Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Hello guys!! It had been a long while since I updated my blog. A few hectic weeks had flown pass just like that. I am back from my Thailand trip (Will post photos once I have the time and patience), got my driving license (First Try!! WoHo!!) and clear my Ippt for the year 2007. I will post about my experience in Thailand in another post later.
To be honest, I didn’t expect that I will pass my driving test on last Monday. Even though I had practiced from Fri onwards, I still feel a tad too nervous behind the wheel. The worst part was mounting the kerb twice when I was having my trial run before the test. Talk about a morale booster before the main event. Felt so shitty that I was thinking of running away.
I was lucky that I got a good tester. I did well for the circuit (no demerit points) and the only mistake was before moving out of the circuit. I caused a bike to slow down because of me. In the end, I got 18 points (3 more and I would have failed) and boy was I in heaven then. Ha. All my hard work and most importantly, money had finally paid off big time. I think I had spent close to 1 k in total ba. Should be slightly over $900 but heck, I PASSED. That’s the most important thing.
I am still a nervy driver. Think I should improve with more experience ba. My parking is still a nightmare and don’t ever ask me to park into a parallel lot. It is simply Mission Impossible for my company van. The worst part was denting the rear of my company van the first day I took it out. Suay.
I missed out on my silver for Ippt test by a mere 9 seconds. Darn. If only I had kept my concentration and ran the distance, I would be $200 richer rather than $100. Nonetheless, I had cleared my Ippt window for 2007. I can’t say the same for Guowei. Wahaha. Finally, you got your retribution for laughing at my poor chin up through the years. Anyway, just buck up and I am sure you can hit my standard soon. :P
Read about the GST increment to 7% in the news. Give us a break. Less than a year after we voted you guys in, everything had been increasing except my pay check. The most pathetic part was the reason being given. The increase in GST is to offset for the additional cost needed for the larger social net cast for the poor families. Well, let me do some simple calculations for you guys to see.
A family currently spending $500 monthly on goods and services in S’pore (a low average) would have to pay an amount of $25 per month for GST. They would end up paying $300 per year in total. For low income families who are barely having enough to feed themselves, that’s a huge amount already. With the increase to 7%, a family would have to pay $35 per month in GST with a total of $420 in a year. That will be an increase of $120 a year.
$420 is the average monthly salary for some of the poorest worker in S’pore. To tell us that raising the GST is to cover the cost in helping them is like giving them a lifebuoy and not pulling them out of the sea. It is simply ridiculous. In less than a year, we had raised the transport fees and the GST. Are we paying more to enjoy the so called First World Government services or paying more to feed those civil servants out there? There is no point in giving the poor Workfare bonus of $800 when it is only enough to cover them for 2 years based on a spending of $500 per month. Do we really spend that little per month? Food for thought here.
I really hope that we are not moving towards a society where the strong will step over the weak so as to raise up the ladder. A society where money is the only language that we can communicate in. Love is nothing but some stupid nonsense sprout by those who can only dream of it. In short, behaving like the elite like what a young RJC gal had blog recently.
No. I have no mood to join the elite. My heart goes out to those lonely old folks, poor hungry children and the needy living out there in those 1 and 2 rooms flat. Not to those speaking in Parliament on our behalf and the so called elite. Heck, I doubt I have the brains to join their society anyway.
I just hope that our society will be smarter come the next General Election. Hope, in hours of dark is the only light that can brighten our path ahead.
You can take a picture of something you see. In the future where will I be?
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