Is The Doctor In?

I figured in a bike accident last June of 2014 after going down a rough, rocky and steep slope during one of my first time adventures in a remote island close by together with my friends. The place is familiar to both tourists and locals because of its natural and man-made scenic. To get there, you'll have to take a small boat from the mainland which will cost you just a few bucks and reach your destination in about 15 min to 20 min probably.

The accident caused me scraped skins below my right eye, on my cheek bone, and on my left knee. I had a deep cut on my chin that required seven stitches to close it, a minor fractured left wrist that had me wore a cast close to a month or so, and a torn pants.

I decided to write down some of my thoughts about it and you can take this advice or tips whenever you feel it's useful when going for an adventure or a bike trail.

Bring your own bicycle. As much as possible and whenever you can, try to avoid renting. I'm not saying that renting a bike is bad, it's just that, you're in for less risk when riding your own bike. Nobody is more familiar with it than you. You know the feel, the fit, the grips, the brakes. You've taken a ride on it for a long time and you've treated it like a trusted friend. Apart from these, you can save by using your own bike.

Check the rented bicycles. If you can't avoid renting, do a thorough check with it. Take a quick ride on it to get you familiar with the bicycle. Check the breaks well. Have a feel for the height, if you're not satisfied, ask the guy to adjust it for you. Try to shift speed and check if it works. Don't forget the chair, it should be properly fixed and doesn't loose easily.

Avoid renting the same types of bicycles. This was probably one of our mistakes. My friends and I rented the same color, the same type, the same model of bikes. We decided to park them beside each other near a tree after we've reached our destination. Upon returning, we just took off and rode with it not knowing if we have switched bikes or not. In my case, I can't forget how that right hand break caused the front wheel to stop on a down slope. I'm used to a right hand brake to control the rear wheel and I'm pretty sure I checked the bike I rented before that.

Take note of the emergency numbers and watch out for trail warnings. I was lucky enough that my friend was riding behind me when that happened. Importantly, he's able to get the emergency number to call for assistance. Trail warnings can easily get lost of our sights specially when you're not really minding about it or when your excitement adrenaline are high. I didn't notice the steep slope warning sign and everyone seems to be just riding their bikes downward so it's easy to get caught with the majority.

Bring along extra first aid kits. I believe this is quite a very common advice when trailing but just to emphasize it once more. The emergency response team may get some time before they'll reach your location. Better to get prepared.

Have a friend or two to get along with you. If you can, try to tag along a friend or friends when going out to unfamiliar places. You'll get to form a support group when unexpected things happened along the way. 

Plan your adventures well. This should be at the top of my list here, to plan your activities well before setting out. Our adventure wasn't really planned out, it was just as the spark of the moment, my friend invited me and he invited another friend of his and we three just met on the same day. Originally, he planned to go fishing and I planned to go taking pictures. We only got to learn about renting bikes after we arrived there. We are all first timers in that place. 

Travel light and wear protective gears. I was carrying my camera equipment at my back when I was rolling down the slope. This plus a misplaced hand brake are just the perfect recipe for a disaster. So, if we have planned our adventures well, these could have been avoided.

I was able to recover following the post therapy sessions, although I still find my wrist a bit stiff. The bonus part was when my doctor took a picture of me while he was holding my phone to be part of my remembrance after removing the stitches on my chin. He convincingly asked me if I actually want to have one. Cool, huh? Hope you get something out of my unfortunate adventure.

:)

Signed, Sealed, Delivered

I finally had the chance to explore the Singapore Philatelic Museum. The building itself already had a lot of stories to tell. Built in the early 1900s and was initially part of an Anglo-Chinese school, it was later restored and transformed into the current stamp museum where it proudly stood originally decades of years ago.

Spices and condiments

Going inside this beautiful piece of historical structure was even more exciting as it opens up that nostalgic feeling from the past as I go through the collections of old stamps, memorabilia and priceless historical facts that tells about the origin, the culture, the struggles and success of this tiny nation of Singapore.

