The_King

After spending months in Shanghai participating in the Chinese electronic music competition Rave Now, Singapore singer-songwriter Jasmine Sokko has never been more confident about speaking in her mother tongue. “I was way more freaked out about speaking Mandarin on stage than anything else, even performing my music, because I was struggling to understand what the judges were saying,” Sokko told CNA Lifestyle from Shanghai. “I memorised a whole chunk of responses in Mandarin. It felt like I joined a real life listening comprehension test instead of a music competition," she said. "But I’ve gotten so much better in my Chinese since.” The 23-year-old musician placed fourth in the finals of the electronic music talent reality show, which concluded last Friday (Feb 1). Experienced DJ Jiang Liang of Guangxi, China, was eventually crowned champion and won the honour of performing at Belgian electronic music festival Tomorrowland 2019. Sokko was the only Singaporean – and the only woman – among the programme’s Top 15 contestants. “I didn’t think I would make it far," said Sokko. "I had never once attempted a Chinese cover (of a song). I was so afraid of sounding really unclear. But apparently, people think I sound exotic. I’m still confused but I’m honoured and grateful." At the finals, she shared the stage with her teammates Anti-General and Dollarzoo, their celebrity mentor Lay Zhang of Korean boyband Exo, and special guest Coco Lee in performing the brand new track New Spring. https://www.instagram.com/p/BtYvMPzFYPE/?utm_source=ig_embed Sokko also debuted an orchestral remix of her original track, #0000FF, joined by Chinese singers Sunnee and Zining of Chinese girl group Rocket Girls 101. As the only finalist from outside of China, the electronic musician has no regrets about her performance in the competition. https://www.instagram.com/p/BtNpPvnFbGN/?utm_source=ig_embed “It was clear to me that Rave Now is but a stepping stone towards my dream, and coming first doesn’t mean you’re better than the rest. There were a lot of factors involved in the ranking process that were out of my control,” she said. WORK-REST BALANCE Aside from tips on production and audio mastering, perhaps the biggest lesson she learned on the set of Rave Now was the importance of rest. “I thought work culture in Singapore was rather intense and fast-paced until I came to China. We filmed non-stop from two in the afternoon till 7am the next day,” said Sokko, who took a semester off her undergraduate studies at Singapore Management University to work on her craft. https://twitter.com/JasmineSokko/status/1091192948992036864 “There was never a concrete schedule announced to us. We only found out what we were doing on the day itself, so I’ve mastered the art of sleeping almost everywhere. Even during filming, since I wear a visor.” And there's more work to be done. Fresh from introducing herself to the Chinese audience, Sokko is ready to release new music this year, possibly towards a “mixed Mandarin-pop electronic” sound. The follow-up to Hurt, her debut with Warner Music last August, will arrive next month. “My new track, Tired, is coming out on March 1, and I am so excited to share this little introvert anthem with everyone,” she said. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ch2J23m5DM ut for now, after spending months alone in a foreign land, writing and performing for strangers, in the thick of winter, Sokko is ready to come home. “I was in Shanghai the entire winter. I feel like the amount of time I spent layering myself into a ball of fur could have contributed to the creation of a new song,” she quipped. "I miss heading out in one layer in my all-year-round summer home." https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/trending/jasmine-sokko-fourth-place-in-chinese-competition-rave-now-11199630

