What have I done wrong

Although I have quite a few achievements (see my other blog), there were quite a few incidents in my life that is against me. The following are the incidents.

I worked for a textile company. My work attitude caused the management to promote me to a group leader. I was transferred from department to department in increasing importance area. Obviously I become a sore eye to other group leaders. I have no friends in the company but since I am a loner (I am a bit autistic), I really don't care.

During my BMT in the military, I was a temporary IC. Everybody ignored me just because I am a loner that don't mix around. I am sure I did not use my position to boss over them.

At the end of BMT I was told by platoon sergeant to give up the position of "Best Trainee" to a NS men because I am a regular. I don't mind that. But in my heart, I was wondering why the bias. Anyhow, since the NS men is quite close to me (being a fellow jogger), I don't make noise. Even then, I wonder why they ask me. I have no idea that I was nominated "Best Trainee".

While attached to a military school as a temporary lecturer, There were other lecturers that vows to fail me in my next upgrade. I am just doing my job trying to teach the students in my own way. Maybe it is due to me not mixing around that makes them think that I am arrogant. Also I prepared the training material all by myself without consulting the seniors because the old training materials I had is quite lacking and ambiguous on some area. I left the military after my terms of service completed because of this hatred towards me.

In the military camp that I was assigned to and is a IC in a department, I was targeted by a logistics officer who placed bad comments on my military record. I suspects that it was a subordinate of mine that bad mouthed me. There were nothing wrong in my department. No errors, no faults, no complaint yet I was told I did not do my job properly. The reason is probably due to the following paragraph.

For three years I was a "damned" Private who did not get a promotion even though my training qualifies me to be promoted to Lance Corporal.  It was probably due to the Captain (logistics officer) that was condemned so the rest of the camp under him also being condemned. I was subsequently duly prompted to Lance Corporal after a letter was sent to my officer (Captain)  asking for a reason why I was not promoted (as was told by a clerk in the HQ). Surely it is not me who try to pull a string in the higher echelon. Suddenly from a Lance Corporal I was promoted to a Corporal within three months of last promotion while in the training camp. I wasn't due for promotion before I finished my training. This cause the whole training camp to be jealous of me because I was the one and only Corporal in the class. Have I done anything to deserve this?

While attached to an oversea base, I was targeted by an Officer who happened to be be the head of logistics that I am under. I was doing my job properly and did nothing to invoke him. He even orders me to fix telephone lines alone in the middle of a hurricane storm. I guess its the logistics officer back in my military camp in Singapore that is the one who instigated the oversea officer's hatred towards me. He even say right in front of me "You are a Christian, I am a Buddhist. I don't like you". Anyhow, the officer was not able to do any other harm because he probably can't. I did my job properly and watched my back.

In my last year of reservist, I was made a vehicle commander transporting field camp materials back to the camp. All the people assigned to me suddenly deserted me after reaching the camp. I could have put all of them on charge of insubordination but since it is already my last year, I just do the unloading myself and one by one the others creep back to help me unload. At the beginning of my military career and at the end of the career I have people who just ignore me. Well, such is a life of a IC. Pathetic and a total failure because I don't mix around? It probably is because it is an anti-human behavior. I am not a good leader.

While in a technical firm, I was a QA Technician in the QA department. The QA officer find faults with me on the floor being dirty. There was a cleaner that was doing the cleaning. Why complain to me? He was trying to find fault with me because I foolishly pointed out the error (in front of the customer) that he made in a QA inspection level. He placed the level way too high that it is certain that every batch of delivery have to be inspected 100%. I have to voice out immediately before customer accepts the inspection level. Luckily the customer is a military officer that was my superior who rely on me to handle the QA department in the military before it was handed over to the same civilian company that I was in. She accepted my rejection of the inspection level because she knew that it is not feasible to set such a high level. In the end the QA manager steps in to support me because there seems to be problem between the QA officer and QA manager. 

Life was then smoother after the QA officer give up my department totally. I could handle the department myself because I was the IC before it was handed over to the civilian company. Ultimately I left the QA department because of this and that the life is very stale doing QA work.

