Merry & Blessed Christmas!

Merry & Blessed Christmas!

I sure miss you alot!

A whole new world

Prissy showed me this & I was really really wow by it! I'm really surprised at how wide a guy vocals can be stretched. My good fren ah fren jie also told me about this conductor that she saw in Penang who could hit various ranges!!!

Man....it's amazing! You gotta hear it to believe it! :)

I'm back!

Kermit is finally back!!!
Hetic days at work, a CCA camp, a church camp, a personal holiday!!!

I'm back to more writings!!! :)

I'm planning to start a book review blog soon perhaps. What ya think???

More than frens

Over two weekends I got to know a bunch of pplz better. Hey pplz, I actually enjoy spending time with u! :P But sometimes kinda caught up at work.... here's a post dedicated to u all!

Kermit is absolutely sure she wish to abide by cyber wellness practices.... so she's gonna apply some practical tips here.

Tip 1: Don't leave revealing info that allow others to track you

*See their eyes are hidden. Ahahhas

Tip 2: If you absolutely wish to upload pictures.... Use pictures without your frens in their school uniform

*See it's home clothes. And the picture is downsize so you cannot really really see their handsome & pretty faces well enough to track them. Ahahhas again

Back row from left: BubbleTeaMan, Joker, Gorgeous

Front row from left: FurList, EverSmart, LaLa, Kindheart

Tip 3: Use a neutral nickname that doesn't reveal your gender & age. Kermit had a fren with a really unique name that was tracked down by a pervert via Frenster simply by searching her name!!!! Horrors!

The back row nicknames were given by the "younger" pplz.

Tip 4: Downsize the picture!

Put it this way....No weirdo would want to transfer a small head unto a normal size naked body right! So it's a simple smart tip. Especially if you're gorgeous!!! :P

Thanks for the wonderful partnership & memories!

What Char Siew Rice taught me (Part 2)

Remember to scroll down & read from (Part 1) first!

Kermit: Simply translated-> Be bold to try & experiment, if you don't like, at least you walk away more experienced! Don't scared k!

What Char Siew Rice taught me (Part 1)

For you

*wink wink*

Don't mess with women

Reference from The Straits Time (online) 17 Oct 2008

LUCKNOW (India) - A WOMAN chopped the head off a man who allegedly tried to attack her and then paraded the head through a market in northern India, police said Friday.

Police arrested the woman late on Thursday after receiving calls from frightened witnesses who reported a blood-soaked woman holding a severed head was walking through the village.

The woman, 35, told police she had gone to a nearby forest to cut grass for fodder for her cattle when a man attacked her from behind.

'In a bid to save her dignity she beheaded him with a sickle,' Officer Bharose said, adding that the woman had bite marks on her neck and cheek.

The woman also told police that the man had been harassing and stalking her for three months and she had no regrets about killing him, he said, adding that she would probably be charged with culpable homicide.

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Kermit: Don't mess with women.... (On a serious note, she was desperate and did it out of self defence. Sigh....)

I'm NOT nose droppings!

(Picture taken with permission from historymaker. Check out his fabulous blog at www.historymaker20736.blogspot.com)

Caller : Hello, can I speak to Annie Wan (anyone)?
Operator : Yes, you can speak to me.
Caller : No, I want to speak to Annie Wan (anyone)!
Operator : You are talking to someone! Who is this?
Caller : I'm Sam Wan (Someone). And I need to talk to Annie Wan (anyone)! It's urgent.
Operator : I know you are someone and you want to talk to anyone! But what's this urgent matter about?
Caller : Well... just tell my sister Annie Wan (anyone) that our brother Noel Wan (no one)has involved in an accident. Noel Wan (no one)got injured and now Noel Wan (no one) is being sent to the hospital. Right now, Avery Wan (everyone) is on his way to the hospital.
Operator : Look if no one was injured and no one was sent to the hospital, then the accident isn't an urgent matter! You may find this hilarious but I don't have time for this!
Caller : You are so rude! Who are you?
Operator : I'm Saw Lee (Sorry).
Caller : Yes! You should be sorry. Now give me your name!!!======================================================
Choosing the right name is important!
Anne Chang => Dirty (Mandarin)
Anne Chin => Keep Quiet (Mandarin)
Faye Chen => Dusty (Mandarin)
Lucy Leow => You are dead (Hokkien)
Jane Tan => Frying eggs (Mandarin)
Suzie Leow => Lose till death (Hokkien)
Henry Mah => Hate your mum (Mandarin)
Corrine Tai => Poor fellow (Hokkien)
Paul Chan => Bankrupt (Mandarin)
Nelson Tan => Bird laying eggs (Mandarin)
Leslie Tong => Rubbish Bin (Mandarin)
Carmen Teng => Leg hair long (Hokkien)
Connie Mah => Call your mother (Cantonese)
Danny See => Squeeze you to death (Hokkien)
Rosie Teng => Screws and nails (Hokkien)
Pete Tsai => Nose droppings (Hokkien) [this is the one that tickled me most!!!!]
Macy Koh => Never die before (Cantonese)

**I think it's kinda funny! :) Do choose your kids names properly!
Btw Cynthia means "Reflector of Light"!!!

I am dying

I AM DYING.....

It's not too far to say that when you are hopeless, in despair, depressed.... Hopelessness Kills.


Quoting something which a wonderful friend smsed me:
"If we come to think or feel that we have nothing to hope for and can only expect things to get worse in the future, invevitably we grow depressed and to a certain degree, desperate... We may try to hide our condition, but the unfocused rage, fury and hatred of life that we feel, work like acid....dissolving all other feelings into purest bitterness.

