CLEAR!!!!
TEEEEEEETTTTT !!! Flatline.....
That's how my blog is right now. Barely alive. No thanks to my PC which died on me. Oh well, luckily I know CPR. Been 2 months since I rambled - too long for my imaginary loyal fanbase.
In that 2 months, my PC died a horrible death (power supply failed on me and I had to look for the authorised distributor to get it replaced, since it's a custom PC), I celebrated my 5th wedding anniversary and prices all around us shows no signs of abating. Another long rant from me about ever-increasing prices, maybe.
My princess is now 9 mths old, getting more and more cheeky, not to mention more and more active. She's crawling all over the place - no more letting her out of our sight for more than 2 minutes. The fact that she likes to taste things she can touch and hold necessitates this. If it's something that she can grab, it definitely is worth a bite. Give her the teether toys we bought for her and 30 second later, she'd off to find something else more interesting. So far, she has been doing well, apart from that week during our anniversary when she had her first real illness. That bronchitis really took a lot out of her and she lost a bit of weight as a result. She's doing fine now though.
On a separate note, I read with incredulity the words of our Finance Minister, on his views about increasing our pay to fight off inflation. The words NO PAY HIKE really struck a chord, or should I say nerve, with many Singaporeans. Another report also mentioned that the average Singaporean earns $4000 monthly and is well-equipped to handle the current inflation. Instead of raising salaries, the only way to stave of inflation is through continuous upgrading of our skills so as to command a higher pay.
You know, I agree on the last point. To get an increment, we have to prove to our employers that we are productive and add value to them. In order to do so, we need to keep ourselves relevant. However, to upgrade our skills to command a better pay, we first need to pay to enrol in such improvement classes. I think many of those who are in need of upgrading are already living hand-to-mouth leaving precious little for upgrading courses. In order to avoid the vicious price-wage cycle, the government left us in a different cycle - the upgrading vs necessity expenditures. Money not enough?
Like many of us, I wish I am just an average Singaporean. However, going by the reports mentioned, I'm a long way off the $4000 monthly average. It doesn't look like I'll get there anytime soon. Plus, by the time I do get there, the average might have risen to $8000 monthly. Anyway, how the heck did they arrive at $4000?? Did they include the ministerial pay?? I'm sure the ministers are baying for blood now that the PM has donated his increment and expects them to do the same, I mean who could accept a denial of few hundred thousand more a month???
So, if anyone knows someone who as a few thousand spare which they have no use for and would like to give away, do let me know. I may not be needy, but hell, I'm sure in need of it.
