This striking headline of "Singapore's inflation hits 25-year high of 6.6%" from Channelnewsasia is going to give many people a jerk.
(source: www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/330959/1/.html)
What are the implications of high inflation to us? I can think of a few.
1) Our money is getting "smaller".
In the past, a $10 note could purchased a lot of things. Now, having a simple meal at a fast food restaurant easily costs $10. Why is this so? Our purchasing power is shrinking.
2) Stretch your dollar.
It pays to do some homework by shopping around first before buying, especially for big ticket-items. The government has encouraged buying housebrands which are cheaper than branded. The quality is usually not compromised.
3) We have to save more.
Since the prices of almost everything have risen, our monthly salary does not rise as fast and as much. We need to save more by trimming our expenses and cutting all unnecessary spending. The money saved should be invested prudently to cover the shortfall.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Bruxism
From Wikipedia:
Bruxism or gnashing of teeth, is grinding of the teeth, typically accompanied by clenching of the jaw.
Bruxism is caused by the activation of relfex chewing activity; it is not a learned habit. Chewing is a complex neuromuscular activity that is controlled by reflex nerve pathways, with higher control by the brain. During sleep, the reflex part is active while the higher control is inactive, resulting in bruxism.
Bruxism often occurs during sleep and can even occur during short naps. It is one of the most common sleep disorders.
My Comments:
This teeth grinding is worse that snoring. The noise produced by the former is like mice squeaking and very unpleasant to the ears.
Bruxism or gnashing of teeth, is grinding of the teeth, typically accompanied by clenching of the jaw.
Bruxism is caused by the activation of relfex chewing activity; it is not a learned habit. Chewing is a complex neuromuscular activity that is controlled by reflex nerve pathways, with higher control by the brain. During sleep, the reflex part is active while the higher control is inactive, resulting in bruxism.
Bruxism often occurs during sleep and can even occur during short naps. It is one of the most common sleep disorders.
My Comments:
This teeth grinding is worse that snoring. The noise produced by the former is like mice squeaking and very unpleasant to the ears.
Snoring
From Wikipedia:
Snoring is the vibration of respiratory structures and the resulting sound, doe to obstructed air movement during breathing while sleeping. The sound may be soft or loud and unpleasant.
Snoring is known to cause sleep deprivation to both the snorer and those who hear him/her.
My Comments:
Only the one sleeping next to us knows whether we snore during our sleep. Snoring is not limited to men, but women and children too.
Snoring is the vibration of respiratory structures and the resulting sound, doe to obstructed air movement during breathing while sleeping. The sound may be soft or loud and unpleasant.
Snoring is known to cause sleep deprivation to both the snorer and those who hear him/her.
My Comments:
Only the one sleeping next to us knows whether we snore during our sleep. Snoring is not limited to men, but women and children too.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Frozen Prata
To reduce the costs on groceries, I bought frozen mixed vegetables, frozen meat, frozen cake and frozen prata.
I love mixed vegetables and thus have no problems in eating its frozen form.
For frozen dory fillet, frozen minced meat, frozen prawns etc, since I often add seasoning before cooking, I did not find anything "unusual".
For frozen cake, I just have to remember to defroze it before eating. The taste is definitely not as great as fresh from the oven.
For the frozen prata, have you try it before?
I tried a few brands and I concluded that they are quite a disappointment. I do not think is due to my frying skill, as there is no skill to talk about here. The fried prata tastes simply funny. Maybe is the type of cooking oil and wok I used?
I decided to continue queueing every weekend to buy the freshly prepared roti prata at the stall in the wet market. Not ALL stuff can be replaced by frozen ones.
NB: The above is my personal view.
I love mixed vegetables and thus have no problems in eating its frozen form.
For frozen dory fillet, frozen minced meat, frozen prawns etc, since I often add seasoning before cooking, I did not find anything "unusual".
For frozen cake, I just have to remember to defroze it before eating. The taste is definitely not as great as fresh from the oven.
For the frozen prata, have you try it before?
I tried a few brands and I concluded that they are quite a disappointment. I do not think is due to my frying skill, as there is no skill to talk about here. The fried prata tastes simply funny. Maybe is the type of cooking oil and wok I used?
I decided to continue queueing every weekend to buy the freshly prepared roti prata at the stall in the wet market. Not ALL stuff can be replaced by frozen ones.
NB: The above is my personal view.
Rainbow on 25th Feb 2008
The warm and hazy weather was driving me crazy. I heard distant thunder. Then light rain started while the sun was still shining. I welcomed the light rain and was surprised to see a rainbow.
ERS
To help Singaporeans to cope with the GST hike from 3% to 5% in year 2003, the government gave out Economic Restructuring Shares (ERS) based on the annual value of your home. In addition, the government promised an interest rate of of minimum guaranteed 3% + real GDP growth rate of the previous year.
For years 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006, the dividend rates were 4.1%, 11.4%, 9.4% and 10.9% respectively. This was one of the best investments I ever had because the yields were risk-free and high.
The ERS will close in this year 2008. All shares alloted will be converted to cash. A letter from CPF Board can be expected somewhere in March 2008.
For more info, please visit www.ers.gov.sg or www.nss.gov.sg
For years 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006, the dividend rates were 4.1%, 11.4%, 9.4% and 10.9% respectively. This was one of the best investments I ever had because the yields were risk-free and high.
The ERS will close in this year 2008. All shares alloted will be converted to cash. A letter from CPF Board can be expected somewhere in March 2008.
For more info, please visit www.ers.gov.sg or www.nss.gov.sg
When Is Your Last Trip To A Library?
Is going to the library only for children and students? Or for senior citizens to read newspapers and magazine to kill their time?
A check with http://www.nlb.gov.sg showed that there are at least twenty libraries scattered round our island with many located right in the heart of our
neighbourhood.
Each member of the library is allowed to borrow up to 4 books or magazines for 3 weeks (2 weeks for magazines). A small fine will be imposed for late return. During the year-end school holidays, the loan quota can be doubled.
I love the phrase "Born to read and Read to Bond". Reading a good habit and it is best start from young. By reading, it opens up our world and allows us to gain more knowledge.
I like to read from young. My favourites includes financial books and magazines, detective stories, self-improvement books etc.
Make a trip to your nearest library during this weekend. Borrowing of books is free of charge. In addition, there are some libraries (Eg Jurong Regional Library) with a cafe inside them. Spend a couple of hours sipping your cup of hot coffee or eating a piece of blueberry cake and at the same time immerse yourself in a book of your choice. This is one of the best moments in life.
A check with http://www.nlb.gov.sg showed that there are at least twenty libraries scattered round our island with many located right in the heart of our
neighbourhood.
Each member of the library is allowed to borrow up to 4 books or magazines for 3 weeks (2 weeks for magazines). A small fine will be imposed for late return. During the year-end school holidays, the loan quota can be doubled.
I love the phrase "Born to read and Read to Bond". Reading a good habit and it is best start from young. By reading, it opens up our world and allows us to gain more knowledge.
I like to read from young. My favourites includes financial books and magazines, detective stories, self-improvement books etc.
Make a trip to your nearest library during this weekend. Borrowing of books is free of charge. In addition, there are some libraries (Eg Jurong Regional Library) with a cafe inside them. Spend a couple of hours sipping your cup of hot coffee or eating a piece of blueberry cake and at the same time immerse yourself in a book of your choice. This is one of the best moments in life.
Have Multiple Sources of Income
For a working adult, our main source of income is the monthly salary you received from our job. Once we are out of job, this income stops.
In order to achieve financial independence, we need to think of ways to create more sources of income. How can we do it?
It is possible but definitely needs some hard work. Nothing is impossible if you have a good plan and strong will.
1) Do you put your extra cash into hard work? By putting it into Fixed Deposit, you get "paid" with the interest. Though the amount is very little in this low interest rate environment, nevertheless, this is something extra by making your money works harder.
2) Do you invest in unit trusts or shares which give dividend regularly? Some unit trusts and many shares give attractive dividends and this is another way to get some money.
3) Do you have any special hobbies, skills or knowledge which you can tap on and generate some income? Some people are good in writing and so they write to publish their articles. Some may be good in selling and they can sell their services or setup
online portals to sell goodies. Some give tuition to students and this generate some side-income.
4) If you have the capital and with the right partners, you may even set up a company to do business. Or you may even buy a property and rent it out. The rental collected is another source of income for you. Of course, you must do your homework first before venturing into this path.
There are many other ways to generate income and I listed only a few here.
By creating multiple sources of income, you know that your money is working harder for you and you are also work hard to achieve financial independence.
In order to achieve financial independence, we need to think of ways to create more sources of income. How can we do it?
It is possible but definitely needs some hard work. Nothing is impossible if you have a good plan and strong will.
1) Do you put your extra cash into hard work? By putting it into Fixed Deposit, you get "paid" with the interest. Though the amount is very little in this low interest rate environment, nevertheless, this is something extra by making your money works harder.
2) Do you invest in unit trusts or shares which give dividend regularly? Some unit trusts and many shares give attractive dividends and this is another way to get some money.
3) Do you have any special hobbies, skills or knowledge which you can tap on and generate some income? Some people are good in writing and so they write to publish their articles. Some may be good in selling and they can sell their services or setup
online portals to sell goodies. Some give tuition to students and this generate some side-income.
4) If you have the capital and with the right partners, you may even set up a company to do business. Or you may even buy a property and rent it out. The rental collected is another source of income for you. Of course, you must do your homework first before venturing into this path.
There are many other ways to generate income and I listed only a few here.
By creating multiple sources of income, you know that your money is working harder for you and you are also work hard to achieve financial independence.