Update: In response to several commenters who claimed that it’s not biologically possible for a dog’s ear to fall off, we called a veterinarian at Rama 8 Pet Hospital to verify the pet owner’s claim this afternoon. Alright animal lovers, listen up. A Thai woman’s tragic cautionary tale about dyeing your pet’s fur is going viral today after her Pomeranian’s ear allegedly fell off from a severe allergic reaction after she died in neon pink. “There was too much dye on the dog’s ear,” the pet owner posted on Facebook about her dog “Diffy” yesterday. “It started as typical allergy symptoms like itchiness, burns to the skin, flakiness. But when the scabs from the wound fell off, her ear fell of as well,” she explained. According to one of the veterinarians at Rama 8 Pet Hospital, it is indeed biologically possible and there are lots of reasons why the dog’s ear could have fallen off. “The chemical could have burned the ear off, the salon could have done it too harshly, the dog could have developed a severe allergy to the dye. This could have been caused by a lot of reasons,” she told us. Photo: Facebook/ Ampaipan WachapornPrior to this post, the pet owner had posed a question on her Facebook page regarding Diffy’s ears, which usually point up but started drooping down after she underwent a 40-minute foil wrap fur dyeing process. “The store said it’ll return to normal in 2-3 days,” wrote the pet owner. Photo: Facebook/ Ampaipan Wachaporn According to Live Science, human hair dye should “never be used on dogs or other pets” as it contains toxic chemicals, including hydrogen peroxide and bleach. This can cause external burns if the substances get into an animal’s eyes, leading to blindness. What’s more, because dogs instinctively lick themselves, fur dye can cause internal burns or poisoning Many animal organizations including PETA have spoken up against fur dyeing. “People need to know that there is no safe way to dye a dog or any other animal.” a PETA spokesperson told HuffPost UK Style after Parisian fashion model Lia Catreux posted photos of her dog dyed hot fuschia. “They can get water in their ears (which isn’t as simple as when it happens to a human; it can lead to all sorts of complications) or have an allergic reaction – even a fatal one. There is simply no way to know how your animal will react,” the spokesperson said “PETA would urge people to let dogs be dogs: Love and appreciate them for their natural beauty and leave them out of our confusing human shenanigans.” Photo: Facebook/ Ampaipan Wachaporn Photo: Facebook/ Ampaipan Wachaporn Photo: Facebook/ Ampaipan Wachaporn

SINGAPORE: Singapore Post (SingPost) announced new measures on Thursday (Feb 7) to improve its standards as part of a review into its postal operations in light of recent service failures. The new measures were released after SingPost was fined S$100,000 by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) on Thursday for failing to deliver mail on time in 2017. Among the new initiatives was reducing the workload of postmen. SingPost said in their statement workloads have been increasing significantly due to the rise of e-commerce and cheaper postage. On average, each postman carried out 50 to 60 doorstep deliveries per day during the seasonal e-commerce surge over the last few months. SingPost said the number of package deliveries being made to doorsteps now exceeded that of delivering mail to letter boxes. The company will be working with Government agencies and the Union of Telecoms Employees of Singapore (UTES) to upgrade the skills of its postal workers to ensure they will be equipped to handle the e-commerce boom, the statement said. One hundred more postmen will be hired, while another 35 mail-drop drivers will be redeployed as full-time postmen, SingPost confirmed. It will also increase the number of dedicated counters and staff at post offices for parcel collection. Other measures include enhancing postmen’s remuneration with incentives for successfully delivering items to the doorstep, as well as improving mail delivery by reducing non-core mail businesses such as advertisement mail. SingPost CEO Paul Coutts said the new measures would provide “improvement in service quality over the next three to six months". "These are the first steps currently taken to address our customers' immediate pain points and to rebuild the trust we have lost. Please bear with us as we look into longer-term measures that address other issues that customers have raised," he added. SingPost has recently been accused of deteriorating service over the November to December period by its customers. It apologised earlier this year after complaints surfaced on social media about subpar service including undelivered letters and forged signatures for packages. A postman was arrested last month following reports of letters allegedly being discarded in a bin. Last year, a SingPost postman was fired after he threw away returned letters and direct mail to a condominium. Source: CNA/ec(mi)

