The Little Red Dot

If you wonder why people call Singapore as the Little Red Dot and how it came about... Read on, if you are interested.

When Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie was the president of Indonesia 10 years ago (1998-1999), he named Singapore as the Little Red Dot on map in the Asian Wall Street Journal dated 4th August 1998. This is what he said:

It was reported that Habibie had remarked that he did not have the feeling that Singapore was a friend and had pointed to a map, saying: "It's OK with me, but there are 211 million people (in Indonesia). All the green (area) is Indonesia and that red dot is Singapore."

What's more interesting is how the then Singapore Prime Minister, Goh Chok Tong replied.19 days after Habibie remarked in Asian Wall Street Journal on the National Day Rally Speech. Back then, many countries in this region was striked by the Asian financial crisis and Indonesia was particularly hit hard. Goh said:

"Singapore will help Indonesia within the limits of our ability. We are a small economy. ... After all we are only three million people. Just a little red dot on the map. Where is the capacity to help 211 million people?"

War of words between leaders of nations. We have tonnes of those in the Bolehland, too. Dr. M is one of them. =) Cheers.

The Broken Tooth says
::So long, farewell; I hate to say Good Bye::

Indo's Take-it-or-leave-it

Source: Channelnewsasia

Foreign drug companies can quit Indonesia if they do not like new rules requiring them to have local production facilities, Health Minister Siti Fadilah Supari said on Monday.

"If they want to get licences (to sell their products) they have to invest here also, not just take advantage of the Indonesian market," Supari told Dow Jones Newswires.

"They can't just operate like a retailer here, with an office size that's three metres by three and make billions of rupiah. That is not fair."

Under the new rules, foreign companies have a two-year grace period in which to set up production facilities.

Those who fail to do so would be banned from selling their products or distributing them through companies that do have plants in Indonesia.

"If they want to go away, go ahead," she said. She added that India and China had already enacted such requirements.

There are 29 international pharmaceutical companies marketing their products in Indonesia, with total market share of 25 percent.

OK, this Supari woman said foreign pharmaceutical companies will be given two years to build a pharmaceutical production plant or their products will be banned from being sold in Indonesian market.

Sometimes I do wonder if politicians or ministers actually consult with specialists before they make any statement or impose a law. Two years to build a plant or you'll be banned? Perhaps they think that building a plant is just another LEGO game. Stack some bricks together, install some plastic reactor tanks and rubber pipes and get the pharmaceutical active ingredient from their home garden. So easy huh? Even a 3-year-old kid knows how to do it.

Here comes the logic, getting a sound reaction pathway takes sometime. Next, you have to consider how to conduct the reaction in a suitable reactor configuration, temperature, pressure, etc. Then, linking all the little pieces of components like pumps, reactors, separators, pipes... together. After that, coming out with control and safety measures, like temperature control. OK, assume all these could be done within 5 months (I bet your reactor may explode anytime). I certainly believe it'd take sometime to build the plant too. Again, assume you could build your plant in 5-month time (now your entire plant may collapse anytime). Finally, you plant is ready to start operating. What about regulations? People somehow forgot the fact that those DRUGS are not cat food leh... Countries like Singapore require a least 1 year (for a well known products with adequate safety records) to get your drug approved. Now, we are talking about drugs produced from new given-only-freaking-two-years-to-build plant. What do you think?

If you want people to transfer technologies and create jobs, you must at least let people to be adequately prepared, mustn't you? Yeah, I'll just build a packaging plant to hire some workers to paste labels on boxes and bottles. Come on, it's still a plant! If you were me, would you buy a drug produced from a given-only-freaking-two-years-to-build plant? No, right? It would only harm Indo's drug reliability.

Good luck everyone.

OK, so this is the woman who suggested the rule:

Indonesian health minister Siti Fadilah Supari

The Broken Tooth says
::So long, farewell; I hate to say Good Bye::

I was asked, "What would you do if you know that you are going to die tomorrow?"

I replied, "I'll just sit down at the balcony, drink some green tea and relax. I'll take this last opportunity to do things that I enjoy most: look at the sky, the birds, people buzzing on streets, listen to the whispers of wind and Luise Armstrong singing 'What a wonderful world' while waiting for my moment to come".

And that person responded =.=

Eating Spree

Eating crêpes at Out of the Pan at Raffles City.

Creepy crêpes are westernized Chinese poh-piah that burn a big hole in your pocket - S$15 for two pieces of poh-piah =(
Nonetheless, it was nice.

Then followed by dessert at Ministry of Food (M.O.F.)
M.O.F. is a must try Japanese restaurant that serves really nice Jap food

I ordered a sesame ice-cream with Japanese rice ball for only S$5.80+
I think the price is OK la.

And not forgetting, free flow of GREEN TEA!

Pictures taken on 17th Oct, 2008

The Broken Tooth says
::So long, farewell; I hate to say Good Bye::

Tag

RULE: Do it. And duplicate it to 6 other people. That also means tag 'em! Haha.

1. If your lover betrayed you, what will your reaction be?
   Forgive and you’ll earn a higher place in heaven (Nah, as if…)
   
   
2. If you can have a dream to come true, what would it be?
   Rich and famous =)
   
   
3. Whose butt would you like to kick?
   YOU!
   
   
4. What would you do with a billion dollars?
   Get the world hell out of financial crisis. But how?
   
   
5. Pretty but fat/Ugly but slim, which one would you prefer?
   That would definitely be pretty but fat. As long as pretty, OK.
   
