With the Wind

I looked back
The wind blowing everything away from me
I pulled
Holding closer to myself

The leaves the petals and the dust
Flew away from me
Into the distance
Into the infinity

I screamed
I shouted
The was no answer
The wind went on blowing everything away from me

I tired to reach out
But I grasp nothing
There was nothing to grasp
There was nothing

Home again

Going back.
Thursday, 14th June, 9.55 p.m.

• Going home now.
• Had my farewell dinner (Solo style) with Maman before I left for the airport.
• Sleepy after SPA treatment, but happy to go home.
• Met nice people along the way and along the holiday – it’s true, to have friends one must first be friendly. It works both ways.
• Unless it’s with the right people; I think I prefer travel alone.
• Paul Coelho advised: best way to know a place is by knowing the local people, observe, listen and learn without prejudice. Tried it and it had opened my eyes. Will try this next time. Let the journey be your guide; not vice versa.
• When you’re on a journey, sometimes, it’s important to let loose, but wisely – be abandoned but not carelessly. It’s surprising what the road will bring you – people, places, chances, experiences.
• Something I learnt this trip: it is better to be wisely ignorant than foolishly suspicious.
• Maybe next time, 5 days in Bali, 5 days in Phuket? Or Bali in June, Phuket in December? Or a whole new place? We’ll see.
• People who want to go to Bali and need a contact, consider the new friend in made Bali, Maman – contact: 081916196160 or mat17879@yahoo.com
• For cultural visits – Weda: 0818540362

North Bali Trail.

North Bali Trail.
Thursday, 13th June, 9.55 p.m.

• Breakfast and waited for guide to arrive.
• Bad weather – rainy and foggy.
• On way to Bedugul market, rain came spraying down like a fine mist.
• Learnt it’s cheaper to buy vanilla and spices here (bargained Rp35000 for a bunch of vanilla pods). Bought a kilo of fresh strawberries for the same price (i.e. Rp35000).

Fresh strawberries at SGD5/kilo!

• Went to temple at foot of Mount Agung. Temple shrine in a lake. But fog and rain meant nothing to see.
• Went for lunch at Lovina (black sand beach) before journey to Git Git waterfall.

Lovina (Black Sand) Beach

A refreshing thundering dip at Git Git.

Coffee along the way...

• Went back to hotel for Babi Guling dinner from stall recommended by Weda. Nice.

Besakhi Visit

Besakhi (Mother Temple) and Kuta.
Thursday, 12th June, 9.55 p.m.

Inner Sanctum of Besakhi

• More money at every entrance – even for a guide to show around Besakhi.

The Trimurti's Sanctuary

The way up to the Inner Sanctum

• Very kind of Maman to drive me around – 2 hours just to get there and the journey was treacherous (to a Singaporean).
• Another 2 hours to get to Kuta and lunched at Made’s Warung.
• Baked myself at the beach (lowtide: horrible).
• Took a cab back to Sanur and received my paint-a-pot project of a breakfast plate.

Bali cooking class

Early morning cooking class.
Thursday, 11th June, 9.55 p.m.

• Woke up at 5 to meet cooking gang at Jimbaran.
• Way too early for holiday but cooking class promised to be fun.
• Traditional wet market visit to get fresh spices and seafood ingredients.

Morning market at Jimbaran

• Breakfast at the cooking school; Rumah Bali- a working restaurant cum homestay in Nusa Dua, Jimbaran.

Cooking gang at class.

Looking the part: getting busy in the kitchen.

• Gang was fun and had lots of fun, especially with Australians who hadn’t seen much tropical fruits, here's how they described some of the fruits tried:

• Pomelo – “grapefruits on steroids”.
• Starfruit – “were the fruits cut into star shapes?”
• Yellow watermelon – “I expected them to be pineapples, but they taste like watermelon”.

• Went off to meet fellow travelers and headed for Dreamland – surfers’ paradise. Beautiful waters, great sand and sun.
• Uluwatu for the second time – fellow travelers wanted to see kecak dance; I went there to catch the sunset.