Supplementary Retirement Scheme
Supplementary Retirement Scheme (SRS) was introducedin April 2001. It is a voluntary participation to help to address the financial needs in the golden years.
Advantages:
1) Contributions to SRS are eligible for tax reliefand only 50% of the withdrawals from SRS are taxable at retirement.
2) The withdrawal period can be spread into a periodof 10 years.
3) Each adult should have at least 25 active working years. If he contributes $10000 per year (current cap is $11475 per year), when he retires.
4) The money placed in SRS account can be used to purchase single premium insurance policies, various unit trusts and shares.
5) If the money is SRS is invest in a low-cost globally diversified portfolio, getting a return of 4-5% pa should not be a big problem. So at retirement,a neat retirement nest egg is ready.
6) Since contributions to SRS are eligible for tax relief, some money is saved and can be put into better usage, possibly various investment tools to generate better returns.
Disadvantages:
1) The contributions to SRS is "locked" up. Unlike CPF, the money in SRS can still be withdraw under certain conditions.
2) If one contributes $10000 per year, the amount of money needs to be set aside is about $833 per month.
3) Unlike CPF monies which the government guarantees arisk-free interest rate of min 2.5%pa, investment returns from SRS is not guaranteed.
My Comments:
Growing old without health and wealth is definitely adouble whammy. During our active working years, besides maintaining good health, saving enough for oldage is equally important too. We CANNOT rely totally on our CPF because the bulk has been used to pay our flat and possibly children's tertiary education fees. SRS helps us to build a retirement nest egg.
For more info, please refer to www.mof.gov.sg
Advantages:
1) Contributions to SRS are eligible for tax reliefand only 50% of the withdrawals from SRS are taxable at retirement.
2) The withdrawal period can be spread into a periodof 10 years.
3) Each adult should have at least 25 active working years. If he contributes $10000 per year (current cap is $11475 per year), when he retires.
4) The money placed in SRS account can be used to purchase single premium insurance policies, various unit trusts and shares.
5) If the money is SRS is invest in a low-cost globally diversified portfolio, getting a return of 4-5% pa should not be a big problem. So at retirement,a neat retirement nest egg is ready.
6) Since contributions to SRS are eligible for tax relief, some money is saved and can be put into better usage, possibly various investment tools to generate better returns.
Disadvantages:
1) The contributions to SRS is "locked" up. Unlike CPF, the money in SRS can still be withdraw under certain conditions.
2) If one contributes $10000 per year, the amount of money needs to be set aside is about $833 per month.
3) Unlike CPF monies which the government guarantees arisk-free interest rate of min 2.5%pa, investment returns from SRS is not guaranteed.
My Comments:
Growing old without health and wealth is definitely adouble whammy. During our active working years, besides maintaining good health, saving enough for oldage is equally important too. We CANNOT rely totally on our CPF because the bulk has been used to pay our flat and possibly children's tertiary education fees. SRS helps us to build a retirement nest egg.
For more info, please refer to www.mof.gov.sg
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Singapore Importing More Frozen Meat
SINGAPORE: Singapore is importing more frozen meat like chicken and pork today compared to eight years ago. According to the Agri—Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA), import numbers have risen by between seven and 20 percentage points, with the import of frozen pork seeing the highest increase.
Frozen pork import was 38 percent in 2000 and last year, it stood at 58 percent. Frozen chicken import was 55 percent in 2000, but rose to 62 percent last year, while frozen beef import went up to 91 percent last year from 84 percent in 2000. AVA has launched a new campaign to encourage more Singaporeans to switch from chilled meat to frozen meat.
The campaign will educate consumers on areas like how to handle, store and cook frozen meat.
Frozen chicken and pork are about 15 to 20 percent cheaper than chilled ones. In fact, some cuts like chicken drumsticks and wings could be cheaper by about 50 percent.
Tng Ah Yiam, director, Integrated Purchasing, NTUC Fairprice, said: "In the last six months, we’ve seen an increase of 15 percent for sale of frozen meat and an increase of nearly 25 percent for frozen chicken parts."
At the launch of the AVA campaign, Minister of State for National Development, Ms Grace Fu, pointed out that contrary to popular belief, frozen meat is as tasty and nutritious as chilled ones.
"If there are alternatives that give us the same value for less, I think in this time of rising inflation, it’s good that we have choices for consumers," she said.
Currently, food stalls and restaurants are still the main users of frozen meat. Experts said if you are not cooking the meat immediately after you buy it, it is best to get the frozen ones because they can be kept for as long as six months in the freezer.
(source: http://sg.news.yahoo.com/cna/20080223/tap-330686-231650b.html)
My Comments:
This is a good move to provide more sources of meat and hopefully, would keep the prices of meat competitive and affordable. Now the freezer of our fridge will have to work harder to keep more frozen meat.
Frozen pork import was 38 percent in 2000 and last year, it stood at 58 percent. Frozen chicken import was 55 percent in 2000, but rose to 62 percent last year, while frozen beef import went up to 91 percent last year from 84 percent in 2000. AVA has launched a new campaign to encourage more Singaporeans to switch from chilled meat to frozen meat.
The campaign will educate consumers on areas like how to handle, store and cook frozen meat.
Frozen chicken and pork are about 15 to 20 percent cheaper than chilled ones. In fact, some cuts like chicken drumsticks and wings could be cheaper by about 50 percent.
Tng Ah Yiam, director, Integrated Purchasing, NTUC Fairprice, said: "In the last six months, we’ve seen an increase of 15 percent for sale of frozen meat and an increase of nearly 25 percent for frozen chicken parts."
At the launch of the AVA campaign, Minister of State for National Development, Ms Grace Fu, pointed out that contrary to popular belief, frozen meat is as tasty and nutritious as chilled ones.
"If there are alternatives that give us the same value for less, I think in this time of rising inflation, it’s good that we have choices for consumers," she said.
Currently, food stalls and restaurants are still the main users of frozen meat. Experts said if you are not cooking the meat immediately after you buy it, it is best to get the frozen ones because they can be kept for as long as six months in the freezer.
(source: http://sg.news.yahoo.com/cna/20080223/tap-330686-231650b.html)
My Comments:
This is a good move to provide more sources of meat and hopefully, would keep the prices of meat competitive and affordable. Now the freezer of our fridge will have to work harder to keep more frozen meat.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
The Hot Weather
When was the last drop of rain fell in the area you lived? I recalled just before the Lunar New Year, the weather has been cloudy and windy. The temperature was not that warm. However, since then, there has not been much rain observed at the place I live.
I have showers almost twice daily to keep myself comfortable. The ceiling fan is switched on most of the time. I remind myself to drink more water. At night, I switch on the air-con to have a comfortable sleep. I am sure by the end of the month when I receive my utility bill, the electricity and water usage will be high.
We are approaching the drier or ending phase of the northeast monsoon season.
What are the ways to conserve water and electricity during this type of warm weather? If you have any suggestions, please let me know and thanks.
I have showers almost twice daily to keep myself comfortable. The ceiling fan is switched on most of the time. I remind myself to drink more water. At night, I switch on the air-con to have a comfortable sleep. I am sure by the end of the month when I receive my utility bill, the electricity and water usage will be high.
We are approaching the drier or ending phase of the northeast monsoon season.
What are the ways to conserve water and electricity during this type of warm weather? If you have any suggestions, please let me know and thanks.
My Green Bean's Flower
You can see the small yellowish-white flower drying up at one end and the other end is the green bean pod forming.
My Green Bean Pod is Growing
There are a few green beans inside this pod. The stem and leaves are quite hairy.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Free Insurance Coverage from AIA
AIA will launch from 22/2/2008 onwards for a limited period a free 90 days (with no strings attached) simple insurance from our Accident and Health Department. Here are the rough coverage. Full coverage will be spelled out on 22/2/2008 with our brochures
1) If you suffer any accidental death during your taking of public conveyance, the benefit is $50000 for your next of kin.
2)If you suffer any accident and warded in a hospital (not emergency outpatient), you will be getting daily hospital cash income of $50 for up to 180 days
3)If you are warded in hospital due to dengue fever, you will be getting daily hospital cash income of $50 for up to 30 days
4)If your child is warded in hospital due to Hand Food and Mouth Disease, you will be getting daily hospital cash income of $50 for up to 30 days.
I will be contacting you to meet up with you to show you the brochure and guide you to fill up the application form. Or you can email me at rogerlcf@aia.com.sg for more info. Thanks a lot.
1) If you suffer any accidental death during your taking of public conveyance, the benefit is $50000 for your next of kin.
2)If you suffer any accident and warded in a hospital (not emergency outpatient), you will be getting daily hospital cash income of $50 for up to 180 days
3)If you are warded in hospital due to dengue fever, you will be getting daily hospital cash income of $50 for up to 30 days
4)If your child is warded in hospital due to Hand Food and Mouth Disease, you will be getting daily hospital cash income of $50 for up to 30 days.
I will be contacting you to meet up with you to show you the brochure and guide you to fill up the application form. Or you can email me at rogerlcf@aia.com.sg for more info. Thanks a lot.
My Green Bean Plant
We drink green bean soup. We know what is green bean paste. We have even planted green beans and see how these beans germinate under the right conditions when young.
However, have you seen a green bean plant's flower? In December, I planted some green beans. I witnessed the tiny root emerged within a day. The young shoots appeared and later the plant started to grow with sufficient sunlight and water. However, its stem was quite weak during the initial stage and I almost thought that it would not survive long.
The will to grow is strong and its stem strengths as the day continues.
Now is late February, a small yellow flower from it has turned into a green bean pod. The pod is growing bigger each day.
