Om Mani Padme Hum
Om Mani Padme Hum
Om Mani Padme Hum
- wong chee tat :)
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
Future residents of Fernvale Lea BTO in Sengkang West surprised by columbarium plan
They say they were unaware facility would be next to upcoming BTO area
Published on Dec 30, 2014 7:29 AM
Some future residents of Build-To-Order project Fernvale Lea claimed that the development booklet of the area showed the site was reserved for a Chinese temple. However, the HDB and URA said the town map and site plan issued included notes which indicated that "places of worship may include columbarium as an ancillary use". -- ST PHOTO: NEO XIAOBIN
- See more at: http://www.straitstimes.com/news/singapore/housing/story/future-residents-sengkang-west-surprised-columbarium-plan-20141230#xtor=CS1-10
By Lester Hio
A new columbarium expected to come up in Sengkang West in 2016 to provide a resting place for the dead has already stirred up unease among the living.
Australian funeral services company Life Corporation won a tender called by the Housing Board in July to develop a Chinese temple integrated with a columbarium at a land parcel in Fernvale Link.
The proposed site sits squarely next to an upcoming Build-To- Order residential area, Fernvale Lea, which will have residents moving in early next year.
Life Corp, the parent company of Singapore Funeral Services, said the space will be used to run funeral services, columbarium space and associated services.
Life Corp CEO Simon Hoo said details of the project were still being finalised. "We are still working with the architect on the design for the look and feel of it. We expect it to be completed in 2016," he told The Straits Times earlier this month.
News of the integrated columbarium took some future residents by surprise. They said they were unaware that the site would include such a facility. They also claimed that the development booklet of the area they were issued with showed the site was reserved for a Chinese temple.
"If the plan was to have a columbarium there, then it should be written properly in the booklet," said human resources executive Josephine Soh, 28, who is moving into Fernvale Lea next year. "I know I should respect the dead, but I don't wish to live near a columbarium knowing that the dead are resting there," she said.
Others wondered how resale prices of their flats might be affected. Property executive Rite Jailani, 33, said: "The location is already not that good. It's not near the LRT or coffee shops. Now I'm scared the value of the flat will drop if people know it's near a columbarium."
In response to queries by The Straits Times, the HDB and the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) said the town map and site plan issued included notes which indicated that "places of worship may include columbarium as an ancillary use".
They added that the space occupied by the columbarium should be out of sight from surrounding buildings and not exceed 20 per cent of the total gross floor area of the building.
There are a few columbariums located near residential districts, such as Yishun Columbarium in Yishun Ring Road.
But some still feel that such facilities should not be near where people live. IT project manager Loh Hon Chun, 33, who has lived in Sengkang West for five years, said: "My understanding of a columbarium is that it's somewhere in a forested area, like Mount Vernon, not near somewhere with high resident density."
- See more at: http://www.straitstimes.com/news/singapore/housing/story/future-residents-sengkang-west-surprised-columbarium-plan-20141230#xtor=CS1-10- wong chee tat :)
Monday, December 29, 2014
rain rain rain..... sleep
Heavy rain this morning making the whole afternoon cool. It is also cooling tonight. I think I should go to bed early....
- wong chee tat :)
- wong chee tat :)
No sign of QZ8501 off Belitung Island: Fishermen
No sign of QZ8501 off Belitung Island: Fishermen
After spending more than six hours out at the sea off Belitung Island, fishermen and officials on Monday (Dec 29) said no debris from the missing jet QZ 8501 has been found.
MANGGAR, East Belitung: After spending more than six hours out at the sea off Belitung Island, fishermen and officials on Monday (Dec 29) said no debris from the missing jet QZ 8501 has been found.
At around 9am (local time), four boats with approximately 15 crew members each on board set off for Pulau Momparang and Pulau Lung in search of possible wreckage from the missing jet. It takes at least two hours to travel there from Manggar, East Belitung, officials said.
One fisherman told Channel NewsAsia he had combed the waters around Pulau Nangka and Pulau Pesumut on Monday but found nothing. He returned with other fishermen at around 4pm.
A sea captain from the search and rescue team at the Manggar base added that the weather was calm during the search.
Chief commander of the Manggar navy base Mr Purwanto said search efforts will continue on Tuesday, and could start as early as 7am, depending on the information from air officials.
