Thoughts Of The Month

Sunday, April 26, 2015

Recently, it was reported that both SMRT and SBSTransit received a bonus from the Singapore Government for improving transport services. It makes me really wonder if it is a case of LTA being too lenient in their assessment. The obvious is that there were more buses and it is a little better than before. I am about to relate a trip really tell you how bad it still is.

Last week, I have to work till after 7pm and thinking that I could just don't make so many transfers and just wait for the bus that goes direct home. Waited for 171 at the stop just after Yishun MRT.
The usual thing was to check with the Apps for the next arrival - it said 3 minutes, but after about 4 minutes, the apps start giving a different timing first 5 minutes then 15 minutes.
So was damn frustrated by this inaccurate Apps timing - this is only one stop away from the terminal. The wait lasted until about 8:05pm and finally one 171 bus came along nearly 3/4 packed.
The usual things happened in a crowded bus, no one move to the back and that Indian bus captain was also in a bad mood, and he started shouting and threatened to go slow if now body move in.
I could imagined if everyone start to share their anger, then we all will not get home. I have waited for more than 50 minutes.

So to cut it short, a journey that takes about 30 to 35 minutes, ended in a total time of 1 hour 50 minutes.

Learning from here means I don't take 171 home for now and I also decided to send to PTC a short email to share my unhappiness and not about the bus captain but the bus being so late. Nearly one hour of waiting time, I believe if someone fail to turn out for work, there must be plan to adjust and not let commuters be the one who feel all the pains and bus company get rewards for service improvement on paper.

It is a fail mission to "Moving People, Enhancing Lives" when you bring them 1 hours late and miss the important moments of lives. Luckily, I don't have anything that day.--- Never trust the bus if you don't have 2 to 3 hours to spare.

Somethings would not change over night.or over the years..............

Tan Ming Song written at :10:47 AM

Friday, November 2, 2012

Last month was a busy month, and sometime came into my mind which I thought may be best recorded somewhere. Human always wanted to do thing the way which is most convenient to self and
if things changes or situation is such that the person will suffer great discomfort or losses, than he will decide to change course. It is like a ship that follow the direction of the winds. If the ship were to move in the opposite direction, it will be tough job and so the preference of man is to be lazy ! How about the reformed man - a believer in the way. Will they think and do the same way?

In the book of James, which was written by the younger brother of Jesus. He concluded the book with a key verse, chp 5:12 - which conclude that above all his teachings this is the main thrust of them- Your integrity. When you say yes , it must be yes even if the yes mean much discomfort to what you need to do after that. This is integrity that Christian has to have in order to be different from the man of the world.

If we fall short of that, we will then fail to be an upright, when can we be trusted to say yes and go back on our works before we are lazy, or discomforted by this.

Someone use this illustration of a carpenter who agreed to accept a job and after that change his mind becasue he got a better offer, and the one who agreed with him on the first job use this verse on him.
Thus, we need to apply what you learnt and be someone who can be trusted in spite of... Amen

Tan Ming Song written at :1:54 PM

Monday, October 22, 2012

The Prophet Nathan told King David about a man who has many sheep but refused to
sacrifice any one when he needs it for his friend so he took his poor neighbor only ewe
to be used instead. Of course it was to tell David of his sins against Uriah.
I have modern day scenario that depicts what Nathan illustrated, be it more literal than the reference
to adultery. Many churches is being operated in a manner that depicts them to be the rich man and some members are the poor man. They have degenerated to be ugly about the ends- making a surplus
of the budget !

A church has a yearly church camp and the operating cost is already budgeted and approved at
the ACM ( Annual Congregation Meeting) and committee members need to work within
the budgeted sum to run the camp. But every year when it is the last day of camp, there is always
a call to defray the cost of the camp expenditure. Member's thought that the camp have exceeded the budgeted amount but the truth is that they most like to spend about 80 % or 90 % only and some 'poor' man actually fork out their few dollars to contribute to defray the cost. There we have the rich man and poor man scenario. Will the rich man repent to seek God's mercy or remain rich to wait for
God to punish ???