I have witnessed the life cycle of a green bean plant.
I think soon, I will be able to "harvest" the green beans to cook my favourite green bean soup.
If I have the time, I will plant a potato, a garlic or others. So please continue to follow my blog and thanks.
However, have you seen a green bean plant's flower? In December, I planted some green beans. I witnessed the tiny root emerged within a day. The young shoots appeared and later the plant started to grow with sufficient sunlight and water. However, its stem was quite weak during the initial stage and I almost thought that it would not survive long.
The will to grow is strong and its stem strengths as the day continues.
Now is late February, a small yellow flower from it has turned into a green bean pod. The pod is growing bigger each day.
I have witnessed the life cycle of a green bean plant.
I think soon, I will be able to "harvest" the green beans to cook my favourite green bean soup.
If I have the time, I will plant a potato, a garlic or others. So please continue to follow my blog and thanks.
Singapore to host 2010 Youth Olympics
The whole country has been waiting for this moment to arrive. The verdict was out on 21th Feb 2008 about 7.15pm and the whole country cheered. Yes, we will host the first Youth Olympics Games in year 2010.
Singapore is just a small red dot on the globe. There are many people who yet to know where Singapore is. However, this Youth Olympics Game in year 2010 will put Singapore into the limelight.
We have only about 2 more years to prepare ourselves. The time is ticking down. We will work extra harder now to be the best host for this game.
(source:
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/ap/20080221/tsp-as-spt-oly-youth-olympics-singapore-6e81073.html)
Singapore is just a small red dot on the globe. There are many people who yet to know where Singapore is. However, this Youth Olympics Game in year 2010 will put Singapore into the limelight.
We have only about 2 more years to prepare ourselves. The time is ticking down. We will work extra harder now to be the best host for this game.
(source:
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/ap/20080221/tsp-as-spt-oly-youth-olympics-singapore-6e81073.html)
When Is Your Last Trip To A Park/Garden?
Singapore is a well-known garden city. Do you know how many parks and gardens are there in Singapore? A check with http://www.nparks.gov.sg/ and found that there are easily more than 40 parks and gardens. Have you visited any one recently?
In January, I visited Labrador Nature Reserve and Kent Ridge Park. I was amazed by the sizes of these parks. The parks are big, well-maintained, full with different types of trees, ferns, bushes, insects etc. The tall trees formed a canopy and it is so quiet that when you walk under the canopy, you simply wonder if you are still in Singapore or trekking in a dense forest.
The air is fresh. The parks are clean. Besides the birds' chirping, occasionally you may see a few wild monkey wandering in the parks but please be reminded that you are not supposed to feed or disturb them.
You do not need to pay any entrance fees to most of these parks. If the weather is cloudy and windy, spending half a day there to relax and enjoy the beauty of nature is definitely a wonderful experience.
In January, I visited Labrador Nature Reserve and Kent Ridge Park. I was amazed by the sizes of these parks. The parks are big, well-maintained, full with different types of trees, ferns, bushes, insects etc. The tall trees formed a canopy and it is so quiet that when you walk under the canopy, you simply wonder if you are still in Singapore or trekking in a dense forest.
The air is fresh. The parks are clean. Besides the birds' chirping, occasionally you may see a few wild monkey wandering in the parks but please be reminded that you are not supposed to feed or disturb them.
You do not need to pay any entrance fees to most of these parks. If the weather is cloudy and windy, spending half a day there to relax and enjoy the beauty of nature is definitely a wonderful experience.
"Suicide palm tree" seeds arrive in Britain
LONDON, Feb 20 - The seeds of the "suicide palm", a newly discovered and extremely rare palm tree, have arrived in Britain for urgent study and conservation, the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew said on Wednesday
The tree, whose nickname stems from its habit of flowering itself to death once every half century, was discovered only recently on the island of Madagascar.
Only about 100 examples are known to exist of the tree, which grows to more than 18 metres high over a period of 50 years before bursting into bloom just once with hundreds of tiny flowers for pollination and then dying.
About 1,000 of the Tahina spectabilis tree's grape-sized seeds, harvested by local villagers, arrived at Kew's Millennium Seed Bank earlier this week.
The tree's bizarre lifecycle means opportunities to harvest more seeds are likely to be rare.
"With less than a hundred of these palms in the wild, and the fact that they flower so rarely, the race is on to learn as much as possible, and as quickly as possible, about this spectacular new species," said Moctar Sacande, who heads up Kew's Seed Bank work in Madagascar.
"Not only is our science team at the Seed Bank studying the seeds to assess whether or not we can bank them, but we have also sent seeds to 11 botanical gardens around the world, where we hope the palm will thrive," he added.
Seeds have been sent to gardens in countries including the United States, Spain, Australia, South Africa, Singapore and Indonesia. Palm experts at Kew are also propagating the seeds for research and public display in the Gardens.
The trees were discovered by chance in a remote part of the island by a cashew plantation owner and his family.
Its remoteness explains why it had not previously been noted despite being Madagascar's most massive palm tree, which can even be spotted on Google Earth.
It towers more than fifty feet above the ground and has fan-shaped leaves that, at fifteen feet in diameter, rank among the largest of any flowering plant.
(source:
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/rtrs/20080220/tap-britain-palm-c3bb44c.html)
My Comments:
These special trees reminded me of fire flies. They were born, grow and glow, possibly mate to reproduce before dying. What is the REAL purpose of our life?
The tree, whose nickname stems from its habit of flowering itself to death once every half century, was discovered only recently on the island of Madagascar.
Only about 100 examples are known to exist of the tree, which grows to more than 18 metres high over a period of 50 years before bursting into bloom just once with hundreds of tiny flowers for pollination and then dying.
About 1,000 of the Tahina spectabilis tree's grape-sized seeds, harvested by local villagers, arrived at Kew's Millennium Seed Bank earlier this week.
The tree's bizarre lifecycle means opportunities to harvest more seeds are likely to be rare.
"With less than a hundred of these palms in the wild, and the fact that they flower so rarely, the race is on to learn as much as possible, and as quickly as possible, about this spectacular new species," said Moctar Sacande, who heads up Kew's Seed Bank work in Madagascar.
"Not only is our science team at the Seed Bank studying the seeds to assess whether or not we can bank them, but we have also sent seeds to 11 botanical gardens around the world, where we hope the palm will thrive," he added.
Seeds have been sent to gardens in countries including the United States, Spain, Australia, South Africa, Singapore and Indonesia. Palm experts at Kew are also propagating the seeds for research and public display in the Gardens.
The trees were discovered by chance in a remote part of the island by a cashew plantation owner and his family.
Its remoteness explains why it had not previously been noted despite being Madagascar's most massive palm tree, which can even be spotted on Google Earth.
It towers more than fifty feet above the ground and has fan-shaped leaves that, at fifteen feet in diameter, rank among the largest of any flowering plant.
(source:
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/rtrs/20080220/tap-britain-palm-c3bb44c.html)
My Comments:
These special trees reminded me of fire flies. They were born, grow and glow, possibly mate to reproduce before dying. What is the REAL purpose of our life?
A Meal At $1.90 ?
A meal at $1.90? In Singapore where prices of almost everything only goes up? Did I type wrongly?
Yes, a rice bowl filled with nasi lemak (ie rice), a piece of fried chicken-wing, two slices of cucumber, a fried egg, some fried ikan bilis with peanuts; the total cost is $1.90
You may say that the amount of rice must be very little and the sizes of the chicken-wing and egg must be real pathetic. Well, not that true as I felt full and good after eating it.
There are some stalls in the neighbourhood selling this value-for-money meal. So do look out when you walk around your neighbourhood, if you want to try this type of meal.
Yes, a rice bowl filled with nasi lemak (ie rice), a piece of fried chicken-wing, two slices of cucumber, a fried egg, some fried ikan bilis with peanuts; the total cost is $1.90
You may say that the amount of rice must be very little and the sizes of the chicken-wing and egg must be real pathetic. Well, not that true as I felt full and good after eating it.
There are some stalls in the neighbourhood selling this value-for-money meal. So do look out when you walk around your neighbourhood, if you want to try this type of meal.
One Cent & Five Cent Coins
The grocery bills from the supermarkets are usually round down to the nearest five cent, eliminating the usage of one cent coins.
However credit-card bills, phone bills, utility bills, etc are not doing so. Since most of us pay these bills through GIRO, the exact amount was deducted from our bank account without any hassle. I have yet to try paying cash for my credit card bills. Maybe I have to either dig out some one cent coins or receive some one cent coins as change.
Many stalls in the wet markets are not accepting the five cent coins, citing the inconvenience of depositing these small coins into the bank and other reasons.
Can you see the double standard?
Are one cent and five cent coins not money ie legal tender? We learnt in the primary school that 10 one cent coins make a ten cent, 2 five cent coins make a ten cent.
I have set aside a coin box to collect these "useless" and "unwanted" coins. I hope after some time (ie months or even years), I would be able to accumulate a few dollars or even more, before it goes into my piggy-bank.
However credit-card bills, phone bills, utility bills, etc are not doing so. Since most of us pay these bills through GIRO, the exact amount was deducted from our bank account without any hassle. I have yet to try paying cash for my credit card bills. Maybe I have to either dig out some one cent coins or receive some one cent coins as change.
Many stalls in the wet markets are not accepting the five cent coins, citing the inconvenience of depositing these small coins into the bank and other reasons.
Can you see the double standard?
Are one cent and five cent coins not money ie legal tender? We learnt in the primary school that 10 one cent coins make a ten cent, 2 five cent coins make a ten cent.