I was transformed from a Customer Relations Officer to be a supervisor (in an outsourced company). In the process of maintaining the group, I began to write programs that could help the department work more smoothly. It worked so well that the manager began to use the opportunity to boast to the corporate world. Many people follow suit in the same type of work so much so that the corporate IT clamps down on the "shadow IT" work. I ended up being just a shadow in a outsourced company doing the same work. I was still doing the same thing just that officially I am the outsourced company tech that is doing technical work to enhance the company's work not the outsourcing company doing "shadow IT" work. Was it my fault that caused the clampdown?

In the same corporate company I was assigned to set up a whole new Customer Relation Management system including a full fledge web based program to handle customer equipment repair. I worked hard on it but failed on the LED display because my design just could not drive the LED. Luckily I quickly switched over to a TV display using the web method. It was completed just one day before the official launch of the whole program. I was told that my own boss says that "I ask for it". What have I done wrong? I was trying to save the outsourcing company lots of money by doing the whole project in house. This is what I get for doing something that is good for the outsourcing company?

It is strange that quite a number of people volunteer to keep me informed of what is happening around me. I am a loner so I really don't mix around well but I guess it is my no-harm nature that makes them want to talk to me about people wanting to harm me. Also there are people who helped me without reason. I thank God for that.

Now that I am "officially" retired, I looked back and see all the things that happened to me. I compared with those martial art stories' hero. It is exactly the same thing that happens to me. I shined too well that caused jealousy in others so they try to silent me. In other instances, I am just a innocent victim who did not deserve the hatred/dislike.  Well, it is already history so it does not matter anymore.

 

Do I Have a Problem with NParks

 I have been posting messages and articles about NPark's not doing a proper job. It all started some years ago. I reported a tree fallen over the McRitchie route. No replies whatsoever.

In Jan 20 2013, I went cycling with a Facebook cycling group, saw quite a number of cyclist fell at Mandai PCN. The path was covered with slippery moss.

In March 2013, I posted in Facebook cycling group that PCN is not cycling friendly.  See https://jnhiew.blogspot.com/2013/03/is-pcn-really-for-cyclists.html. The host suggest me to give a list of actual places that needs improvement. I went from Woodlands to Yishun then showed a list of the issues faced. There are 32 photos I took. Some are rectified over time. Below is just some of it. It showed almost 90 degree turns and exit into pedestrian path with obscured view.

Jan 22 2014 saw a tag that is not appropriate. How does the MP plant a family of plant as a tree?

April 12 2014 mentioned about badly designed PCN.

July 10 2014. Mentioned Daily Farm PCN become a jungle.

August 21 2014 saw a tag that is badly misspelled.

August 20 2014. Flooding again.

Jan 18 2015. Algae problem on PCN.

July 25 2015. Careless work.

April 3 2016 noticed an error on the position of Chestnut Nature Park. Posted it on Facebook. It has been corrected.

Nov 27 2017, flooded PCN.

April 30 2017 tried the new PCN. Not a good experience.

May 1 2017, jumping the gun. Misleading. Make people think that it is completged.

July 25 2017 Unchecked work again.

On 30 March 2019 the coast to coast 36KM route was launched. I mentioned on FB cyclist group that it is not cyclist friendly thus is for walking only. See https://www.facebook.com/groups/lovecyclingsg/permalink/2209026995821303. It  provoked a few people. However, I coolly explained that it is the media that says its for cycling and that I do not obliquely say NParks did a poor job. But actually 36KM is not for average people. It starts from Coney island which is quite a distance from bus stop. Since it is not cyclist friendly, it is not suitable for cycling also. So it is neither here nor there. I would question why they design a hiking only route instead of catering to both pedestrians and cyclist too.

Jan 10 2020, New Flora and Fauna web is a let down. It has since then been redesigned.

 Oct 18 2020 another web fumble.

Oct 21 2020, yet another fumble in information technology.

Oct 21 2020 You would expect NParks update its web page on PCN tracks. Its not. The new Changi Airport PCN is yet to appear after one and half week of its debut. I guess they are more interested in Jurassic Miles instead.

Nov 11 2020 posted on Facebook group and Tweeter about PCN being blocked and a sign to "dismount and push" because accidents happened there.

Nov 12 All the species of trees have gone missing.

Dec 8 2020 commented on TODAY group about Jurassic Mile being a PCN yet is too narrow with many pedestrians around and the hated "dismount and push" signs.

After all the above posts, people may just wonder whether I am indeed finding faults with NPark. My motto on Windows into Life is "Veni Visi Scripsi" (I came I saw I wrote). It spells exactly the attitude when I am writing the posts. NParks is not the only one I mentioned. It just happen that I come across problems while looking for something else that is of interest to me. NParks happened to be related in the things I looked at.