Inner sanctum at Uluwatu Temple

Corridor
Sunset at Uluwatu

Kintamani

Traipsing around Kintmani.
Sunday, 10th June, 9.00 p.m.

One of Bali's many famous terrace rice fields...

• Met fellow travelers from Australia for trip to Kintamani (volcanic area).
• Nice people.
• Places visited were attractions but not tourist traps:

• Cultural shows (Barong and kris dancers) locals also come to watch.
• Silver handicrafts wrought by descendents of royal silversmiths.
• Batik factory.
• Family of woodcarvers – got myself a Balinese barong mask crafted by master-crafter (not apprentice) out of sandalwood.
• Visited two Hindu temples – Goa Gajah & Holy Water Temple.

Holy Water Fountain
Sacred River Fountain

• Lunch at Kintamani – 2 volcanoes in one. First exploded to form a crater lake, then exploded again to form a volcano from the center of lake.
• High altitude and cold – 20ºC indoors, 24ºC outdoors with sun!
• Visited farm – coffee, vanilla, cacao.Green coffee berries
  

• Art studio/village.
• Exchanged addresses and contacts with Australian couple; urged me to visit them.
  

South Bali

Traipsing around South Bali.
Saturday, 9th June, 10.25 p.m.

• Met up with Maman.
• Keramik Jenggala – Paint-A-Pot: won praises from the staff but didn’t think much of it myself.
• Toured the factory – materials from Australia but exported around the world; apparently not Singapore.
• Tanjung Benoa to Pulau Penu (SGD90 for ferry; rubbish). Penu means turtles, but the ones there are captive, along with the other animals on the island’s ‘zoo’. Point: DON”T GO THERE!!
  
• Babi Guling lunch.
• Tanah Lot – Hindu Water Temple. Main shrine with holy spring accessible by a neck of sand bank during low tide. Entrance, as usual, requires fee. Go in with a local and pretend to be one as well.

Water Temple at Tanah Lot.

• Went back to Kuta and grabbed my HRC tourist bear.
• Checked out SPA – Bali Ratu; expensive but quality treatment.
• Shopping at Centro (nothing much). Lots of imitation designer stuff. Don’t even bother.
• Local dinner at Bu Tinuk, nasi percel, recommended by Maman. Javanese style pick-and-mix meal (i.e. nasi campur; chap chai peng).
  

Ayung & Mezzanine.

Whitewater rafting and dinner at Mezzanine.
Friday, 8th June, 8.15 p.m.

• Trip to Ayung River.
• Picked up two Russians – Grandpa and grandson; not very chatty.
• Ayung River very gentle, too gentle – most time I had to excite myself.
• Next time will try Telaga Waja – 3m drops.
• Napped and then tanned a bit.
• Dinner at Mezzanine:

• Hynotic Illusion
• Beef salad
• Mahi-mahi steak
• Lemon grass mango crème brulee

• Music at the restaurant was reflective: “Both Sides Now” – I’ve looked at life from both sides (of the clouds) now. I really don’t know life at all.

Ayung - A gentle way to whitewater rafting... pffrt.

Ferdi booked the wrong course for me – Ayung is way too gentle for me - like a scenic stroll down a river. The two Russians and two Japanese weren’t exactly great rafting partners – two of them too apathetic and the other two too volatile.

Who would have known that dinner at a posh restaurant can be so reflective? I really don’t know life at all (Joni Mitchell), and just when you think you’ve learnt how to use it, it’s gone (Shakespear Sister).

Mahi Mahi at Mezzanine

Kuta

Away in Kuta today. Thursday, 7th June, 11.00 p.m.

I almost missed breakfast, waking up at 9.30 in the morning. By the time I got to the buffet at 10.05, I was fortunate to get a cup of coffee and a couple of pancakes. That was also fine by me, since my intention was to get to Kuta and grab myself a Starbucks® – some REAL coffee; not the diluted version that taste like baking soda.

