Weapon of mass humiliation

Recently US President George W.Bush was on an unannounced visit to Iraq and he was received by an unexpected gift of a size 10 shoe. Apparently, while he was giving a speech at a press conference, a journalist threw a sweaty shoe at him. According to the Arab world, the greatest insult you can give someone is to slab a shoe on his face. This news has sparked off a number of related cartoons.

'N' Level Results Release

Hello 4N,

Your 'N' level results will be out this Thursday, 18 Dec at 2pm. Please come properly attired and neat hair-do. I heard that those who are not properly attired will not receive their results... they can only get it later in the afternoon when everyone has left. Those who read the blog, please pass the message to those who are involved. Awaiting your good results. See you!

Shanghai 2008

I'm back. I've been to Hangzhuo（杭州） and Zhouzhuang（周庄 ） but most of the time I was in Shanghai.

The 10 day trip is enough for me to feel the heartbeat of Shanghai. During my stay there, I took public transport such as bus, MRT and taxi. Squeeze with the morning crowd and ate at local restaurants. Shanghai is a big city, fast-paced and filled with modern skyscrapers but... the people are a bit rough and rude at times. There were numerous times that I heard loud gasping noise and the next moment, a lump of phlegm flew out from the person's mouth and landed on the floor. The sight was unbearable. Now, every time I heard similar sound, my reflex was to see where the source of the sound come from and dodge the person in case the greenish or whitish stuff land on me. Yucks!

Another not so nice thing is the pushing. The people there are not very used to saying "excuse me", even if they do, they say and push you at the same time, before you can react to give way. This is something I'm not so used too. However, as the days passed by, I was kind immune to the pushing.

Hailing for cab is another harrowing experience. The people have no concept of queueing for cab. It's the survival of the fittest. When the cab is near, you just have to race with the crowd to jump into the cab in order to claim the cab. It's first snatch first serve basis. I guess, China is so big, so everyone needs to compete and fight for himself.

There are nice people too. When I was in Zhouzhuang, a guy offered to walk around with me because both of us are individual travellers but I turned him down. I was wary as I was alone and not very keen to make new friends. However, I met him again at a restaurant and decided to have lunch with him as I thought we were fated to meet. The place is so big, yet I chose a restaurant and at that timing to have met him. He's surgeon who came to Shanghai to work for half a year and we had a good chat. In the end, he gave me a treat. Wow! After that, we went on separate paths to tour around the place.

Shanghai is a shopping paradise. Things are trendy and affordable. I told myself I'm not going to buy much but in the end I spent money like water. I felt guilty to be spending like this during the financial crunch but thought I really deserve this little reward since I worked so hard for the year. Finding excuses to make myself feel better. ;-)

China is indeed a powerful country to watch out. Just their cheap goods alone can flood every market and kill the competition. Though the quality of the goods are not top notch but I believe just another 10 or 15 years, China will catch up.

There was one day I spend close to 4 hours in the Shanghai book store and bought about 10 books. Books in China are really cheap so I grabbed a few. Luckily my luggage was not overweight and I managed to bring them back. Phew!

I met up with a former student in Shanghai. He was on a work and study attachment programme. My goodness! It's really nice of him to arrange to meet me and we had a great time chatting. He brought along another student of mine without me knowing. What a surprise! I feel old already after meeting them. Ha!

Actually I badly wanted to go to Putuo Island (普陀山）but the day I planned to go, the temperature dropped to -2 Degree Celsius. Everyone advised us not to go. I guess I'll need to plan another trip to SH perhaps next year?

More going green by eating greens

Those who avoid meat to save planet swelling the ranks of vegetarians
By Tania Tan , ST 5 Dec 2008

MS PAULINE MENEZES went vegan last year after learning about the impact livestock farming had on the environment. Now, she avoids milk and dairy foods, substituting them with soya-based products.

'I don't think I can reverse climate change,' said the 40-year-old, who first stopped eating meat in 1994 for ethical reasons. 'But by not eating meat I like to think I'm doing my small part to help.'

She is one of a growing number of Singaporeans who are choosing leafy greens over meat in a bid to save the planet.

The president of the Singapore Vegetarian Society, Mr George Jacobs, said there are 'definitely more' people turning towards a green diet.

He estimated that the vegetarian population has at least doubled in the past five years, although he could not say how many non-meat eaters there are here.

An increased awareness of ethical and environmental issues, coupled with an 'increasingly colourful range of vegetarian food', has made cutting meat out of everyday diets easier, he noted.
The real cost of livestock farming is alarming, he said.
An environmental report published in 2006 by the United Nations estimates that 50 billion land animals are eaten annually across the globe.

The same report also spells out the heavy toll livestock farming takes on the environment: About 7kg of grain goes into producing 1kg of meat.

Inefficient farming techniques also result in pollution. For instance, over 50 years of agriculture and livestock farming have rendered the water of the Indian Ganges undrinkable.

Facts like these have convinced some Singaporeans to take the plunge into a meatless diet.
Vegetarian food supplier Wu Qing of Zhen Hui Trading has seen a threefold increase in demand over the past five years.

He has been in the business for over a decade and supplies restaurants and vegetarian food stalls. He reckons that on top of the usual religious and health reasons, people are making diet switches to 'be good to the planet' and to 'save money'.
'A lot of Hollywood superstars are also vegetarian, so I think it's becoming more trendy,' Mr Wu added.

In the United States, a movement called Vegetarian Wednesday is slowly gathering steam as more people warm to the idea of abstaining from meat at least once a week.

However, a meatless diet, Singapore's vegetarian society concedes, is not for everyone. Mr Jacobs said his group does not condemn meat eating. Rather, he hopes that through education, Singaporeans will first consider 'reducing their meat intake'.

'The idea of not eating meat might scare some, but if you just keep an open mind, it's not as difficult as one might think,' he said.
taniat@sph.com.sg

I'll be away...

to this place. Make a guess. Will be back on 8 Dec!

D-PAN

Check out this unique video. It's made by D-PAN (Deaf Performing Artists Network) with the deaf in mind. It is specifically made to serve deaf audiences through the use of the American Sign Language (ASL). This video is a visual interpretation of the song "Beautiful" by Christina Aguilera. Enjoy!







Why S'poreans must work hard

In giving this dose of reality, Mr Lee also strived to assure his youthful audience that their goals and aspirations can come true in Singapore. -- PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO

Bhutan has a yardstick for measuring success which some youth here yearn to have in place of Singapore's relentless pursuit of economic growth.

It was a longing that struck a chord in Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong yesterday, but he was quick to explain why Bhutan's Gross National Happiness index was not suitable for Singapore.