SINGAPORE - A Frenchman who was listed as teaching at the Ministry of Education (MOE) Language Centre in Singapore has been arrested in Bangkok for allegedly having sex with children. French-language teacher Jean-Christophe Quenot, 51, was arrested by police in a hotel room in the Thai capital on Monday (Feb 4), according to reports in the Thai media. A check of the MOE Language Centre's website on Thursday showed Quenot listed as a staff member in the French department, but his name was removed later in the day. Thai Metropolitan Police deputy divisional commander, Colonel Nakarin Sukhonthawit, on Wednesday was also quoted as a saying at a press conference in Bangkok that Quenot told the police he had taught French in Singapore. ST has sent queries to the ministry. At Wednesday's press conference, the commander of the Metropolitan Police, Major-General Senit Samrarnsamruajkit, said that Quenot would meet boys aged 13 to 15 at the Huay Kwang Stadium in Bangkok, and offer to teach them English and coach them in football. This started a year ago. Quenot allegedly then invited some boys to his hotel room for sex, in exchange for cash. When police arrested him on Monday, officers found a camera tripod in the hotel room and a video of Quenot having sex with a teenage boy, Thai reports said. They also found a computer with pornographic films, and 36 condoms. Police officers found 36 condoms, a computer with pornographic films and a camera tripod in the hotel room, Thai reports said. PHOTOS: THE NATION/ASIA NEWS NETWORK On Thursday, The Straits Times spoke with one of Quenot's former students Aaron Pereira, who said he recognised Quenot from his mugshot carried in Thai media and was "completely shocked and in disbelief" over the arrest. The 27-year-old, who works in the aviation sector, studied French as an A-level subject at MOE Language Centre's Bishan campus from 2008 to 2009. The centre, which also has a campus in Newton, is where students pursue a Third Language, such as French, German and Japanese. https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/french-teacher-linked-to-moe-language-centre-arrested-in-bangkok-for-sex-with-minors

SINGAPORE: Singapore Post (SingPost) has been fined S$100,000 for not meeting the service standards for delivering local basic letters and registered mail in 2017, the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) said on Thursday (Feb 7). Under IMDA standards, SingPost is required to deliver 99 per cent of local letters to addresses within the Central Business District (CBD) and 98 per cent of local letters to destinations outside of it by the next working day. IMDA said SingPost failed to meet that standard in May 2017. The regulator added that SingPost also failed to meet the requirements to deliver all local basic letters by the second working day in January, April, May, October and November 2017. SingPost also failed to meet the same requirements for registered mail in January, September and November 2017, IMDA said. The authority noted it was not SingPost's first failure to meet with Quality of Service (QoS) standards, with the 2017's margin of failure being "significant" compared to previous instances. However, IMDA said it considered SingPost's effort in ensuring all delayed mail were successfully redelivered within one week. "Having considered all factors, IMDA has imposed a financial penalty of $100,000 on SingPost for the nine incidents of non-compliance with IMDA’s QoS standards in the period from January to December 2017," IMDA said. Thursday's fine comes after a postman was arrested last month following reports of letters allegedly discarded in a bin. IMDA said after the incident that it had launched an investigation. “IMDA expects SingPost to deliver reliable public postal services to consumers and businesses, in compliance with its licence obligations," said Ms Aileen Chia, deputy chief executive and director-general (Telecoms & Post) at IMDA. "IMDA has been closely monitoring the performance of SingPost’s postal services, and will take firm action against SingPost for any breaches of the public postal licence requirements and QoS standards. “The recent service lapses by SingPost indicate gaps in SingPost’s processes and we require them to implement measures urgently to meet the public’s evolving postal needs,” she added. "WE DEEPLY APOLOGISE" SingPost said in a statement on Thursday that it accepts IMDA's fine and will work to improve its service. “We deeply apologise to our customers for our service failures," said SingPost CEO Paul Coutts in a statement. "We have heard their complaints and feedback; we feel their frustrations and seek to win back their trust." He also announced a raft of measures to improve its service, such as hiring 100 additional postmen and extending mail delivery slots to weekday evenings and on Saturdays. "The immediate measures we are announcing today will address the most pressing issues and provide improvement in service quality over the next three to six months," he said. IMDA said it is currently assessing SingPost's service standard for 2018 and will publish the findings by the middle of this year. Earlier in the year, SingPost apologised to its customers for the "service deterioration" that occurred over the "tremendously busy" November-December period. "It would be fair to state that we have failed to live up to expectations in recent times," it wrote online. The apology came after complaints on social media about subpar service including undelivered letters, as well as forged signatures for packages. Last February, a SingPost postman was fired after he threw away returned letters and direct mail at a condominium. The incident came to light when a video surfaced of a member of the public confronting the postman, who admitted to throwing the mail away. Source: CNA/ec(dt/aj)