I have set aside a coin box to collect these "useless" and "unwanted" coins. I hope after some time (ie months or even years), I would be able to accumulate a few dollars or even more, before it goes into my piggy-bank.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Do You Have 10 min To Spare Daily?
Everybody has 24 hours a day, which is 1440 minutes a day, no more and no less.
During the weekdays, most of us would work from about 8.30am to at least 6.30pm, sometimes even as late as 10pm. When asked if there is time left to exercise, most would say that they don't even have time to sleep, needless to talk about exercising.
I have some simple ideas;
1) WALK to the MRT station if your home is just about 2 bus-stops away, instead of taking a feeder-bus, you save your money and at times, your precious time too.
2) on your bus or train journey, WRIGGLE your toes. You can do it even if you are standing in a crowded train.
3) after sitting in front of the PC for hours, TAKE a short break by going to the wash-room, make yourself a cup of tea ie let your body relax, let your legs do some walking instead of your fingers typing on the keyboard.
4) besides taking a short-break as mentioned above, you can TURN your body to the left and then right, to relax your neck and shoulder muscles,
At the end of the day, you have spent at least 10 min to do some simple exercise. Remember, our health is our wealth.
Happy Trying !
During the weekdays, most of us would work from about 8.30am to at least 6.30pm, sometimes even as late as 10pm. When asked if there is time left to exercise, most would say that they don't even have time to sleep, needless to talk about exercising.
I have some simple ideas;
1) WALK to the MRT station if your home is just about 2 bus-stops away, instead of taking a feeder-bus, you save your money and at times, your precious time too.
2) on your bus or train journey, WRIGGLE your toes. You can do it even if you are standing in a crowded train.
3) after sitting in front of the PC for hours, TAKE a short break by going to the wash-room, make yourself a cup of tea ie let your body relax, let your legs do some walking instead of your fingers typing on the keyboard.
4) besides taking a short-break as mentioned above, you can TURN your body to the left and then right, to relax your neck and shoulder muscles,
At the end of the day, you have spent at least 10 min to do some simple exercise. Remember, our health is our wealth.
Happy Trying !
HK celebrity Lydia Sum dies at 60
VETERAN Hong Kong actress Lydia Sum, known for her iconic black-rimmed glasses and heavy build, died early on Tuesday, news reports said. She was 60.
The cause of death wasn't immediately clear, but Commercial Radio reported on its website that Sum had been suffering from a bile duct condition. Radio RTHK reported on its website she suffered from liver cancer.
Shanghai-born Sum passed away in Queen Mary Hospital in Hong Kong.
The star had been suffering from diabetes and high blood pressure. She was admitted into hospital in August last year for an operation.
Affectionately known to peers and fans as Fei-fei, Sum made her movie debut at age 13, according to the Commercial Radio report.
In 1960, she joined Shaw Brothers. Her stardom began with the widely televised TVB variety show Enjoy Yourself Tonight, first singing with the Four Golden Flowers in the 1970s.
She acted in more than 100 movies in Hong Kong and hosted more than 5,000 episodes of variety shows. Kung fu fans will remember her as Yuen Cheung-Yan's dominating wife in the film Drunken Tai Chi. She also appeared as Richard Ng's wife in the all-star comedy Millionaire's Express and in It's a Mad Mad World in a major role.
Sum starred in Mediacorp's Channel 5 sitcom 'Living with Lydia' and her performance in the Singapore programme won her the 'Best Comedy Performance by an Actress' award at the 2003 Asian Television Awards.
It was the first time she had acted in an English drama in her 40 year career.
Sum married actor and singer Adam Cheng Siu Chow in 1985 after 11 years of cohabitation. They had a daughter, Joyce Cheng Yan Yee, in 1987. Eight months after Joyce was born, Cheng and Sum divorced.
Hong Kong leader Donald Tsang mourned Sum's death. 'Hong Kong grew up with her laughter. She brought us a lot of joy,' Mr Tsang told reporters.
(source: www.straitstimes.com.sg dated 19th Feb 2008)
My comments:
She was one of my favourite actresses. I feel sad and shocked. Her sudden death was definitely a great loss to the entertainment world.
The cause of death wasn't immediately clear, but Commercial Radio reported on its website that Sum had been suffering from a bile duct condition. Radio RTHK reported on its website she suffered from liver cancer.
Shanghai-born Sum passed away in Queen Mary Hospital in Hong Kong.
The star had been suffering from diabetes and high blood pressure. She was admitted into hospital in August last year for an operation.
Affectionately known to peers and fans as Fei-fei, Sum made her movie debut at age 13, according to the Commercial Radio report.
In 1960, she joined Shaw Brothers. Her stardom began with the widely televised TVB variety show Enjoy Yourself Tonight, first singing with the Four Golden Flowers in the 1970s.
She acted in more than 100 movies in Hong Kong and hosted more than 5,000 episodes of variety shows. Kung fu fans will remember her as Yuen Cheung-Yan's dominating wife in the film Drunken Tai Chi. She also appeared as Richard Ng's wife in the all-star comedy Millionaire's Express and in It's a Mad Mad World in a major role.
Sum starred in Mediacorp's Channel 5 sitcom 'Living with Lydia' and her performance in the Singapore programme won her the 'Best Comedy Performance by an Actress' award at the 2003 Asian Television Awards.
It was the first time she had acted in an English drama in her 40 year career.
Sum married actor and singer Adam Cheng Siu Chow in 1985 after 11 years of cohabitation. They had a daughter, Joyce Cheng Yan Yee, in 1987. Eight months after Joyce was born, Cheng and Sum divorced.
Hong Kong leader Donald Tsang mourned Sum's death. 'Hong Kong grew up with her laughter. She brought us a lot of joy,' Mr Tsang told reporters.
(source: www.straitstimes.com.sg dated 19th Feb 2008)
My comments:
She was one of my favourite actresses. I feel sad and shocked. Her sudden death was definitely a great loss to the entertainment world.
RSAF Black Knights 2008
Friends who love these metal birds, more photos can be found atwww.mindef.gov.sg/imindef/mindef_websites/atozlistings/air_force/assets/black_knights/gallery/gallery1.html
(source: www.rsaf.gov.sg)
It has been reported that lots of big money being made or exchanged hands in this bi-annual event. Lots of traders and VIPs from all round the world came to Singapore for this event. This airshow will be opened to members of public on 23 and 24 Feb 2008 only.
My Comments:
As a Singaporean, I feel very honoured that our little red dot is able to host such a big scale event.
Stretch Your Two Dollar Note
In Singapore, the smallest denomination for a note is the two dollar bill. In a society where inflation is rising, what can your two dollar note buy?
I went to a supermarket and found that a two dollar note can buy the following food related items:
1) a bag of 3 to 5 small apples or oranges,
2) a pack of 5 packet instant noodles,
3) a box of 10 small eggs,
4) a loaf of plain white bread,
5) 3 cans of soft-drinks,
6) a big packet of tit-bits,
7) 1-2 packs of some leafy vegetables,
8) a can of canned food such as tuna,
9) a 1.5 litre bottle of soft drink,
10)a breakfast with a cup of coffee/tea plus a simple burger at a fast-food restaurant during weekdays, and some others.
My Comments:
This two dollar note can only buy us little food now. Imagine five to ten years later, probably a five dollar note will be needed to buy the same type or amount of food.
I went to a supermarket and found that a two dollar note can buy the following food related items:
1) a bag of 3 to 5 small apples or oranges,
2) a pack of 5 packet instant noodles,
3) a box of 10 small eggs,
4) a loaf of plain white bread,
5) 3 cans of soft-drinks,
6) a big packet of tit-bits,
7) 1-2 packs of some leafy vegetables,
8) a can of canned food such as tuna,
9) a 1.5 litre bottle of soft drink,
10)a breakfast with a cup of coffee/tea plus a simple burger at a fast-food restaurant during weekdays, and some others.
My Comments:
This two dollar note can only buy us little food now. Imagine five to ten years later, probably a five dollar note will be needed to buy the same type or amount of food.
Our Bank Account's Number
A mother went to the bank to deposit her child's ang bao's money. She brought the passbook only to realise the wrong one when she has joined the long queue in the bank. She asked if money could be deposited into her child's personal account by giving her child's name and identity card's number. The teller refused to accept the deposit, citing that the bank account number could not be revealed to a third party. The mother has to return to the bank with the correct passbook again.
My Comments:
The bank has done correctly to protect its client's banking details. If our banking details are in the wrong hands, we are likely to suffer financial loss or unnecesary troubles.
What about our identity card's number? In filling up any forms meant for anything, we are asked for this unique number and we simply give it away freely and easily. Is there any protection against the misuse of this number?
My Comments:
The bank has done correctly to protect its client's banking details. If our banking details are in the wrong hands, we are likely to suffer financial loss or unnecesary troubles.
What about our identity card's number? In filling up any forms meant for anything, we are asked for this unique number and we simply give it away freely and easily. Is there any protection against the misuse of this number?
Handphones
The invention of handphones has certainly changed our lives. Having a handphone is just as common as wearing a watch on your hand or a ring on your finger. Who does not wear a watch or a ring. Somebody even have more than one handphone. But remember we have only a mouth, we can't possibly pick up two handphoness and talk to them at the same time.
Modern handphones allow you to be contactable almost at all times. With the auto-roaming feature, even if you are far from home in a different time zone, you can still reach your loved ones or vice versa.
Most of the handphones have features which allow you to take pictures, listen to music, surf the internet, read news and reply emails, book tickets, enter some contests, check bank balances etc. There are simply too many to mention here.