玄幻小说

 近来无聊的去看网上玄幻小说。看了几篇后有感想。他们大都采用同种格式。都有抄袭的嫌疑。不但是抄袭而且一直重复。以下是一些范例。

1. 穿越 - 死后穿越到另一个世界。附体于另一个人的身体。美名为夺舍。

2. 进阶 - 故事通常为武术。可以进阶。 进阶时是以梯级式而不是线性累进的。跟网上游戏一样。

3. 夺宝 - 时常有秘境开放。有进阶上限。进去时会分开。时间到会自动弹出。宝物常有武功传承，武器，药物，进阶等。

4. 异兽 - 像人一样有阶段。生体内有灵晶。

5. 竞选 - 不同形式的武术比赛。

6. 地位 - 进了宗门有外门，内门，精英等分别。要往上爬就必须进阶或比赛。

7. 闯关 - 通常有几层的。失败的会被弹出或死亡。

8. 成神 - 不少小说主人会成神或仙。会升仙。

9. 同阶无敌 - 通常是越阶挑战。

10. 灵药 - 灵药生长地一定有灵兽保护。

11. 天谴 - 进阶到某种程度，修炼超世而受天惩罚降下九道雷劈。

12. 不死 - 人被打死死了灵魂可以离体找人夺舍重生。

13. 储物戒指 - 可大量的储存物资。

14. 离题 - 作者会加上个人写作感想或请求。

15. 法则 - 武功的一种。时间与空间法则为最厉害。

16. 领域 - 另一种武功。

17. 大话 - 在打斗前对方常说的话。

18. 自废 - 对方常没开打就叫主角自废后给他全尸或自己断手脚。

如果情节完美结束那还可以接受。某些作者半途以主角死亡结束或没头没尾的完章。有一个作者完全迷失情节搞到主角变成另一个人然后突然结束。

National Step Challenge Can it be Completed?

I joined and faithfully completed National Step Challenge season 4.  I continue to join Season 5. Season 5 added 2 more tiers to MVPA in Season 5 when I started the season, I was thrown back to Season 4 MVPA tier 5. So my Season 5 cannot start huh? Am I a completer then?

On calculating the time needed to complete 6 tiers of MVPA, I was surprised that it requires 187 days (40 points a day maximum). The challenge period is 189 days. To start MVPA challenge  I am supposed to complete the steps challenge tier 2. Minus the bonus, It takes at least 37.5 days to complete tier 2 of the step challenge. Adding it to 187 days, it is impossible to complete.

Now that I am thrown back to Season 4, I need another 75 days. It is equivalent to I cannot be a completer in season 5. I decided to quit completely. It is a challenge with a set period so it should start and stop within the period. HPB make it so difficult to complete. I wonder why.

By the way, in Season 4, HPB actually recommends 150 minutes per week for MVPA. That is 5 days of 30 minutes MVPA. Which translate to 200 points. Therefore, to complete the 6 tiers (7500 points), you need 37.5 weeks which is 262.5 days. Another puzzling figure. Absolutely mission impossible.

One Plus One

Most kids will know that 1 + 1 = 2. But to adults. It has quite a variety of answers. The following is a list of answers.

1. 1 + 1 =2 (simple arithmetic)
2. 1 + 1 =11 (simply put two 1 together)
3. 1 + 1 = II （roman number)
4. 1 + 1 = ∥ (parallel symbol
5. 1 + 1 = 1 (logical OR function)
6. 1 + 1 = 1 (overlap two 1)
7. 1+1 = 王 (if you turn your head side ways)
8. 1+1 = 土 （if you overlap two 1 with + and look side ways)
9. 1 + 1= 士 (same way except using a smaller 1)
10. 1 + 1 = 干 (same way but turn your head the other side)

The above is based on the principle that the ones stays in its natural vertical form. If you can place any one or both side ways,  It has another dimension.