'We are one small island in the middle of a very turbulent South-east Asia. You have to watch your GDP (gross domestic product), because if you are poor, you will be weak; if you are weak, something will happen to you,' he said.

He gave this gentle warning to graduate student Chong Kwek Yan, 25, who posed the question at a dialogue Mr Lee had with 150 students and professionals.

The Prime Minister then set out for his audience of 17- to 35-year- olds the overriding challenges facing Singapore in the short, medium and long term.

In the present economic crisis, Singapore's most urgent concern is to keep the economy humming along and to look after the low-income earners.

In the medium term, it needs to focus on how to produce enough Singaporean babies and attract foreign talent. For the long term, Singapore has to renew its political leadership and build up a sense of identity.

But in giving this dose of reality, the 56-year-old Prime Minister also strived to assure his youthful audience that their goals and aspirations can come true in Singapore.

The 80-minute dialogue, an annual event, was organised by the National Youth Council.

Although political issues such as political expression and succession held sway at the start of the session, many were also anxious over what they see as the high cost of living here.

Ms Sonia Ong, 26, director of a public relations firm, said the maid levy and heavy taxes here were making her wonder whether she might be better off in Hong Kong.

Mr Lee pointed out that total taxes here, at 15per cent of GDP, were 'very, very low'.

'For nearly everybody in this room, if you were in Hong Kong, you would pay more tax than you would personal taxes.'

He added: 'The trouble is our taxes come in places where you notice...so you drive less or think about whether you really need a maid.'

Indeed, owning a car has become too costly, especially for the middle class, some felt.

But Mr Lee was swift to point out that in charging drivers for using rather than owning a car, ownership has become much cheaper, which is why so many more cars are on the road.

He also highlighted how the middle-income group is also benefiting from government policies which help ensure that its earners' wages go up yearly.

On economic competitiveness, he cautioned against going down the road of Germany, which had a generous welfare scheme that gave workers six weeks of vacation. The result was that factories moved to former communist countries such as Hungary and Romania. Similarly, Singapore faces a region in which people in India, China and Vietnam are working harder. 'If we want to sweat less, are we going to be up there?' he said.

Mr Lee agreed with lawyer Leon Yee, 32, who noted that, unlike Singapore, Hong Kong can more immediately tap a Greater China hinterland.

Mr Lee said: 'That is a reason we need to work harder, because we don't have China next door which can rescue us, help us or defend us.

'We are Singapore. We are one country on our own.'

chinlian@sph.com.sg

When some of you are wondering why you need to work so hard, the answer is in the article above. We've discussed many times, Singapore has nothing except human resource. In order to survive as a nation or as an individual, we've to build up our human resource. On the other hand, Bhutan has very different goals. Do read up about this very interesting and beautiful country. The country measures success by looking at the gross national happiness instead of gross national product. Find out why they want to use such an index and how they can do it? Bhutan has always been an exotic country I really want to visit. I guess next June's travel destination is decided...

Craftwork for the Holiday

For those of you who are wondering how to spend your holiday, perhaps you would like to consider doing some paper craftwork. This website is one of my favourite websites that allows you to download free paper automata and models to make. You can purchase paper automata at the Singapore Science Centre but now here is a website that allow you to download free samples. Check out the physics behind the working of automata. It's got to do with gear. I personally have tried doing one or two and enjoyed the activity. You need to be patient and careful while making the automata/models. Immense satisfaction when you see the final product. Be resilient and not give up until you see your work out. Check out the profile of the creater. Indeed a very intelligent man!

UN agency issues SOS for food aid

17 Oct 2008

Global financial crisis threatens aid to the world's hungry, warns World Food Programme official.

Pakistani people receive donated food at a distribution centre in Lahore on the eve of World Food Day. The UN's food-aid arm is US$2 billion short of the funds it needs to feed over 90 million hungry people worldwide. -- PHOTO: ASSOCIATED PRESS

THE global financial crisis has put the world's hungry at risk of not getting the food they need.
Given this year's skyrocketing food prices and more natural disasters, the World Food Programme (WFP) needs to raise US$6 billion (S$8.9 billion) - twice as much as last year - to feed 90 to 95 million people in more than 80 countries.

Its spokesman for Asia, Mr Paul Risley, told The Straits Times that if funds are not forthcoming, it may have to cut back on programmes or the number of people it helps.
'We are concerned that donor countries will reduce their commitments in view of the financial crisis,' he said. 'That's really the last thing we need.'
The food-aid arm of the United Nations is the world's largest humanitarian agency, providing rations to people from the poorest communities, conflict zones and areas decimated by natural disasters.

A Tribute to Mr Loke

I think by now all of you should know that Mr Loke is retiring at the end of this year. Yesterday, the school had a farewell ceremony for him. A PowerPoint presentation was run tracing the development of CCSS under his leadership. In the mid of the PowerPoint, I just became very emotional and began tearing. Suddenly I felt that I would miss his presence.  

I respect Mr Loke very much. Despite his age, he is still dynamic and works very hard for the school.  Though at times, I get rather irritated with his long-winded speech, I find it difficult to get angry with him because I know that he always has the students' welfare at heart. He always tells me that,  "Whatever we plan, think of the children. Give them as many opportunities as possible and believe in every child." Just like our school mission "We provide opportunities and guidance for every child to learn and achieve personal excellence", Mr Loke is a firm believer.

Personally, I want to thank Mr Loke for giving me so many opportunities in CCSS to grow and believing in me that I can do a good job. I'll always remember him as a kind and nurturing leader. A man with a good heart.

I don't know how you feel about Mr Loke but it would be nice if you can give him a farewell card if you feel Mr Loke has made a difference in your life. I don't mean "your life" but if you feel that over the years, you can see the changes he has made in CCSS and his resilience in wanting to improve the school for you. That would very sweet.

Four in 10 S'poreans marry foreigners

Globalisation creating more chances for locals to meet, tie the knot with non-citizens
By Mavis Toh

Ms A.L. Koh is 36, has a master's degree in business administration and works as a marketing manager in a multinational company.
When her Singaporean boyfriend of six years broke off their engagement in 2005 due to objections from his mother, she dropped the idea of marriage totally.

