—

I’ve been working real hard overtime for the past week and boy, am I relieve to take a break last night home for dinner!  Within hours, I was knocked out and i had to miss the 11pm replay of the Olympics grand opening ceremony on Channel U.  Fortunately, I had a small glimpse of Bejing Olympics opening ceremony this afternoon and I must say it’s a big “WOW“!

Can you imagine Li Ning as the final torch-bearer to run hanging in the air to light the great torch of the grand olympics?  The speed of the lighting was simply, simply magnificent!

As I’m writing this post, the sky is getting darker and it looks like a rain is arriving soon!

Strange as it might seem, it hash only rained once on NDP in the history of Singapore’s past 42 National Day.  Will this year be an exception or will the nation be as lucky again?

My bet that it will be clear sky by 6pm (as I’m writing this at 3.00pm), but from the looks of the sky now (5.30pm), it is getting worse…  Well, we shall see later!

Well for now, let me attempt to uncover some of the best Chinese NDP videos ever developed here in Singapore!

—

1. Singapore National Day NDP 2008 Theme Song -
晴空万里 MV By Local Singer Joi Chua 蔡淳佳

Without a doubt, this year’s National Day theme song is none other than Joi Chua’s “晴空万里“.  The English version has been covered in my previous article so today’s focus is all Chinese based.

Searching for a decent copy of the “晴空万里” has not been an easy task.  As I mentioned in my previous artice, a lot of videos has been duplicated without taking any serious work to improve the audio quality.  Fortunately, the following ones ranks well above all others with Joi’s vocal heard loud and clear.

Music lovers will love my compilation in this edition because I’ve found the high quality version of this song on IMEEM, a social music networking site.  With a little effort, I have gotten this song on my mobile phone now.

Lyrics: “晴空万里”
什么是默契
我们同时仰望夜空的时序
同时被一颗星指引
无论哪里　它陪着我　第一时间回到熟悉

什么是勇气
手握着手笔形成世界新领域
就凭一颗心可以打造奇迹
再高的天也触手可及

*晴空晴万里 满载真心
就算有风雨 我们的力量像恒星

齐心合力 微弱的光芒也能燎亮天际
#晴空行万里 让梦探寻
明天的歌曲 来自每个人的声音
坚定不移 只要紧靠一起

什么是四季
常年彩虹　画出彩色的回忆
在这赤道旁的岛屿　小小面积
没有什么比家更美丽

用我们的勇气　照耀着天际
拥抱晴空万里

—

If you’re interested in getting a copy of this song, I can show you (in a future article) the techniques how you too can create a copy for yourself using simple to understand methods that I’ve uncovered.

—

2. Singapore National Day NDP 2007 Theme Song

None.

Somehow Singapore missed the creation of a Chinese Theme Song (or have I missed out somewhere?) for NDP 2007.  I was pretty curious why no one ever object to this, especially when the Chinese lanaguage was gaining momentum here but the general English speaking folks still do not get it somehow.

Not sure what I’m talking about?  Check out my eariler post for the sake of yourself and you next generation.

—

3. Singapore National Day NDP 2006 Theme Song - “幸福的图形”
English Title: “My Island Home”
By Kaira Gong (龚诗嘉)

I really love this tune.  It’s a lot soothing compared to its English counterpart.  What about yours?  Do we happen to share the same sentimental towards this song?

Lyrics “幸福的图形”:

绿色岛屿
洋溢家的气息
温心也炫丽
独有的风景

美丽岛屿
有爱也有回忆
不管我身在哪里
都忘不了这里

绿色岛屿
洋溢家的气息
温心也炫丽
独有的风景

美丽岛屿
有爱也有回忆
不管我身在哪里
都忘不了这里

(Chorus 副歌：)
我们用爱
跨越风雨
打造奇迹
梦想在这里成形
未来
更值得去憧憬
我相信
幸福是这岛屿的图形

美丽岛屿
充满爱和鼓励
未来的双翼
带梦想飞行

(Repeat Chorus x2 重复副歌 x2)