I hopped on a taxi to bring me to Kuta’s Hard Rock Café. About 20 minutes and Rp60k later, I was at the beautiful beachfront outlet of Hard Rock, Bali. The beach here is incomparable; the surf is much better and the water is clearer. In Sanur, the waves bring in the weed sediments and deposit them there. Not exactly desirable condition for swimming. Besides, in Sanur, the hotels own the beach, hording them with racks of deck chairs. Meanwhile, in Kuta, the beach functions very much like Patong. Heck, the whole atmosphere in Kuta is very much like Patong in Phuket, Thailand.

I was so happy to find Starbucks®. I got my usual (i.e. grande, non-fat latte) and happily plonked myself onto one of the armchairs to watch the beautifully sun kissed, bronzed and brawny, skinny-bikini, throng of youthful group pass by. Youth is so beautiful it is definitely a priceless commodity (very Marxist here, so sue me).

While I was there, I also formed a battle plan for my shopping campaign. First we take down Starbucks®, then we head off to Hard Rock Café (which I just spotted next door) and then to a local shopping center and ransack the place before we head off to town for lunch and ancillary shopping. I got my Starbucks® merchandise of the City Bearista, city mugs, t-shirt and two rare seasonal coffees (Tanzania and Java Estate). Then it was off to Hard Rock Café.

While I was there, I picked up a couple of nice Hard Rock, Bali t-shirts, shot glasses and more teddies (no, no the negligee, duh). I also made one more Balinese friend, Maman, who is a staff there. While chatting up with him and sharing information about ourselves, he offered to show me Bali after he knocks off from work. There was nothing to lose and I happily took up the offer to meet him at 4.45 p.m. before we go and catch a ‘kecak’ (monkey) dance on Ramayana at Uluwatu. He even graciously extended his staff discount privileges to me. I happily took him up on it and asked him to get the limited edition (gasp!) Tourist Boy for me.

Then I was off to Made’s Warung (an institution by itself) for lunch. The place looked strangely archaic – to give you an idea think “Cheers” with lots pf past photos on the wall. The place comes highly recommended on the city guide and I got a ‘half-and half’ of nasi campur and gado gado. I think the restaurant is probably better known for other dishes since what I had wasn’t anything spectacular.

Then I was off traipsing for further shopping adventures. I spotted a shop that sold movie titles so new even Singapore cinemas haven’t got them on their ‘akan datang’ lists yet! It was certainly a movie buffs paradise, however, I am not very sure on the authenticity of the merchandise (copyrights be damned). It’s certainly a buy-at-your-own-risk type of establishment.

Further down the street, I saw a little boutique that sold handmade lace from Uluwatu. It’s a cottage industry project that helps folks in Uluwatu find a living while keeping its cultural heritage for posterity. The products were very lovely, very delicate and definitely very feminine. Since they were too beautiful and meaningful to be missed, I got a couple for the ladies I know.

Finally, I stopped at Matahari for some local souvenirs sans bargaining before I headed off to meet Maman at the appointed time. It’s amazing how time just whizzes when you’re doing interesting things like shopping. I wonder why time does not do that when I am working.

It’s my first time and I am doing it with a complete stranger in a foreign land that I am visiting for the first time – boy, what a debutante! Okay, so maybe he’s not a complete stranger, but he’s certainly someone new. I am talking about riding pillion on a motorbike. Maman met me right on time at 4.45 outside Hard Rock and promptly helped me to unload my shopping at his brother’s warung (shop) before we zoomed off to Uluwatu to catch the kecak performance. We reached there just before sunset, just in time to prep ourselves (you’d need to cover your ankles with a sarong) and grab a few photo ops before the show began.

Tonight’s program was an excerpt from the Ramayana epic – the famous scenes where Sita asks Rama to catch the golden deer for her, which ensued to become a battle between the forces of good and evil. Moral of the story: the pursuit of precious things often to lead to one’s downfall, but have hope and also, importantly, powerful friends.