But last December, she walked down the aisle of a church in France and said 'I do' to a Frenchman.
The two had met at work - the 40-year-old man is a project manager in the same firm - and they have now set up home here.
Like Ms Koh, nearly 40 per cent of Singaporeans who tied the knot last year married either a permanent resident or a foreigner.
Of the 20,775 marriages involving at least one citizen, 8,086 Singaporeans were hitched to non-citizen spouses. Of the 8,086 people, 6,200 were men and 1,886 were women.
There were 8,406 and 8,161 such marriages in 2005 and 2006 respectively.
Close to 90 per cent of these non-citizen spouses last year were from Asia.
These figures were released recently by the National Population Secretariat but the real figure may be even higher as some Singaporeans marry their partners and register their marriages overseas.
The Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) attributed the trend to globalisation.
It noted that Singaporeans routinely travel overseas for work, study and leisure, and as the country becomes more vibrant and cosmopolitan, many foreigners also choose to live and work here.
'This provides more opportunities for interaction between Singaporeans and foreigners, and it is not surprising for some to fall in love and marry,' said a MCYS spokesman.
Sociologist Paulin Straughan attributes the high figures in recent years to Singapore's open-door policy towards foreign talent.
She added that the largest group of Singaporean male singles are usually lower educated while the female singles are usually higher educated.
'The educated women are more likely to travel overseas or meet Caucasian spouses at work here. The men turn to foreign brides through matchmaking agencies,' she said.
While figures on the nationalities of foreign spouses are unavailable, The Sunday Times understands that Malaysians form the bulk. But the mushrooming of matchmaking agencies has brought an influx of brides from Vietnam and China.
There are about 200 dating and matchmaking agencies here.
One of them is Blissful Marriage Consultants whose owner Han Lin Zhuo matchmakes about 10 couples yearly, charging $5,888 for each case.
His agency, set up in 2004, deals specifically with Hainanese brides because they are 'more virtuous and family-oriented' than Singaporean women.
'If Singaporean men do not want to date career-minded Singaporean women, I give them an alternative to date virtuous Hainanese women,' he said. He has contacts and an office in Hainan which generate a constant pool of Hainanese women looking to pair up with Singaporean men.
He added that most of his clients, aged between 28 and 50, had tried dating Singaporean women before turning to him.
'They date for three to five years and the girls are unwilling to settle down. The men want to start a family and don't want to risk going through the dating process again,' he said.
At another agency, Life Partner Matchmaker, owner Janson Ong said many men had joined dating agencies before seeking help from a matchmaker.
'They join these agencies and waste a number of years without getting a life partner. So they come to us - it's faster and the stigma of going to matchmakers has also gone down,' he said.
But his business - the women come from Vietnam - has been affected by the economic downturn since August last year. Now, he gets only one case every few months. Previously, he could get up to six cases monthly, charging $10,000 for each virgin bride.
He added that 40 per cent of his clients are degree holders with good jobs.
'They do well in their careers but when it comes to women, they're shy and have no courage to ask them out,' he noted.
Ms Annie Chan, co-founder of Club2040, a matchmaking agency and social dating club, said most of its clients still prefer to date local women because of their 'similar upbringing'.
She said men may turn to foreign women because they find local ones too 'career-minded' and 'driven'.
But Ms Chan said: 'Local women feel that men here don't understand that our education system has pushed them to pursue such high-powered careers. After a while, they feel that perhaps foreign men will appreciate this part of them.'
Ms Koh agrees. Her former boyfriend had often complained about her long working hours and felt insecure that she made more money than him.
'At work, we are conditioned to fight like a man but at home, they still expect us to go soft and take care of their every need,' she said.
'Foreign men are different; they know how to take care of their women.'
With trans-national marriages taking off, one issue has surfaced - citizenship for the children of these couples.
Dr Straughan said: 'These kids have one foot in each culture and country but Singapore may end up losing talents if the other parent is from a First World country.'
For businessman Jerome Phua, 43, it does not bother him which citizenship his son Ethan, three, takes up.
His wife is Indonesian and they met while he was on business in that country.
'Such marriages and 'mixed kids' will just add to the cosmopolitan flavour of Singapore. After all, we're already a rojak society,' he said.

mavistoh@sph.com.sg
What are your views on the trend of Singaporeans marrying foreigners? Send them to suntimes@sph.com.sg

With globalisation and Singapore's policy of attracting foreign talent, it's natural to see more Singaporeans marrying foreigners. While the Singapore women marry the Caucasians from the developed countries, the Singapore men marry women from the less deveoped countries such as China, Vietnam and Indonesia. Would you marry a foreigner? 

Graying World

Sec 3 Combined Humanities Results

For those Sec 3s who come to the blog, a preview to your class results. A marked improvement compared to mid-year. MSG for 3EA is 3.69 and 3EB is 5.45.

All The Best 4N Students

Tomorrow is your Geo Elective papers. Be calm and don't panic. Remember my advice, make sure you write. You'll only fail if you hand in an empty paper.

My last reminders:
1. Read question carefully. Underline the instructional words.
2. Know the difference between 'describe' and 'explain'.
3. Use the figure information or data as part of your answer.
4.Don't overwrite. E.g, don't give a summary of factors, go strait to the point.
5. Question like "How far/To what extent/How effective etc, make sure you show both sides, pros and cons, advantages and disadvantages.
6. Link back to the question.
7. Use geographical keywords.
8. Label diagrams if you need to draw.

Reduce climate change? Eat less meat: Report

Consume less milk as well, says four-year study of impact of food on climate change

LONDON: People will have to be rationed to four modest portions of meat and one litre of milk a week if the world is to avoid runaway climate change, a new report has warned.
The report, by the Food Climate Research Network (FCRN), based at the University of Surrey, said total food consumption should be reduced, especially 'low nutritional value' treats such as alcohol, sweets and chocolates.
It urged people to return to habits their mothers or grandmothers would have been familiar with - buying locally in-season products, cooking in bulk and in pots with lids or pressure cookers, avoiding waste and walking to the shops, The Guardian said.
The report is a product of a four-year study of the impact of food on climate change, and goes much further than any previous advice after mounting concern about the impact of the livestock industry on greenhouse gases and rising food prices.
Its author Tara Garnett warned that campaigns encouraging people to change their habits voluntarily were doomed to fail and urged the government to use caps on greenhouse gas emissions and carbon pricing to ensure that changes were made.
These findings are in line with an investigation by the October edition of the Ecologist magazine, which found that arguments for people to go vegetarian to stop climate change and reduce pressure on rising food prices were exaggerated and would damage the developing world in particular, where many people depend on animals for essential food and other products.
Instead, it recommended cutting meat consumption by at least half and making sure animals were fed as much as possible on grass and food waste which could not be eaten by humans.
The head of the United Nations (UN) intergovernmental panel on climate change, Mr Rajendra Pachauri, also sparked global debate this month when he urged people to have at least one meat-free day a week.
The FCRN found that measured by production, the British food sector produces greenhouse gases equivalent to 33 million tonnes of carbon. Measured by consumption, the total rises to 43.3 million tonnes. Both figures work out at under one fifth of British emissions, but they exclude the indirect impact of actions such as clearing rainforest for cattle and crops, which other studies estimate would add up to 5 to 20 per cent of global emissions.
The report found that the meat and dairy sectors together accounted for just over half of those emissions.
It called for meat and dairy consumption to be cut in developed countries so that global production remains stable as the population grows to an estimated nine billion by 2050. At the same time, emissions from farms, transport, manufacturing and retail could be cut, it said.
The UN and other bodies recommend that developed countries should reduce total emissions by 80 per cent by 2050. However, the National Farmers' Union warned that its own study, with other industry players, published last year, found net emissions from agriculture could be cut by only up to 50 per cent.