1. 1 + 1 = T (one vertical one horizontal)
2. 1 + 1 = + (same as above but move the horizontal one to the middle.
3. 1 + 1 = L (move the horizontal one all the way down and to the right.
4. 1 + 1 = Γ ( Greek Gamma character)
5. 1 + 1 = 二 (both placed horizontally)
6. 1 + 1 = 一 (overlap both horizontally)
7. 1 + 1 = V (bottom end touch each other)
8. 1 + 1 = X (both touch center)
9. 1 + 1 = Λ (Greek Lamda character)
10. 1 + 1 = = (equal symbol)
11. 1 + 1 = > (greater than symbol)
12. 1 + 1 = < (less than symbol)

The above is not an exhaustive list. There are probably more that can be made out of it.

So, don't just take things as is, think out of the box and you find a lot of simple things can be viewed in different ways.

Cantonese as a Language

Recently there are a spat of talks about Cantonese being a Language. To be fair, it is a language distinct from Mandarin (Putonghua).  Cantonese exists since before Qin Dynasty and later developed into NanYue in 204BC.  During the Tang dynasty, intermix between the Han and Guangdong, Guangxi people reached critical mass. These people refers to themselves as Tang people.  As a group who spoke a distinctive language from the Middle Chinese, it is deemed to be a language.

It is quite difficult to define Cantonese as a dialect as it is very distinguished from Mandarin. They are mutually unintelligible with each other. Cantonese used to say that their Language is older than PuTongHua (the official Chinese Language). There's a story about Cantonese almost become the official language of China after the XinHai Revolution in 1912 but was beaten by a small margin (Wikipedia). Whether the story is true is still arguable. Since the communist takeover in 1949, Putonghua is the common language. But since Hong Kong and Macao has not returned to China, Cantonese is the common language there.

Canton province since the Qing dynasty has been the only opening to the world, it is not surprising that many of the emigrants are Cantonese. Thus there is always an urge to define Cantonese as a language.

People in Hong Kong has always strive to distinguish themselves from Chinese. It is therefore not surprising that they actively promotes Cantonese as a Language thereby distinguishing themselves from Mandarin speaking Mainland Chinese.

There are many arguments for Cantonese as a Language.

1. Cantonese is older than Putonghua. Actually, they all developed from Middle Chinese on a different path. Putonghua is indeed developed later.

2. Tang poems are written in Cantonese. Tang poems are based on Middle Chinese. Some may have sounded more correctly in Cantonese while others simple does not sound right. Mandarin obviously does not really fit well too since Middle Chinese is used then.

3. UN has defined Cantonese as a language. UN did list Cantonese as a language together with other major spoken language of China. In the order of number of people speaking specific language in the world, Mandarin is the most (14%).  Wu (Shanghainese) gets 1.2%. Yue (including Cantonese) only gets 0.89% (Wikipedia). It is undeniable that it is a language listed by UN. But saying that UN recognize it as a language (not a dialect) is a bit far fetched.

4. There are claims that UN define Cantonese as one of the six "leading language in daily use" (粵語為日常六種主要用語). It is very much doubtful this is real. Yue (including Cantonese) is 24th in the list of world's most spoken language according to Wikipedia. Wu language has even higher usage than Yue. There is no definitive link to this saying in UN.

5. Cantonese is an official language in Hong Kong, Macao. Chinese constitution 《中华人民共和国宪法》19.5 states that Putonghua is promoted as common language throughout the country.  《中华人民共和国国家通用语言文字法》section 2 states that the common language is Putonghua. Section 8 of the same article indicates each race has the freedom to develop and use their own language. Even Putonghua is only stated as national common language not "Official language". How did Cantonese being defined as "official language"? (https://www.zhihu.com/question/22600638).

It is undeniable that Cantonese is indeed a language. There is no point citing unclear or untrue facts about it as a language.

北京故宫中轴线偏差

上图是一个YouTube视频。 论点是“元代人为中轴线偏差”。后来又看了郭晓强的文章（http://idea.cas.cn/viewdoc.action?docid=42614）觉得后者有理由。

郭晓强说夔中羽是用北京时间不是北京当地时间。这话没错。元朝时都还没格林威治标准时间那理有北京统一时间？

每四年都有多一天。因为是用阳历。元朝用阴历。阳历是辛亥革命后才用的。夔中羽用2004年的天文日历。会不会有时差呢？

夔中羽自己做了日晷。用2004年的天文日历为准。视频没说怎样调准。会不会是太不科学的量法吧？正确的做法应该用日晷确定何时是零地点正午后才来与故宫中轴线比较。元朝人大概也是如此量法。

当然与700年前的正午标准时间比现在正午时间那可要一切都不变。事实是如此吗？我们连元朝人哪月量的都不知道。地壳一直在移动。地球又不是正园形绕太阳转动。轴心也不是与太阳成正角。而且宇宙都一直在膨胀。用如此简陋的量法真的很难说服人。

当然以一个外行人来批评学者是不对的。不过外行人都觉得不大对，其他学者又没说那又是谁对呢？

Elected President Singapore

There are ample talks about EP. While the panel's article has not been published, PM and others already gone online about it. There are a few points which I think it may not be fair.