I am a rather simple person. My handphone does not have the photo-taking feature. I can't surf internet, read or answer emails. My handphone has only a purpose
ie remain contactable most of the time to my clients, friends and loved ones.
There is an option in my handphone which I make full use of. It is the "screening" feature. If no phone number is shown on my handphone display, most likely I will ignore this particular call. There has been cases reported in the papers that some unknown calls came from overseas and in the end, the receivers have to pay for these overseas charges. There are also scam calls which waste our time and money. The worst is we have a chance being cheated by these calls.
While handphones certainly offer us lots of conveniences, there are some cons and we have to exercise some caution in using this invention.
Modern handphones allow you to be contactable almost at all times. With the auto-roaming feature, even if you are far from home in a different time zone, you can still reach your loved ones or vice versa.
Most of the handphones have features which allow you to take pictures, listen to music, surf the internet, read news and reply emails, book tickets, enter some contests, check bank balances etc. There are simply too many to mention here.
I am a rather simple person. My handphone does not have the photo-taking feature. I can't surf internet, read or answer emails. My handphone has only a purpose
ie remain contactable most of the time to my clients, friends and loved ones.
There is an option in my handphone which I make full use of. It is the "screening" feature. If no phone number is shown on my handphone display, most likely I will ignore this particular call. There has been cases reported in the papers that some unknown calls came from overseas and in the end, the receivers have to pay for these overseas charges. There are also scam calls which waste our time and money. The worst is we have a chance being cheated by these calls.
While handphones certainly offer us lots of conveniences, there are some cons and we have to exercise some caution in using this invention.
Some Important Dates to Note
1 March 2008:
The Economic Restructuring Shares (ERS) scheme will be closing soon. Look out for a mail from CPF on how to get all the alloted shares converted to cash.
www.nss.gov.sg/ers_ovw.htm
15 April 2008:
The deadline for filing your income tax. E-filing can be done from 1 March 2008.
www.iras.gov.sg
30 April 2008:
The first installment of Growth Dividends announced in Budget Statement 2008 on 15th February 2008 will be paid. Look out for a mail from CPF in mid April 2008 for the amount of Growth Dividends you will be receiving.
www.singaporebudget.gov.sg/growth_dividends.html
1 July 2008:
The second payment of GST offset credits from GST Offset Package announced in year 2007 will be paid. Again, a mail from CPF on the amount of GST offset credits you will be receiving will arrive in mid April 2008, together with the Growth Dividends.
www.gstoffset.gov.sg/GSTCredits.htm
NB: Please check and verify with the original sources. The dates are given to my best knowledge.
The Economic Restructuring Shares (ERS) scheme will be closing soon. Look out for a mail from CPF on how to get all the alloted shares converted to cash.
www.nss.gov.sg/ers_ovw.htm
15 April 2008:
The deadline for filing your income tax. E-filing can be done from 1 March 2008.
www.iras.gov.sg
30 April 2008:
The first installment of Growth Dividends announced in Budget Statement 2008 on 15th February 2008 will be paid. Look out for a mail from CPF in mid April 2008 for the amount of Growth Dividends you will be receiving.
www.singaporebudget.gov.sg/growth_dividends.html
1 July 2008:
The second payment of GST offset credits from GST Offset Package announced in year 2007 will be paid. Again, a mail from CPF on the amount of GST offset credits you will be receiving will arrive in mid April 2008, together with the Growth Dividends.
www.gstoffset.gov.sg/GSTCredits.htm
NB: Please check and verify with the original sources. The dates are given to my best knowledge.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
The Four Pillars of Good Financial Health
Income Protection
No one can predict the future. Being prepared is the best defense you can have to guard against uncertainties in life, especially in the area of Income Protection.
A sound financial plan is your best assurance for the sustainability of yours and your family's livelihood. With higher standards of living, you need more funds than ever before to maintain your desired lifestyle. What's more, if you have just started a family, you would need to ensure that you have sufficient savings to fulfil your new commitments. Think about the housing loan, household bills and daily expenses. You would like to be assured that you and your family can continue to meet these financial commitments should anything unexpected happen to you.
Medical Coverage
Your health is your wealth. It is important to have the means to take care of any health or medical problems that might unexpectedly arise in your life.
Preserving your health through sound medical insurance coverage is something you do, not just for yourself, but also for your loved ones who count on you. With escalating medical costs, you need to ensure that you are adequately covered with medical insurance plans, such as critical illness, hospitalization and personal accident plans, so that you can receive treatments and recuperate in peace without worrying about the medical bills.
Children's Education
Your children are the joys in your life. Help them achieve their dreams by planning for their future.
It is never too early to plan for your children's education. In fact, it is best to start planning as early as possible. This gives you a headstart to build as much funds as possible. With rising education costs, it takes savvy financial decisions to ensure that you can give your child a good education and financial future. You may even want to be financial prepared should the unforeseen happen to you, such as a critical illness, an accident or a disability. With adequate funds, you can ensure that your loved ones can afford to maintain their standard of living and that your child's education is assured.
Retirement Planning
To get the best of your golden years, it is important to have the financial resources that will allow you to live the kind of life you deserve.
After a lifetime of hard work, you deserve a comfortable retirement. Besides maintaining your standard of living during your retirement years, you should also ensure that you have sufficient funds for your medical and long-term needs, which are especially important as you age. To build a retirement nest egg in order to sustain your lifestyle means planning ahead with sound financial planning. It never fails to plan early. In fact, you should start planning for your retirement today.
(source: www.aia.com.sg)
No one can predict the future. Being prepared is the best defense you can have to guard against uncertainties in life, especially in the area of Income Protection.
A sound financial plan is your best assurance for the sustainability of yours and your family's livelihood. With higher standards of living, you need more funds than ever before to maintain your desired lifestyle. What's more, if you have just started a family, you would need to ensure that you have sufficient savings to fulfil your new commitments. Think about the housing loan, household bills and daily expenses. You would like to be assured that you and your family can continue to meet these financial commitments should anything unexpected happen to you.
Medical Coverage
Your health is your wealth. It is important to have the means to take care of any health or medical problems that might unexpectedly arise in your life.
Preserving your health through sound medical insurance coverage is something you do, not just for yourself, but also for your loved ones who count on you. With escalating medical costs, you need to ensure that you are adequately covered with medical insurance plans, such as critical illness, hospitalization and personal accident plans, so that you can receive treatments and recuperate in peace without worrying about the medical bills.
Children's Education
Your children are the joys in your life. Help them achieve their dreams by planning for their future.
It is never too early to plan for your children's education. In fact, it is best to start planning as early as possible. This gives you a headstart to build as much funds as possible. With rising education costs, it takes savvy financial decisions to ensure that you can give your child a good education and financial future. You may even want to be financial prepared should the unforeseen happen to you, such as a critical illness, an accident or a disability. With adequate funds, you can ensure that your loved ones can afford to maintain their standard of living and that your child's education is assured.
Retirement Planning
To get the best of your golden years, it is important to have the financial resources that will allow you to live the kind of life you deserve.
After a lifetime of hard work, you deserve a comfortable retirement. Besides maintaining your standard of living during your retirement years, you should also ensure that you have sufficient funds for your medical and long-term needs, which are especially important as you age. To build a retirement nest egg in order to sustain your lifestyle means planning ahead with sound financial planning. It never fails to plan early. In fact, you should start planning for your retirement today.
(source: www.aia.com.sg)
Just More Confusion
The details of CPF LIFE was released on 12th Feb. The Budget Statement was announced on 15th Feb. Almost every man on the street is talking either the CPF LIFE or ang paos from the government. Suddenly the $$$ is in everybody's mind.
I am quite a slow person. I will need more time to "study" and "analyse" the details of the various schemes, plans and benefits.
Friends,
Please keep yourself updated on the latest changes on these matters. They may not affect us directly now, but will affect us indirectly or later.
I am quite a slow person. I will need more time to "study" and "analyse" the details of the various schemes, plans and benefits.
Friends,
Please keep yourself updated on the latest changes on these matters. They may not affect us directly now, but will affect us indirectly or later.
OCBC Mighty Savers
OCBC has one of the most interesting methods to encourage kids to save. First, the usual bank account opening procedure applies and a set of attractive stickers plus a special card will be given. Second, whenever a dollar has been saved, the kid pastes the sticker on the card. Well, we know kids love beautiful stickers. Some teachers in the preschools use stickers to reward or encourage good behaviour of the kids. Third, when a total of $20 has been saved, the card is considered full or done with 20 stickers. Then bring this card with $20 and the passbook to any OCBC branches to deposit the cash. A new set of card and stickers will be issued. Now comes the thrill; a special gift will be given to the kid. Very often, this special gift cheered the kid and he/she continues to save faithfully.
My comments:
The good habit of "save for rainy days" should be developed when young. Many adults often lament that money is not enough and that no money is saved at the end of each month. When they retire, I doubt they will have a neat retirement nest-egg in place, simply they don't have this good habit of saving.
Parents with kids,
Start a savings account for your kid today. Encourage your kid to deposit his or her ang-pao money or extra pocket money into the bank. You must also walk the talk ie set aside a small but fixed amount of money received from your monthly payslip before start paying your bills or spent it elsewhere. Make use of the power of compounding. Over the years, this mony will "GROW".
For more info on OCBC Mighty Savers, please refer to www.ocbc.com.sg
My comments:
The good habit of "save for rainy days" should be developed when young. Many adults often lament that money is not enough and that no money is saved at the end of each month. When they retire, I doubt they will have a neat retirement nest-egg in place, simply they don't have this good habit of saving.