For those of you who always eat burgers for lunch. This article is food for thought. Cut down on your meat, and ask for more vegetables.

Population hits 4.84m

THE sense of a growing squeeze in shopping malls, MRT trains and hawker centres has been borne out by figures released by the Government on Friday.

Singapore's population grew by a record 5.5 per cent last year, the highest annual spike since Census figures were collected in 1871.

This means that as of June, there are 4.84 million people living in this country, up from 4.59 million last year.

Of these, the number of foreigners - fuelled by a fast-trotting economy last year - expanded the most rapidly, by a whopping 19 per cent, swelling their numbers to 1.2 million.

In contrast, the number of citizens grew by 1 per cent, while the number of permanent residents climbed 6.5 per cent. Together, they add up to 3.64 million residents.

The figures were released by the National Population Secretariat (NPS), under the Prime Minister's Office, which is tasked with overseeing Singapore's population policies.

The nation's total fertility rate (TFR) is still low but more births were registered.

The resident TFR rose slightly from 1.28 in 2006 to 1.29 in 2007. There were 18,032 resident births registered in the first six months this year, compared with 17,325 births a year ago. The increase is primarily due to more first-order births.

With the recent enhancement of the Marriage and Parenthood (M&P) Package, the Government hopes to support more Singaporeans in getting married and having children.

Singapore also welcomed more new permanent residents and new citizens. There were more foreigners becoming PRs and citizens, with 34,800 granted PRs and 9,600 granted citizenship in the first six months, compared to 28,500 and 7,300 in the same period in 2007.

More Singaporeans are also going overseas for work and study.

As of June, there were about 153,500 overseas Singaporeans (OS) compared with 147,500 a year ago.

The countries with a high concentration of overseas Singaporeans are Australia, the UK, the US and China.

Mr Roy Quek, Director of the NPS, who also heads the OSU, noted that 'having more Singaporeans go overseas is not a problem per se, so long as they stay engaged and connected with Singapore'.

'The fact that many Overseas Singaporeans have done well in other countries attests to the success of the Singaporean system in producing top students, professionals and entrepreneurs who can succeed outside of Singapore,' he added.

'We should celebrate their successes and help them stay connected to home, so that they remain Singaporeans in their hearts and minds even when they are physically away from the rest of us'.

Sec 3 SS SEQ on "Population"

1a) Which is more important in ensuring good governance in Singapore? Having able leaders in the government or encouraging active citizen involvement. Explain your answer. [12]

1b) Here are three schemes to encourage population growth in Singapore.

The graduate mothers scheme

Have three or more if you can afford it

Attract foreign talent

Which is the most effective scheme? Explain your answer. [13]

Reflection for trip to Shandong

It has been a long time since I update my blog. Frankly, I think most of the pupils who visit my blog are the 4N pupils. Since most of them are busy mugging, I think I kind of lose the motivation to blog.

Today I feel like blogging about my recent trip to Shandong. Though this was my second trip to Shandong, I still enjoyed it very much. The itinerary was the same but somehow the experiences were quite different. Perhaps it was the season. Last year I went during winter when it was very cold, this year I went during autumn and the weather was great. The students I brought were different too therefore there was a different dynamic.

I was warmly received by the teacher and pupils at Licheng No.2 Middle School. This is our twinning sister school which we've been having exchange programme. I must say that I'm very proud of the CCSS pupils that I brought during this trip. They were really a bunch of very nice kids. It's partly because of them, I enjoyed my trip very much. During the trip, the pupils were helpful and often made themselves useful by helping to carry luggages, banners and any other things. They were punctual most of the time and listened to instructions and did the right thing.On one of the days, some of the pupils surprised the teachers by buying us roses to show their appreciation. I was really touched. Bringing them to the trip was really worth the effort. Well, frankly, planning the trip really takes up a lot of time and effort. I think the pupils understand.

The daily night reflections with them were very fruitful. I could see the pupils grow during the trip by listening to how they feel and what they have learnt during the trip. I was impressed with their sharing especially the sec 3 pupils. The one thing perhaps they can improve is to be more outgoing and vocal in the activities.

With each visit to China, it increases my interest on the Chinese culture. The Chinese poetry, the Chinese calligraphy and the Chinese history are areas I would like to read up.

LKY award for Normal stream boy

Colin Ng (left) from Geylang Methodist Secondary and Mohammad Raihan Rosman from Yishun Town Secondary both received the Lee Kuan Yew Award for All-Round Excellence. -- ST PHOTO: JOYCE FANG

WHEN Colin Ng scored poorly in the Primary School Leaving Examination and was posted to the Normal stream, he lost confidence in himself.
But dedicated teachers and time in the National Police Cadet Corps (NPCC) instilled in him a healthy sense of discipline.

Now, the 17-year-old Secondary 5 student is doing so well, he has landed a place at Temasek Polytechnic to study law and management next year.
Colin was among 92 students who were honoured yesterday at the Education Ministry's Special Awards Presentation.

Colin received the Lee Kuan Yew Award for All-Round Excellence. He hopes to join the police force upon graduation.

The youngest child of a store supervisor and an administrative officer, Colin said his time in the cadet corps played a large part in his turnaround from a mediocre student to a high-flier.
'In primary school, I handed in slipshod work and my aim was just to pass. But through the NPCC foot drills, I learnt to train for long hours with little rest. It taught me perseverance and I applied that to my studies.'
He is also the first student from his school, Geylang Methodist Secondary, to receive the prize.

Another winner of the Lee Kuan Yew Award for All-Round Excellence was Mohammad Raihan Rosman. The 17-year-old from Yishun Town Secondary is now studying precision engineering at the Institute of Technical Education. He has also been volunteering at a mosque for the last 11 years.

He credited his former teacher, Mr Ong Kwang Wei, for his unwavering support.
'When I failed my first-term tests in Sec 3, he didn't give up on me. It encouraged me and I could see he really cared,' said Raihan, who rose from 29th position in his class to third.
Dr Yaacob commended Raihan for his 'spirit of volunteerism' and reminded other youth to pay forward their success by helping others.

