LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL

When we least expect it a door closes in our lives.
Life changes,dreams and hopes are shattered.
That time it feels as if we are wandering in the Land without a purpose.
It is during those wandering days that God opens another door and then we realize that we are here for a purpose.Suddenly LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL.
Whatever happens in our lives is fated.
Have patience and faith in God.

Broken hearts

A Heart is never broken.It only seems to be when grief or disappointment has struck it cruelly-and left you with the fragments,the shards of bitterness.But pieces come together,the time eases the distress-and one day you are whole again,at peace,content to rest-in the quiet knowledge that the worst was for the best.
Hearts do mend and in the end are stronger for the stroke.wiser and more gentle than they were before they broke.Like the work of restoration on a shattered bowl-like,the craftsman,recreates the devasted soul.

Subsidized course for seniors

To
stforum@sph.com.sg
Sat, 09March.2011.
subject Re My point
I would like to refer to Mr Thomas Lees letter in the Straits times about Active aging and subsidized courses for seniors.
I whole heartedly support this suggestion as some of the courses at the community centres are quite expensive and retires may not be able to afford it.
I would like to bring a point forward as to why foreigners who are employment pass holders and dependants get to enjoy the same benefit as local Singaporeans.
I think it is only fair that Foreigners should pay more than locals.
When I travel to the UK, I have to pay the full fare on the train and buses where as local senior citizens pay nothing.They also have free and subsidized courses for locals but not for foreigners.
I think this should be looked into.
Community centres can collect more from foreigners and hence can give more subsidy to locals.

Indonesian maid who died in Malaysia may have been starved to death

Indonesian maid may have been starved to death.By Steven Daniel in Petaling Jaya/The Star ANN – Thu, Jun 9, 2011Star/ANN) - The Indonesian maid who died while under the care of her employers in Malaysia may have been starved to death.It is learnt that medical examiners at University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) discovered that the 26-year-old maid, identified as Isti Komariyah, was emaciated at the time of her death."She was very thin and it is likely that she was not fed for several months," sources revealed.However, the exact cause of her death is still pending further examination.Meanwhile, the prime suspect in the case was brought to UMMC for a medical check-up.Isti's former employer has a history of diabetes and high blood pressure.Isti was declared dead upon arrival at UMMC at 7.50am on Sunday. An initial examination on her body revealed she had both recent bruises and old scars on her back, forehead and limbs.She had been brought to the hospital by one of her employers.The couple in their 50's, who alerted the police about the death, were subsequently arrested.They have been remanded until June 11 and are being investigated for murder.Isti had entered the country legally and had been working as a maid since December 2008.

Entry test for maids

To stforum@sph.com.sg
date Sun, Jun 5, 2011 at 9:35 PM Re Entry test for maids
Regarding Entry test for maids by Elizabeth Soh in the straits times thursday 2nd june 2011.
It is very sad to see that it is always the maids who are at a losing end.Any test that the MOM want the maid to do should be done in their own country first and in the language they are comfortable with. To send them back if they fail is so unfair as they pay so much to come and work here.As it is they are forced to work with out any salary for 6 to 9 months as the agents collect the salary as their charges and expenses.How can this happen in a country like Singapore. The foreign workers are treated like slaves.Something should be done to stop this as Agents are the one making money.My heart goes out to the maids as well as the construction workers who work so hard and sometimes end up with nothing. If the Employer is not happy they are sent back without any money.There should be some protection for the maids that the Employers have to keep them for atleast a year or pay the maid a compensation if they want to send the maid back to the agent.

The Rose

Some say love, it is a river That drowns the tender reed.Some say love, it is a razor That leaves your soul to bleed.Some say love, it is a hunger An endless aching need.I say love, it is a flowerAnd you, its only seed It's the heart, afraid of breaking That never learns to dance.It's the dream, afraid of waking That never takes the chance It's the one who won't be taken Who cannot seem to give.And the soul, afraid of dying That never learns to live. When the night has been too lonely And the road has been too long And you think that love is onlyfor the lucky and the strong.Just remember in the winter Far beneath the bitter snow Lies the seed That with the sun's love, in the spring Becomes the rose......

UGH.......Body in water tank.

I was absolutely horrified to read in the Straits times that a Body was found in the water tank.The thought of drinking that water.Ugh..............It makes me sick. If I was staying there then I cannot imagine what I would have felt.I really cannot understand how this could happen.This is very dangerous as some crazy person can poison the water.I hope that that all the Estates will have tighter security so nothing of this sort happens ever again.