Parents with kids,
Start a savings account for your kid today. Encourage your kid to deposit his or her ang-pao money or extra pocket money into the bank. You must also walk the talk ie set aside a small but fixed amount of money received from your monthly payslip before start paying your bills or spent it elsewhere. Make use of the power of compounding. Over the years, this mony will "GROW".
For more info on OCBC Mighty Savers, please refer to www.ocbc.com.sg
Singapore AirShow 2008
I was extremely lucky to have a rare chance to catch
the preview of Singapore Airshow on 16th Feb 2008. The
venue was at Changi Exhibition Centre, near Changi
Naval Base. The morning was partly cloudy and
occasionally windy. Lots of spectators were busy
taking photos with some of the displays.
At about 10.30am, the Black Knights appeared in the
blue sky, getting ready to thrill the spectators with
their daring and spectacular performances. The Black
Knights team flew six F-16C Fighting Falcons in the
red and white national colours. The stunts they did
were simply breathstaking. One of which made my heart
skipped a beat was when two aircraft approached each
other in opposite directions. Imagine the moment when
they crossed each other's path. The other was the
mirror image where one aircraft was inverted and flew
with another to form a mirror image. All these
performances exhibited precise manoeuvres, tight
formations and excellent teamwork.
Their performances lasted about half an hour, followed
by another two aircrafts, possibly from another
countries, which continued to thrill the spectators
with their solo performances in the sky.
If you are a great fan of these metal birds, do try to
catch this bi-annual event before the tickets run out.
I will pose a photo taken during the airshow after 19th Feb.
the preview of Singapore Airshow on 16th Feb 2008. The
venue was at Changi Exhibition Centre, near Changi
Naval Base. The morning was partly cloudy and
occasionally windy. Lots of spectators were busy
taking photos with some of the displays.
At about 10.30am, the Black Knights appeared in the
blue sky, getting ready to thrill the spectators with
their daring and spectacular performances. The Black
Knights team flew six F-16C Fighting Falcons in the
red and white national colours. The stunts they did
were simply breathstaking. One of which made my heart
skipped a beat was when two aircraft approached each
other in opposite directions. Imagine the moment when
they crossed each other's path. The other was the
mirror image where one aircraft was inverted and flew
with another to form a mirror image. All these
performances exhibited precise manoeuvres, tight
formations and excellent teamwork.
Their performances lasted about half an hour, followed
by another two aircrafts, possibly from another
countries, which continued to thrill the spectators
with their solo performances in the sky.
If you are a great fan of these metal birds, do try to
catch this bi-annual event before the tickets run out.
I will pose a photo taken during the airshow after 19th Feb.
Recycling Programme at Bukit Batok
At block 283A in Bukit Batok, there is a stall setup
in the wet market to collect paper, plastic bottles,
glass bottles, aluminium cans, metal cans, old clothes
on Sunday morning. Residents are often seen pushing
their trolleys containing these items to this stall to
be weighed and exchanged for some loose coins.
One of my neighbours collected about 30 plastic
bottles meant for soft-drinks over the months. This
morning, I saw him carrying a big bag containing these
plastic bottles happily to the wet market. He looked
disappointed when he returned. He told me that these
30 plastic bottles only cost a ten-cent coin! Yes,
this is not a joke at all, because these bottles
weighed very light.
The "prices" of paper, old clothes, glass bottles, aluminium cans, plastic bottles are $0.14/kg, $0.20/kg, $0.05/kg, $1.50/kg, $0.10/kg respectively. (nb: no verification has been done)
Plastic items are well known for their non biodegradable
characteristic. Plastic items are so useful to us that
they become part of our life. They are usually light,
durable, water-proof, can be made or mould into
different shapes and sizes for different purposes.
Beside plastic bottles, plastic bags, plastic spoons
and bowls, plastic chairs, plastic containers etc can
be found in almost every homes. However, they are
unfriendly to our Earth.
What can we do about it? How can we continue to ensure our environment is safe without affecting our conveniences?
in the wet market to collect paper, plastic bottles,
glass bottles, aluminium cans, metal cans, old clothes
on Sunday morning. Residents are often seen pushing
their trolleys containing these items to this stall to
be weighed and exchanged for some loose coins.
One of my neighbours collected about 30 plastic
bottles meant for soft-drinks over the months. This
morning, I saw him carrying a big bag containing these
plastic bottles happily to the wet market. He looked
disappointed when he returned. He told me that these
30 plastic bottles only cost a ten-cent coin! Yes,
this is not a joke at all, because these bottles
weighed very light.
The "prices" of paper, old clothes, glass bottles, aluminium cans, plastic bottles are $0.14/kg, $0.20/kg, $0.05/kg, $1.50/kg, $0.10/kg respectively. (nb: no verification has been done)
Plastic items are well known for their non biodegradable
characteristic. Plastic items are so useful to us that
they become part of our life. They are usually light,
durable, water-proof, can be made or mould into
different shapes and sizes for different purposes.
Beside plastic bottles, plastic bags, plastic spoons
and bowls, plastic chairs, plastic containers etc can
be found in almost every homes. However, they are
unfriendly to our Earth.
What can we do about it? How can we continue to ensure our environment is safe without affecting our conveniences?
Friday, February 15, 2008
Strokes cause brain damage in THREE minutes
This is rather shocking because everybody knows that when a person suffers from a stroke, it is best to send him to the hospital asap. But a duration of 3 minutes seems highly impossible un-achievable.
Well, prevention is still the BEST strategy for one of the top killers in the world.
(source:sg.news.yahoo.com/afp/20080215/tts-canada-science-stroke-c1b2fc3.html)
My comments:
Are you protected against this killer by medical and health insurance?
Well, prevention is still the BEST strategy for one of the top killers in the world.
(source:sg.news.yahoo.com/afp/20080215/tts-canada-science-stroke-c1b2fc3.html)
My comments:
Are you protected against this killer by medical and health insurance?
AIA Platinum Health
Have you heard of a plan which rewards your effort for taking good care of your personal health? What about a health insurance plan which provides worldwide coverage (some T&C applies)? And this plan includes a Complimentary Health Screening and Renewal Premium Discounts through Wellness Programme.
Based on the AIA Life Matters Index 2006 survey, 67% of Singaporeans do not have or unsure if they have enough money to meet the needs of themselves or their loved ones should they be struck with a sudden disease that requires extensive or prolonged medical treatment or care.
Yes, AIA started AIA Platinum Health since late 2006.
(source: www.aiafinancialhealthcheck.com.sg/PlatinumHealth)
Based on your health screening result, you may qualify for premium discount on your renewal for the next 2 policy years. The current discount ranges between 5% and 20%. The first complimentary (worth at least $130) health screening is available within the first policy year. Subsequent screening will be available at every 2 policy years thereafter.
Your health is your wealth. Take charge to protect yourself and your loved ones against escalating medical and health care costs now.
Please feel free to email me for a non-obligation consultation.
Based on the AIA Life Matters Index 2006 survey, 67% of Singaporeans do not have or unsure if they have enough money to meet the needs of themselves or their loved ones should they be struck with a sudden disease that requires extensive or prolonged medical treatment or care.
Yes, AIA started AIA Platinum Health since late 2006.
(source: www.aiafinancialhealthcheck.com.sg/PlatinumHealth)
Based on your health screening result, you may qualify for premium discount on your renewal for the next 2 policy years. The current discount ranges between 5% and 20%. The first complimentary (worth at least $130) health screening is available within the first policy year. Subsequent screening will be available at every 2 policy years thereafter.
Your health is your wealth. Take charge to protect yourself and your loved ones against escalating medical and health care costs now.
Please feel free to email me for a non-obligation consultation.
Bungerstar's Money Saving Tips
Most of us have our lunch near our workplace. During the lunchtime, besides wasting time standing in the long queues in the food-court, the cost of a plate of rice or noodles is easily $4.00, excluding a cup of coffee or tea or a can of soft-drink or some fruits. The cost of almost everything is on the rise. How can we eat well and at the same time save some money?
Here are some simple tips which I do often:
1) Bring your own water bottle. We used to do it when we were kids. Water is the best drink.
2) If you really crave for a can of soft-drink, buy some from the supermarkets during your grocery trip and bring some cans to your office. The cost of a can is probably $0.70 in the supermarket. A similar can of soft-drink with a cup plus some ice in the food-court easily costs $1.20.
3) For fruits, buy some apples or a small bunch of grapes from the supermarkets during your grocery trip and bring some to your office. You can be assured that the fruits are thoroughly washed (by you) before popping them into your mouth.
4) Eat fried rice:
Save a portion of rice from the dinner. Before you leave for work in the morning, add shredded cabbage or vegetables, an egg, mixed vegetables and some minced meat to the rice in the wok. Fry the whole mixture and put it into a micro-safe tupperware. During lunch-time, warm up your rice and you will have a healthy and cheap meal.
5) Sandwich / Salad:
If you are not that keen to use your wok, prepare a simple sandwich or salad. The ingredients include: bread and ham of your choice, some slices of tomatoes, cheese, lettuce, celery etc .
My mouth is drooling now...
Here are some simple tips which I do often:
1) Bring your own water bottle. We used to do it when we were kids. Water is the best drink.
2) If you really crave for a can of soft-drink, buy some from the supermarkets during your grocery trip and bring some cans to your office. The cost of a can is probably $0.70 in the supermarket. A similar can of soft-drink with a cup plus some ice in the food-court easily costs $1.20.
3) For fruits, buy some apples or a small bunch of grapes from the supermarkets during your grocery trip and bring some to your office. You can be assured that the fruits are thoroughly washed (by you) before popping them into your mouth.