- CNA/dl
- wong chee tat :)
After spending more than six hours out at the sea off Belitung Island, fishermen and officials on Monday (Dec 29) said no debris from the missing jet QZ 8501 has been found.
MANGGAR, East Belitung: After spending more than six hours out at the sea off Belitung Island, fishermen and officials on Monday (Dec 29) said no debris from the missing jet QZ 8501 has been found.
At around 9am (local time), four boats with approximately 15 crew members each on board set off for Pulau Momparang and Pulau Lung in search of possible wreckage from the missing jet. It takes at least two hours to travel there from Manggar, East Belitung, officials said.
One fisherman told Channel NewsAsia he had combed the waters around Pulau Nangka and Pulau Pesumut on Monday but found nothing. He returned with other fishermen at around 4pm.
A sea captain from the search and rescue team at the Manggar base added that the weather was calm during the search.
Chief commander of the Manggar navy base Mr Purwanto said search efforts will continue on Tuesday, and could start as early as 7am, depending on the information from air officials.
- CNA/dl
- wong chee tat :)
Malaysian transport minister defends airworthiness of QZ8501
Malaysian transport minister defends airworthiness of QZ8501
Malaysia's Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai downplayed concerns over the safety record of the missing AirAsia flight QZ8501.
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai on Monday (Dec 29) defended the airworthiness of the missing flight QZ8501, operated by AirAsia Indonesia.
The aircraft manufacturer Airbus said the plane had averaged more than six flights a day since it began service in 2008. The six-year-old Airbus A320 plane had been described as hardworking by its manufacturer. It had recorded 23,000 flight hours since it began service.
But Mr Liow was not alarmed and downplayed concerns over the flight safety record of the country's airlines.
"I can see its airworthiness is good, we are confident they have all capabilities to face any storm,” he said.
It has been a rough year for the airline industry in Malaysia. The flag carrier Malaysia Airlines lost two planes earlier this year. MH370 went missing in March en route to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur with 239 people on board. Later in July, MH17 was shot down over eastern Ukraine, killing all 298 on board.
But budget carrier AirAsia, including its affiliates, never had a fatal crash since it began operations in 2002. It said Irwianto, the pilot in command of QZ8501, is no rookie, with a total of over 20,000 flying hours.
Still, investor confidence was shaken, sending the company's share price tumbling more than 12 per cent at one point on Monday.
Malaysia has sent three vessels and three aircraft to help comb an area of 11,000 square nautical miles in east Belitung. Indonesia is in charge of the search operation.
- CNA/xq
- wong chee tat :)
Malaysia's Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai downplayed concerns over the safety record of the missing AirAsia flight QZ8501.
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai on Monday (Dec 29) defended the airworthiness of the missing flight QZ8501, operated by AirAsia Indonesia.
The aircraft manufacturer Airbus said the plane had averaged more than six flights a day since it began service in 2008. The six-year-old Airbus A320 plane had been described as hardworking by its manufacturer. It had recorded 23,000 flight hours since it began service.
But Mr Liow was not alarmed and downplayed concerns over the flight safety record of the country's airlines.
"I can see its airworthiness is good, we are confident they have all capabilities to face any storm,” he said.
It has been a rough year for the airline industry in Malaysia. The flag carrier Malaysia Airlines lost two planes earlier this year. MH370 went missing in March en route to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur with 239 people on board. Later in July, MH17 was shot down over eastern Ukraine, killing all 298 on board.
But budget carrier AirAsia, including its affiliates, never had a fatal crash since it began operations in 2002. It said Irwianto, the pilot in command of QZ8501, is no rookie, with a total of over 20,000 flying hours.
Still, investor confidence was shaken, sending the company's share price tumbling more than 12 per cent at one point on Monday.
Malaysia has sent three vessels and three aircraft to help comb an area of 11,000 square nautical miles in east Belitung. Indonesia is in charge of the search operation.
- CNA/xq
- wong chee tat :)
Captain Iriyanto: Pilot of AirAsia flight QZ8501
Captain Iriyanto: Pilot of AirAsia flight QZ8501
INDONESIA: AirAsia flight QZ8501, which went missing en-route from Indonesia to Singapore, was piloted by Captain Iriyanto, an Indonesian, while First Officer Emmanuel Remi Plesel was a French citizen.