When the show ended, it was already 8 and we had difficulty making out of the temple compound, which was huge and on a cliff. Imagine the perils. We did eventually got out of course and off we zoomed to grab dinner at Jimbaran Bay.

Please do not go there. Jimbaran Bay, I mean. It’s a seafood place with a fantastic atmosphere granted – al fresco with the thundering surf right next to you. But would you want to pay SGD170 for two persons for a serving of grilled clams, barramundi and lobster? I didn’t think so. Enough said.

At the end of the night, I made an appointment to meet Maman again on Saturday to hang out. I am going to Keramik Jengala first, after that I would like to have Babi Guling for lunch. Following that, well, it’s anyone’s guess – Ubud? Nusa Dua? Benoa? Who’s to know, huh?

Sanur Beach.

Sanur beach.
Wednesday, 6th June, 10.25 p.m.

I went to the beach today. Sanur beach is not a very beautiful beach, I am afraid to say. Since I’ve been to Karon and Patong beach in Phuket, Sanur in Bali just doesn’t cut it. The water is clear but the amount of algae washed up on shore smothers the entire shoreline in a virtual perpetual muck. In addition, while the beach is generally reserved for the public in Phuket, the hotels that are built right next to it reserve beaches along Sanur. They plonk their deck chairs along the entire stretch of the coast and the public is not allowed to use them. I stayed there till 4 in the evening before I packed up to prepare for dinner.

Flower at Sanur

I went to Legong for dinner. It’s situated just a short walk away from my hotel. I am glad I made the choice to go there. I ordered the Ultimate Rijstaffel – literally Ultimate Rice Table. It was well worth the Rp40k I paid (which works out to between SGD6 and 7). The set came with an array of spiced meats and vegetables cooked and prepared in a variety of ways to tease and tempt the taste buds, which they promptly set off to satisfy. I especially love the prawn fritters, lentils with kaffir and braised pork.

The staffs were attentive and courteous. They were very obliging and chatty, pandering to my request for a dish of sambal belacan for my complimentary serving of prawn crackers. The sambal by the way was absolutely delicious – nicely spicy and savoury. I was also treated to a traditional Legong dance. I’ve seen better but for a performance that asks for nothing but your polite applause at the end, you can’t really complain.

The maitre’d offered me a 15% discount in good faith that I should come back and visit them again for another meal. Considering that my friends are joining me in a few days, the proximity from my hotel and the value-for-money delicious food, I just might.

Rijstafel (rice table) dinner at Legong.

P.S. Just saw from my email from vPost that my Bally bag has been received, but there’s been an invoice mismatch and they can’t process the delivery unless I verify with them via email. Great thing to happen while I am away from my desk and laptop.

First Day: Booking Programmes.

Ari Putri Hotel. Wednesday, 6th June, 10.25 a.m.

My concierge, Ferdi from Viator who arranged the hotel transfer and also gave me a little traveling tip on the do’s and don’ts while in Bali met me.

• Don’t drink from the tap.
• Don’t let any stranger know where you are staying while you are here.
• Leave all your valuables in the safe and keep the key safe.
• Tip where appropriate and appropriately – tip the hotel staff ONLY AT THE END of your stay.

Ferdi, my new friend, also gave a brief private courtesy tour of Kuta and Sanur after settling into the hotel where I found out that there are Starbucks® in Bali (yay, City Mugs here I come!) and also picked up a jerry can of drinking water, milk and some donuts for a late night snack before I slept to Olivia Newton-John in the background from my iPod.

I woke up at 8 in the morning, automatically. Breakfast was a strange array of semi-buffet. There was a buffet of nasi goreng and fruit platter where you helped yourself. You were also given a serving of 2 slices of toast and a choice of egg or omelet. As for coffee, don’t expect Luwak (though I wonder if they might have it for sale somewhere around here), it’s a very mild (read ‘diluted’) coffee made with water that is strangely alkali in taste. By the way, you might want to get used to this alkaline quality of the water. The taste of the water has a ‘round’, ‘soapy’ quality to it – almost like eating a cake or cookie with too much baking powder added to it.