4) Eat fried rice:
Save a portion of rice from the dinner. Before you leave for work in the morning, add shredded cabbage or vegetables, an egg, mixed vegetables and some minced meat to the rice in the wok. Fry the whole mixture and put it into a micro-safe tupperware. During lunch-time, warm up your rice and you will have a healthy and cheap meal.
5) Sandwich / Salad:
If you are not that keen to use your wok, prepare a simple sandwich or salad. The ingredients include: bread and ham of your choice, some slices of tomatoes, cheese, lettuce, celery etc .
My mouth is drooling now...
Thursday, February 14, 2008
CPF LIFE - The National LIFElong Income Scheme
(source: www.mom.gov.sg/publish/momportal/en/general/National_Lifelong_Income_Scheme.html)
Finally the details of a flexible annuity plan administered by CPF Board has been released on 12th Feb 2008. For more details, you can refer to the source stated above.
For old age, there are 2 plans which are considered as "must-have". The first one is a comprehensive Hospitalisation and Surgical Plan. The second one is an Annuity plan (prefably inflation-proof) which provides an income as long as the policyholder lives. Our government has helped us to achieve them.
My comments:
This plan does not address the issue of inflation directly. Inflation can become a "killer" for retirees, if not managed properly. Imagine getting the SAME monthly payout for as long as 25 years (say age 65 to 90).
The government has said that this plan is to provide a basic and steady stream of income for life. It does not intent to cover all expenses during retirement days.
So we still have to think of some other ways to generate income to fund our retirement.
Finally the details of a flexible annuity plan administered by CPF Board has been released on 12th Feb 2008. For more details, you can refer to the source stated above.
For old age, there are 2 plans which are considered as "must-have". The first one is a comprehensive Hospitalisation and Surgical Plan. The second one is an Annuity plan (prefably inflation-proof) which provides an income as long as the policyholder lives. Our government has helped us to achieve them.
My comments:
This plan does not address the issue of inflation directly. Inflation can become a "killer" for retirees, if not managed properly. Imagine getting the SAME monthly payout for as long as 25 years (say age 65 to 90).
The government has said that this plan is to provide a basic and steady stream of income for life. It does not intent to cover all expenses during retirement days.
So we still have to think of some other ways to generate income to fund our retirement.
Varsity Fees To Go Up!
All three public universities (NUS, NTU and SMU) will raise the tuition fees for the new intakes of students starting in the next academic year. For both NTU and NUS, the annual fee will raise from $6100 to $6360. Fees for some faculties will be higher. The hostel fees will also be raised.
In 10 years' time, the annual fee for a local tertiary education is easily $10000. For a 4 years' course coupled with other misc fees, a $50000 bill will be a good estimate.
Parents,
Besides, saving for your retirement, have you also started saying the education fees for your precious children? There are quite a number of financial instruments available in the market for this purpose. The easiest and simplest method would be to buy an education plan for your precious. Other methods which may provide a higher return include investing in a suitable unit trust eg AIA Managed Portfolio which becomes conservative closer to withdrawing date.
Please feel free to call me for a non-obligation discussion.
In 10 years' time, the annual fee for a local tertiary education is easily $10000. For a 4 years' course coupled with other misc fees, a $50000 bill will be a good estimate.
Parents,
Besides, saving for your retirement, have you also started saying the education fees for your precious children? There are quite a number of financial instruments available in the market for this purpose. The easiest and simplest method would be to buy an education plan for your precious. Other methods which may provide a higher return include investing in a suitable unit trust eg AIA Managed Portfolio which becomes conservative closer to withdrawing date.
Please feel free to call me for a non-obligation discussion.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
My Chinese New Year – part 3
Yusheng – raw fish salad, is a typical dish eaten during the Chinese New Year in Singapore. The ingredients used include a small portion of sliced raw fish or cooked meat, shredded radish, shredded carrot, fresh ginger, Chinese parsley, plum sauce and many others. Besides raw fish ie smoked salmon, or clams or even slices of abalone can also be used. It is quite a healthy dish because it consists of mainly vegetables with a small portion of meat. The amount of sauces and oil used is also little. I enjoy eating the raw fish salad prepared by my mum the most.
My Chinese New Year – part 2
The first two days of Chinese New Year fell on Thursday and Friday, together with the weekend, many people have the chance to enjoy themselves to the fullest during this super-long weekend.
During these four days, I went to Esplanade to catch the extremely short duration but spectacular fireworks. The river bank was so crowded that there was hardly a place to stand to watch the firework. It was quite an experience for me to see live fireworks as I usually see them only on the tv programmes.
I went to Night Safari Park. It has been quite some time since my last trip there. The entrance ticket was quite expensive ($32 inclusive of a tram ride), but I got a rare chance to see some unusual nocturnal animals such as hyena, bearded pigs, small bats which eat fruits and many other exotic animals at close range. I caught a glimpse of Chawang, the famous largest and heaviest elephant in the park which has beautiful tusks about 1 metre long. The park was very crowded with tourists and the locals. Despite the long queue and waiting time, I managed to catch the show “Creatures of the Night” where selected animals performed some simple tricks.
During these four days, I went to Esplanade to catch the extremely short duration but spectacular fireworks. The river bank was so crowded that there was hardly a place to stand to watch the firework. It was quite an experience for me to see live fireworks as I usually see them only on the tv programmes.
I went to Night Safari Park. It has been quite some time since my last trip there. The entrance ticket was quite expensive ($32 inclusive of a tram ride), but I got a rare chance to see some unusual nocturnal animals such as hyena, bearded pigs, small bats which eat fruits and many other exotic animals at close range. I caught a glimpse of Chawang, the famous largest and heaviest elephant in the park which has beautiful tusks about 1 metre long. The park was very crowded with tourists and the locals. Despite the long queue and waiting time, I managed to catch the show “Creatures of the Night” where selected animals performed some simple tricks.
The Singapore Flyer
(source: www.singaporeflyer.com.sg)The famous Singapore Flyer started its maiden flight on 11th Feb 2008. The construction of this national icon took about three years to complete. This flyer is the tallest (height of 165m) observation wheel in the world now, some 30m taller than the London’s Eye. There are 28 capsules and each capsule can carry up to 28 passengers. The duration of each ride is about half an hour. I took a ride on London’s Eye in June 2007 and would never be able to forget the thrill when the capsule was high up in the air. Yes, I will bring my family to take a ride on the Singapore Flyer once it is opened to the public. This ride is certain to bring some thrill and fond memories to them.
Cans and Plastic Bottles Everywhere
During the festive season, serving soft drinks to the guests is very common. The usual containers for soft drinks are the aluminium cans or plastic bottles. After drinking, what are we going to do with these cans and bottles? We simply dump them into the bins. Is this an environmental friendly way of disposing these containers? I recalled in the major supermarkets of Brussels and possibly other countries too, when we purchase a plastic bottle of soft drink, a small surcharge of say 20 cents will be added to the selling price of this bottle. During our next trip to the supermarket, we simply return the empty plastic bottle and the surcharge will be refunded. This will certainly reduces the number of plastic bottles dumped into the bins. I am wondering if this idea is feasible in Singapore.
The 4th R
You may have heard of the 3 R – Reduce, Reuse and Recycle, but what is the 4th R? It is Replant. To make our environment remains safe for our future generations, we need to reduce our waste, reuse and recycle whatever things we can. We also need to replant trees that have been chopped off for commercial reasons. In this way, the wild animals can continue to live in their natural homes. Some animals are close to extinction. Extinction means gone forever. The reasons for their extinction include global warming and deforestation which makes the environment no longer suitable for these animals to live on. Do we want to destroy our environment and bring some animals to extinction indirectly? Do we want to our future generations to see these animals only from the books or pictures? Do we want to our future generations to live in an unfriendly or harsh environment due to global warming? We start doing our part to love our Earth now.
Friday, February 08, 2008
My Chinese New Year-part 1
On 6th Feb 2008, all my family members gathered for the reunion dinner. This was an extremely important dinner, because it was one of the few occasions where all the family members were present and be able to sit down together to have a dinner. The dishes included steamboat, sushi, udon, etc. Mum prepared her favourite raw fish salad (yusheng). Daniel whipped up his mouth-watering mussels in red wine, which he learnt when he was in Brussels in Jun 2007.
Singapore is just a small island, yet it is not often that all my family members are able to gather and sit down for a decent meal. Everybody is always busy with his/her own affairs. Is this due to the money-driven society, where everybody wants to work extra hard to earn that extra buck?
During this festive season, let us not forget that there are still many folks who need some help and/or warmth from kind-heared people.
Let us share our joy with as many people as we can.
Singapore is just a small island, yet it is not often that all my family members are able to gather and sit down for a decent meal. Everybody is always busy with his/her own affairs. Is this due to the money-driven society, where everybody wants to work extra hard to earn that extra buck?
During this festive season, let us not forget that there are still many folks who need some help and/or warmth from kind-heared people.
Let us share our joy with as many people as we can.
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
What are the "risk-free" investments?
Issuer:Government of Singapore.
Typical issue size and maturity
S$2 - 3 billion for benchmark bond issues
S$900 - 1,000 million for Treasury bill (T-bill) issues
The maturity ranges from 3-month to 15 years with 3-month and 1-year benchmarks for T-bills and 2-, 5-, 7-, 10-, 15- and 20-year benchmarks for bonds.
Typical denomination
S$1,000 for bonds and T-bills
SGS Bonds
SGS bonds carry a fixed semi-annual coupon paid on the 1st and 15th of the particular month. In case of holiday, coupon payment occurs on the next business day.
Coupon accrual: Interest accrues from the previous coupon date (inclusive) to the settlement date (exclusive).