Experts have suggested that the plane, with 162 on board, may have been brought down by bad weather. The weather along the route was considered "quite bad" when contact with the plane was lost at 6.24am (Indonesia time). Just before contact was lost, Capt Iriyanto had also requested permission from Air Traffic Control to alter its route and climb to 38,000 feet so as to avoid clouds.
FORMER F-5 TIGER PILOT
Capt Iriyanto is an experienced pilot. AirAsia Indonesia's communications manager Malinda Yasmin said Capt Iriyanto had logged 20,537 hours of flight time; 6,053 of which were with AirAsia. First officer Emmanuel Plesel Remi had logged 2,247 flight hours.
Capt Iriyanto was with the air force before he leaving for the commercial sector, beginning with Merpati Airways.
"He used to be a fighter pilot. And after leaving the air force, he flew Fokker aircraft for Merpati," said National Search and Rescue Agency (BASARNAS) chief Bambang Soelistyo on Sunday (Dec 28). According to Mr Sulistyo, Capt Iriyanto also flew the F-5 Tiger and served in Squandron 14 of the Iswahjudi Air Force Base.
Before joining AirAsia, Capt Iriyanto was a pilot with Adam Air. He moved to AirAsia after Adam Air went bankrupt in March 2008. Adam Air was previously in the spotlight after one of their planes crashed near Majene, Sulawesi. It was later revealed that the airline failed to meet safety standards, and its license was revoked by authorities.
A PILOT IN MOURNING
Capt Iriyanto was grieving just before he flew QZ8501, a family member said. One of Iriyanto's sisters, Edi, had died a few days before the ill-fated AirAsia flight departed.
Just three days before QZ8501 departed, Capt Iriyanto was in Yogyakarta to meet his younger brothers. Mr Hendro Kusumo Broto, one of Capt Iriyanti's cousins, said that it was a painful time for the whole family after being hit with two tragedies in a row - first the loss of Edi, and now Iriyanto.
"It's like being punched twice, but what can we do? This is an ordeal we must overcome," said Mr Hendro. Mr Hendro added that he last met Capt Iriyanto three days ago when he was in Yogyakarta.
A DAUGHTER'S WISH
Capt Iriytanto's daughter Angela has uploaded a photo of her father onto her Path account, together with a heartfelt plea for her father to return home.
"Papa come home, brother still needs you ... Please return, papa. Papa must meet us and come home," Angela wrote.
- Merdeka.com/ac
- wong chee tat :)
INDONESIA: AirAsia flight QZ8501, which went missing en-route from Indonesia to Singapore, was piloted by Captain Iriyanto, an Indonesian, while First Officer Emmanuel Remi Plesel was a French citizen.
Experts have suggested that the plane, with 162 on board, may have been brought down by bad weather. The weather along the route was considered "quite bad" when contact with the plane was lost at 6.24am (Indonesia time). Just before contact was lost, Capt Iriyanto had also requested permission from Air Traffic Control to alter its route and climb to 38,000 feet so as to avoid clouds.
FORMER F-5 TIGER PILOT
Capt Iriyanto is an experienced pilot. AirAsia Indonesia's communications manager Malinda Yasmin said Capt Iriyanto had logged 20,537 hours of flight time; 6,053 of which were with AirAsia. First officer Emmanuel Plesel Remi had logged 2,247 flight hours.
Capt Iriyanto was with the air force before he leaving for the commercial sector, beginning with Merpati Airways.
"He used to be a fighter pilot. And after leaving the air force, he flew Fokker aircraft for Merpati," said National Search and Rescue Agency (BASARNAS) chief Bambang Soelistyo on Sunday (Dec 28). According to Mr Sulistyo, Capt Iriyanto also flew the F-5 Tiger and served in Squandron 14 of the Iswahjudi Air Force Base.
Before joining AirAsia, Capt Iriyanto was a pilot with Adam Air. He moved to AirAsia after Adam Air went bankrupt in March 2008. Adam Air was previously in the spotlight after one of their planes crashed near Majene, Sulawesi. It was later revealed that the airline failed to meet safety standards, and its license was revoked by authorities.
A PILOT IN MOURNING
Capt Iriyanto was grieving just before he flew QZ8501, a family member said. One of Iriyanto's sisters, Edi, had died a few days before the ill-fated AirAsia flight departed.