未来
更值得去憧憬
我相信
幸福是这岛屿的图形
我们用爱
跨越风雨
打造奇迹
梦想在这里成形
未来
更值得去憧憬
我相信
幸福是这岛屿的图形

美丽岛屿
充满爱和鼓励
未来的双翼
带梦想飞行

(Repeat Chorus x2 重复副歌 x2)
未来
更值得去憧憬
我相信
幸福是这岛屿的图形

—

4. Singapore National Day NDP 2005 Theme Song - “勇敢向前飞”
By Rui En (芮恩)

Lyrics: 勇敢向前飛 (Reach Out For The Skies)
芮恩〈新加坡歌手〉

面對失落和徬徨 下一站會怎樣
未知的角落 我們勇敢探索

擁有堅定的信念 追尋驕傲的成果
所有夢和希望 是最大的收穫

要勇敢向前飛 團結就是把握
心連心不錯過 天空依然遼闊

要勇敢向前飛 同心就能突破
心連心不錯過 明天的夢 會閃爍

~
多少美好的生活 要試著去掌握
未來並不遙遠 别讓年少虛過

多少希望與線索 有目標不退縮
朋友和家園 是幸福的承諾

要勇敢向前飛 團結就是把握心
連心不錯過 天空依然遼闊
要勇敢向前飛 同心就能突破
心連心不錯過 明天的夢 會閃爍
~Ha.. Yeah…

心連心不錯過
明天的夢
會閃爍
~
勇敢向前飛!