SINGAPORE - Eager home buyers can soon book a Housing Board flat by the next working day after applying. A new sales exercise will soon offer flats on a rolling basis, available for booking at any time. The first batch of 120 flats offered under the new scheme will be open for booking around the middle of the year, Minister for National Development Lawrence Wong said in a blog post on Thursday (Feb 7). Currently, the fastest way for buyers to get a flat is under the Re-Offer of Balance Flats (ROF) exercise, which offers unsold flats from previous sales exercises. Applicants have to wait for a week till applications close before they find out if they are successful. The new scheme means they can find out within a day if their application is successful. "In other words, flat buyers can apply online anytime on a first come, first served basis, and book a flat by the next working day," said Mr Wong. "This will effectively reduce their waiting time to book a flat to just one day." Since the ROF's launch in August 2017, 2,500 families have booked a home under the exercise. Nearly two-thirds of these households have collected the keys to their flats. Under the ROF, applicants do not need to indicate the flat type and location, unlike the Build-To-Order or Sales of Balance Flats exercises. They can book any available unit according to their eligibility, which benefits home buyers who are less particular about flat attributes or location, or have more urgent housing needs. Said Mr Wong: "With the increased range of options available, I hope that it will be easier and more convenient for potential home buyers to find a flat that meets their different needs, preferences, and budget." https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/home-buyers-face-shorter-wait-to-book-hdb-flat-under-new-sales-exercise

WTF extra usd 40

how much the price now

yes, they come our house, i rate my food 2.5/10

yes from amazon black friday i brought for 149 or 140 USD power is ok, as it multi voltage

? it at golden miles

Roasted Chicken Congee soft boiled egg Kopi Rice Othes Dishes Fishball with sambal, curry Veggi, braised pork, hongkong style yam cake, Green bean with barley All done, final With someother dish like bee hoon, Achar, prawn roll

Bee hoon, nugget, sotong ball, scallop, veggi, wings etc.... Curry Black Vinegar Pork Hokkien BKT. My favorite white fungus soup bak kwa

Day 2 of feasting (yes my responsibility for this CNY is over) Roasted Chicken Congee soft boiled egg Kopi Rice Othes Dishes Fishball with sambal, curry Veggi, braised pork, hongkong style yam cake, Green bean with barley All done, final With someother dish like bee hoon, Achar, prawn roll

Description An investigation into his daughter’s death unwittingly leads former agent Sam Fisher to discover he’s been betrayed by his prior agency, the Third Echelon. Now a renegade, Fisher finds himself in a race against time to thwart a deadly terrorist plot that threatens millions. Uniting revolutionary gameplay enhancements with a high octane, no-holds-barred storyline, Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Conviction arms you to the teeth with all the high tech weaponry and lethal skills of an elite operative and invites you to enter a dangerous world where justice means making your own rules. Key Features NEW LEVEL OF ACTION FOR SPLINTER CELL : A full arsenal of cutting-edge innovations allow you to outflank foes with the Last Known Position™ system, tag and eliminate enemies using the Mark and Execute™ feature, and much more. BLOCKBUSTER EXPERIENCE : A unique storytelling style keeps you on the edge of your seat as you navigate the explosive world of a renegade agent where trust is impossible and justice requires you to go above the law. A NEW LEVEL OF IMMERSION : A revolutionary new graphic direction delivers an utterly seamless gameplay experience that’ll keep you totally engrossed in the story of Sam Fisher. https://store.ubi.com/sea/tom-clancy-s-splinter-cell-conviction-deluxe-edition/56c4948a88a7e300458b481e.html