Just three days before QZ8501 departed, Capt Iriyanto was in Yogyakarta to meet his younger brothers. Mr Hendro Kusumo Broto, one of Capt Iriyanti's cousins, said that it was a painful time for the whole family after being hit with two tragedies in a row - first the loss of Edi, and now Iriyanto.
"It's like being punched twice, but what can we do? This is an ordeal we must overcome," said Mr Hendro. Mr Hendro added that he last met Capt Iriyanto three days ago when he was in Yogyakarta.
A DAUGHTER'S WISH
Capt Iriytanto's daughter Angela has uploaded a photo of her father onto her Path account, together with a heartfelt plea for her father to return home.
"Papa come home, brother still needs you ... Please return, papa. Papa must meet us and come home," Angela wrote.
- Merdeka.com/ac
- wong chee tat :)
Indonesia fears missing jet 'at bottom of sea'
Australia, Singapore and Malaysia joined the Indonesia-led search for the AirAsia plane as anguished relatives waited for news of their loved ones more than a day after Flight QZ8501 disappeared over the Java Sea with 162 people on board.
JAKARTA: International search planes and ships scouring Indonesian waters for a missing AirAsia plane focused on Monday (Dec 29) on a patch of oil for possible clues, as a top official warned the aircraft was likely at the bottom of the sea.
Australia, Singapore and Malaysia joined the Indonesia-led search as anguished relatives waited for news of their loved ones more than a day after Flight QZ8501 disappeared over the Java Sea with 162 people on board.
The Airbus A320-200 lost contact en route from Surabaya in Indonesia's east Java to Singapore on Sunday after the crew requested a change of flight plan due to stormy weather, in the third crisis for a Malaysian carrier this year.
Indonesian Air Force spokesman Hadi Tjahjanto told AFP the search was now concentrated on an oil patch spotted off Belitung island in the Java Sea, across from Kalimantan on Borneo island.
"We are making sure whether it was avtur (aviation fuel) from the AirAsia plane or from a vessel because that location is a shipping line," he said.
OBJECT SEEN IN SEA NOT FROM MISSING JET
Separately, Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla said an object spotted at sea was not from the plane. "It is not an easy operation in the sea, especially in bad weather like this," he said, adding that 15 ships and 30 aircraft were searching the area. "The government will not give up and is not giving a time limit for the search. What is important is to find the victims and the plane."
The National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) chief Bambang Soelistyo said earlier it was likely the plane was at the "bottom of the sea". The hypothesis is "based on the coordinates given to us and evaluation that the estimated crash position is in the sea", Bambang Soelistyo told journalists.
Ships and aircraft were searching an area where the sea is 40-50 metres (130-160 feet) deep, he said, adding that Indonesia was coordinating with other countries to borrow any equipment needed to scour the seabed.
HOPING FOR NEWS
Distraught relatives spent the night in Surabaya hoping for news of loved ones as the international search effort expanded. Intan, 28, said Indonesia needed overseas help to find the plane which was carrying her brother and his family and friends.
"My hope is Indonesia seeks as much help as possible from other countries. Don't claim 'We have sophisticated technology', just ask other countries because they are better equipped," she told AFP, as Jakarta welcomed offers of help from its neighbours.
"My prayer is I really, really hope that there will be news about the people on board. Whatever it is, what is important is we know where they are now," she said.
While the international operation has drawn comparisons with the ongoing search for Malaysia Airlines MH370, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbot said it did not appear to be a great mystery. "It doesn't appear that there's any particular mystery here," Abbott told Sydney radio station 2GB.
"It's an aircraft that was flying a regular route on a regular schedule, it struck what appears to have been horrific weather, and it's down. But this is not a mystery like the MH370 disappearance and it's not an atrocity like the MH17 shooting down." China, which had 152 citizens on MH370, has also offered to help with the search.
MIRACULOUS ESCAPE
One Indonesian family of 10 had a miraculous escape when they arrived too late to catch Flight QZ8501. "Maybe it is all God's plan that my family and I were not on the flight. It was a blessing in disguise," said Christianawati, 36.
AirAsia said 155 of those on board were Indonesian, with three South Koreans and one person each from Singapore, Malaysia, Britain and France. The Frenchman was the co-pilot.
Air traffic controllers lost contact with the twin-engine aircraft around an hour after it left Surabaya's Juanda international airport at about 5.35am Indonesian time. Shortly before the plane disappeared, the pilot asked to ascend by 6,000 feet to 38,000 feet to avoid heavy clouds but his request was turned down due to another flight above him.