—

—

5. Singapore National Day NDP 2004 Theme Song - “家” (HOME)
By Kit Chan (陈洁仪)

歌手：陈洁仪
曲名：家

每一次我感到徬徨
不自禁就会回头望
我知道心中有个地方
一定会有一盏灯

照亮每一颗黑暗的心房
指引未来方向
沿着生命河流向前航
就能登陆理想

(Chorus)
我的家收藏
我的欢喜悲伤
只要点燃希望
梦就会自由飞翔
我的家给我
一双坚定翅膀
我的梦不论在何方
一生的爱唯有家

再也不会感到徬徨
不会再失意回头望
我要用心中一点烛光
燃放千万户辉煌

要让繁华的城市更灿烂
世界和平共享
全凭生命河流来导航
一起登陆理想

(Chorus - repeat 2X)
我的家收藏
我的欢喜悲伤
只要点燃希望
梦就会自由飞翔
我的家给我
一双坚定翅膀
我的梦不论在何方
一生的爱唯有家

世世代代温暖的家

—

6. Singapore National Day NDP 2003 Theme Song - “全心全意”
By Stephenie Sun Yan Zi (孙燕姿)

Lyrics: 全心全意
By: 孙燕姿
作曲：万恩泉
作词：吴庆康

全心全意怎样都在一起
不同的声音唱同样的歌曲
一度以为梦想远离终於又跨了过去
谁都不准放弃把心留在这里

我的家这岛屿有梦想有回忆
不论什麼风雨一起走过去
肩并肩臂靠臂一定要更努力
让我们全心全意向著明天 奔去

全心全意不管有多艰钜
用一把声音哼同样的旋律
只要我们全心全意什麼〖跨得过去
只要永远相信就有爱在这里

我的家这岛屿有梦想有回忆
不论什麼风雨一起走过去
肩并肩臂靠臂一定要更努力
让我们全心全意向著明天 奔去

我的家这岛屿有梦想有回忆
不论什麼风雨一起走过去
肩并肩臂靠臂一定要更努力

让我们全心全意 (我们全心全意)
全心全意向前 ~ 奔去

—

7. Singapore National Day NDP 2002 Theme Song - “一起走到”
By Stephenie Sun Yan Zi (孙燕姿)

Lyrics: 一起走到
By: 孙燕姿
曲:李迪文
詞:梁文福

是否還記得 從前美麗的天色
那時天很藍 我們的未來都在
不遠地方晴朗著

一切都變了 生命不只是快樂
濃濃黑霧 籠罩我們 暴風雨
就要來了

但誰說不能 肩併著肩 站穩
我們用心和用愛 創造 讓新
的世界誕生

在我心中我知道 這是永恆的長跑
好不容易 來到這裡
明天還要追更多榮耀
把自己角色扮演好 全力以赴每一秒
和我的家人和我的朋友
向著目標 手牽手 一起走到

這又是起點 我們有一樣心願
當我們團結 狂風巨浪也不能
阻擋我們走向前

誰害怕改變 只要緊握著信念
心中有夢 沒有遙遠 跨出去
就在瞬間
但誰說不能 肩併著肩 站穩
我們用心和用愛 創造 讓新
的世界誕生

在我心中我知道 這是永恆的長跑
好不容易 來到這裡
明天還要追更多榮耀
把自己角色扮演好 全力以赴每一秒
和我的家人和我的朋友
向著目標 手牽手 一起走到

~

在我心中我知道 這是永恆的長跑
在我心 我知道 好不容易 來到這裡
明天還要追更多榮耀
把自己角色扮演好 全力以赴每一秒
和我的家人和我的朋友
向著目標 手牽手 一起走到~
—

8. Singapore National Day NDP 2001 Theme Song - “属于”
English Title: “Where I Belong”
Music & Lyrics: Tanya Chua (蔡健雅)

Tanya Chua (蔡健雅)
曲名：属于
词：吴庆康
曲：蔡健雅

每当我觉得孤寂  庆幸还有个城市属于
属于自己的天地  不论雨或晴一定在这里
把我心事全部收齐  等着我不定归期
熟悉的热天气和热情都是暖意

每当梦想不够近  庆幸还有朋友在一起
创造未来的绮丽  不论悲或喜全都没关系
把我情绪全部抚平  看着我重现笑语
青草地当作衣穿成我心情  全都属于

Chorus:
属于自己  属于我们的天地  有爱有梦有情
还有成长岁月的点滴  交织成温馨一季
属于自己  属于你我的天地  有爱有梦有亲情
我要让全世界知
我的骄傲依旧是这个属于我的繁华都市

—

9. Singapore National Day NDP 2000 Theme Song - “星月”
By Mavis Hee (許美靜)
English Title: “Shine On Me”

曲名：星月
By: 許美靜
词：陈佳明
曲：林毅心

在你怀中一起成长  我的世界  我的梦想
每次向天空仰望  星光闪耀月儿弯
牵引无穷尽的幻想  在我心中迎风昂然飘扬
我的梦让我勇敢  是你给我力量

Chorus:
星月照亮我前方  一路上永远有希望
像明灯一盏  越暗越是明亮 （灿烂）
星月照亮我前方  于是我拥有信心和温暖
愿一切与你分享  星月常伴

在你光辉中我成长  我的朋友  我的家园
飞得多远心中依然  星光闪耀月儿弯
童年无穷尽的理想  在我天空迎风昂然飘扬
每个梦让我勇敢  是你给我力量

( Repeat Chorus )

我的梦  星月常伴
—

10. Singapore National Day NDP 1999 Theme Song - “心连心”
By Evelyn Tan and Dreamz FM (陈毓云 & 梦飞船)

Lyrics: 心连心
Music & Lyrics: Ken Lim
By: 陈毓云
词：陈佳明
曲：林智强

让我们心连心  凝聚在一起
每份情谊  每个梦境  有我也有你
偶尔天昏路漫长  总会有曙光
别彷徨别放弃  明天更美丽

Chorus:
心连心去追求梦想  一份热一份光芒
指引前进的方向  是心中的希望
心连心去追求梦想  没什么过于艰难
点亮奇迹的力量  是万丈热情
是万人一颗心

也曾风  也曾雨  也曾路过崎岖
也总是雨过天晴  挺胸再继续
即使前方波涛汹涌  也别心灰意冷
信心让你我坚强  未来更灿烂

—

11. Singapore National Day NDP 2004 Theme Song - “家” (HOME)
By Kit Chan (陈洁仪)
Music & Lyrics: Dick Lee

(See Singapore NDP 2004 Theme Song - Yes, it’s the same, this is Not a mistake!)

—

That’s it!  This is by far one of my most complete, full 10 years Mandarin edition of all NDP Theme Song compilation ever made!  Happy Singapore National Day and keep your comments rolling in!

