Saturday, October 13, 2007

Selamat Hari Raya Eidil Fitr

Yo Mat Riders,

Mat is back. Today is Hari Raya. In the morning, Mat go to the masjid, the newly built mosque in Boston. People in Singapore takes Mosque for granted, almost every corner also got one. Here in Boston, a bit more challenging.

The mosque was crowded max. Mat cannot sneak in for the 1st session, so got to relac one corner. Alamak, waited for 1 hour man. Here are some pics. The mosque is still tak complete. The structure is done but got no carpet, so the floor super freezing. Lagi, today was quite cold lah, about 8 to 10 celcius. Luckily Mat got mat, prayer mat.



The mosque



OOooo Balloons!!!



Inside.....

Ok, Mat go watch Red Sox now! SELAMAT HARI RAYA, MAAF ZAHIR DAN BATIN!!!

YESSAH!
Mat Love

Sunday, August 19, 2007

Liverpool 1 - Chelsea 1



From left to right: Jose, Styles, Abrom

*picture from talklfc

Thursday, August 02, 2007

SDU changes its focus

The SDU (So-sial Development Unit) is set to change its focus from bringing men and women together to bringing parents and children together. This initiative is in conjunction with the gahmen's pro-family work-life balance program to help families with both parents working full-time bond more closely with their children.

In a recent survey, parents and children were polled how long each day they spent together as a family. Almost 75% replied 1 hour or less. Interestingly, the same percentage also falls under the national poverty level.

Mr Aji Nomojo, a spokesperson from SDU said, "We have set up very creative programs to help the families interact and bond more closely. We have work around the time constrain issues by the families who have to work 3 jobs or more. Programs include blind-bonding and speed bonding."

Mat Love,
Straight Times

Saturday, July 14, 2007

Reminder to Mat

Yo Mat,

Remember this games to get k?

1. Bourne Conspiracy
2. Mass Effect
3. Devil May Cry 4
4. Fable 2
5. Assassin's Creed
6. Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway
7. Two Worlds
8. Lost Odyssey
9. Naruto: Rise of a Ninja
10. Army of Two
11. Splinter Cell: Conviction

Going to be a super busy Winter vacation man.

YESSAH!
Mat Love

Saturday, July 07, 2007

Top 10 Jialat Movies

Yo Mat Riders,

The other day Mat was watching movie, The Good Shepard on DVD. Basket, the movie 3 hours long, 3 hours of Mat's time cannot refund. Here are some movies Mat seen and think cannot make it.

Not in order of cannot-make-it

1. What dreams may come
2. Mulholland drive
3. The Good Shepard
4. Mortal Combat
5. Dumb and Dumberer
6. Street Fighter
7. Elektra
8. Rocky V
9. Scooby-Doo
10. Star Wars episode III -> Mat and Minah left before finish.

YESSAH
Mat Love

Sunday, May 27, 2007

Text Twist

Yo Mat Riders,

Alamak, now Mat got the Text Twist addiction man. But check this out, Mat always knew that the words sometimes not Engrish but this one is the bestest.



Yessah!
Mat Love

Tuesday, May 08, 2007

Afghan life cost $2,000

"I stand before you today, deeply, deeply ashamed and terribly sorry that Americans have killed and wounded innocent Afghan people," US army spokesman Col John Nicholson told reporters in Washington by video conference from Afghanistan.

"The deaths and wounding of innocent Afghans at the hands of Americans is a stain on our honour and on the memory of the many Americans who have died defending Afghanistan and the Afghan people.

"We made official apologies on the part of the US government and payments of about $2,000 for each death," he said, after US officials visited some of the families left bereaved by the incident.

Cited from BBC News Online
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6636343.stm

Mat Love

Monday, April 30, 2007

Employee Rights in Singapore

Yo Mat Riders,

Do you ever think what your work right is ah? This is tooken from Ministery of Man and Woman Power. So all who thinking you work too much, YESSAH YOU WORK TOO MUCH to pay the bloody minister $1.2 million a year!