Hopelessness is at the root of many of today's psychological disorders.... Our sense of self worth dissolves into self doubt, self-distrust and self-dislike; confidence is swallowed up in despair. (J.I.Packer)"

How scary. Hopelessness kills one softly... if you allow it. But I found a cure for it. H*O*P*E. Hope it perks you up again as it did me :)

What a Friend We Have In Jesus
What a friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear.
What a privilege to carry, everything to God in prayer.
Oh, what peace we often forfeit. Oh, what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry, Everything to God in prayer.
Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged, take it to the Lord in prayer.
Can we find a friend so faithful,
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness;
Take it to the Lord in prayer.

When we come to the end of ourselves....perhaps that's truly when God can begin a NEW work in us.

John 12:24-26 I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.

Date Rape (Part II)

After reading my post on date rape my wonderful malaysian joker (fren) shocked me with the update that there is worse drugs out there. They don't even spike your drink, just paste a celotape drug (think something like hansaplast) & you're GONE!!!!

Check out his original posting here. Or read my summarised version:

A friend and blogofluencer of mine recently blogged about some date rape drugs using a common drug family called Benzodiazepines, which are basically sedative drugs (KO drugs). Rohypnol is probably the most commonly used ones for spiking drinks.

But the latest news I've heard as an ex-raver and shuffler, is that there have been incidences of date rapes using this drug known as Scopolamine. Rohypnol is usually a small pill or powder or something foreign that's dumped into your drink.

So why is Scopolamine scary?

It's a drug in the form of a transdermal patch. Which means epidermical transfer. Which means the drug comes in the form of some small kinda celotape, they walk by you, brush your arm or something (whilst conveniently sticking the drug on your arm), and next thing you know, you wake up not knowing anything.

All date rape drugs induce anterograde amnesia, which is a cricitcal factor in date rapes because you wake up not having the foggiest idea of what happened. Scopolamine is scary because it's so hard to spot, usually a laced celotape or something. Rohypnol or other Benzo's are easier to spot because they come in pills or powders.

A friend of mine over msn just commented that the drug would take time to settle in. I agree. This makes Scopolamines all the more dangerous, because you would meet more people whilst waiting for the drug to settle in. Which means you'll be less likely to remember who your assailant was. o.O

So when you think clubbing or raving is cool and all that, make sure you know and understand and keep a look out for impending dangers. I've been in countless of situations where I've had to go and bail friends outta trouble because they were targets of psychos and perverts. One of the best things you can have is someone 113% reliable to count on. Especially in these cases.

But let me push this point further by saying abstain from clubbing. Save yourself the trouble (and others). Sure, an experience is an experience. But to be hooked onto the scene? You gotta be flogging me. There's so much I could say here, but the point is that... is it worth the danger you could possibly be getting into?

There's hundreds of scenarios. Fights, rapes, drugs, molest, filming, stalking, murder, robbery, etc. Even with the most reliable person on earth, you can still get into trouble. Especially when it comes hunting for you. Sure it's a big challenge, but only real people, with real fighting spirits will stand up for principles.

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Kermit: My contribution is really to HIGHLIGHT and WARN you innocent pplz out there that such drugs are around. So do be more more more and MORE careful when you're out! Don't assume that you're counscious and awake and can take care of yourself well. The pplz on the dark side is sometimes more sneaky, advanced, unscrupulous than we think.....

Who else know your panties colour?

I thought this is a wonderful post from EJ. Hey girls enough of me telling you all the time about short skirts and stuff....Hear it from a man himself!

A month ago, I had a rather traumatizing encounter while shopping at a shopping mall. This incident happened while I was traveling up on the escalator. Sited ahead of me, next to the step out point from the escalator, there was a shop brandished with perfumes and cosmetic products. What shocked me at that particular point was that one of the salesgirl, back facing the store entrance and wearing a mini flair skirt, was climbing up on a ladder and stocking up products in the cabinet. She was totally oblivious to the fact that in that position, she was going to almost let everyone around have a free upskirt show!

It didn't need to take supersonic senses for me to understand what was coming next if I were to continue staring for another 10 seconds. Instantaneously as this salesgirl started her climb up the ladder, I immediately turned my eyes away to look elsewhere. Phew! A huge sigh of relief.... (I will explain my point later in this post. Read on.)

Traumatized enough, I wasn't prepare to stay around to spot the "Ti-Ko-Pek"s whom may be drooling at this free view nor see if there were anyone whom would go and get this salesgirl down from the ladder. I zipped off to the next level and carried on with my shopping.

Gosh! What has happened to the dressing culture of the teenage girls of today? Aren't they worried of over (or indecent) exposure when they wear such short flair kind of skirts? Honestly, I have nothing against girls wearing skirt, but I just feel strongly that there's got to be a limit to how far this can go. There has been enough horror stories of molest cases and people using handphone cameras to capture upskirt pictures. I seriously think girls can go one step further to protect themselves by giving their mini-skirts a bit more cloth-lengthening.

To the Girls: Yes, you do have the free-will to wear anything you like. Yes, guys should learn to be more self-controlled and not have wandering eyes. But the truth is that you will do yourselves and the guys a huge favor by re-considering your approach the next time you want to wear those short skirts. You can take active measures to protect yourselves. Example: If you are wearing those mini-skirts, do use you handbags to block or get a friend to stand behind you while you travel up the escalators. and for goodness sake, girls please do not climb ladders when you are wearing skirts. I am sure there are plenty of gentlemen around whom can lend their muscles to help you. Honestly, we guys are all visually stimulated, that slight upskirt/buttline/over-fleshy exposure will trigger a lot of reaction through our mind.