Fireplays

I'm busy marking the 4N and 3E papers and next week I've to get the results out! While taking a break in my mid of marking, I stumble upon this beautiful video. Great photography, good editing and nice song too!

Fireplays from Jon Thomas on Vimeo.

More Britons insuring teeth

June 7, 2008

Cost of dental treatment rising as more dentists enter private practice

LONDON - AS MORE and more dentists go private and the cost of treatment soars, a growing number of British consumers are insuring their pearly whites.

'In a way, we really should not call it 'insurance', but 'assurance', because it is covering against the probable,' said Mr Mike Izzard, chairman of the Association of Medical Insurance Intermediaries (Amii).

The cost of a standard filling in Britain can go up to three figures in many cases, and even a routine check-up by the National Health Service (NHS) can dent the bank balance.

'The number of NHS dentists is dropping, and access to dental work from the NHS is diminishing all the time,' Mr Izzard said.

This means most dentists now run a private practice, which charges much more. Mounting costs are leading to neglect of oral care, with almost a third of 1,000 adults surveyed in the country saying they have not visited a dentist in the past two years.

A fifth has not had dental work that was recommended due to the costs involved, according to the poll commissioned earlier this year by dental company Dentale.

Dental tourism is seeing a boom - an estimated 1.29 million people have had dental treatment outside of Britain because of lower costs.

This can prove economical for those who need a lot of dental work, but for those looking to cut the cost of routine treatment closer to home, insurance is rising in popularity.

'Everyone will use it. It just depends how much,' Mr Izzard said.

Most insurance companies in Britain are now offering dental insurance that helps pay for routine treatments, dental emergencies and serious dental problems - whether the treatments are done privately or by the NHS.

Premiums are based on age, while benefits vary from one plan to another, but in general the more you pay, the more your insurer will pay out, according to consumer organisation.

The most basic - and cheapest - policies tend to cover emergency and non-emergency treatment, but not regular check-ups.

Some will refund a percentage of the cost of general dental treatment up to an annual cap.

Consumers also have the alternative of choosing a capitation scheme, which will allow them to pay the cost of treatment on a monthly basis instead of settling bills as and when they arise.

The premium for the payment depends on the condition of the teeth and running costs of the operation, and it is determined after the patient has consulted a dentist who has signed up to such a scheme.

REUTERS

3EA and 3EB, we just finished the topic on British healthcare and this article proves to us that rising healthcare cost is indeed a concern among the people. Read the article and tell me whether did NHS meet the needs of the people?

From the kelong to your table - the cobia

July 25, 2008

Premium fish used in yusheng now farmed here as part of AVA's project to cut reliance on imports
The Changi Fishery off Pulau Ubin netting its first successful harvest of cobia (above). The fish is eaten raw in Japanese restaurants or in yusheng, the Chinese New Year fish salad. The AVA had been trying to breed this species of fish since 2005. -- ST PHOTOS: FRANCIS ONG

HAULING IT IN: The Changi Fishery off Pulau Ubin netting its first successful harvest of cobia. The fish (above) is eaten raw in Japanese restaurants or in yusheng, the Chinese New Year fish salad. The AVA had been trying to breed this species of fish since 2005. -- ST PHOTOS: FRANCIS ONG

FRESH from last year's success with locally bred sea bass, Singapore's growers are ready to harvest another variety of farmed fish from Singapore waters.

The cobia, also known as the black kingfish, ling, or lemon fish, is among the six species of fish identified as suitable for local farming by the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA).

About eight tonnes of the fish are ready for harvest. This means that Singapore can significantly cut back on imports, a key aim of the programme to farm fish here. Forty tonnes of cobia were brought in from Taiwan and Vietnam last year.

The cobia is the sixth species of fish researched, reared and found suitable by the AVA to be introduced to local farmers since the 1970s.

The others are the sea bass, the four-finger threadfin, two species of grouper and mangrove red snapper.

The sea bass was the most recently harvested, having had its turn last October. The others were harvested earlier.

The AVA, meanwhile, is looking into introducing new species to fish farms here.

The crimson red snapper, a popular fish in Singapore, is next on its list. Singapore consumes about 89,000 tonnes of fresh fish a year. More than 90 per cent of this comes from farms mainly in Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand, as well as from fishing vessels from around the world.
The rest comes from farms in Singapore and local fishermen.

The AVA had said in the past that it hoped offshore farms would increase their contribution to 40 per cent, but The Straits Times understands that this target is currently being reviewed.

The cobia is eaten raw in Japanese restaurants and has been offered in hotels as part of the tossed fish salad, or yusheng, during Chinese New Year.

Ms Wee Joo Yong, the head of research at the AVA's Marine Aquaculture Centre, said: 'The demand is still from a niche market but, with increased availability, we expect its popularity will grow to reach the mass market.'

The AVA has been trying to breed cobia, a premium fish much in demand in many parts of the world, since 2005.

The first batch of the locally bred fish will be harvested from the Changi Fishery, a 10-minute boat ride from the mainland.

Its general manager, Ms Rosemary Lau, 45, one of the few women in the aquaculture industry, runs the kelong for her surgeon husband.

Ms Lau said that consumers could expect the price of her 'farm-fresh' fish to be about the same as the current listed price of $45 a kilo for imported chilled cobia.
But she added a sweetener: 'Our initial price to restaurants will be about half that, to promote it.'

skesava@sph.com.sg

For 4N1 and 4N2, I just finished the topic on factors affecting food productivity, and one of the factors is technology. This article is a good example of blue revolution. Singapore is doing research on rearing some of the more popular fish and cobia is the most recent success story. Singapore tries to reduce import of fish by rearing her own. We also learnt that overfishing is a problem and if we don't do anything about it, soon fish will become extinct.

3EA Collaboration Essay Writing

Case Study: Deforestation in Kalimantan, Indonesia.

Refer to your textbook page 93 under the ‘Quiz’ section. In groups of 4 or 5 (I've done the grouping for you), complete this assignment using google doc. Look at the scoring rubric below for reference. Marks will be allocated as part of your CA. An invitation email has been sent to you to work on this assignment, deadline is 11 August 2008. Have fun collaborating!

(1-2m) State the causes of and problems caused by deforestation.
(3-4m) Describe the causes of and problems caused by deforestation.
(5-6m) Explain the causes of and problems caused by deforestation.
(7-8m) Explain the causes of and problems by deforestation and rank them in importance.
(9-10m) Explain the causes of and problems by deforestation and rank them in importance with a sound conclusion.