CNY Day 1 of feasting Bee hoon, nugget, sotong ball, scallop, veggi, wings etc.... Curry Black Vinegar Pork Hokkien BKT. My favorite white fungus soup bak kwa

Kuek holds a Master of Arts (Engineering Science) from Oxford University, a Master in Public Administration from Harvard University, and is an alumnus of IMD Switzerland. UBS said Kuek’s wealth of experience as an executive, government official and board member will be of great value in boosting relationships with existing and new clients, and growing its business across Asia Pacific. Koh said, “Desmond is a great intellect and strategic thinker. He is tenacious; always calm under pressure and not afraid to take on the toughest challenges with commitment and perseverance. “His rich and diverse range of experiences driving complex businesses through innovation and transformation will serve UBS well into its next chapter. ”

Former SMRT Corp’s chief executive Desmond Kuek is joining Swiss investment bank UBS as divisional vice-chairman for global wealth management. Kuek, who will be based in Singapore, will start work on 18 February, UBS said in a statement on Monday (4 February). He will report to UBS head of ultra-high net worth, Joe Stadler, and UBS Asia-Pacific president, Edmund Koh. Prior to this, Kuek was President and Chief Executive Officer at SMRT Corp from 2012-2018. Kuek stepped down as CEO last April and was replaced by former Chief of Defence Force Neo Kian Hong. His tenure at SMRT was marked by several major setbacks such as a tunnel flood that resulted in a 20-hour disruption in train services, a track accident that caused the deaths of two staff members, a train collision that injured 38 people, as well as an increasing frequency of breakdowns. Before joining SMRT, Kuek served as Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Environment & Water Resources from 2010 to 2012. He was Singapore’s sixth Chief of Defence Force from 2007 to 2010, Chief of Army from 2003 to 2007, and Director of Joint Intelligence in the Singapore Armed Forces from 2000 to 2003. He has served on the boards of Housing & Development Board, International Enterprise Singapore, Jurong Town Corporation, Defence Science & Technology Agency, Civil Service College and Singapore Technologies Engineering. He is also founder and Chairman at consultancy firm Genium & Co. Kuek holds a Master of Arts (Engineering Science) from Oxford University, a Master in Public Administration from Harvard University, and is an alumnus of IMD Switzerland. UBS said Kuek’s wealth of experience as an executive, government official and board member will be of great value in boosting relationships with existing and new clients, and growing its business across Asia Pacific. Koh said, “Desmond is a great intellect and strategic thinker. He is tenacious; always calm under pressure and not afraid to take on the toughest challenges with commitment and perseverance. “His rich and diverse range of experiences driving complex businesses through innovation and transformation will serve UBS well into its next chapter. ” https://sg.finance.yahoo.com/news/former-smrt-ceo-desmond-kuek-joins-ubs-global-wealth-management-team-051355706.html