Stay hungry, stay foolish and live a life with passion!

—

Resources:

1. The Official Singapore NDP Website
2. Singapore NDP Songs on Geo Mashup
3. List of Singaporean Patriotic Songs
4. National Day Parade
5. Sing Singapore

©2008 Insights, Inspirations, Tranquility, Peace and Harmony. All Rights Reserved.

Just more than 1 year ago, I took on the daunting task to seek out some really great videos fellow Singaporeans have produced.  As a result, I wrote a 10-part series in commemorating the independence of the Republic of Singapore.

I didn’t win any prize though.  And that wasn’t my real intention - really!  What I did was to put together some of what I thought patriotic Singaporeans will share, live and breathe.

This year, I didn’t know what to write about.  I was stuck at home ready for NS mobilization - anytime.  This year has been rather quite and I was quite tuned off to all the celebrations going on around me.  Perhaps, it was the amount of dire financial news that have clouded my mind now.

I thought seriously for a while before penning this article.  Will the headlines be “What Will You Be Doing on 8th August?“.  If you’re Chinese or familiar with the Chinese custom, it’s hard not to realize that 080808 is a really great day to get married.  Furthermore, it coincides with the grand opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics 2008.

For me, it’s pretty hard to write anything about marriage or the Olympics with some solid information on hand.  Sure, it’ll be amazing for Singapore to Win a Gold medal this time at Beijing.  Surely Li Jia Wei will do well by evading the top players from China this time?

After much thinking, I’ve decided to concentrate my theme on Singapore NDP instead.  As always, I’m determined to research well and put up only the best compilations.  You see, most home-made videos found on YouTube (more than 90% of them) are either copycats of others, or are just plain lousy video or sound quality.  There are so few great content out there that I think I deserve the right to put together some of these great videos in memory of their creators.  If there’s any Singapore NDP YouTubers Award, then it should listed here! 

—

#1. Singapore National Day NDP 2008 Theme Song - Shine for Singapore

The NDP 2008 theme song is “Shine for Singapore”.  The English version was sung by Asia First Idol, Hady Mirza.  My first impression of it was a big no-no.  Not only are 99% of videos out there poor in audio and video quality, they failed badly in their impact to bring out the best of the Singapore National Day spirit!

As I dig deeper, I managed to uncover something decent for you.  This video combines the best of NDP 2008 (The Black Knights) and the beautiful voice of the theme song (by Hady).

Great video and performance!  Special thanks to siva5488 who made and contributed this excellent video on YouTube!

#2. Singapore National Day NDP 2008 Theme Song -
晴空万里 MV By Local Singer Joi Chua 蔡淳佳

No article will be complete without mentioning the other version of the theme song - “晴空万里” by Joi Chua.  Joi has always been one of my favorite local singers.  Stephenie Sun is another which I adore very much.  Both in my opinion fare a lot better when it comes to clean and green. 

Anyway, searching for a decent copy of the “晴空万里” has not been an easy task either.  A lot of them has been duplicated without taking any serious work to improve the audio quality.  Fortunately, I’ve found to my surprise a reasonable one that ranks above all others.  Joi’s voice was loud and clear although there isn’t any much innovation in the video part.  Here it is…

Lyrics: “晴空万里”
什么是默契
我们同时仰望夜空的时序
同时被一颗星指引
无论哪里　它陪着我　第一时间回到熟悉

什么是勇气
手握着手笔形成世界新领域
就凭一颗心可以打造奇迹
再高的天也触手可及

*晴空晴万里 满载真心
就算有风雨 我们的力量像恒星

齐心合力 微弱的光芒也能燎亮天际
#晴空行万里 让梦探寻
明天的歌曲 来自每个人的声音
坚定不移 只要紧靠一起

什么是四季
常年彩虹　画出彩色的回忆
在这赤道旁的岛屿　小小面积
没有什么比家更美丽

用我们的勇气　照耀着天际
拥抱晴空万里
—

Singapore NDP (English) Videos (2007-1998):

Most of these videos have been carefully selected based on my own judgments.  If they look bad, do let me know and kindly suggest replacements whenever possible!  Thank you all and enjoy a most memorable 43rd Singapore National Day!