'PRAYING FOR SAFETY'
The missing plane was operated by AirAsia Indonesia, a unit of Malaysian-based AirAsia which dominates Southeast Asia's booming low-cost airline market.
Indonesia, a vast archipelago with poor roads and railways, has seen explosive growth in low-cost air travel over recent years. But the air industry has been blighted by low safety standards in an area that also experiences extreme weather.
AirAsia, which has never suffered a fatal accident, said the missing jet last underwent maintenance on November 16. Its shares slumped 12 percent at the open but recovered slightly to close 8.50 percent lower in Kuala Lumpur.
The plane's disappearance comes at the end of a disastrous year for Malaysian aviation. Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 disappeared while flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing in March with 239 passengers and crew, and in July flight MH17 was shot down over troubled Ukraine killing all 298 on board.
- AFP/ir
- wong chee tat :)
Singapore SMEs less optimistic about prospects: Index
Singapore SMEs less optimistic about prospects: Index
The latest index compiled by the Singapore Business Federation and DP Information Group measuring SME sentiments about business prospects in the coming six months showed an overall reading of 54.4 points - down from 55.5 in the previous survey carried out three months earlier.
SINGAPORE: Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Singapore are less optimistic about prospects compared to three months ago, a quarterly index compiled by the Singapore Business Federation (SBF) and DP Information Group showed.
The latest SBF-DP SME Index, which was released on Monday (29 Dec), had an overall reading of 54.4 points - down from 55.5 in the previous survey carried out three months earlier.
The index, which measures SME sentiments about business prospects in the coming six months, was based on some 3,600 interviews with SME owners and managers, as well as the financial performance of SMEs.
The latest reading is also below the 54.9 reading in the second quarter of 2014, although it remains above the 50 point level that indicates a positive outlook.
"The fall in oil prices, slowdown of the Chinese economy and market volatility reflect challenging times ahead for SMEs, as well as opportunities for some," SBF and DP Info said in a statement.
For instance, SMEs in the transport/storage sector are more bullish about profits in the next six months due to the sharp drop in oil prices. But construction and engineering SMEs were less optimistic about both turnover and profitability, in view of slowing real estate activities and weaker property prices.
Singapore's gross domestic product (GDP) is likely to expand by 3.1 per cent in 2015, according to a recent Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) survey of private sector economists - slightly up from an expected growth of 3.0 per cent this year.
- CNA/xy
- wong chee tat :)
The latest index compiled by the Singapore Business Federation and DP Information Group measuring SME sentiments about business prospects in the coming six months showed an overall reading of 54.4 points - down from 55.5 in the previous survey carried out three months earlier.
SINGAPORE: Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Singapore are less optimistic about prospects compared to three months ago, a quarterly index compiled by the Singapore Business Federation (SBF) and DP Information Group showed.
The latest SBF-DP SME Index, which was released on Monday (29 Dec), had an overall reading of 54.4 points - down from 55.5 in the previous survey carried out three months earlier.
The index, which measures SME sentiments about business prospects in the coming six months, was based on some 3,600 interviews with SME owners and managers, as well as the financial performance of SMEs.
The latest reading is also below the 54.9 reading in the second quarter of 2014, although it remains above the 50 point level that indicates a positive outlook.
"The fall in oil prices, slowdown of the Chinese economy and market volatility reflect challenging times ahead for SMEs, as well as opportunities for some," SBF and DP Info said in a statement.
For instance, SMEs in the transport/storage sector are more bullish about profits in the next six months due to the sharp drop in oil prices. But construction and engineering SMEs were less optimistic about both turnover and profitability, in view of slowing real estate activities and weaker property prices.
Singapore's gross domestic product (GDP) is likely to expand by 3.1 per cent in 2015, according to a recent Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) survey of private sector economists - slightly up from an expected growth of 3.0 per cent this year.
- CNA/xy
- wong chee tat :)
As AirAsia search ends second day, families can only wait
As AirAsia search ends second day, families can only wait
Family members wait anxiously at the international airport in Surabaya as the search for AirAsia Flight QZ8501 heads into dusk on the second day after the airplane went missing.