It seems like the famous Chin Mee Chin Confectionery 真美珍茶室 located at East Coast Road has ended operations. (This comes shortly after another nostalgic shop of Teck Kee Tanglin Pau has announced its closure. Sad to see our childhood places fade away.) While a notice in front of their shop states they would be back during January 2019, shutters are still down and they have yet to return. A search on Google also shows that Chin Mee Chin is “permanently closed”. Residents of Katong and of a certain generation should be familiar with Chin Mee Chin Confectionery, otherwise known as CMC. This is where you can get a taste of the old-styled coffee and bakes, and to take a step down the memory lane. The Hainanese coffeeshop 真美珍茶室 along East Coast Road, presently owned by Mr. Tang See Fang, was founded by the owner’s father in 1925. There is a certain nostalgic charm in this little shop, with mosaic blue and white tiles, marble top tables, a mixture of wooden chairs and ceiling fans. Other than kaya toast, this confectionary offers pastries like custard puffs, curry puffs, Swiss rolls and fruit cakes, lined up in aluminium trays within old-looking metal shelves. People go for the hot piping tarts when they come out straight from the kitchen at the back, filling up the signature white boxes with delights for the family. My favourite is the French Toast with the thick slab of butter and sweet aromatic kaya hand-made in traditional style. The Custard Puffs, served in little plastic dishes, are also a draw with the dark yellow custard, lightly prepared and not too sweet to the tooth. Regulars would certainly miss that familiar smell of kaya, butter and coffee prominent in the air; and the sight of aunties at the back-kitchen rattle as they prepare the daily fix. In the time when rentals keep going up, reliable F&B workers are hard to find, and with nobody to take over the realms, we will unfortunately see more of these familiar places we grow up with, disappear. Thank you Chin Mee Chin for the memories. http://danielfooddiary.com/2019/02/01/chinmeechin/

SINGAPORE - The Gojek driver in a viral video has been summoned by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) for an interview as a part of investigations after a complaint was filed against him. In a letter dated Monday (Feb 4) and titled "Notice To Attend Interview" seen by The Straits Times, Mr Kamaruzzaman Abdul Latiff is asked to attend an interview with an LTA official on Thursday morning. "A complaint has been filed against you... The complaint concerns an incident dated Jan 29 at 7am. We are now investigating the matter," the letter states. LTA asked Mr Kamaruzzaman to bring his NRIC, vocational licence, driving licence, as well as "the recording device, its recording and any other evidence". The letter ends by stating that his attendance is compulsory under traffic rules. Mr Kamaruzzaman, 49, told ST on Monday that he was in Malaysia taking time off from driving when his son sent him a photo of the letter. He said he would go to the interview and may consult a lawyer. Earlier on Monday morning, an LTA spokesman said: "LTA is looking into this incident." On Jan 31, Mr Kamaruzzaman had shared a seven-minute clip of a heated exchange with a passenger on the Go-Jek Singapore Community Facebook page, saying that the female passenger was upset that he could not avoid the Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) gantries during the journey. He had picked her up from Block 251 Bishan Street 22 at about 7am on Tuesday and was heading towards Coleman Street. In the video, which was taken using Mr Kamaruzzaman's mobile phone, the passenger is heard saying "it is clear that you are out to cheat (my) money". She then makes a phone call and an unknown person is heard over a mobile phone loudspeaker saying "you have no right to take her hostage" and "you are causing her to lose her freedom". Mr Kamaruzzaman repeatedly says that he prefers to settle any issues at a police station. The car eventually comes to a stop in Toa Payoh Lorong 4, as Mr Kamaruzzaman speaks to a Certis Cisco officer. At one point, the passenger screams, claiming that Mr Kamaruzzaman had locked the car door on purpose and intended to kidnap her, noting later that he did not want to let her alight from the car when they could not settle their dispute. He tries to explain to her that the car has auto-lock doors. As of 8.40pm on Monday, the video posted on the Roads.sg Facebook group had attracted over 768,000 views, 11,500 shares, and more than 6,300 reactions. In a Skype interview with ST on Sunday night, the passenger, who wanted to be known only as Jovina, said she had not had the chance to make a police report as she left for Taiwan shortly after the incident, adding she is "thinking about it". In an e-mail on Monday, Ms Jovina told ST that Gojek had not contacted her. She did not say if she had filed a complaint with LTA. ST has contacted Ms Jovina and LTA for more information. https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/gojek-driver-in-viral-video-summoned-for-lta-interview-after-complaint-lodged-against-him

Here my dinner Happy chinese new year 2019 to all