*******************************************************

Hours of Work and Overtime


Part IV of the Employment Act & Section 33 are applicable only to:

* All Workmen
* Other employees earning not more that $1,600 per month (excludes, overtime, bonus, aws, productivity incentives and allowances)


* Hours of Work

* Overtime



Definition of Week

To determine Hours of Work and Rest day in a week

Week

Means a continuous period of 7 days commencing at midnight on Sunday (Monday to Sunday)


Hours of Work

An employee's `hours of work' is the period during which the employee is expected to carry out the duties assigned to him/her by the employer. It does not include any intervals allowed for rest, tea breaks and meals.

Contractual Hours of Work

An employee covered by Part IV of the Employment Act is not required under his/her contract of service to work more than eight hours in a day or 44 hours in a week.

The limit of eight hours per day may be exceeded when an employee is not required to work more than five days a week. However, he/she is not required to work for more than nine hours per day or 44 hours in a week.

If the number of hours worked is less than 44 hours every alternate week, the limit of 44 hours a week may be exceeded in the other week. However, this must be stated in the contract of service and is subject to a maximum of 48 hours in one week or 88 hours in any continuous two week period.

A shift worker may be required to work up to 12 hours a day, provided that the average working hours each week do not exceed 44 over a continuous three week period.

An employee who is not on shift work can be required to work up to 12 hours a day if the employee gives his consent in writing after the provisions of Sections 38 & 40 of the Employment Act have been clearly explained to him. He must be informed of the daily working hours, the number of working days in each week and the weekly rest day.

If the employee's rest day falls on a day other than a Sunday, the employer is required to prepare a monthly roster and inform him of his rest days for the month at the beginning of each month.
Overtime allowance will be payable only if the employee is required to work more than an average of 44 hours a week over any continuous period of three weeks.


Break Time

An employee is generally not required to work more than six consecutive hours without a break.

However, if the nature of work is such that it must be carried on continuously, an employee may be required to work eight hours continuously. In such an instance, a break or breaks must be given so that the employee can have his/her meal(s). The duration of the break(s) should be no less than 45 minutes.


Maximum working hours

An employee is not allowed to work for more than 12 hours within a day except in the following circumstances:

a) Accident or threat of accident;

b) Work that is essential to:

a. The life of the community;
b. National defence; or
c. Security;

c) Urgent work to be done to machinery or plant; or

d) An interruption of work which was impossible to foresee.

A shift worker is not allowed to work more than 12 hours a day under any circumstances.



Overtime


All work in excess of the above hours of work is considered as overtime work, and the employee must be paid no less than 1.5 times his/her hourly basic rate of pay. Payment for overtime work must be made within 14 days after the last day of the salary period.

The rate of payment is not less than one and a half times the employee's hourly basic rate of pay.

For a monthly-rated employee. His hourly basic rate of pay is computed as follows:

12 * Monthly Basic Rate of Pay

52 x 44

For a daily-rated employee, his hourly basic rate of pay is computed as follows:

Daily Pay at the Basic Rate

Working Hours Per Day

For a piece-rated employee, his hourly basic rate of pay is computed as follows:

Total Weekly Pay at the Basic Rate of Pay

Total Number of Hours Worked in the Week

Based on the hourly basic rate of pay, the overtime pay for the 3 categories of employees is to be calculated as follows:

Hourly Basic Rate of Pay x 1.5 x Number of Hours of Overtime Worked

Under Part IV of the Employment Act, it is mandatory to make overtime payment to an employee if his basic salary is $1,600 or less a month, or if he is a workman (regardless of his salary level). Generally, a workman is an employee whose work involves manual labour. Some examples of workman are lorry drivers, construction workers, kitchen helpers, machine operators. The minimum rate for overtime pay is 1.5 times the hourly rate of pay. For other categories of employees, overtime pay will depend on the terms stated in their employment contract.