Having said this, Girls, you do not need to wrap yourselves up like a dumpling. Either opt for longer length skirts or learn to take proper preventive measures. I am certain beauty and proper cover up can co-exist.

To the Guys: Now, be truthful and do not just bluntly shift all the blames to the girls. Let's also learn to exercise self-control and respect the ladies. Be alert at ALL times! And learn to turn your eyes away when you expect some of these exposure may come. If you have a girlfriend, learn to share this with your girlfriend and ask her to help give you warning signals! And sometimes if by accident you do catch a glimpse, just turn away and walk off. DO NOT allow yourself to be glued!

Some of you may say, "Wah.. but free show mah, why don't see? Anyway it's not harmful mah!" WRONG! Honestly, how is staring at upskirts of ladies different from watching pornography???? The end results and effects are the same - our values and moral standards towards sexuality becomes eroded! And some may end up becoming perverts whom take upskirt photos as their secret obsession!
So guys, be alert and stay clear!!!

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Kermit: Okies I shall come up with my gals version soon :)

Top model is 'raped after drink is spiked'

'Date rape': The incident allegedly occurred at Whisky Mist club at the Hilton Hotel in Park Lane.

Police are investigating the alleged rape of a model who believes her drink was spiked at a Park Lane nightclub popular with young royals.

The 18-year-old says she felt dizzy and disorientated and was led down to the cellar area of the Whisky Mist club at the Hilton Hotel where the attack took place.

She claims a 23-year-old man she had met previously at the club gave her the Rohypnol-style 'date rape' drug before sexually assaulting her.

She went to the police the next day and the man was arrested later that day by officers. He was bailed to return later this month pending further enquiries.

The model, who is a regular at top designers' shows in London, New York, Milan and Paris, said the alleged rape happened when she went to the club last Wednesday evening.

A close friend said: 'She was having a drink at the bar and enjoying herself. She was also given a drink by the guy she says went on to rape her. Then she suddenly felt dizzy and disorientated.

'She has a hazy memory of what happened but is convinced she was spiked with some kind of drug.

'After that, she remembers coming upstairs in the club and realising something dreadful had
happened.'
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Kermit's Thoughts: For all those out there who claims that they can hold their drinks & won't get drunk.... Well think twice... TREASURE YOURSELF!
1) Clubbing is expensive. (buy drinks + cab fare home)
2) For the innocent young gals out there "HEY THERE IS DATE RAPE DRUG OUT THERE OK!"
3) Never go off to the washroom/turn your back to drink the same cup of drink! - Practical tip
4) Going with trusted frens is also not a foolproof plan. Simply because they may get themselves drunk silly & can't even take care of themselves....let alone another person.

Eight Crazy Email Hoaxes Millions Have Fallen For

Taken from http://tech.msn.com/products/articlepcw.aspx?cp-documentid=9637938

by Nick Mediati and Anne B. McDonald, PC World

E-mail fills our in-boxes with come-ons to see celebrities naked and to get rich quick. Even though we know deep down that these are fakes, why do we continue to think, 'Maybe?'

Congratulations, you won the lottery in a country whose name you can't even pronounce! A wealthy oil executive in a far-off land wants to give you millions of dollars, right now! Sexy girls want to meet you!

Now let's be honest. If someone came to your door and told you any of those things, you'd tell him to get lost. So why do people still fall for this stuff when it's in their e-mail, as if a poorly written message made a weird-sounding pitch any more legitimate?

The saddest part is, the only reason annoying e-mail keeps filing your inbox is because it works.

No matter the number of reports detailing e-mail hoaxes gone bad and tales of spammers taking people for all they're worth, people just keep on clicking.

Why? It's the law of percentages. The response rate for snail-mail spam is between 0.5 and 1 percent. That might not sound like a lot, but if you apply it to e-mail, it means a spammer can send 1 million messages -- without the cost of paper and postage -- and 5,000 to 10,000 people will answer. In fact, a study out this month indicates that nearly 30 percent of Internet users confessed to purchasing something from the Internet.

Here's PC World's list, in no particular order, of the top e-mail hoaxes that have come through inboxes and fooled millions.

1) Raise bonsai kittens in bottles

It's amazing how many people were willing to believe this e-mail about a breeder in New York who raised kittens in bottles.Actually, it started as a fake Web site, Bonsai Kitten, the product of MIT students. The idea was so outrageous, it spread like wildfire via e-mail.

2) Sign a petition to ban dihydrogen monoxide

E-mail alerts outlining the dangers of dihydrogen monoxide swept the Internet in the late 1990s and still pop up today. Well, let us tell you one more thing about dihydrogen monoxide: It's more commonly known as water.

3) Extreme technophobia: Pop popcorn with cell phones
With all the talk of cell phone dangers, the idea of radiation from them being powerful enough to pop popcorn doesn't seem that far-fetched, at least on the surface. So why wouldn't you believe the swarm of e-mail telling you to look at the incredible video of friends popping kernels of corn with their mobile phones?

Unfortunately, as you might expect, it was all fake. A company called Cardo Systems made the video to promote its cell phone headsets. Abraham Glezerman, Cardo's CEO, told CNN that the phones were real and the popping popcorn was real, but the video was a composite, with the footage of the popcorn heated over a kitchen stove digitally dropped into the video of the folks with their phones.