SURABAYA, Indonesia: Family members gathered and hugged and cried at the international airport here as they anxiously awaited news on the fate of passengers aboard AirAsia Flight QZ8501 as a second day of an intense multi-nation search for the plane headed into dusk.
Authorities had little new to report and little evidence on why the jet lost contact en route from Surabaya to Singapore shortly after the pilot requested permission to head to a higher altitude in the face of a storm, Channel NewsAsia reports.
The inability to immediately find the plane has brought back echoes of the ordeal of
Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370 and questions of how what appeared to be a routine flight could go so wrong.
"I found out from television yesterday morning, and I found the names there in the list and so I was shocked and was not sure the first time," said one anxious family member waiting for any information.
Another family member said that more detail was needed. "Regardless of the fact that this is a tragedy, questions emerge on why the flight was moved up from 7.30am to 5.20am that day,” the second person said. “I believe many families would like to know the reason. If they hadn't left earlier, this may not have happened."
The head of the aviation authority at Surabaya’s Juanda International Airport, Pramintohadi Sukarno, said that the investigation would be thorough from his end.
"We follow the regulations starting from the investigation on the possibility of the performance of the aircraft. On the other hand, we have to check all the procedures whether they comply or not with the civil aviation security part of ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) regulations."
But until authorities find evidence of the whereabouts of the missing plane, distraught families and friends of those on board have little choice but to wait for the next briefing and hope their loved ones will be found.
AirAsia has provided free accommodation and transport to and from the airport for family members and Surabaya City officials have set up a call centre and offered assistance to locate next-of-kin and to provide counselling.
"We have begun safeguarding some houses in which entire families had left empty to go on a vacation,” said Tri Rismaharini, the mayor of Surabaya. “I'm working with local police and neighbourhood officials to help keep an eye on the houses."
- CNA/el
- wong chee tat :)
Family members wait anxiously at the international airport in Surabaya as the search for AirAsia Flight QZ8501 heads into dusk on the second day after the airplane went missing.
SURABAYA, Indonesia: Family members gathered and hugged and cried at the international airport here as they anxiously awaited news on the fate of passengers aboard AirAsia Flight QZ8501 as a second day of an intense multi-nation search for the plane headed into dusk.
Authorities had little new to report and little evidence on why the jet lost contact en route from Surabaya to Singapore shortly after the pilot requested permission to head to a higher altitude in the face of a storm, Channel NewsAsia reports.
The inability to immediately find the plane has brought back echoes of the ordeal of
Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370 and questions of how what appeared to be a routine flight could go so wrong.
"I found out from television yesterday morning, and I found the names there in the list and so I was shocked and was not sure the first time," said one anxious family member waiting for any information.
Another family member said that more detail was needed. "Regardless of the fact that this is a tragedy, questions emerge on why the flight was moved up from 7.30am to 5.20am that day,” the second person said. “I believe many families would like to know the reason. If they hadn't left earlier, this may not have happened."
The head of the aviation authority at Surabaya’s Juanda International Airport, Pramintohadi Sukarno, said that the investigation would be thorough from his end.
"We follow the regulations starting from the investigation on the possibility of the performance of the aircraft. On the other hand, we have to check all the procedures whether they comply or not with the civil aviation security part of ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) regulations."
But until authorities find evidence of the whereabouts of the missing plane, distraught families and friends of those on board have little choice but to wait for the next briefing and hope their loved ones will be found.
AirAsia has provided free accommodation and transport to and from the airport for family members and Surabaya City officials have set up a call centre and offered assistance to locate next-of-kin and to provide counselling.
"We have begun safeguarding some houses in which entire families had left empty to go on a vacation,” said Tri Rismaharini, the mayor of Surabaya. “I'm working with local police and neighbourhood officials to help keep an eye on the houses."
- CNA/el
- wong chee tat :)
Chinese Man’s Life with Beautiful Ukrainian Wife Envied
From NetEase:
The attack of the academic failure: Chinese young man marries beautiful 18 year-old Ukrainian girl.
12 years ago, Mei Aicai only scored 320 points on the Gaokao examination [out of 750 points]. With this, he thought his academic career was over, and suddenly found himself at a loss for what to do. At that point, a friend dragged him along to go study abroad in Ukraine, and even though he thought Ukraine was in Africa at the time and couldn’t speak a single word of the language there, Mei Aicai still boarded the flight to this strange new country, never imagining that once he went, he would be there for 12 years…
Anxiety – he only knew one Russian phrase before leaving the country [going abroad]
For Mei Aicai, Ukraine was an unknown country, and initially thought this country was in Africa.