Baby, come back

Excerpt from article, "Baby, come back" on 12 July, ST

Twenty years have passed since Singapore introduced policies to encourage parenthood. But they have yet to produce the desired result, a situation that looks set to bring even more incentives.

On Wednesday, Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew hinted that the Government is looking at giving free childcare and paid paternity leave - measures that depart from its longstanding frugal stance against dispensing freebies.

The possibility of paid paternity leave is also a shift in the country's traditionally matriarchal approach towards parenthood. Currently, fathers get three days' leave when their child is born while mothers get three months of paid maternity leave.
But the parenthood picture is dire.

Since 1976, or 32 years ago, Singaporeans have failed to produce enough babies to maintain the population.

On average, 2.1 births per woman are needed to prevent the population from shrinking in the long run. This works out to 60,000 babies a year.

But the numbers tend to hover below 40,000. Last year, 39,490 children were born here - just two-thirds of what is required. Even so, one-quarter of them have non-Singaporean fathers.
Demographers warn that the gap carries a risk.

Explaining in terms of fertility rates, they note that Singapore's resident total fertility rate is now 1.29.

Although it is above the record low of 1.26 in 2003, it is still below 1.3, a figure that holds 'a special mathematical portent' for them, says an article in The New York Times.
'At that rate, a country's population would be cut in half in 45 years, creating a falling-off-a-cliff effect from which it would be nearly impossible to recover,' it says.

What this means is the population would have shrunk past the point of no return.

It is a future that could be hastened by a double whammy that will never go away.
One is the greying of the baby-boomers who form about a quarter of the population.
Their ageing will see deaths exceeding births in 20 years' time, predicts statistician Paul Cheung, Singapore's former chief statistician who is now director of the United Nations Statistics Division.

The other is the mounting number of younger Singaporeans heading overseas to live and work.

xueying@sph.com.sg

Recently, the government has again come to this very important topic of procreation. Singporeans are still not having enough babies. We learnt about the reasons for the low birth rate in Social Studies. Check out the current birthrate and you'll realise we've not even hit the replacement rate. This will lead to problems like ageing population and the loss of a dynamic workforce.

MM Lee said perhaps we need to adopt the Swedish way to encourage births. What is the Swedish way?

What will make Singporeans have more babies? Do share about your thoughts under comments.

Where the Hell is Matt?

This video is so well-done! It's so funny watching people all over the world dancing this way. For those who are studying globalisation in SS, you now see evidence here as well. Check out whether you know these countries that Matt went to. 

Where the Hell is Matt? (2008) from Matthew Harding on Vimeo.

River processes and river features

I used to find teaching this topic river rather challenging. River processes are so dynamic yet I've no way but to use static pictures to illustrate. With improvement in technology and the sharing of animation clips, this topic is a lot more interesting. Check out these animation clips and have a better understanding of the work of river.

River Transportation processes

Meanders 1

Ox-bow lake

Waterfall

Gorge

Sustainable Cities?

'Fat bomb' ticking away in Australia

SYDNEY - FOR a nation that prides itself on sporting achievement and muscular good looks, Australia must surely be shocked that it now has a higher proportion of obese people than the United States.
Forget those pictures of muscular surfers and slim supermodels such as Elle Macpherson.
Today's typical Australian is more likely to be a middle-aged bloke with a big beer belly and a super-sized wife to boot.
According to an alarming study entitled Australia's Future Fat Bomb, nine million adults in the country are now rated as overweight.
And four million of them have been officially declared obese.
That is 26 per cent of the adult population, one per cent more than the Americans.
As the author of the study pointed out, Australia would clearly win a gold medal if there was a 'most-fat' event in the Olympics.

roger@aimsmedia.com

Where have I been?

I went away to Kashmir and Ladakh for a week and a half. My first stop is Srinagar in Kashmir which is famous for its Dal Lake. Stayed in a boat house and visited a number of historical royal garden, Mughal gardens of Nishat (Garden of Pleasure) and Shalimar (Garden of love). I went to Gulmarg to see the glaciers and had a pony ride.

After that I travelled to Sonamarg, famous for its mountain range comparable to the Swiss Alps.

Then we drove through the Himalayan range, cross the Zojila pass, stay overnight at Kargil and finally reached Leh, town of Ladakh. Leh is famous for its many Tibetan Buddhist Monasteries. These are the places I disappeared to.

The map below will show you my route and I've some pictures for your consumption.

View Larger Map

I'll be away...

To those who come to my blog, I'll be away... need to be recharged. It has been very hectic for all of us. Sec 4s, please study hard. This is your last lap!

Stub it out

Today was 'World No Tobacco Day'. This year's focus is making youth more aware of the dangers of smoking. Designated by the World Health Organisation, World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) has been observed on May 31 every year since 1988.

While Singapore has one of the lowest youth smoking rates in the region, with only 9 per cent of youths smoking at least one day in the last 30 days, a significant portion of the campaign will still be targeted at young smokers.

Lisabel Ting

I'm aware some of you are smokers and you find it difficult to kick the habit. You've to make an effort and it's really in the mind. Cigarettes are expensive and smoking is detrimental to your health. Maybe the next article will convince you further.

Smoking can lead to early balding
The claim: Smoking can cause the loss of hair. The facts: If an increased risk of respiratory illness, cancer and heart disease are not reason enough for many smokers to consider quitting, than perhaps a message focused on hair instead of health may do the trick.

Scientists have long speculated cigarette smoke may accelerate hair loss and premature greying. The association was largely attributed to toxins in smoke that can harm hair follicles and damage hormones. According to epidemiological studies, that appears to be the case. A report in the journal BMJ looked at more than 600 men and women, half of them smokers.

After controlling for variables, the researchers found a 'significant' and 'consistent' link between smoking and early greying. Last year, another team studied the link in a group of 740 men in Taiwan, aged 40 to 91 years, notable because Asian men generally have low rates of hereditary baldness. After controlling for age and family histories, the researchers found a greater rate of hair loss among the smokers, a risk that grew with increasing smoking.

One question is whether the link is a result of tobacco toxins directly affecting the scalp, or if smoking is causing severe disease that speeds ageing.

The bottom line: Several studies suggest smoking can lead to premature greying and hair loss. The New York Times

Another impending disaster

After the earthquake, China is faced with another danger- swelling lake. The fallen rocks and boulders due to the earthquake has blocked the river flow. Water is accumulating and is in danger of overflowing and breaking the blockage. If this happens, it will mean flooding at the valley where most villagers stay. It will be another tragedy. Study the satellite pictures.