I took the time, while breakfasting to browse through the available day travels. Right now, I am waiting for Ferdi to arrive and let me know more about the travel programs and book them through him.

Oh yah, I have also confirmed the cooking class with Michael from Bali Villas.

Welcome to Bali.

Changi Airport – JetStar Flight No. VF541.
Tuesday, 5th June, 8:00 p.m.

I was at the airport to catch my flight to Bali, Indonesia. Sitting at the transit lounge, having my dinner, I noticed two things.

Things have changed. Times have changed.

When I was younger, mum, who holds a weekday job, would take time out from chores during selected weekends to spend time with us. Those were special occasions – mum took the time to prepare and pack a special picnic lunch so that we could all spend some time, quality time together outside of the house. On those special days, we’ve been to East Coast Park, Kusu Island, Sentosa and even as mundane a place as Clifford Pier. But the location wasn’t important – the quintessential thing was that we were all there, all together. They were always simple picnics and outings, but they were always special. They were special because we got to know each other better.

Fast-forward two, three decades. Welcome to the new millennium and a generally more affluent society. Families still go for outings, but this time round, a passport is usually necessary. Which generally means that such occasions are fewer and far more in between. This time round, there is also an additional member traveling with the family crew – the maid.

That leaves me to wonder; if the whole idea of a holiday away was to spend time with the family, why would the maid be necessary? Yes, the maid would probably help in carrying YOUR children’s luggage and bags, help YOUR children to get food and put YOUR children to bed and tuck YOUR kids in and that would leave you more time to spend with… hmm… I don’t know… your manicurist? SPA therapist? Retail therapist?

But I am only guessing. I wouldn’t know, right? After all, I’ve ONLY been someone else’s child and not have any of my own yet.

How have times changed? In case you didn’t know, you can’t bring your own drinks on board the plane now. Nothing more than 100ml.

Apparently, potentially terror-causing pyrotechnic-explosives may be created or generated with such a small amount of liquid – it’s not water they are against, it’s the unknown liquid they are anxious about.

But at least it seems that they are serving complimentary food and beverages on budget flights. About an hour in to the flight, the flight attendants started offering tea, coffee (of the 3-in-1 variety) and plain water. I gratefully accepted my cup of H2O. Meanwhile, my fellow passenger also took a set of their complimentary noodle dish. It looked rather stringy/rubbery, but I kept my opinions to myself – it was after all their dinner.

My flight was scheduled to land in Denpasar airport at 9.35 p.m., local time. But with a delay of about 15 minutes, due to luggage loading confusion, it might mean that I will only check into my hotel at 12 midnight tonight. Sheesh.

Check my brain colour...

Your Brain is Green

Of all the brain types, yours has the most balance. You are able to see all sides to most problems and are a good problem solver. You need time to work out your thoughts, but you don't get stuck in bad thinking patterns. You tend to spend a lot of time thinking about the future, philosophy, and relationships (both personal and intellectual).

What Color Is Your Brain?

True blue Mac-user

You Are a Mac

You are creative, stylish, and super trendy. You demand the best - even if it costs an arm and a leg.

Are You a Mac or a PC?

"Pragmatic" is my middle name.

You Are a Realist

You don't see the glass as half empty or half full. You see what's exactly in the glass. You never try to make a bad situation seem better than it is... But you also never sabotage any good things you have going on. You are brutally honest in your assessments of situations - and this always seems to help you cope.

Are You An Optimist or Pessimist?

Kiss X Kiss X

Your Kissing Technique Is: Perfect

Your kissing technique is amazing - and you know it. You have the confidence to make the first move. And you always seem to know what kissing style is going to work best. Sometimes you're passionate, sometimes you're a tease. And you're always amazing!

Are You a Good Kisser?

Weeee... I will be a cool parent!