”Before I left the country, I went to Shijiazhuang and learned Russian for a month, but ultimately only learned “hello, I want water”. When I got on the plane, I was really nervous, not knowing what would be waiting for me in an unknown country,” Mei Aicai said.
Upon arriving in Ukraine, Mei Aicai took a preparatory course at the local university, and because he didn’t speak the language, he made a mockery of himself. “When I first arrived, I saw black bread in the store. I thought it was made with chocolate and bought a whole bunch, but when I took a bite, it was both bitter and hard, like a rock. In the end, I had to throw it all away,” Mei Aicai said.
Another time, Mei Aicai went to the hair salon for a haircut and had a lot of trouble describing the hairstyle he wanted to the barber. Eventually, he resorted to buying a pair of scissors and used a mirror to cut his own hair. Russian words are very long, and its grammar is even more complex, with many Ukrainians themselves not even fully understanding it. Mei Aicai couldn’t understand anything during class, as the professor had a deep accent, and to him it all sounded like someone selling lamb skewers.
A lonely life – tomatoes scrambled with egg was a luxury for him
To outsiders, Mei Aicai must have come from a rich household to be able to go abroad, but in reality his parents were average working class people. He chose to go to Ukraine because the cost of a university education was similar to China, and moreover visas were also relatively easy to obtain.
Although his family was not wealthy, Mei Aicai didn’t grow up in hardship either, but when he arrived in Ukraine, the first problem he had to solve was how to feed himself. During the winter in Ukraine, vegetables are very expensive, the price tags all listed prices in kilograms, and no matter what Mei Aicai looked at, he felt he couldn’t afford anything.
“Only after going out in the world did I slowly understand my parents’ hardships. For the first two years, the things I ate the most were potatoes and cabbage, as these two things are the cheapest in Ukraine. Only during Chinese New Year was I willing to buy two tomatoes. At the time, I thought tomato scrambled with egg was a luxurious meal.”
Although it was hard, Mei Aicai quickly became independent, and as someone who had never cooked before at home, he gradually learned how to even cook a few specialties. Mei Aicai said: “The first year abroad, what I felt most was loneliness and helplessness, and everyday I wanted to go [back] home. At that time, I did not have a phone or a computer, so I eagerly waited for the weekends when I could go to the internet cafe to chat with my family”.
Adjusting – playing ping pong opened a new world for him
After graduating from his 1 year preparatory course, Mei Aicai stupidly chose to attend the Karkov Academy of Fine Arts, and he became the only student in the school who didn’t know how to draw.
During the first semester at the academy, he spent most of his time playing video games and skipping class. Mei Aicai felt he didn’t have a goal in life, and wanted to make a change. So, everyday he went to the gymnasium to play ping pong and, as a result, he made many Ukrainian friends, and his Russian also gradually improved.
Most importantly, Mei Aicai also represented the academy and won 3rd place in the Karkov University Student Competition, a first in the academy’s 100 year-old history. After winning the prize, Mei Aicai’s life entered a new era. An athletic teacher regarded him greatly, placed his picture in the school halls, and more and more Ukrainian students and teachers came to him to play ping pong.
Though ping pong, Mei Aicai even found a girlfriend, and began to work hard at his major under her encouragement. Over the next few years, Mei Aicai did well in his core studies, his Russian greatly improved, and he consistently aced his athletics.
Happiness – in both love and career
On the Autohome BBS, Mei Aicai’s threads about his life in Ukraine have reached hundreds of thousands, even millions of views. People all relished in discussing his beautiful wife, and it was through his wife’s support that Mei Aicai started his own business.
When Ukrainian women get married, they take their husband’s name. Mei Aicai’s wife’s name is Mei Dasha and she is still attending high school. According to Ukrainian law, women can marry at the age of 17.
”She may be young but her views are very mature. At school, she is a good student with excellent grades and at home, she is a good wife, keeping our home neat and tidy, doing the laundry and cooking.” Talking about his wife, Mei Aicai has nothing but praise for her.
A happy home life left Mei Aicai with less to worry about, so he had more time to devote to his business. He quit his previous job as an animator and chose to start his own business. Currently, he is running a company engaged in the import/export of equipment and foodstuffs.