Ex-coupon date rule: SGS trades ex-coupon three working days prior to the coupon date.
SGS bonds are non-callable/non-puttable bonds with bullet redemptions.
SGS T-Bills
SGS T-bills are zero-coupon, and issued and traded on a discount basis.
source: www.sgs.gov.sg
My comments:
SGS bonds and T-bills are risk-free unless the government defaults. The SGS bonds, in particular, provide a constant (fixed coupon rate) and regular (half-yearly) stream of income. However, given the ultra-low interest rate environment, do you want to put your money in these instruments? The yields are not even enough to beat the inflation. So are they still "risk-free"?
Typical issue size and maturity
S$2 - 3 billion for benchmark bond issues
S$900 - 1,000 million for Treasury bill (T-bill) issues
The maturity ranges from 3-month to 15 years with 3-month and 1-year benchmarks for T-bills and 2-, 5-, 7-, 10-, 15- and 20-year benchmarks for bonds.
Typical denomination
S$1,000 for bonds and T-bills
SGS Bonds
SGS bonds carry a fixed semi-annual coupon paid on the 1st and 15th of the particular month. In case of holiday, coupon payment occurs on the next business day.
Coupon accrual: Interest accrues from the previous coupon date (inclusive) to the settlement date (exclusive).
Ex-coupon date rule: SGS trades ex-coupon three working days prior to the coupon date.
SGS bonds are non-callable/non-puttable bonds with bullet redemptions.
SGS T-Bills
SGS T-bills are zero-coupon, and issued and traded on a discount basis.
source: www.sgs.gov.sg
My comments:
SGS bonds and T-bills are risk-free unless the government defaults. The SGS bonds, in particular, provide a constant (fixed coupon rate) and regular (half-yearly) stream of income. However, given the ultra-low interest rate environment, do you want to put your money in these instruments? The yields are not even enough to beat the inflation. So are they still "risk-free"?
Bulk of CPF insurance sales could drop as much as 40%
Bulk of CPF insurance sales could drop as much as 40%
Single-premium products likely to be hit hard when new rules take effect By Gabriel Chen
THE insurance industry is bracing itself for a dramatic fall of up to 40 per cent in sales of all-important single-premium products - which require an initial lump sum payment.
This will cost insurers in Singapore many millions of dollars in sales of single-premium products which overwhelmingly dominate the industry.
The reason? New rules on investing Central Provident Fund (CPF) money which take effect on April 1 will cut the sum available for private investments under the CPF Investment Scheme (CPFIS). The CPF has been a crucial market for these single-premium products - such as endowment policies and investment-linked policies (ILPs).
The CPF sector accounted for 62 per cent or $5.47 billion of single-premium sales last year, similar to that in 2006.
CPF single-premium sales rose from $1.2 billion in the third quarter to $1.5 billion in the fourth quarter of last year.
Mr Mark O'Dell, president of the Life Insurance Association (LIA), said yesterday that come April 1, CPF funds available for investments are expected to plunge by about 50 per cent.
This would hit the industry hard, as overall single-premium business sales could fall by 30 to 40 per cent, he said at a press conference yesterday.
Insurers will have to find non-CPF buyers, such as consumers using their own savings, to drive sales in future. They might also have to introduce various products that give 'better returns' hopefully to attract more funding.
Under the new rules, which take effect on April 1, a CPF member will not be allowed to invest the first $20,000 of both his CPF Ordinary and Special Accounts savings under the CPFIS.
Mr O'Dell told The Straits Times that LIA has been asking the Government to allow money in Special Accounts to be invested in CPFIS products - but there has not been much progress yet.
Money already invested through the CPFIS will not be affected by the new rule, but there could be a rush to investment money in these instruments before the April 1 deadline.
'I won't be surprised at this stage that agents would be taking opportunity to talk to clients to invest before the funds are locked up,' said Mr Mohamed Salim, chief executive of First Principal Financial.
He said the new rules could affect the likes of AIA, Prudential, NTUC Income and Great Eastern Life more, as they tend to be 'much more dependent' on CPF single-premium sales.
Some financial advisers say that ILPs for instance provide opportunities for higher returns versus rates offered under the CPF investment scheme.
'Of course there are good and bad advisers,' said Mr Edmund Wee, a full-time financial consultant with Income. 'At the end of the day, I don't think just because there's this rule, I would tell my client to invest sooner. The money belongs to the client and we should give proper advice.'
Mr O'Dell said that he is not ruling out a surge in sales this month and next, ahead of the rule change, though he noted that nobody he is talking to now is 'seeing a big surge' yet.
gabrielc@sph.com.sg
Source: ST 6th Feb 2008
My comments:
Yes, at the end of the day, it is our hard-earned money and thus we have to think carefully before we use it in insurance and/or investment.
Single-premium products likely to be hit hard when new rules take effect By Gabriel Chen
THE insurance industry is bracing itself for a dramatic fall of up to 40 per cent in sales of all-important single-premium products - which require an initial lump sum payment.
This will cost insurers in Singapore many millions of dollars in sales of single-premium products which overwhelmingly dominate the industry.
The reason? New rules on investing Central Provident Fund (CPF) money which take effect on April 1 will cut the sum available for private investments under the CPF Investment Scheme (CPFIS). The CPF has been a crucial market for these single-premium products - such as endowment policies and investment-linked policies (ILPs).
The CPF sector accounted for 62 per cent or $5.47 billion of single-premium sales last year, similar to that in 2006.
CPF single-premium sales rose from $1.2 billion in the third quarter to $1.5 billion in the fourth quarter of last year.
Mr Mark O'Dell, president of the Life Insurance Association (LIA), said yesterday that come April 1, CPF funds available for investments are expected to plunge by about 50 per cent.
This would hit the industry hard, as overall single-premium business sales could fall by 30 to 40 per cent, he said at a press conference yesterday.
Insurers will have to find non-CPF buyers, such as consumers using their own savings, to drive sales in future. They might also have to introduce various products that give 'better returns' hopefully to attract more funding.
Under the new rules, which take effect on April 1, a CPF member will not be allowed to invest the first $20,000 of both his CPF Ordinary and Special Accounts savings under the CPFIS.
Mr O'Dell told The Straits Times that LIA has been asking the Government to allow money in Special Accounts to be invested in CPFIS products - but there has not been much progress yet.
Money already invested through the CPFIS will not be affected by the new rule, but there could be a rush to investment money in these instruments before the April 1 deadline.
'I won't be surprised at this stage that agents would be taking opportunity to talk to clients to invest before the funds are locked up,' said Mr Mohamed Salim, chief executive of First Principal Financial.
He said the new rules could affect the likes of AIA, Prudential, NTUC Income and Great Eastern Life more, as they tend to be 'much more dependent' on CPF single-premium sales.
Some financial advisers say that ILPs for instance provide opportunities for higher returns versus rates offered under the CPF investment scheme.
'Of course there are good and bad advisers,' said Mr Edmund Wee, a full-time financial consultant with Income. 'At the end of the day, I don't think just because there's this rule, I would tell my client to invest sooner. The money belongs to the client and we should give proper advice.'
Mr O'Dell said that he is not ruling out a surge in sales this month and next, ahead of the rule change, though he noted that nobody he is talking to now is 'seeing a big surge' yet.
gabrielc@sph.com.sg
Source: ST 6th Feb 2008
My comments:
Yes, at the end of the day, it is our hard-earned money and thus we have to think carefully before we use it in insurance and/or investment.
Wishing You a Happy Lunar New Year
Today is the last day in the year of Pig. We will welcome the year of Rat on 7th Feb 2008. Looking back this year of Pig, I wish I have a chance to re-live and thus be able to change some of the major decisions I have made earlier.
Well, it is pointless to look back. I should focus ahead and make good use of the presence.
Today is really a short working day for many people. In fact, some of my colleagues have already flocked overseas for a short break. For the kiddies, they will have about 2 hours in the school for celebration. Working adults usually work half a day. By 2pm, most would have left the office and be at home to get ready for the reunion dinner.
Let us not forget that there are still many people working over this festive season. This includes workers in the public transport, immigration, security, hospital etc, just to name a few.
For the reunion dinner on 6th Feb, I am very glad that all my family members would be able to gather together to have a simple steam-boat dinner and raw fish salad. This has been our family's tradition. All members have to be present for this special dinner. I look forward to the delicious feast prepared by my mother and sisters.
I wish everybody good health and a prosperous year head.
Monday, February 04, 2008
AIA Heart of Gold
Lunar New Year is just round the corner. As working children, have you wonder what gifts are more suitable for your parents? You may wish to consider one of my suggestions. One of the BEST gifts we can give to our parents (exclusively for ages 40 to 75 years) includes AIA Heart of Gold.
This plan essentially covers reimbursement for acupuncture therapies to hospitalization cash benefits in the event of accidents.
- It offers round the clock and worldwide protection up to age 85,
- Premium does NOT increase with age or any claims made.
- There is NO medical examination required.
- Daily Hospital Cash Benefit in the event of hospitalization due to an accident
- The monthly premium starts as low as $13.71 (inclusive of GST).
In this way, we can be assured of our parents are free to enjoy their golden years.
This plan essentially covers reimbursement for acupuncture therapies to hospitalization cash benefits in the event of accidents.
- It offers round the clock and worldwide protection up to age 85,
- Premium does NOT increase with age or any claims made.
- There is NO medical examination required.
- Daily Hospital Cash Benefit in the event of hospitalization due to an accident
- The monthly premium starts as low as $13.71 (inclusive of GST).
In this way, we can be assured of our parents are free to enjoy their golden years.
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