This 2-storey stamp museum is literally like a giant stamp book collection. Each of the rooms that I go to represents the pages of the book and it tells of a story that is just like looking right straight through the eyes of my grandmother.

Big wooden doors are left open, inviting you to step, and go back in time to witness the events unfold before your very presence. Remnants from the 1800s parcels and seals had spoken of an era where Singapore was still at its infancy stage. Trying to recognize her roots and identifying the different immigrants that flooded her soil. The shifting of powers from her colonizer up to the present times were all captured in the letters and stamps that serve as her blue prints for the future where she now stands firm and proud.

Gents

As the new Singapore continues to grow, its journey is in part documented inside other rooms. Linking the modern country from its past as a form of respect and valuing the lessons it manifested. 

Having been enlightened by the nation's historical journey, a little topping on the cake is a welcoming sight as it tries to incorporate an educational kid's corner or room to keep the youngsters entertained and at the same time make learning fun for them. Meanwhile, humor has also found its way around the museum building as seen from this toilet's sign. 

Truly, there's a lot of value and reasons to give respect to the past. One can only look into the history to understand fully the course of the future. In the words of a famous Roman philosopher "To know nothing of what happened before you were born is to remain forever a child." -Cicero

For more photos of my visit to the Singapore Philatelic Museum please go to this link to photos:

Til next time :)

Flashes in the Rain

Going around the neighborhood from my rented flat after a heavy afternoon down pour, I came to these four common structures that I regularly found or see in here. You are likely to discover these same structures co-existing in every community town council if you are staying in one of these buildings and are using these public amenities here in Singapore.

Singapore homes

HDB (Housing and Development Board)

If you are someone new in here, you could easily mistake these as commercial buildings but they're not. These tall building structures are home to most of the people here in Singapore. These are commonly termed as HDB. A term that was derived from the very government board under the Ministry of National Developments that takes care of the housing programs and the developments for the welfare of the Singaporeans in terms of providing quality homes and living environments.

In some other ways, they are called flats. Where options to own a 1-room, 2-rooms, 3-rooms types of flats and so on are being offered depending on the terms and conditions set by the Singapore government regulations that maintains the much needed cost effective approach that will allow each Singaporean family to own a decent house for themselves.

Singapore's version of the children's community playground

Children's playground

You will never miss these fancy colored structures around Singapore's community. They are like the usual TV sets where in every home is a must have.

Made of durable plastics, built to protect the safety of the children, these structures were designed to allow the kids to explore and have fun. The floor area is covered with rubber mats and some of the posts were enclosed in a rubber protective as well. 

Common to these playgrounds are the slides, bridge and ladders. Others may include small plastic rock climbing walls and some simple mind games like the tic-tac-toe.

So if you happened to plan to get your kid into one of McDonald's play areas, but failed to do so, don't fret, just head to one of these playgrounds near you.

Hawkers

Hawker Centers

These are the fast food equivalent of Singapore except that it offers wide varieties of local and even some western recipes in their menus.

Common home cooked local cuisines are the usual top priorities of these food stalls found in these hawker centers. Much like the western fast foods, all you need to do is to choose the menu of your liking, pay for it and then wait as it is being cooked at the same time.

Hawker centers are being graded according to their cleanliness and hygiene practices. Administered by NEA(National Environment Agency) of Singapore, the stalls are graded from A to D where grade A being the highest and grade D as the lowest mark. If you're not that finicky go ahead and try it out, the foods are simply nice.

Public Fitness Area

Fitness Area

With the Singapore government's effort to indulge every Singaporean into a program about keeping their health in tip top shape and a priority, they have built these public fitness areas to provide them with the much needed basic equipment to support them in their daily simple exercise routine. 

These include sit-up benches, pull-up bars, and chest presses just to name a few. So if you're looking for that Arnold Schwarzenegger's physique just drop by in one of these fitness areas and sweat your hearts out. Most importantly, these are free to use and no membership renewal to bug you ever.