4) Bill Gates wants to give you money
Although Gates is being very generous with his fortune now that he has retired from day-to-day work with Microsoft, you can get some of it only by applying to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

5) Launch a nuclear strike from your PC

In 2002, Symantec supposedly issued an advisory about certain e-mail messages flying around the country about an "important virus to look out for." The antivirus-software maker, which does issue warnings on real viruses, allegedly instructed Internet users not to open any e-mail with the subject line "LAUNCH NUCLEAR STRIKE NOW." If you did open that e-mail, you would inadvertently end up sending nuclear warheads winging their way toward the former Soviet Union.

Needless to say, the virus isn't real, Symantec didn't issue such a caution, and it should be painfully obvious that this one is a hoax.

6) Nigeria Scam

The e-mail suggests that your help is needed to claim an abandoned sum of money in a foreign account, or something similar. The message typically promises that you will receive a large amount of money if you simply send a smaller amount of money now.

These convincing missives, which may or may not be from Nigeria, are known as 419 scams (named after a section of the Nigerian criminal code that deals with fraud). Not only will you not get rich, but you'll also have a very hard time getting back any money you wire the sender up front.

7) 'Video: Watch Angelina Jolie's lips explode!'

People kept clickling on dangerous and fake attachments that purport to be interesting photos or videos but actually turn out to be damaging viruses or Trojan horses.

8) Work Virus

Several resources can tell you whether an e-mail claim you're interested in is a hoax. One is Hoax-Busters.org, which describes itself as the Big List of Internet Hoaxes; another is Snopes.com, which specializes in urban legends and hoaxes, and a third is Hoax-Slayer.com. Check out any of these sites before you forward that next petition, chain letter, or crazy photo.

Hoax-Busters also has a list of the "5 Telltale Signs of an Internet Hoax" that might useful.
1) The e-mail will have a sense of urgency about it, and probably a lot of exclamation points in it.

2) The e-mail will insist that you tell all your friends.
3) The text is adamant that this is "NOT a hoax.

4) It will earnestly inform you that there are dire consequences for not participating.
5) It probably is full of >>>> marks, showing that it has fooled a lot of people before you, and has been forwarded all over the planet. Don't add any more!

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Kermit's Thoughts: When I as a teen I was taken in by some of these too. Well just be careful. The harmless ones are fine, but some of them comes hidden with dangerous viruses that kills our computer when we open the attachments. For me, I simply refused to open any attachments files sent via email. Hahah! It works! I have a healthy computer :)

Girls, beware of perverts on MRT

Reference from AsiaOne Digital 20 July 2008 (Kelvin Teh ) Click on link to see article

The next time you take public transport, be suspicious if you find any handphone that seems to be mysteriously trained on you. Someone can very well be filming or taking pictures of you.

A few mornings ago, as I was taking the MRT to work in an irritatingly-packed train, I glanced up from the magazine I was reading and noticed the man standing in front of me.

Dressed in nondescript T-shirt and jeans, he was holding up his handphone as one would when messaging - except that he was not busy pressing away on his phone.

Instead, he was holding it there in his raised hand while occasionally shifting his hand position slightly. To most people around him, it seemed like he was looking at text messages.

I next trained my sight on where his handphone was pointing to and, immediately, my suspicion was aroused.She was a pretty young lady, conservatively dressed in office wear. She was also dozing, unaware of the scene unfolding before her.

My curiousity aroused, I leaned forward and, true enough, the man was secretly filming the woman with his handphone.

My first instinct was to glance around to see if anyone else had noticed, but everyone was oblivious. I waited a while more, just to ascertain that the pervert was filming her.

And then, I felt rage.

I gave the man a hard shove in the back, pushing the shocked fellow aside. Next, I woke the woman up gently and whispered to her that she was being filmed.

She was stunned and her first reaction was to look up at the fellow, who immediately exclaimed in Mandarin: "I don't have hor. I was just playing with my handphone ok!"

Yeah, right.

At this, the woman folded her arms protectively around her chest but refrained from saying anything.

To avoid embarrassing the girl further, I did not confront the man. In the meantime, the bewilderment on everyone's faces was palpable.

Although I have heard and read accounts of cameras hidden in changing rooms and perverts secretly filming under the skirts of ladies, to witness this personally is shocking.

That person being filmed could very well be my sister or one of my female friends. That a perverted stranger is storing pictures of someone you know - that is a disgusting thing.

But, then again, I guess I am not surprised. Too many such stories have surfaced all too often.So girls, just look out for yourself.

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Kermit's thought: Girls out there, two things from ms cyber wellness

1) DO SOMETHING & dun be afraid to speak up. Don't suffer in silence should u be in a similar situation. The pervert is more scared & more to lose if he is caught. Suffering in silence will only encourage he to target more gals in future!!!!! *JUST SCREAM FOR HELP*! Or ask the person beside you for help.

2) Can we just give the skimpy FBT shorts & short mini skirts a miss. Exposing so much flesh will turn other men on unnecessarily & u might find yourself in DEEP S***!

What it means to be trapped in bankruptcy

I was prompted to write this article after being "poke" a few times by a persistent fan of mine. Oh I feel so honoured. Anyways thks Prissy :) I felt this is the topic to talk about today because this topic of $$$ & overuse of $$$ (leading to bankruptcy) has popped up to me a few times this past week.