   
6. Which is more blessed, loving someone or being loved by someone?
   Being able to love is truly a blessing.
   
   
7. How long do you intend to wait for someone you really love?
   Till the end of time.
   
   
8. If the person you secretly like is already attached, what would you do?
   Change target.
   
   
9. If you like to act with someone, who will it be? your gf/bf or an actress/actor?
   Can't think of anyone else but Jessica Alba.
   
   
10. Will you invite for ex bf/gf to your wedding dinner?
    Hmm… why not?
    
    
11. How would you see yourself in ten years time?
    I'm so sick of being asked about this so many times in job interviews. I REFUSE to answer.
    
    
12. What's your fear?
    Being eaten by a spider.
    
    
13. What kind of person do you think the person who tagged you is?
    People who remember me.
    
    
14. Would you rather be single and rich or married but poor?
    Single and rich lah! Single doesn’t mean you aren’t engaged, does it?
    
    
15. What's the first thing you do when you wake up?
    Sleep back for another 15 minutes.
    
    
16. Would you give all in a relationship?
    No.
    
    
17. If you fall in love with two people simultaneously, who would you pick?
    Can I pick both?
    
    
18. Would you forgive and forget no matter how horrible a thing the someone has done?
    If I say yes, I’d be lying.
    
    
19. Do you prefer being single or having a relationship?
    I'd prefer to be a single at the moment.
    
    
20. Tag 6 other person
    Due to some technical issues, the list will be updated shortly after the problem is resolved.

The Broken Tooth says
::So long, farewell; I hate to say Good Bye::

If there is anything that differentiates me from others, it'd be "I'm always politically incorrect".

I Think I've Just Found an Alien in My... Bathroom

Just like what the title says: I think I've just found an alien, if not, a mutated animal species in my... bathroom.

A mutated lizard lying lazily on the window of my bathroom and it looks old, evil, plastic, mutated, BIG, FAT, FUGLY, sickening, irritating, disgusting............. Fortunately, it didn't stick its tongue out. *Phew*

I know it's super duper truper mupper zupper disgusting, I was disgusted as well. I don't even dare to poo in that toilet lorh, who knows when will that freaky thing drop on me!

But but but, I can't help to take a picture and post it here to share my wonderful experience with all my beloved readers. =) I know I'm sweet. *Winks* and my landlord was like: what is this guy doing with a camera inside the toilet?

I was like, wah-lou! What the heck is this thing?
For a second, I thought its some plastic lizard toy people always sell at Orchard...
But this is too fugly to be sold there.

Wanna have a better view?
Lemme ZOOM in for you. I think the lizard's left eye is blind...
I dunno, ask him.



I wanted to feed it to a bird but for a second I think, perhaps it's not a good idea.
The bird may die of food poisoning.

The Broken Tooth says
::So long, farewell; I hate to say Good Bye::

Hari Raya Eve Yam-Cha

Singapore is a multi-racial, multi-religion, multi-lingual, multi-this and multi-that country. We celebrate Chinese New Year, Malay New Year, Indian New Year and last but not least, Happy New Year. Yeah, as a racially integrated citizen, we purposely went to yam-cha on the eve of Hari Raya just to celebrate this festival - to promote racial harmony in Singapore and hopefully, spread back to Malaysia, the wonderful Bolehland. So nice we are, aren't we?

I always think that ice-cream is one of the most fabulous invention of mankind. Lovely, aren't they? A gentle kiss from ice-cream will melt your sorrows away and brighten up your day. It slips through your lips and smoothly lands on your tongue, reactions occur and the chemistry (biochemistry to be precise) is just so right. It's like, you accidentally bump into your long lost first love and feel that heart beat again - the bip bop bip bop kinda feeling.

Life is just so great.

*Event happend on the October 1, 2008.


Note:
*Since I always post out-dated entry, Iit'd be better for me to write down the event day for my own reference. It's my blog anyway.

The Broken Tooth says
::So long, farewell; I hate to say Good Bye::

Very Good

I've just got back my mid-term test and guess what....
My dear dear prof commented: V. Good!
I am so freaking happy =)

The Broken Tooth says
::So long, farewell; I hate to say Good Bye::

DHL Balloon

Wikipedia

The DHL Balloon is a giant helium balloon, located on Tan Quee Lan Street in the Downtown Core of Singapore. Sited next to the New 7th Story Hotel and near Bugis MRT Station, the distinctive red and yellow commercial passenger balloon is the world's largest tethered helium balloon.

The balloon has been there since 2005 and going to be relocated back to France by the end of September 2008. For only $23, you'll get a breathtaking 360 degree panoramic view of the entire Singapore at a height of 150m. I thought it'd be a cool idea to try it before they close it down. So, I went there on the 20th, 10 days before they flatten the balloon.

Had lunch-cum-dinner at M.O.S and saw an interesting wall painting at Bugis Street. Look at the figure carefully, with her mouth placed on neck, shoe on head and a penis-look-alike nose.

There you are, the famous DHL balloon.

Unfortunately, that cursed balloon was closed for maintenance. For heaven's sake, I really don't understand why did they bother to maintain it only for another 10 freaking damned days. I wasn't the only disappointed visitors. The few people behind me in the picture came all the way from either KL or HK to try it out, poor things.

The Broken Tooth says
::So long, farewell; I hate to say Good Bye::