You Will Be a Cool Parent

You seem to naturally know a lot about parenting, and you know what kids need. You can tell when it's time to let kids off the hook, and when it's time to lay down the law. While your parenting is modern and hip, it's not over the top. You know that there's nothing cool about a parent who acts like a teenager... or a drill sergeant!

Would You Be a Cool Parent?

Sheesh... I date like a woman.

You Date Like a Woman

According to studies on dating, you date like a woman. You tend to take romance seriously, and you're not really out for a fling. A mental and emotional connection always comes first for you. And rushing the physical stuff is likely to turn you off. You're highly selective when it comes to dating, and some may say you're too picky. You know what you want, and when you find it, you're ready to commit.

Do You Date Like a Man or a Woman?

Who's My Inner European?

Your Inner European is Dutch!

Open minded and tolerant. You're up for just about anything.

Who's Your Inner European?

What Finger Am I?

You Are a Ring Finger

You are romantic, expressive, and hopeful. You see the best in everything. You are very artistic, and you see the world as your canvas. You are also drawn to the written word. Inventive and unique, you are often away in your own inner world. You get along well with: The Pinky Stay away from: The Index Finger

What Finger Are You?

How Does My Interpersonal Intelligence Rate?

Your Interpersonal Intelligence Score: 66%

Your Interpersonal Intelligence is High You are definitely a "people person." You enjoy spending time with others. You instinctively understand people, and you are both a good counsellor and mediator. However, there are definitely times when you've had enough. And that's when you cherish being alone.

How Does Your Interpersonal Intelligence Rate?

M.C. Escher Should Paint My Portrait.

Who Should Paint You: M.C. Escher

Open and raw, you would let your true self show for your portrait. And even if your painting turned out a bit dark, it would be honest.

What Artist Should Paint Your Portrait?

I Am the Super Ego

You Are the Super Ego

While some people may think first and act later... you often don't act at all. You rather be safe than sorry, and you take ethics pretty seriously. Like everyone, you have some pretty crazy desires. But unlike everyone, you restrain yourself. You have high standards for your own behavior. And you happily exceed them.

Are You Id, Ego, or Superego?

Servin' the menu with the knackered chef?

I have signed up for a 1-day course with a renown chef Heinz von Holzen – a mini culinary cultural experience for myself while I am there.

According to one of the many websites available, traditional Balinese cooking is served with very little fanfare – comprising of mainly vegetables and a little meat. It is prepared in the morning and eaten throughout the day as and when hungry. Very often, they take snack size portion rather than an actual full meal. Talk about a healthy diet eh?

What people outside of the island are more familiar with, however, are the festival foods. They are prepared with more care and deliberation, with the intention to impress visually and excite gastronomically with every intention to share with friends.

Whatever the occasion nevertheless, the main highlight of the dishes is that there is a contrast. Not unlike their religious beliefs and culture, in as much as there is light and dark, so there is sweet and spicy.

Who knows? Maybe when I come back, I might whip up a delicious nasi padang meal and you might be invited.

“Got Milked”

It’s a conspiracy, I’ll tell you. And there’s a cartel behind this.

I bet you it’s the OMEC – as in “OMEC Don’ll have a farm, EIEIO (Export In Extremely Irritating Ounces)”.

For years, they’ve been telling us, singing the mantra “mmmmmmilk is goooooooood for you”. Even celebrities, nations and governments have rallied up behind these organizations to encourage the delirious intake of this ‘healthful’ bovine excretion in massive doses.

Now that they’ve got us eating out of their hands – rather, drinking straight from their udders, they claim that there is an over demand (duh?) and supplies are low. Does that remind you of another cartel that similarly and deliberately lowers production to raise certain, ahem, fuel prices?

Supplies are low? My arse! Or in this case, my cow! Jolt them female bovines out of their mammary glands, I say, pump like they’ve never been pumped before and get my daily RDA of protein intake onto my table!!

Sarcasm and Wit... and a little bit of deja vu.