Reference from The Straits Times 24 June 2008 (Teo Cheng Wee)
Click on link to see article
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They are below 30, employed and mired in debt. This is the fastest-growing age group of debtors, say credit counsellors. On average, they owe $55,000 to about seven creditors, according to new data from Credit Counselling Singapore (CCS), a non-profit group which advises debtors.

Under-30s made up 9 per cent of all cases handled by it in 2006, and 13 per cent last year. In the first three months of this year, it went up to 15 per cent. CCS told The Sunday Times that most of these young adults are snared by materialism and a desire for the high life.

They splash money on cars, branded goods, overseas holidays, clubbing and gadgets. Several also gamble their money away.

Last year, people aged 30 and below made up 7 per cent of all bankrupts. In the first four months of this year, that has increased to 12 per cent. He puts it down to them succumbing to the temptations of consumerism, while knowing little about financial and credit management.

She borrowed $50,000 from parents to fund her shopping
If money had not been so easily earned for Joyce (not her real name), 27, she feels she would not have chalked up her $200,000 debt over four years of wild spending.

But it all seemed so rosy when the business graduate started promoting credit cards fresh out of university in 2003. The job, which also pays her commission, allowed her to take home $20,000 to $30,000 a month.
'There I was, not even 25 and drawing a salary that not many people earned. I thought making money was so easy,' she says.

She spent her money lavishly. When she went clubbing with friends, she would pay for the drinks. She also chalked up some $8,000 worth of monthly spending on luxury goods. Bags were her weakness. She remembers strutting into Louis Vuitton or Gucci outlets every month to buy a new bag costing a few thousand dollars.

Spurred on by colleagues with similar spending habits, Joyce felt that image was of utmost importance. 'People who shop at boutiques will know how much those bags cost. I wanted people to know how much I earned,' she recalls.

Her problems started when she switched jobs in 2005, jumping ship to another bank to sell investment products. She thought she could continue her stellar sales record, but she found the going much tougher. Joyce never did well enough to earn commission, even till today. Her monthly salary dipped drastically to $2,500.

But she continued her wild spending habits, applying for more credit cards when she maxed out her current ones. Her lack of income stressed her out - and ironically resulted in her shopping more to relieve the stress.

She also borrowed $50,000 from her parents on the pretext of investment but used it to fund her shopping instead. More expenses piled up when she got married and bought a flat that same year. Her financial troubles peaked early last year when she realised she could not even pay her credit cards' minimum payments.

She had to sell her 60 luxury bags online - many at huge discounts.

But the interest on the outstanding sums was so high by then that she would 'pay and pay, but the money owed never came down'.

'But I told myself: 'Can't pay, can't pay lor. At the most, I have to declare myself bankrupt',' she recalls.

It was only when a close friend explained to her the consequences of bankruptcy - that it would not discharge her from her financial liabilities - that reality finally hit home.

At that point, Joyce also realised how much her work suffered because she was fretting over her bills and trying to hide her financial troubles from colleagues.

Her relationship with her husband soured as they quarrelled frequently about work. Her family shunned her too. She realised that she was often the last to know about any news at home. Till this day, only Joyce's family and a few close friends know of her troubled past.

With the help of Credit Counselling Singapore, she is slowly but surely paying back her debts - about half of her $3,000 salary goes to this. The new Joyce is a much happier person who still has credit cards but has little wish to use them. Asked if she has any advice for other young people, however, and she is skeptical.

She says a friend - who does not know about her financial past - appears to be falling into similar problems but ignored her advice to watch her spending.

'I feel that if someone has a 'heck-care' attitude towards spending, no amount of advice will stop them,' she says. 'My mother used to tell me: 'With young people, you can tell them there is a wall ahead and not to walk into it. But they won't listen until they actually hit the wall.' 'By then, it's too late. You will already have a bruise.'

Do you know that
Upon declaring bankruptcy:
1) Your property can be seized by your creditors to offest your debt
2) You need to declare your pay & pay back your creditors leaving only a sufficient amount to support himself and your family
3) Your bankruptcy will be advertised, so future employers or third parties could find out from reading the newspapers. In some jobs your might be required to inform your employer.
4) You must seek permission to reveal who is paying for your holiday expenses else you cannot take a holiday overseas
5) Your bankruptcy records will be kept for six years and given to banks. You could find it hard to get a credit card or housing and car loans.
Reference from The Straits Times 29 June 2008 (Lorna Tan)

What Daddy Doesn't Know

Reference from Weekend TODAY 26 August 2006 (Ansley Ng)

To her parents, Alicia is just another 19-year-old who lives with them and is preparing for her A levels. What she hasn't told them is that she is HIV positive and has been so for the past two years.

"My boyfriend who infected me was my first and only partner," Alicia (not her real name) told TODAY in a brief email. "I do not sleep around."

Pressed further about how active she was, she replied:Does it really matter how many times we had sex? Honestly, we had sex probably less than 10 times."

That was enough to add her name to the list of 40 Singaporeans below the age of 19 who have tested positive for HIV.

And yet her case is significant because teens here are still to wake up to the fact that you don't have to be a wild child to get infected. And the number of sexually transmitted infections among Singaporean teenagers has nearly tripled in three years - from 250 cases in 2002 to 678 last year.

You wonder how that can be - considering that since 2000 the Ministry of Education has been running a sex education programme for students from upper primary level. Hasn't it worked? Why are infections still on the rise?

Observers pointed out that sex education should start at home, initiated by parents.

All six parents of teenagers that TODAY spoke to were convinced that their own children had stayed away from sex.