Is the church an organization to make profit or have surplus budget? They may have forgotten that
the love of money is the root of all evils.

Tan Ming Song written at :12:09 PM

Friday, August 17, 2012

Hi,
I have not posted for many months, no excuse just did not plan to do it. Recently, have been playing some mobile phone games and realized that it is also part of socializing. Man usually played silently, without responding to anything in the games, or maybe that it is what I thought it to be. But the ladies will also be expressive to nudge you and encourage you to be better. This is new to me but I take it as something good to chat at games to "voice" a little thought or encouragement. Think about it.

Recently visited Sim Lim Square and found that it is now "infested" with mobile phone gadgets- it is no longer only PC related things - you can find cheap tablets, real cheap phone cover like $3.00 for Galaxy III, many mobile adapters and external chargers. All going for a good price but you must have the time to go around looking for one good price. A same item that is about $40 can sell from 30 to 50 dollars. Perhaps checking at the ground level sales items can give you a gauge of the price you are expected to pay.

This is a shot one to help me get started all over again. Cheers!

Tan Ming Song written at :9:55 AM

Monday, January 9, 2012

Many will want to remind themselves of what they wanted to achieve at the start of the year so that we can keep our focus. 2012 is challenging to me as I will want to start doing some writing not to publish a book but for doing something that is like keeping of thoughts on paper.

My eldest son in now in the air-force serving his two year NS and our second son is still doing "quite OK" in his aerospace course. Our youngest daughter is still in secondary school and she looks OK and overly committed to church activities. Hence, I am quite free to help with something I think I would like to learn to do and for others to reference.

Someone I know, recently publish a book and it cost nearly $30.00 to buy it on-line. I wonder what is the point if he wants to share his knowledge , although not that expensive but still a cost to those who want to read.

So I resolve to write - free of charge and perhaps publish it on internet for all who want to take a look and reference it and that means it will be scrutinised and some critics. But I hope I can take that type of thing that is coming. However, I will not put too much effort as I am just testing the ground. So much for one resolution for 2012. Cheers......

Labels: A Resolution for 2012

Tan Ming Song written at :12:40 PM

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Every 3 years, my church will have to elect new office bearers. Sometime, it is so unreal because the church current session will come out with the list of the next generations for your to vote. It is only if you vote them out or otherwise they are in. If there is much democratic process then this must be way out and totally unacceptable to most. Yet the church will try to hard sell their candidates with poster and illustration their CV. You pay money for them to be voted in. I thought is so so much as to who is the office bearer but what motivate one to be in the list .... so far I see most of them just not really very forward looking and forecoming to serve the cause of the Lord Jesus Christ. Why would you serve if you just want to be around and do as little as possible? Does'nt office work tell us that this is something we refuse to do and so we must not bring what we don't want to do in circular work to the church? If a pastor or elders is not for evangelism -why be part of the the mission outreach committee? The list go on. Let God deal with what is in the heart. For me, I will look at what the people are doing and vote according to the conscience. God will decide who should do the work that He has planned. We pray that no one play play with this isssues of being office bearer in the church.

Tan Ming Song written at :2:41 PM

Thursday, May 20, 2010

The recent death of Singapore's former Deputy PM has once again show that there are people who likes to speak about you after you die. From so many press statement sand interviews, it looks like he is not an easy person to work with. You wonder why they don't dare to say something before his death !

So I can conclude that although he helped the nations building but never get the type of respect because of the way he treated others. You received what you dished out !!

Want a state burial? then be in the cabinet and be prominent ! The other prominent minister who was aso deputy PM before as well as President did not get a state burial and he is much liked by the people on the ground. Why such partial treatment, of course, the late Mr Ong incurred the wrath of the government when he wanted to use the key to release funds to the people and tested the legal rights as an elected President. It goes to show that Politics is damned dirty.... can't trust your comrades... even when they wear white because good man wear black.....

Labels: Trust the right man...trust God....

Tan Ming Song written at :1:37 PM