We want to hear from you

Dear CCSS pupils,

Please do me a favour if you see this post. I'm collecting feedback about the CME lessons in class to see how we can improve and make it more interesting. Please go to the school E-learning portal, log in, and go to the survey section and do the one on CME. Your feedback is valuable. Tell us the truth and see what we can do. Thanks!

Simple Living

Nadia Plesner

"My illustration Simple Living is an idea inspired by the media's constant cover of completely meaningless things. My thought was: Since doing nothing but wearing designerbags and small ugly dogs apparently is enough to get you on a magazine cover, maybe it is worth a try for people who actually deserve and need attention.

When we're presented with the same images in the media over and over again, we might start to believe that they're important.

As I was reading the book "Not on our watch" by Don Cheadle and John Prendergast this summer, I felt horrified by the fact that even with the genocide and other ongoing atrocities in Darfur, Paris Hilton was the one getting all the attention. Is it possible that show business have outruled common sense?

If you can't beat them, join them. This is why I have chosen to mix the cruel reality with showbiz elements in my drawing."

8,500 killed in 7.8-strong jolt & Schools of death

13 & 14 May, 2008


DEATH'S COLD HAND: A man is overcome by grief yesterday as he grips the lifeless hand of a student near a school that collapsed in Juyuan. About 900 students of Juyuan Secondary School are feared buried under the rubble. -- AP

I believe you've heard or read about another disaster that has hit Asia. A strong earthquake has struck China and created havoc. So many sad stories this month...

Myanmar tightens access to disaster zone

May 14, 2008

Towns and villages are being swamped by huge numbers of cyclone refugees and are unable to cope. -- PHOTO: AP

YANGON - MYANMAR tightened access to the cyclone disaster zone Wednesday, turning back foreigners and ignoring pleas to accept the outside experts who could save countless lives before time runs out.
International aid groups held an urgent meeting in neighbouring Thailand, frustrated by a defiant regime that has held up visas for emergency workers to deliver food, water, medicine and shelter for up to two million people.

They said they were working on unconventional relief plans in the face of the restrictions, as hope faded that the secretive generals who have long distrusted the outside world would make an exception in the face of disaster.

The last time I've already mentioned in my previous blog that Myanmar is one of the poorest country in Asean. One of the main reason is political leadership. Now with the cyclone disaster, the military is making it worse by not allowing experts from international organisations to come into Myanmar to help. The government claimed that international organisations can just give them food and medical supplies and they will handle the rest. Who knows where these supplies will go, for they may never reach the people who need it but rest in some warehouses for the government officials. Good governance is so important to a country development. We must count our blessings. Next week, our Sec 3 pupils are doing newspaper collections and the money collected was meant for our school needy pupils. However, looking at the plight of Myanmar, our school has decided to donate the proceeds to Myanmar to help the poor people. It will be given to Singapore Red Cross Society. Please support our school CIP activity.

Race Against Time in Myanmar

A preview to the mid-year results

I'm going to put the highest and lowest results for each class so that when you receive your results, you know where you stand.

Geo	Highest	Lowest
4N1	37	4.5
4N2	36	0
4N3	31	5.5
4N4	34	1
Geo
3EA	23	9.5
3EB	23	12
SS
3EA	23	10
3EB	21	9

Delta of death

May 7, 2008
Witnesses describe rice fields littered with corpses, while charitable organisations expect death toll to rise as tens of thousands remain missing in wake of Cyclone Nargis
GETTING HELP: Locals helping an injured man on Monday. The area affects by the cyclone is home to nearly a quarter of Myanmar's 57 million people. -- PHOTO: AFP


YANGON - THE area worst affected by the cyclone that struck Myanmar is a vast and populous delta criss-crossed by canals and inlets, factors that made the damage extensive and delivering aid extraordinarily difficult.
Several other reasons have also been cited for the scale of the disaster, including the destruction of mangrove forests that acted as a buffer against the sea, the lack of an early- warning system and a tidal wave that came in the wake of the killer storm.
Based on a satellite map made available by the United Nations, the storm's damage was concentrated over an estimated 30,000-sq-km area along the Andaman Sea and Gulf of Martaban coastlines - less than 5 per cent of the country.
But the affected region is home to nearly a quarter of Myanmar's 57million people.
Aid workers say delivering food, clean water and other supplies to far-flung villages will require an intensive response.
'Our fear is that many in the rural population have been cut off,' said Mr Paul Risley, spokesman in Asia for the World Food Programme, a UN agency. 'In some villages, 90per cent of shelter was destroyed or damaged.'

Remember we learnt about delta formation in the topic 'River'. Deltas are low-lying areas made of acculumated alluvium at the mouth of the river. We know that deltas are precious arable land suitable for growing crops especially wet-rice because of its fertile soil. However, the danger of living on deltas is that the land is prone to hazards such as cyclone and flooding. Myanmar being one of the poorest countries in Asean is again hit by this unfortunate natural hazard. We also learnt that one of the reasons of slow development is because of climate. Countries such as Myanmar will always be slow in their development because natural hazards often destroy infrastructure and lives in the country.
In the article, it also mentions that one of the reasons for the massive destruction is also due to the destruction of mangrove forest. This we learnt in the topic 'natural vegetation', the benefits of natural vegetation such as mangroves. This article links up so many concepts that we learnt in both physical and human Geography. Didn't I tell you that Geography is everywhere every day?

Lights of the World

This is a satellite picture of the world. Question: What does the picture tell you about variations in development in the world? Explain your answer. You can leave your comments in "the comment". 

New child labour scandal rocks China

May 1, 2008More than 1,000 children, aged between 9 and 16 from poor families in Liangshan have been lured to work as cheap labor in factories. -- PHOTO: REUTERS

A girl cries as she is rescued from a factory in Dongguan, Guangdong province. -- PHOTO: REUTERS


EXPLOITED: The underage workers, said to earn only 4 yuan an hour, were housed in rented rooms or motels. -- PHOTO: WWW.NDDAILY.COM


BEIJING - A CITY in southern China renowned as a major export hub is at the centre of a child labour scandal after more than 1,000 children were found toiling in its factories, state media reported.

The children, aged between nine and 16, had been sold to the factories in Dongguan city and forced to work long hours for about 4 yuan (80 Singapore cents) an hour, the China Daily said.
Just last year, China was rocked by the exposure of a massive slavery and child labour scandal in which hundreds of farmers, teenagers and children were forced to work in scorching brick kilns, enduring beatings and prison-like confinement.

Similarly, the child labour scandal in Dongguan has triggered outrage across the country and highlighted endemic abuse behind the country's economic boom.
Police have so far rescued 167 children from houses and factories in Dongguan, an industrial city in southern Guangdong province.