Debate over reserved MRT seats

My reply to a letter in the Straits times home page
12th may 2011 " Debate over reserved MRT seats" by Kon xin Hua
I think the elderly gentleman should have requested him in a polite way. We should be fair to the young man. The elderly man does not have the right to behave in a demanding manner .The sign does not say "You are ordered to give up the seat which is meant for seniors etc etc.The signs are not very clear and does not say to give up the seat to Seniors .The signs should be more precise as Singaporeans follow orders. I am going to be 64 years soon and very rarely someone offers me a seat. Mostly it is the older men who offer and very rare when a youngster offers.Most Singaporeans spoil their children.It is so frustrating to see parents giving up their seat to their child who is not very young while they stand. Not only that if both parent and child are sitting, and a senior walks in,they dont even have the courtesy to request the child to give up the seat.That is why most children of today will grow up to be self centred and selfish. The parents are the ones responsible to teach manners and care and concern to the elderly. Sometime when they have a very young child, they take up two seats instead of making the child sit on their lap. I see this kind of behaviour very often and it is very upsetting. Thankyou
Ms SHAMIM MOLEDINA

I was walking from the Bueno vista MRT to block 9 Ghim moh road on monday 21st march 2011 at around 10 30am and I was shocked to see this small old man who could barely walk cleaning the car park area.He was wearing a blue and yellow uniforn. I felt very sad and did not know what to do so I handed him ten dollars knowing that it would not help him much but what could I do? He looked at me with surprise and watched me walk away until the end of the car park.I am wondering if this company who hired him could not see his condition or they could not be bothered . He should have been refered to an organization where they could help him and perhaps give him monthly food ration to survive so he did not need to work.It is a shame to see many old people working so hard in Singapore when they should be enjoying their last years of their life in comfort. Is there anything that can be done to help this man. I am willing to help him in whatever way I can.

Ill treatment of foreign maids

From: Shamim M <fragrantbreeze@yahoo.com.sg>To: TWC2 Foreign workers <ed@twc2.org.sg>Sent: Wednesday, 13 April 2011 22:36:07Subject: Ill treatement of foreign maids
Friday, April 8, 2011
Ill treatment of foreign maids
On the 2nd of april I was at the bus stop at frankle 83209 waiting for bus number 32 at about 1 .30pm.Soon after I saw a young couple walking to the bus stop with an indonesian maid carrying a big bag pack as well as a child of about a year an a half.I was shocked as this couple were not carrying anything at all and the man was tall and strong. They stood at the bus stop and the maid was still carrying the child and bag pack. I could not help and stared at the bag pack.Soon after the man took the baby from the maid for a while then put her down and I noticed that the child could walk very well. After a while the child was again given back to the maid to carry.There was place to sit at the bus stop and I was shocked at their behaviour.They did not even tell the maid to put down the bag pack so that she could at least have a little rest. She was standing for half an hour as the bus was very late.Once they boarded,they quickly sat down with the child but the maid was standing although there were empty seats in the bus.I then told her to sit down and she did. The poor maid looked liked a teenager.It is pathetic to see the way some singaporeans treat their maids and then they expect excellent behaviour from them.They dont understand that the maids especially the Indonesians are from the villages and very young and find it very hard to adjust to the city environment as well as the long hours of work.They also feel isolated as they are seldom taken out. I always tell my friends that one must treat the maids like you treat your children or better.If you are nasty to them then they can be nastier.They can spit in your food or ill treat the children.Some indonesian maids commit crimes not because they are bad but because they go crazy.One must understand the stress they go through being apart from their families and sometimes away from young children and husbands.Besides that they dont get paid for nine months which is given to the agent.This is atrocious.Recently I was talking to a friend and I was shocked when she told me that some agents even insist that the maids send money back home through their contact so probably they must be getting a commission. She also said that her maid was from Myanmar and the maid told her that she had to work free of charge at the agents house for a week before coming here. Which means he must be doing this to all the maids.It is very sad to see how these poor maids are being taken advantage off.I hope something can be done to put a stop to this.

Imagine by John Lennon

Imagine there's no heaven It's easy if you try No hell below us Above us only sky Imagine all the peopleLiving for today... Imagine there's no countriesIt isn't hard to doNothing to kill or die forAnd no religion tooImagine all the peopleLiving life in peace... You may say I'm a dreamer But I'm not the only oneI hope someday you'll join us And the world will be as one