Counsellors and observers told a very different story. Many teens did, in fact, have active sex lives but their parents were often the last to know.

School counsellor Karen Lim (not her real name) said she was seeing an increase in the nymber of students - especially girls - coming to her for help. These girls are worried when they miss their period and do not know what to do, said Mrs Lim, who also teaches biology in a secondary school.

Girls often get pressured into having sex by thier boyfriends. The boys feel peer pressure.

Invariably, it is their friends who they turn to for help.

A few months ago, MP Baey Yam Keng had an encounter with a young single mother that left him "quite affected".

At a Meet-The-People session, Mr Baey recalled meeting a woman seeking financial help who is "no more than 21".

With her 18-month-old daughter in tow, the heavily pregnant Chinese woman - whose boyfriend is a married man - cheekily remarked to Mr Baey:"It's ok, when I am 40 years old, my kids will be in their 20s and they can take care of me."

"I thought that was immature and not very realistic . She is in no position to work and support the family. Teenage sex is a very real problem. So far, there are few answers forthcoming.

Said publishing executive and single mother Jane:"The mentality of teens is 'It will bever happen to me'," she said. To jolt them out of this false sense of security, she offered a bold suggestion. Instead of keeping sex education theoretical, she said that schools should invite teens who are young parents or have contracted HIV or STD, into the classroom for open discussions with students.

"If they can see for themselves that this teen is struggling, it makes it more real," she added.

It was also time for parents to wake up to the fact that everyone was vulnerable - including their own children - and not just the wild children.

Teen HIV patient Alicia recently agreed to be interviewed by some in the local media and reflected bitterly:"So far every reporter I've encountered thinks I am a slut."

Her story, in fact, is simple:"Few are interested in the fact that I was a willing partner and that I loved my partner. All they want to know is how, where, when and what I did to get HIV," she said.

As young Singaporeans are fast realising, this can happen far more easily than they thought.
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(Just finished a camp with some of my youths recently & I was prompted to share this with them.)
Kermit's thoughts: What I read from another related article is she has since broke up with her boyfriend....
(even if what people say eventually dies down) Sad to say....Alicia will have to live with the consequences of her actions. Action brings about consequences. She might be infected with some sexually transmitted disease, might never get married, never have children, never find true love. In fact.... I'm not sure if she's still alive now.....
True love waits...

Perseverance Pays

Michelle Kwan is an American figure skater. She has won nine U.S. championships, five World Championships, and two Olympic medals. She has remained competitive for over a decade and is the most decorated figure skater in U.S. history.

Known for her consistency and expressive artistry on ice, she is widely considered to be one of the greatest figure skaters of all time.

Kwan's interest in figure skating began at the age of five when she followed her two older siblings (ice hockey player Ron and figure skater Karen) onto the ice. Karen and Michelle began serious training when Michelle was about 8 years old. They practiced three to four hours a day, waking up at 3am to skate before school and going back to the rink right after school to skate again.

Paying for their increased skating-rink time led to financial hardship for Kwan's working class family. Her mother took on a second job and her father started working extra hours to finance the rink time and coaching fees. Eventually the family decided to sell their house, but that still was not adequate to finance the children's skating careers. When Kwan was ten years old, her family could no longer afford a coach, but they were offered financial assistance by a fellow member of the Los Angeles Figure Skating Club that allowed them to train at the Ice Castle International Training Center in Lake Arrowhead, California.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice announced that she has appointed figure skating champion Michelle Kwan as the first American Public Diplomacy Envoy. A role in which she promotes the positive aspects of American culture and democratic principles.

“I’ve always wanted to somehow serve our country, to contribute and to make a difference,” said figure skating champion Michelle Kwan who was appointed as the first American Public Diplomacy Envoy, a role in which she promotes the positive aspects of American culture and democratic principles.

http://michellekwansite.com/gallery/v/events/diplomacy+ambassador/

Kermit: Perseverance Pays! Know ur dream & work hard for it people! PROPER PLANNING HELPS A GREAT DEAL! [That's something I'm working on too :D ]

A poem for our MOM!

*A mother poem I saw online*

Why are you crying, a young boy asked his Mom?
"Because I'm a woman," she told him.
"I don't understand," he said.
His Mom just hugged him and said, "And you never will, but that's O.K.".......

Later the little boy asked his father, "Why does Mom seem to cry for no reason?". "All women cry for no reason," was all his Dad could say......

The little boy grew up and became a man, still wondering why women cry.

Finally he put in a call to God and when God got back to him, he asked "God, why do women cry so easily?"
GOD answered......

"When I made woman, I decided she had to be special. I made her shoulders strong enough to carry the weight of the world, yet, made her arms gentle enough to give comfort...

I gave her the inner strength to endure childbirth and the rejection that many times will come even from her own children.

I gave her a tenacity that allows her to keep going and take care of her family and friends, even when everyone else gives up, through sickness and fatigue without complaining....

I gave her the sensitivity to love her children under any and all circumstances. Even when her child has hurt her badly....

She has the very special power to make a child's boo-boo feel better and to quell a teenager's anxieties and fears....

I gave her strength to care for her husband, despite faults and I fashioned her from his rib to protect his heart....

I gave her wisdom to know that a good husband never hurts his wife, but sometimes tests her strengths and her resolve to stand beside him unfalteringly....

For all of this hard work, I also gave her a tear to shed. It is hers to use whenever needed and it is her only weakness....