Many Hong Kong and Taiwan businesses invest in Dongguan, but in recent years, it has been losing investors to inland provinces, where labour and overhead costs are lower.
The town of Shipai in Dongguan has been identified as a major centre for cheap labour.
From Dongguan, these workers will be sent to factories across the Pearl River Delta region.
The authorities in the city have set up a task force to rescue the children and prosecute those behind the illegal labour ring.

'Our labour enforcement and trade unions will investigate all companies in the town, the labour market and agencies,' Mr Wang Yongquan, a spokesman for Shipai town in Dongguan, was quoted as saying.

Mr He Zhujian, chief of the labour enforcement team in Dongguan, said: 'Most of the employers are medium to small companies. Most small firms are not registered with the labour department and try to cut operational costs.'

The China Daily said several people had been arrested, but did not give details.
The children, all from the ethnic Yi minority, were from poor families in the Liangshan region of the south- western province of Sichuan more than 1,000km away.
An underground organisation had lured the children from Liangshan, where most of the families in the area had more than a child each. China's minority groups are exempted from the official one-child policy.

The middlemen in the child labour ring were reportedly paid 200 to 300 yuan for each child they supplied to the factories.
The ringleaders, according to the China Daily, could earn about 100,000 yuan each within three months.
According to the Southern Metropolis Daily, the underage workers were housed in rented rooms or motels.
A girl whose age was unknown told the Chinese-language newspaper that she had been raped twice.
The China Daily quoted an academic as saying that poverty in Sichuan had forced farmers to send their children off to work.
'In Liangshan, where farming alone cannot support a family...many parents are happy their children are earning several hundred yuan a month,' Professor Hou Yuanguo of the Central University of Nationalities was quoted as saying.
REUTERS, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

Another sad story about poverty. When the farmers are unable to support their families, they resort to selling their children as child labour to make ends meet. Remember, we learnt one of the strategy to resolve uneven development nationally is population control in China? The one-child policy is not applicable to the minority ethnic groups in China because they are mostly farmers and need children as their source of labour to help. Now this article just proves otherwise. The minority ethnic groups are selling their children to unscrupulous middlemen for that little profit they can get.

Earth Day Reflection

What did you do for the Earth on Earth Day? Taking stock of my small actions on how I try to make the earth a better place.

I:

make it a point to switch off all the lights, fans and computer when I'm not using to conserve energy;

bring my own environmental bags to market on Sunday and say "no" to plastic bags (not always successful but still making an effort);

save papers by printing on both sides, squeeze as much information on one page to prevent spilling to the next page; use recycle papers

collect rainwater (as I stay on first floor) to water plants or wash the walkway;

don't use the heater when I'm bathing except on rainy days;

always wipe my pots dry before I cook or boil water to conserve energy used to evaporate the water;

use a mug for brushing my teeth instead of letting the water run;

educate my pupils on the importance of being environmental.

There is room for improvement. Hope I can do more for the earth.

When big is bad

Red and Blue

Dear CCSS pupils,

Taking feedback from one pupil that he's too lazy to read the articles, I've tried to make reading the blog a little easier. I wonder whether those who have been faithfully reading my blog realise that some words appear in red while others are in blue. Now I'll explain the function of the different colours. If I cut and paste a newspaper article, the original text will be in black. I highlight those in RED that are directly related to what we learn in Geography or Social Studies. The ones in BLUE are my personal opinions. So... if you're one of those who are too lazy to read and still come to my blog (very encouraging), you can choose to read the red and blue text. Of course I applause those who persevere to read all. One of these days I must find a way to reward those who read my blog regularly. Maybe I should give them stars for
- care: care about world affairs,
- commitment: committed to read and update oneself to learn better.
Do you have any suggestion on how I can reward those who read my blog regularly? ;-)

Hellish two-hour death ride for 54

April 11, 2008

Only 67 of 121 Myanmar illegals survive journey in a sealed container
BANGKOK - IT WAS standing room only for 121 men and women packed into an airtight seafood container truck just 6m long and 2.2m wide.
The illegal migrants, fleeing low wages back home in Myanmar, had paid smugglers 5,000 baht (S$210) each to take them to jobs in the Thai resorts of Phuket and Phang Nga.
But, only 30 minutes into their journey, things went horribly wrong.
Gasping for air, the workers started screaming and pounding on the container walls. The driver turned on the air-conditioning, but only briefly.
An hour later, the screaming and banging stopped.
When the truck driver stopped to check, what he found made him flee.

Fifty-four people, 37 of them women, had suffocated and died. Another 67 were so deyhydrated and out of air that 20 had to be hospitalised.
'I thought everyone was going to die,' said a 30-year- old survivor now in police custody. 'I thought I was going to die. If the truck had driven for 30 minutes more, I would have died for sure.'
One female survivor told Thai television: 'No matter how many times we hit the container, the driver did not pay any attention.'
TV footage showed police lifting bodies out of the truck in Ranong province.
The dead - many wearing little more than T-shirts, shorts and flip-flops - were laid out on the floor at a storage facility of a local charity.
The truck driver was nowhere to be found.
'We believe this must be part of a smuggling racket which has to be tracked down,' said Ranong Police Colonel Kraithong Chanthongbai. 'The large number of illegals represents a very brazen act.'
More than a million people from Myanmar are estimated to be working illegally in Thai factories and restaurants, at petrol pumps and as domestic helpers or crew on fishing trawlers.
They have continued to stream out since the unrest in August, when protests that included Buddhist monks snowballed into anti-government demonstrations.

Many have fled Myanmar by walking across the border with Thailand although it is littered with landmines.
Others have attempted a long sea trip, usually made on flimsy boats without adequate supplies.
Still more turn to smugglers to take them across.
The results are often grim.
In January, seven illegal migrants were found dead, apparently having drowned in a Thai lake while making the illegal crossing.
Last December, at least 22 died when their boat sank.
REUTERS, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

It's sad to read a tragedy like this. The heartless driver killed the 67 Myanmar people because of his disregard for human lives. There are so many teaching points from this article related to the topic on development. First, when the country is poorly governed (weak leadership), the people suffer because of unemployment or low pay and also political instabiliy (war and conflict). In search of better life, the people will move out to other places legally or illegally. The legal migration will be called "brain drain". The illegal one is called the "refugee" problem. This also reinforces what I told you in class about why international cooperation is important. The DCs will try to help the LDCs if not when the people start moving out as refugees to the their countries, it'll pose other social problems to them. Of course, it's every country' s duty to help one another to improve the standard of living in the world but we'll not forget that there is political motive too.

Don't you think we are blessed to be in Singapore? Can you see the work of good governance?