—

Singapore NDP 2007 Theme Song -
“There’s No Place I’d Rather Be” By Kit Chan
Composed by singer-composer: Jimmy Ye

Lyrics: “There’s No Place I’d Rather Be”

I’ve walked the streets of Cairo and Bombay
I’ve seen the neon signs on old Broadway
I’ve climbed the Eiffel Tower
The Great Wall in one hour
Experienced sweet and sour but that’s okay

Seen Hollywood, the sunsets in LA
The London Bridge, Big Ben, The Thames, UK
I’ve crossed the River Kwai
Yet still I don’t know why
I think of you each night and every day

Chorus 1:
There’s no place I’d rather be
You’ll always be a part of me
And even though I’ve roamed the world
It’s still my home I long to see

Chorus 2:
This is where my family
And my friends grew up with me
So I’ll cross the skies and sail the seas
To be where I wanna be

Repeat Chorus 1 & 2

‘Cos there’s no place I’d rather be
—

Singapore NDP 2007 Theme Song - “Will You”

Performance by 8 local singers of different music genres:
Janani Sridhar, Asha Edmund, Emma Yong, Lily Anna Rahmat,
Jai Wahab, Shabir Mohammaed, Sebastian Tan and Gani Karim.
Composed by singer-composer: Jimmy Ye

Will you make this island Amazing in all ways?
Surprises every corner, Delightful nights and days.
Will you take this country
And turn it from a place To a home that greets you With smiles on every face?
Will you come on this brave journey?
Will you help to make it real?
Will you write us grand new stories, Songs that everyone will feel?
So… Will you swim the current?
Will you scale new heights?
Will you make it happen, Will you let your dreams take flight?
And… Will you make the difference?

Will you seize the day?
Will you live each moment, Will you dare to find new ways?
Will you take this city And turn it into a place To a home that greets you With smiles on every face?
Will you come on this brave journey?
Will you help to make it real?
Will you write us grand new stories, Songs that everyone will feel?
So… Will you swim the current?
Will you scale new heights?
Will you make it happen, Will you let your dreams take flight?
And… Will you make the difference?
Will you seize the day?
Will you live each moment, Will you dare to find new ways?
Dare to find, dare to find, dare to find new ways!

—

Singapore NDP 2006 Theme Song - “My Island Home”
By Kaira Gong

Lyrics: “My Island Home”

Verse 1
This is my home, she’s everything to me,
Grace and beauty, in all that you see.
My island home, wherever I may be,
I never will forget her, nor will she forget me,
And I will

Chorus
Sing, a song of home,
A land of peace, where dreams are born everyday,
My home, wherever I may be,
I believe, you will always be a part of me.

Verse 2
My island home, home of my family,
This is my future, where I want to be.
(This is my future, this is my home)
And I will

(Repeat Chorus twice)

My home, wherever I may be,
I believe, you will always be a part of me.

—

Singapore NDP 2005 Theme Song - “Reach Out For The Skies”
By: Muhammad Taufik Bin Batisah and Rui En (芮恩)
Theme Song Also Known In Chinese as “勇敢向前飞”

Muhammad Taufik Bin Batisah, (born December 10, 1981) is the winner of the first season of Singapore Idol.

—

Singapore NDP 2004 Theme Song -”Home”
Version 1:

“Home”
Music & Lyrics: Dick Lee

Whenever I am feeling low
I look around me and I know
There’s a place that will stay within me
Wherever I may choose to go
I will always recall the city
Know every street and shore
Sail down the river which brings us life
Winding through my Singapore

Chorus:
This is home truly, where I know I must be
Where my dreams wait for me, where that river always flows
This is home surely, as my senses tell me
This is where I won’t be alone, for this is where I know it’s home

When there are troubles to go through
We’ll find a way to start anew
There is comfort in the knowledge
That home’s about its people too
So we’ll build our dreams together
Just like we’ve done before
Just like the river which brings us life
There’ll always be Singapore

( Repeat Chorus )