When you see her cry, tell her how much you love her, and all she does for everyone, and even though she may still cry, you will have made her heart feel better.
(My mom & I in Australia last year)
Kermit: I thank God for my mother because she showed me what patience truly means. In my most difficult of days my mom loved me. In the earlier days when my dad was the sole breadwinner & money was tight & tempers are short my mother stood by my dad & chose to endure for the sake of the whole family. I wish I can be a better daughter sometimes. Try to send her small little smses, come home for dinner & spend more time with her. What about you? Let's celebrate our mothers :) Their goodness, love & patience & simply everything!

A Mother's Love (Response)

Passerby: "nice story, how did the son respond?"

Kermit: Perhaps he never had a chance to.... May each of us live without a moment of regret.

A Mother's Love

A touching story I received from my fren

My mom only had one eye.. I hated her... She was such an embarrassment. She cooked for students & teachers to support the family. There was this one day during elementary school where my mom came to say hello to me. I was so embarrassed. How could she do this to me? I ignored her, threw her a hateful look and ran out.

The next day at school one of my classmates said, "Eeee, your mom only has one eye!" I wanted to bury myself. I also wanted my mom to just disappear. I confronted her that day and said, "If you're only gonna make me a laughing stock, why don't you just die?" My mom did not respond... I didn't even stop to think for a second about what I had said, because I was full of anger. I was oblivious to her feelings. I wanted out of that house, and have nothing to do with her. So I studied real hard, got a chance to go abroad to study.

Then, I got married. I bought a house of my own. I had kids of my own. I was happy with my life, my kids and the comforts.

Then one day, my mother came to visit me. She hadn't seen me in years and she didn't even meet her grandchildren. When she stood by the door, my children laughed at her, and I yelled at her for coming over uninvited. I screamed at her, "How dare you come to my house and scare my children! "GET OUT OF HERE! NOW!!!" And to this, my mother quietly answered, "Oh, I'm so sorry, I may have gotten the wrong address." And she disappeared out of sight.
One day, a letter regarding a school reunion came to my house. So I lied to my wife that I was going on a business trip...

After the reunion, I went to the old shack just out of curiosity. My neighbors said that she died. I did not shed a single tear. They handed me a letter that she had wanted me to have.

"My dearest son, I think of you all the time. I'm sorry that I came to your house and scared your children. I was so glad when I heard you were coming for the reunion. But I may not be able to even get out of bed to see you.
I'm sorry that I was a constant embarrassment to you when you were growing up. You see....... when you were very little, you got into an accident, and lost your eye. As a mother, I couldn't stand watching you having to grow up with one eye... So I gave you mine. I was so proud of my son who was seeing a whole new world for me, in my place, with that eye.

With all my love to you,
Your mother...

The Fern & the Bamboo

Got this story from a fren of mine & thought it was really good & timely for me. May u be encouraged as well :)

One day I decided to quit...I quit my job, my relationship, my spirituality. ... I wanted to quit my life. I went to the woods to have one last talk with God.

"God", I said. "Can you give me one good reason not to quit?"

His answer surprised me.

"Look around", He said. "Do you see the fern and the bamboo?"

"Yes", I replied.

"When I planted the fern and the bamboo seeds, I took very good care of them. I gave them light. I gave them water. The fern quickly grew from the earth. Its brilliant green covered the floor. Yet nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo.

In the second year the fern grew more vibrant and plentiful. And again, nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo.

"In year three there was still nothing from the bamboo seed. But I would not quit. The same in year four.

"Then in the fifth year, a tiny sprout emerged from the earth.

Compared to the fern, it was seemingly small and insignificant.

But just six months later, the bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall.

It had spent the five years growing roots. Those roots made it strong and gave it what it needed to survive. I would not give any of my creations a challenge it could not handle.

"Did you know, my child, that all this time you have been struggling, you have actually been growing roots? I would not quit on the bamboo.. I will never quit on you.

"Don't compare yourself to others." He said. "The bamboo had a different purpose than the fern. Yet they both make the forest beautiful.

"Your time will come", God said to me. "You will rise high"

"How high should I rise?" I asked.

"How high will the bamboo rise?" He asked in return.

"As high as it can?" I questioned

"Yes." He said, "Give me glory by rising as high as you can."

I left the forest, realizing that God will never give up on me. And He will never give up on you.

Never regret a day in your life. Good days give you happiness; bad days give you experiences; both are essential to life.

New Beginnings

So sorry fans! Been so caught up at work that didn't get to blog :P

Took this photo at a fren's place. It was meaningful because it reminded me of an incident that happened recently.

I had a misunderstanding with a good fren recently & she hasn't been picking up my calls & smses. I felt really really really sad. Sad that this misunderstanding happened, sad that things turned out this way, sad that we couldn't talk to sort things through.

But God reminded me through this picture that all hope is NOT lost. Maybe it's the beginning of something better. With that in mind I finally shook myself out of the whinny mode of despair. I choose to wait in faith. I believe things will eventually work out. Perhaps now we just need to give each other a bit of time & space to sort out our thoughts.

I hope this encourages you because it really did encourage me!

My Second Dish with earnings!

Oh my gosh! After looking through my older posts I realized it was only after a long 5 months that I've embarked on my second dish!!! Pai seh pai seh *blush*

The best thing about me is I need to write my recipes down else I'll simply forget how to cook it. Blogging it down is good! :P

I'm certainly more encouraged to cook. My frens says that the rice is good! (Despite the fact that I've forgotten to add salt!!!! Maybe the oyster sauce in the marination is salty enough) Another encouragement is I actually made $15 from cooking the glutinuous rice!!! Heeheehee!!! Looks like this could be one of my hidden talents after all.