There are many other icons and structures around other places that identifies them as uniquely Singapore, but these four areas in the community seem to stand out as quite "the common" when visiting this place.

Til next time :)

Dress code: Formal

Waking up quite late on a Monday morning, bright sunshine lit and filled the room from the window next to my bed. I can hear the sounds of the wind in the trees, leaves rustles and birds gleeful songs that already occupied the empty park outside.

Nothing so special about this day so I said to myself, just the normal routine of a simple man like myself. Funny that I used to count the days as it comes by but now everything seems to be in an enclosed capsule where time doesn't exist and everything else is moving so slowly like in a slow motion state.

While slouching over the sofa trying to figure out what’s going to be my itinerary for the day and hoping not to get tangled into some paralysis by analysis, I was surprised to hear my phone ringing coming from my room. It took me for a while to identify that it was from my phone because I normally set it on vibrate mode, but by some twist of fate, I set the sounds on and with a thought of giving it a try. I am surely certain that I have lost track of the tunes that goes with it and I just want to make sure it still does sound good the way it was made to be.

With eagerness, I quickly rose from the couch and went to pick-up the phone, I stared shortly at it and with some bit of anxiousness as I try to figure out who this number was before I blurted out the word “Hello?!...”. Then a soft and gentle voice of a lady came out of the opposite line confirming my name and the resume that I’ve sent over to her email address. She informed me of an interview to be scheduled the next day at 11am. I thought it was one of those credit card agents, but to my relief, I gladly agreed on the schedule and sincerely thanked the lady. I confirmed the email she sent through my personal email address and I was left with an ecstatic feeling for the rest of the day as if I’ve won some $100 from the lotto.

I’m not really into a suit and tie or the business attire, I just don’t feel comfortable wearing one. I’m a regular dude who’s into shirts and jeans and maybe some casual clothing when just heading for work. I’m in the manufacturing and technical sector for a long time now and that’s usually the dress code so it’s not really a big deal. Except this day is my interview and it was required from the email confirmation, and so I headed to my closet and searched for my trusty business attire minus the tie. I chose to wear a light blue long sleeves and tucked it in a khaki chino pants then paired that with my old durable brown leather boots which I polished the night before. I stood in front of the mirror and did a final check of myself with a few minutes remaining. Feeling like a big time buffoon, I quickly grab my house keys and walk my way towards the nearest bus stop and took a bus towards the interview venue.

With my mind preoccupied with the how's and what's of the interview, I suddenly realized that I left my phone back home. I thought that it’s going to be least of my worries since I’m pretty much self-assured that my name will be registered as an expected guest for this interview event most probably at the reception area, or so I thought. It turns out after I arrived at my destination, that’s about 3-5min before 11am, the building houses many offices with different firms even though it’s all under one company name. How am I going to know that, when all the details are in my phone through my email?! Worse, I am so dependent on my phone.

I wasn’t ready to push the panic button yet, I told myself, “go check your name on the guest list” which I did, but the guard at the reception told me that it’s not their usual practice, they always go by whoever was your contact person. Strike two, again, I don’t have the name or couldn’t remember the name of the contact person. My panic button is now reaching boiling point, but I’m still trying to keep my cool. I have one final attempt, I’ve asked the receptionist to allow me to make an outside call to contact my friend and ask for help to open my email address but just like moments before a disaster, the phone call turned in vain as I couldn’t contact my friend, strike 3. With my panic button now reaching the super hot lava level, I have no choice but to press the button. I left the company without any means to contact my interviewer and to inform her. This is the first time that happened to me.

Still feeling determined, I’ve searched for computer shops nearby, but couldn’t find one, and in the end, I succumbed to the defeat. I left took another bus and head back home, now I feel like a real buffoon. All those preparations for nothing. Upon reaching home, I contact my interviewer, apologized and found out she was also trying to contact me. I’ve requested for a reschedule which she gladly offered in the afternoon on the same day.

