Surely he knows.'
T.T. Durai: No, I am saying a person who contributes to the foundation knows that there are people working in the institution.
Judge: No. The question is, should that person know that you are earning $500,000, $600,000 a year? It is a simple question.
T.T. Durai: No, your honour, I do not see a need for him to know.
Davinder Singh: Thank you. It has nothing to do with privacy. It is about embarrassment, is it not?
T.T. Durai: No.
Davinder Singh: You would lose all authority, all moral authority to look at him in his eyes, isn't that right?
T.T. Durai: That is not true.
Davinder Singh: If he knew that you were flying first class on his money, you could not look him in his eyes, isn't that true?
T.T. Durai: It is not true.
Davinder Singh: If he knew that his salary couldn't even buy the bathroom fittings in your private office suite, you couldn't look him in his eyes.
T.T. Durai: That is not true.
Davinder Singh: We now understand why you say the $990 tap is not expensive. Well, coming from you at $600,000 a year, we now know why you say it is not expensive. But tell us, for that man with $1,000/$2,000, is it expensive?
T.T. Durai: Yes, he may consider it expensive.
Davinder Singh: He may, or is it? Tell us the truth.
T.T. Durai: I cannot speak for him. It depends on the type of building, the use of the item.
Davinder Singh: The man in his HDB one-room, two-rooms, three-rooms flat, earning a salary of $1,000, $2,000, $3,000 - would he find that tap at $990 plus 10 per cent discount expensive?
T.T. Durai: He may consider it expensive, yes.
Davinder Singh: He may, or will he?
T.T. Durai: If he is an educated person, if he knows the use of the particular office, for what purpose, he may probably think it is something reasonable.
Gosh, it is amazing. No wonder he left his law job to be CEO of a chartable organisation and I thought he was being self-sacrificing but no, it is for his own pockets and interest. I really wonder how do people like him sleep at night (most probably in his SGD8,000 bed), knowing full well that he's taking the money of kind people, some of who are poor and yet try their best to help the more needy.
I mean, I'm not against people earning a good living but if you are working for an organisation that relies on the donations to help the needy, then don't expect to get high salaries/allowances. Donations are made in good faith that majority of it will go to those who need it.
This is a really sad case. The worse part about it, this would make the real charitable organisations suffer because people will think twice about donating.
------------------------------------
An extract of the cross-examination by chief prosecutor Davinder Singh.
Davinder Singh: So for the past three years you have earned about $1.8 million from the NKF.
T.T. Durai: Yes.
Davinder Singh: And the man who earns $1,000 a month who takes out $50 of his pay packet every month thinking that it is going to save lives, should he not know that that is the kind of money you earn?
T.T. Durai: There is nothing wrong with the money I earn.
Davinder Singh: $1.8 million, I wonder what is wrong. $1.8 million. Should the man who takes $50 out of his pay packet of $1,000, leaving $950 for him, his wife and his children, with no savings, should he not know that some of that money is going or has gone into a $500,000 to $600,000 pay package for you?
T.T. Durai: Surely he knows.
Davinder Singh: Tell me, how does he know?
T.T. Durai: Let me explain. People donate money to the NKF to run a dialysis programme that saves lives. We have built a dialysis programme. We run...
Judge: Please answer the question.
Davinder Singh: You said: 'Surely he knows.'
T.T. Durai: No, I am saying a person who contributes to the foundation knows that there are people working in the institution.
Judge: No. The question is, should that person know that you are earning $500,000, $600,000 a year? It is a simple question.
T.T. Durai: No, your honour, I do not see a need for him to know.
Davinder Singh: Thank you. It has nothing to do with privacy. It is about embarrassment, is it not?
T.T. Durai: No.
Davinder Singh: You would lose all authority, all moral authority to look at him in his eyes, isn't that right?
T.T. Durai: That is not true.
Davinder Singh: If he knew that you were flying first class on his money, you could not look him in his eyes, isn't that true?
T.T. Durai: It is not true.
Davinder Singh: If he knew that his salary couldn't even buy the bathroom fittings in your private office suite, you couldn't look him in his eyes.
T.T. Durai: That is not true.
Davinder Singh: We now understand why you say the $990 tap is not expensive. Well, coming from you at $600,000 a year, we now know why you say it is not expensive. But tell us, for that man with $1,000/$2,000, is it expensive?
T.T. Durai: Yes, he may consider it expensive.
Davinder Singh: He may, or is it? Tell us the truth.
T.T. Durai: I cannot speak for him. It depends on the type of building, the use of the item.
Davinder Singh: The man in his HDB one-room, two-rooms, three-rooms flat, earning a salary of $1,000, $2,000, $3,000 - would he find that tap at $990 plus 10 per cent discount expensive?
T.T. Durai: He may consider it expensive, yes.
Davinder Singh: He may, or will he?
T.T. Durai: If he is an educated person, if he knows the use of the particular office, for what purpose, he may probably think it is something reasonable.
09 July 2005
08 July 2005
Short lived celebrations for London
It was so terrible when I heard about it! My colleague came to me about 5:30pm or so yesterday and told me London had been bombed. I thought she was joking because they just won the the bid to hold the 2012 Olympics which was announced less than 24 hours before.
It was a shock and I couldn't believe it. Just when we thought that things will start settling down, these barbaric shit heads did something again. What can the world do but step up their security and send condolences to London.
We are living in a very sad time where some people believe that in order to make a point people have to be killed. Where is the sanctity of life in all this?
As the English morn their dead and try to get their lives back to normal, let us pray for them (whatever God we pray to) and for those that have no god, a moment of silence to respect the innocents who died.
Amen.
It was a shock and I couldn't believe it. Just when we thought that things will start settling down, these barbaric shit heads did something again. What can the world do but step up their security and send condolences to London.
We are living in a very sad time where some people believe that in order to make a point people have to be killed. Where is the sanctity of life in all this?
As the English morn their dead and try to get their lives back to normal, let us pray for them (whatever God we pray to) and for those that have no god, a moment of silence to respect the innocents who died.
Amen.
07 July 2005
Podcasting ROCKS!
I'm really hooked to podcasting. Every since Steve Jobs showcased the new iTunes with podcast subscripting feature, I've been itching to try it out. I'm no the type that would bother going to the website and downloads or listen to podcast on a daily basis. Too lazy. So when iTune 4.9 came out (30 June in Singapore) I subscribed to a few podcast.
Yesterday, I started listening to Adam Curry's Daily Source Code and I got hooked to his podcast. It is so amazing to listen to other people who are not radio/TV personalities but ordinary people.
Yesterday, I started listening to Adam Curry's Daily Source Code and I got hooked to his podcast. It is so amazing to listen to other people who are not radio/TV personalities but ordinary people.
02 July 2005
Hangover
Gosh, I didn't expect this to happen. Woke up today and couldn't walk straight (haha very funny T). I frightened myself, thinking that it was some inner ear infection that it has affected by sense of balance. Now I realised that the 1 glass of red wine was more potent than I thought it would be. I'm still feeling the effects of it. Hmmm... I wonder if it is because of my training that made me more intolerant to alcohol or something else. This is actually very interesting, never had a problem this bad especially it has been about 7 hours since my drink last night (or this morning if you are a sucker for timing). Tried to recall the last time I actually drank and I can't recall, yes it has been that long.
Had a beautiful time last night with my friends, out for dinner then drinks. It is a farewell for me (of sorts ;) ). So it has started. The farewell parties.
Had a beautiful time last night with my friends, out for dinner then drinks. It is a farewell for me (of sorts ;) ). So it has started. The farewell parties.
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