1. Group representation. One term is 6 years. Assuming each person takes one year. There should be 6 person. Are they going to be 3 Chinese, 1 Malay, 1 Indian and 1 other minority? In any configuration, there will be a majority. In any event, will the other 5 influence the presiding president? Can the reining president then be considered independent minded?

2. The word "from time to time" and "4, 5 or 6 terms" by PM is disturbing. Who is supposed to determine when to have a minority president? The government? Will it be used as a tool to bypass certain candidate (as some suggested)?

3. The qualifying criteria has been raised. How many minority race CEO are there in Singapore that meets the criteria except appointed government ministers? How many minority race CEO actually wants to be president? How many minority race actually submits a nomination form in the previous elections?

4. Will it still be democratic if the government decides which minority race will be next president?

5. The first president is Yusuf Ishak (1959-1970). Benjamin Shears took over (1971-1981). Devan Nair is the thard (1981-1985). They are all appointed president and are all minority president. Some alluded that a Malay should be the next elected minority president. The 4th president Wee Kim Wee (1985-1993) was the last appointed president cum first "elected" president.  The fifth Ong Teng Cheong (1993-1999) is Chinese. SR Nathan (1999-2011) is actually a un-opposed minority race President. Current president Tony Tan is also Chinese. Therefore, it is probably true that the election is race based. Open election on race basis is possibly biased. We are simply not that open minded yet. America took few hundred years to have a first minority race president (John Hanson was arguably the first black president).

Looking at the situation above, There are a few options available so that it will be all fair. I can only think of two.

1. A cyclic selection of 4 races regardless of majority or minor race. It will be flawed if there is no nomination for the particular minority race term. Who then should the next president? An open election will probably be race based again.

2. Only minority race could be president.  After all Chinese have been holding PM post since independence. I really don't see a PM of other race in the foreseeable future (based on the race based bias). Even if a minority race PM is elected due to overwhelming popularity, the parliament is still filled with majority race MPs. This is the fairest option at the moment.

What's wrong with New Woodlands Bus Interchange

The Interchange was opened 15th March 2016. It even have a preview on March 12 with minister and all trying out the facilities.

The first feature is buggy service. Since the interchange is in a long U shape with the embarking and disembarking bay separated different sides of the U shape, it helps those who have walking difficulties to make the transition.

There are two or three handicap rams to help those on wheel chairs and pram to avoid the two flights of steps up to the MRT and shopping center.

There are seats allocated to just those in need of chairs along the embarking bay like the priority seats in trains and busses.

There are tactile tiles to help the blind navigate around.

It looked just perfect for every one. Except one thing. There isn't a single escalator or lift to bring those pregnant, sick, on walking sticks or simply tired to get out of the interchange. Singaporeans are aging rapidly. Won't it be included when designing a bus interchange? I heard ministers keep saying about aging and then when it happens, there are just not sufficient planning for these people. Like most plannings, it just cater to the structure it is building and does not provide connectivity to other structures.

It is true that the handicap rams can help but it is a good 50 meters length. If those people have difficulty walking on flat ground, it will be much more difficult to go on a slope.

The tactiles is a help to the blind and it leads blinds to the handicap rams. Do they think that blind cannot walk on stairs? There is no tactiles leading to the stairs. Neither is there any "tac tiles" leading to toilets.

I had to mention that MRT also never provide "tac tiles" that leads to the Bus Interchange. Should LTA also consider this connectivity issue when planning the new interchange?

I posted a comment on the Transportation Minister's Facebook post on the new interchange. It seems that he missed the comment totally just like the buggy driver who missed an old lady that could not mount the platform and has been walking dangerously along the road in the bay today.

On 15th Sept 2016, noticed the information display has this info.

Have noticed that there are two area under construction for the past few weeks already but there is no information available. From the size and location, I guessed that LTA is building lifts. With the information, it is confirmed that there will be lifts built. Its better late than never.