Bottom line, I’ve learned that, to always save or write down the details immediately and keep it somewhere safe, maybe inside your wallet or bag that you’re going to bring with you on the day of the interview. It’s better to have a copy than nothing at all. Low tech is still the king!

:)

Was it change or just temporary?

It's almost a month now after I quit my current job. I now considered that an item for the old chest. Working and leaving my so called life's bread and butter wasn't that all easy, specially when time starts to show how harsh it can get and how it can leave you defenseless to emotional scars. My mind keeps going back and forth with "what ifs" until finally all you can do is just to give in.

It wasn't that I am forced to change my job, but rather I was presented an offer to work on a different field which I have always wanted to do. To try my foot on different pastures and wander just to see how far and green these pastures are for me. I am always open for changes, to me the challenges it present will always be an added experience and a big item in my quest for life's big box of chocolates. Maybe, I'll discuss more about this new offer when the time comes on a separate topic.

We cannot escape making big decisions in our lives, this is just like day and night, it is there and you'll just have to accept and prepare yourself whenever it turns knocking at your door one day. Certain events, whether good or catastrophic, birth of a child, wedding, going to different places, losing someone, new career changes and the list could go on. Mine came end of June this year and I have to make quick decisions whether to jump into the opportunity or stay. So like the real follower of Aristotle's principle about knowing thyself, I grab this opportunity as something new, kinda exciting, worth to learn.

I've decided to end my connection with my current job when August comes, so July went into much preparation and then executing the plan. I prepared my resignation letter, signed and folded neatly into a white envelope and finely scribbled the name of my boss at the back. I placed it on top of his crowded table at his cube, after trying to find a room for it before I left my night shift job so that he can read it first thing in the morning. As I am walking towards where the shuttle bus was parked which usually takes us to our home destinations, I cannot contain my mind from imagining how the sequence is going to be, from the time my boss arrived, as he is setting himself and into finding the letter with his amazement or maybe a surprised look on his face, he starts gently or even hurriedly opening the letter out of the envelope then begins reading it...

The cool breeze of the early winds touching my face and the first sight of the morning sun gives me a feeling of calmness amidst this imaginative chaos boiling inside of me while listening to Miley Cyrus song "The Climb". Yes I know, hold down your reactions first, this song was released before the coming out of the "wild" Miley Cyrus, so yes, it's a valid feel good song and you cannot twerk on it.

My body and mind drifts between the reality and the dream land as I struggle to keep awake just in time to reach home and snuggle into my precious bed. It's always a mental and physical fight going home coming from the night shift job and which most of the time fatigue is certainly almost is the winner.

I was in between dreams and nightmare sort of state when I was awaken by a buzzing sound at around 2pm. Feeling a little bit dizzy and groggy, I picked up the phone to answer it and whatever I felt before that just seem to disappear when I heard my boss's voice at the end of the line. He called just to confirm my last day of service, then without another word, he thanked and dropped the phone. I was left staring at the ceiling and thinking whether I was still dreaming or I am just imagining. One thing for sure, I had a hard time going back to sleep afterwards. Another item for my eye bags.

The remaining times I spent with my team were just trying to teach them some tricks of my own in solving some of the common issues we've met along the way. Towards end of my time at work, my sentimental part of me started to kick in, I always have this feeling of attachment to the people and the place that I have worked with specially when having a supportive team such as mine. So seldom you'll find this kind of team in a workplace, so whenever you've found one, it's quite a bitter sweet emotional stir. My team was composed of different people from different places, from the technical side down to the production side, but we get to know and worked together as a good team. I felt a little of the mixed emotions right there.

As I was about to exit my work place, I've met outside another group of our support team and greeted me and trying to convince me to stay back for a short time, whether it was just a gesture or for real they know at the end of the day, I am certain to do my curtain call and survive the new challenges ahead of me. While walking away to do my final adieu, I had this thought popped out somewhere from inside my remaining brain cells "while change is the only permanent thing is this world, permanence is with the presence of a temporary state, so was it change or just temporary?" A state at which the world has both to offer.

:)