For this is where I know it’s home
For this is where I know I’m home
—

Singapore NDP 2004 Theme Song - “Home”
Version 2 By Kit Chan 陈洁仪

—

Singapore NDP 2003 Theme Song - “One United People”
By Stephenie Sun Yan Zi (孫燕姿)

“One United People”
Verse 1
One Singapore, one people strong and free.
One heart, one voice, we’ll make our history.
We are a rainbow of a thousand colours, lighting up the sky,
We share the Singapore heartbeat,
Together you and I,

Chorus 1
We are one Singapore,
One nation strong and free.
A thousand different voices, sing in harmony.
We will stand together,
Together hand in hand,
As one united people,
For Singapore,

My homeland

Verse 2
My Singapore, our island in the sun,
This is our homeland, it is where my strength is from.
A rainbow of a thousand colours, lighting up the sky,
We’ll build a brighter future,
together you and I,

(repeat Chorus 1)

Chorus 2
One Singapore, one nation strong and free,
A thousand different voices, sing in harmony.
We will stand, together, together hand in hand,
As one united people,
One united people, for Singapore
My homeland.

—

Singapore NDP 2003 LIVE From National Stadium Channel 5 -
“One United People”
By Stephenie Sun Yan Zi (孫燕姿)

—

Sing Singapore 2003 Festival - “A Place in My Heart”
By Kevin Quah and Sean Wang

—

Singapore NDP 2002 Theme Song - “We Will Get There”
By Stephenie Sun Yan Zi (孫燕姿)

We Will Get There
Music & Lyrics: Dick Lee
Produced By: Li Si Song

Remember the days, we set out together with faith?
Remember the times, so fine, when we thought that
Nothing could stand in our way?

Then things weren’t the same, the life that we knew had to change
We’ve struggled through, the darkest storms
We thought we couldn’t tame

Together we’ve tried, as we stood side by side
I knew we’d build a new world
A world of hope for ever after

Chorus:
Deep in my heart I just know
Right from the start, we will grow
Look where we are, we’ve come so far
And there’s still a long, long way to go

With all of my heart, I will care
I’ll play my part, I will share
With family and friends, together we’ll stand
And in the end, hand in hand
We will get there

So now we begin, working together to win
Believing in trust, it must
Be possible to overcome anything

There’s so much to do, there’s so much we can contribute
By sharing just a little love
We will start again anew

So why don’t we try? If we stand side by side
I know we’ll build a new world
A world of hope for ever after

( Repeat Chorus )

—

Singapore NDP 2001 Theme Song - “Where I Belong”
Music & Lyrics: Tanya Chua (蔡健雅)

“Where I Belong”
Music & Lyrics: Tanya Chua (蔡健雅)

Morning comes around and I
Can’t wait to see my sunny island
In its glorious greenery, whether rain or shine, it’s still beautiful
Bright lights shine on the streets at night
Guiding me closer to home
To a place where I’ll be safe and warm, where I belong

Friends and families by my side
Seeing me through as I grow and learn
Everyday’s experience, bitter sweet or sour
They’re still wonderful
As they become precious memories
They’ll be kept close to my heart
And no matter where I am I will always know, where I belong

Chorus:
Where I belong, where I keep my heart and soul
Where dreams come true for us
Where we walk together hand in hand towards a future so bright
Where I belong, where I keep my heart and soul
Where we’re one big family
I want the whole world to know, I want to shout it out loud
That this is where I know I belong

—

Singapore NDP 2000 Theme Song - “Shine On Me”

The moment when I was born
Into this world, into my home
I recall when I was young
Stars and Crescent shine on me

In my heart lies my homeland
I share this joy with my families and friends
Let our strength build on and on
Reaching out to the world

Chorus:
Stars and crescent shine on me
Make us more than what we can be
All our dreams come true
As we all grow stronger

Stars and Crescent shine on me
Turning our hopes, into reality
For we will always be
Shining as one

Let our hopes lead us afar
Into the world, to be the best
There’s so much to reach out for
Stars and Crescent shining on

In my heart lies my homeland
I share this joy with my families and friends
Stepping out into a New World
As we make our choices

—

Singapore NDP 1999 Theme Song - “Together” (”心连心”)
By Evelyn Tan and Dreamz FM (陈毓云 & 梦飞船)