According to him, doing business in Ukraine requires little entertainment and socializing, where even taking a client out is unnecessary, so even now Mei Aicai does not drink or smoke, but Ukrainians have high standards when it comes to quality of work.
Because he is in the import/export business, Mei Aicai spends a lot of time each day communicating with people in China, but luckily he can stay at home and simply turn on his computer to work.
”Some people think I am very successful, but I feel my greatest happiness comes from my family. I come home everyday on time to eat with my wife, and afterward we go for a walk. I feel this kind of life is very happy, and next year we are planning to have our first baby,” Mei Aicai said.
Note: The above article was based on posts he made on a forum over the span of several years and does not reflect up-to-date information.
Note: The above article was based on posts he made on a forum over the span of several years and does not reflect up-to-date information.
Comments on NetEase:
跟帖有态度 [妙笔生花]：
I’m going to the Ukrainian Embassy this afternoon to get my visa.
网易广东省深圳市网友：
This kid sure is lucky to get such a girl, and this is what fate is [or the differences in people’s fates]. Had he done well in school, and even if he attended Tsinghua, he probably couldn’t have found an 18 year-old girl to be his wife.
民主不等于同志 [网易天津市网友]：
This can easily give people a false impression, as if all people in Ukraine share this standard of living. Still, I hope this young man will still be this happy at 40 and beyond.
284853535 [网易广东省东莞市网友]：
Already in line in front of the Ukrainian Embassy.
stanger0 [网易山东省济南市网友]：
I’m going to the Somali Embassy this afternoon to get my visa.
网易湖北省网友：
Chinese people’s diligence, hard work, shrewdness are a rarity among most countries in the world. Yet, China’s population density is too great and can mask [these qualities], but if you let Chinese people out in the world, the world will truly see the power of the Chinese people!
molele2 [网易上海市网友]：
I don’t want to be Chinese anymore, I want to be Ukrainian.
qqhbc [网易上海市网友]：
One way to judge whether a man’s ability [worth] is to see whether or not you can marry a foreign woman (European or American). Middle Eastern, African, Southeast Asian don’t count.
171984005 [网易广东省阳江市阳东县网友]：
Ukrainian women sure are enchanting, drool.
网易广东省佛山市网友：
When a man marries a foreigner, it’ll make the news, and seems to even bring a bit of pride. That’s because such cases are extremely rare. When a [Chinese] woman marries a foreigner, there is nothing, because [such cases] are too many.
51244 [网易安徽省淮北市网友]：
I don’t understand. He had no money and he couldn’t speak Russian well, so how did he find a girlfriend? How did he communicate?
网易湖北省武汉市网友：
Ukraine really does have a lot of beautiful women.
This story is also trending on Sina Weibo under the hashtag #学渣逆袭乌克兰女神# (Chinese Academic Failure Conquers Ukrainian Goddess) with over 1.5 million views.
- wong chee tat :)
Jimmy Soul - If you wanna be happy
If you wanna be happy
For the rest of your life,
Never make a pretty woman your wife,
So from my personal point of view,
Get an ugly girl to marry you.
A pretty woman makes her husband look small
And very often causes his downfall.
As soon as he marries her
Then she starts to do
The things that will break his heart.
But if you make an ugly woman your wife,
You'll be happy for the rest of your life,
An ugly woman cooks her meals on time,
She'll always give you peace of mind.
Don't let your friends say
You have no taste,
Go ahead and marry anyway,
Though her face is ugly,
Her eyes don't match,
Take it from me she's a better catch.
Say man.
Hey baby.
Saw your wife the other day.
Yeah?
Yeah, she's ugly.
Yeah, she's ugly but she sure can cook.
Yeah?. Okay.
Sunday, December 28, 2014
China says closely monitoring developments in missing AirAsia flight
|
| BEIJING, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- China's Foreign Ministry said it is closely monitoring developments in missing AirAsia flight QZ8501 on Sunday. China is deeply worried about the safety of the passengers and crew and offers condolences to their families, Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said in a statement. An AirAsia passenger plane with 162 people on board lost contact with ground control Sunday after departing from Surabaya in Indonesia on its way to Singapore. No Chinese citizens have been found aboard the plane, according to Hua. China will continue to closely monitor developments of the missing flight, she said. - wong chee tat :) |
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