Maximum Hours of Overtime

An employee is permitted to work up to a limit of 72 hours of overtime in a month. However, this limit may be exceeded if the Ministry of Manpower has granted an exemption. (Download the application form for overtime exemption).

For work done on rest days or public holidays it is not included in the 72 hours' limit for overtime. However, if an employee works beyond his normal daily working hours on his rest day or public holiday, the extra hours of work done would be included in the 72 hours' limit for overtime work.

The rate of payment for an employee who works overtime on his rest day and public holiday should be paid at not less than one and a half times his hourly basic rate of pay for the overtime work (as in the case of overtime work on any other day), in addition to his rest day or public holiday pay.

Sunday, March 04, 2007

Singapore Income

Yo Mat Riders,

Mat heard that the average household income in Singapore go up by 6.2% man. So happy or not?!?! What?!! Still not happy ah...why man? Ok, relac, wat tokking you when you say household income? So Mat research.

Now got 3 type of income: Nominal, Real and Household lah. Let's take Ah Seng here. Ah Seng in 2005 sell 1,000 pirated vcd and earn $10,000 for 1 month. Each vcd only $1 to make ah. So, now he earn $9,000. That is his Nominal income ah.

But then right, he every month kena catch by Mata. The fine is lets say $5,000. So now he only get $4,000. So that is his Real income. So $4,000 cannot buy BMW, must settle for Honda Civic.

But now right in 2006, the price of pirated vcd right he raise by $2, so now $12. So he sell 1,000, he earn $12,000 1 month. Wah, his nominal income go up man. But wait, still cannot afford BMW because right, the fine also go up. Jialat, go up even more, by $3,000. So now, $12,000 - $1,000 (cost of vcd) - $8,000 (fine), he only earn $3,000. So his Real income down by $1,000. Pity Ah Seng man.

So now, the GST go up, Honda Civic also hard to buy man, can buy only Proton Saga, 2nd hand. So now right, he also get his children in primary school to sell to their friend lah. Then now, the household income will go up.

The only income make money now right is NTUC income man.

YESSAH
Mat Love

Thursday, February 15, 2007

Mat has leveled up

Yo Mat Riders,

Today Mat got upgrade, new metal brass valve guides for Mat's C trumpet.



These little things cost $52 for a set of 3 man. So worth it or not? Did Takumi drive faster after changing the AE86 tachometer? Did Ichigo fight better after learning Zangetsu's name? Yes, Mat Riders. The spirit inside the trumpet has waken up. Now for Mat to learn the spirit's name.....

YESSAH!
Mat Love

Wednesday, February 07, 2007

Monday, February 05, 2007

PISS: Tampines

Yo Mat Riders,

Mat lived in Tampines for 13 years man, from 1985 to 1998. During that time, the town change so much. Last time, got no interchange, no tampines mall, no temasek poly but still power cos every evening sure got people play football at the void deck. All you need to do to activate is shout "Oi! Main Bola!". Confirm got orang man.

Anyway, what the hell is a Tampines. Well, Tampines is a tree. You laugh right, but it's true. The species name is Sterblus elongatus and belongs to the Moraceae - Sterblus family/genus. Bicyclely it is a species of Ironwood; it is specifically the Riau Ironwood. It was originally called Tempinis ( Temp-pee-nays ) by the Malays. The spelling evolved to Tampinis and then to the current Tampines.





The Tampines area was a forest and population was little bit. Those who settle there all got small plantation. The Tampines tree grew in abundant in the wild. But then, the greedy men come and then wipe out the tree. The wood is super power and is considered one of the most valuable in South East Asia. Last time got no conservation act, so just take lah. The Tampines Tree is luckier than the Mandai Tree because the Mandai tree warn it to run away. Now got only a few left.

So no more tree, how man? No more tree, take the sand lah. Tampines become quarry. Singapore need sand to build flats.



YESSAH!
Mat Love

Wednesday, January 31, 2007

The crack has kicked in

Click for big pic!




Sunday, January 28, 2007