I love sarcasm and wit wherever and whenever I see one. However subtle it may be…

As printed on The Straits Times today:

HEADLINE: “CIVIL SERVANTS TO GET HALF-MONTH BONUS PLUS $220”

“The total payout, which is identical to last year, comes amid “positive economic developments” both here and overseas…”

---

Last years news (as archived on AsiaOne):

Singapore's 60,000 civil servants will get a 2.2 month bonus in December, which will bring the total payout for this year to 2.7 months.

Together with the half-month plus an additional $200 bonus in July, this will make it a bumper payout for civil servants, topping last year's 2.15 months and $200.

Announcing the higher bonus today, a statement from the Public Service Division said: " The economy has shown better performance than anticipated this year. The latest GDP growth forecast by the Ministry of Trade and Industry is 7.5 to 8 per cent.

"On the labour front, the unemployment rate fell from 3.2 per cent last year to 2.7 per cent, as a record high of 123,100 jobs were created in the first nine months of 2006.

"This is the highest number of jobs created in a decade. Preliminary market data indicates that wages in some private sector jobs have shown a significant increase in 2006. With steady economic growth expected in 2007, private sector salaries are expected to continue to rise.

"This rising trend is already having an impact on Civil Service recruitment and retention. The year-end 2.2 months payout is therefore a reflection of this year’s strong economic performance and the tighter labour market situation."

The 2.2-month payout will comprise a year-end Annual Variable Component (AVC) of one month, a Special Bonus of 0.2 month and the 13th month annual wage supplement in December.

In July, civil servants received a mid-year AVC of 0.5 month and a one-off payment of $220, in line with the call by the National Wages Council for employers to help low wage workers.

Reacting to news of the higher bonus, primary school teacher Mdm A. Lim told AsiaOne: " I am happy we will be getting more this year, but it seems fair as this will help make up for the increases coming in the next few months like the 7 per cent GST and public transport."

The National Trades Union Congress, welcoming the announcement, said that the higher AVC augurs well for civil servants, especially the lower and middle-income civil servants.

Its Assistant Secretary-General, Madam Halimah Yacob, said in a statement: "We are glad that the Government has considered and accepted our views and recommendations that a higher year-end payment should be given as a result of the stronger economic showing.

“The higher total payment corresponds closely to Singapore’s strong economic growth in the first three quarters, particularly in the manufacturing, wholesale and retail trade, construction and other major services sectors.

"It highlights the fact that a stronger economy would benefit our workers as it translates into higher bonus payments, and would serve as a motivation for workers and the tripartite partners to work even closer together to boost Singapore’s economy."

In 2004, when the economy grew by 8.7 per cent, civil servants received a total bonus of 2.25 months' pay, including a special bonus. The only other time in recent years when a special bonus had been paid was in 2000, another year of strong economic growth, when the civil service was rewarded with a three-month payout, including a 1.75-month AVC.

But the AVC was even higher in the 1990s, at two months' pay in the years from 1991 and 1997.

In the lean years between 2001 and 2003, however, there was neither an AVC nor any special bonus for civil servants.

GSS'07: What’s your great buy?

I’ve gone bargain/label/leather crazy this shopping season. Yes, I am a label slut. I never denied that. But I am of the discerning, selective kind. That’s what sets me apart from the run-of-the-mill fashion victims, the fashionista wannabes and other assorted garden-variety shopaholics.

I know what I want. I want designer goods, quality materials, classic designs and during the sale season – all of the above criteria at a fabulous price, dah-link! My dear aspiring fellow bargain hunters and sale vultures, there is ABSOLUTELY NO POINT in buying a designer trench coat in patent leather splashed in S/S’07 lime green shade. You won’t be wearing it here in the sweltering heat and because of its loud and camp colour, EVERYONE (including the auntie in the BIG hairdo from the multi-island country) is going to know that you are wearing a past season sale item. Like anyone would tell you – you don’t date yourself (pun intended).

What purchase of absolute fabulousness and gorgeousness did I make this year? Are you ready for the names I am about to drop? Here goes:

	Totes
	Shoes and bags
	Sandals
	Slides

and there’s more to come…