One of my dreams is that in future whichever country I go I can survive with a meaningful skill. And as one of my fren says "Cooking will never go out of need because people need & (some) love to eat!!!!"

Glutinuous Rice/ 糯米饭
Why I should cook this:
Simply yummy & easy to prepare. To balance this high carbohydrate dish you can add more chicken & mushroom or even green peas. However don't over eat on this as glutinuous rice takes a longer time to be digested.

Ingredients:

• 0.5kg glutinuous rice

• soyabean oil

• pepper
• five spice powder

• oyster sauce

• shallots, pounded

• garlic, pounded

• chicken slices

• chinese mushrooms

• handful of dried shrimps

Preparation:

1. Soak Chinese mushrooms in water overnight till soften. Cut into small pieces

2. Marinate mushrooms & chicken (separately) with oyster sauce, pepper, sesame oil, five spice powder

3. Add garlic, shallot, dried shrimps & mushroom. Fry until brown.

4. Add glutinuous rice & chicken & fry. Add a little water to prevent rice from sticking to pan.

5. Once all the ingredients are throughly mixed, transfer the rice mixture into a steamer.

6. Steam for 30mins. Thereafer check if glutinuous rice has soften. Else steam for another 10mins.

Note:

1. Do not need to soak glutinuous rice overnight. Just wash the rice clean before use.

2. Add chicken together with the rice else will end up overcooking the meat.

Kermit's Learning:

Dun take five more months to cook the next dish. Heys people remind me!

*Special thanks to "My mother who taught me!"*

Internet rape - are you safe?

Reference from Digital Life Oct 22, 2007

16-year-old Amanda (not her real name) is your typical teenager who enjoys hanging out with her friends and surfing the Internet.

There was something irresistible and liberating about the way she could just come home from school, throw her real identity out the window and take up whatever persona she liked online. With her cute nicknames, Amanda never fell short of online friends who enjoyed chatting with her. Her favourite friend, though, was 29-year-old 'bikerboy2000', who was always sweet, considerate and knew exactly what to say. Both exchanged personal information and she soon found out his real name (for this purpose, let's call him John).

In return, Amanda revealed her own name, school and contact number without any qualms as she trusted him and wanted to meet him.

John finally asked her out for lunch three days later and Amanda agreed, albeit reluctantly at first. Her first impression of him was that John was shy and boyish. But his constant praise of her beauty had Amanda hooked - she felt like a princess in his company.

On their second date, John said he liked her a lot and asked Amanda to be his girlfriend. She was elated and couldn't believe her luck. She was so smitten that when John invited her to his place on their third date, she hurried over brimming with anticipation.

That was when Amanda's luck ran out. John started to get physically close to her, and when she pulled away and asked what he was up to, John attacked her. Dazed and confused, realisation slowly sank in. Amanda had been raped.

Time stood still - five, ten, even 20 minutes could have passed - she wasn't sure but after the ordeal ended, Amanda dashed out of John's house and ran straight home.

Her grades plummeted as Amanda battled with feelings of worthlessness, shame as well as the fear of pregnancy and parental rejection. She withdrew from her friends and family until she one day, she couldn't hold it back no longer.

She told her close friends about the awful experience and received intensive counselling. She made a police report and identified John, who's currently being investigated.

Amanda soon learnt that she wasn't the first girl that John had raped. Despite feeling angry at her own stupidity, she also learnt a valuable lesson from her experience. She's now a more Internet savvy user and understands what to do to avoid becoming a victim.

Her advice - NEVER reveal your identity or address online, as well as your school, mobile number or online profile (such as Friendster or Facebook) as your identity can be easily traced.

Be careful of people with seemingly innocent nicknames and dispositions online.

Ultimately, do not meet up with strangers you meet while chatting, even if they insist on doing so.

After all, prevention is always better than cure.
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Kermit: How true. Some scars stay with you for the rest of your life. Is it worth taking the risk then????

Hang Loose for a Moment

A boss wondered why one of his most valued employees had not phoned in sick one day. Having an urgent problem with one of the main computers, he dialed the employee's home phone number and was greeted with a child's whisper.
>>"Hello ? Is your daddy home?" he asked.
>>"Yes," whispered the small voice.
>>"May I talk to him?"
>>The child whispered, "No."
>>Surprised and wanting to talk with an adult, the boss asked, "Is your Mommy there?"
>>"Yes."
>>"May I talk to her?" Again the small voice whispered, "No."
>>Hoping there was somebody with whom he could leave a message, the boss asked, "Is anybody else there?"
>>"Yes," whispered the child, "a policeman."
>>Wondering what a cop would be doing at his employee's home, the boss asked, "May I speak to the policeman?"
>>"No, he's busy , " whispered the child.
>>"Busy doing what?"
>>"Talking to Daddy and Mommy and the Fireman," came the whispered answer.
>>Growing more worried as he heard a loud noise in the background through the earpiece on the phone, the boss asked, "What is that noise?"
>>"A helicopter." answered the whispering voice.
>>"What is going on there?" demanded the boss, now truly apprehensive.
>>Again, whispering, the child answered, " The search team just landed a helicopter."
>>Alarmed, concerned and a little frustrated the boss asked, "What are they searching for?"
>>Still whispering, the young voice replied with a muffled giggle..."ME."

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Kermit: Got this joke from Joanne. So funny!!! :P