“Together”
Music & Lyrics: Ken Lim

Let us be together aspire to achieve
No matter what, no matter when, working hand in hand
Let us go the distance, reach for goals that shine
Creating our future, with everyone in mind

Chorus:
Together we make a difference, one voice, one destiny
We remain undivided, our hearts in harmony
Together we make a difference, our friends, our families
We will share a special dream, together we feel the Singapore heartbeat

Let us find in our strides, new strength to go on by
Nothing is ever easy, we have to hold on and strive
Let us never be afraid, if we have to change our ways
Through the years, we’ll always stay, one in every way

( Repeat Chorus )

We will share a special dream
Together we feel the Singapore heartbeat
Singapore heartbeat

—

The Official Singapore NDP 1999 Theme Song - “Together”:

—

Singapore NDP 1998 Theme Song - “Home”
By Kit Chan 陈洁仪
Music & Lyrics: Dick Lee

(See Singapore NDP 2004 Theme Song - Yes, it’s the same, this is Not a mistake!)

—

That’s it!  This is one of my most complete, full 10 years NDP Theme Song compilation (English Edition) ever made!  Do keep an eye on this blog for the full Mandarin edition, to be release later this week (or latest by 9th August 2008).

Stay hungry, stay foolish and live a life with passion!

—

Resources:

1. The Official Singapore NDP Website
2. Singapore NDP Songs on Geo Mashup
3. List of Singaporean Patriotic Songs
4. National Day Parade
5. Sing Singapore

©2008 Insights, Inspirations, Tranquility, Peace and Harmony. All Rights Reserved.

Pardon my crude language… indeed, this was a heated discussion on radio quite recently.  According to an expert in socialogy, there are primary several reasons why married couples delayed their big plans…

Reasons why women defer giving birth:

1. Immediate opportunities to advance their career.
There are countless cases where women who found themselves pragnent, only to discover a once-in-a-life opportunity in their job to go for advanced training and thereafter greater advances in their career.

2. Mentality of abundant birth opportunities in the future.
Did you know that most women here in Singapore do not feel in a hurry to bear their first children?  This surprised me initially, but all is now clear.  For women in the age group 22-30, they want to have fun, travel all over the world and do not like to get tied down with screaming at their kids.  For many women between age 31 to 35, they are too deep in crafting their careers.  The truth is, many women in this age group are making more money than their husbands.  Some men are particularly concerned about this.  This may cause some men to feel inferior and financially incapable.

Reasons why men defer having their first child:

1. Actually there is only one primary reason.
And that is money.
Men are more rational creatures.  They look at what they have, and what they have not, and make straight and simple major decisions in their lives.  Some men are more easy going and decisions are usually determined by the wife.  Does this sound familiar if you’re one of them?

The problem don’t just end where the above problems are overcome.  The next phase, perhaps the longest time frame of a couple’s 20 years journey, is the mental stress of society’s pressure.

Fact: Making babies is easy.  Sustaining one or more child, and maintaining a reasonable comfortable lifestyle however, is challenging.

How many couples can afford a full time career as homemakers?  With the raising pace of urban life, it’s challenging enough to keep one’s job.  As I’ve learned many years ago, no school ever teaches us how to manage our finances and craft our dream careers.  Along the way, men and women have lost their dreams.  It’s now about survival rather than a fulfilled destiny.  Arghh… you get the point!

Back to the topic of babies: A quick survey shows that milk powder and diapers are the top expense of today’s parents.  Just look at the content of these powder… DHA/EPA.  No wonder little children these days are so smart!  Imagine if these so called “essential” food are sponsored?

I’m sure you can still remember your childhood.  I didn’t have these luxury stuffs back then.  Neither have my parents heard of DHA.  Both my brother and I were indeed stupid child.  Sure, I wasn’t topping the classes, but I didn’t do too badly though, counting from the bottom.

Fast forward 20 years…

Singapore children are learning almost every conceivable stuffs on the planet - even before attending primary one.  So if your child is not feeding on DHA/EPA enhanced food, you’d better watch out!  Your neighbor’s children will surely humiliate yours (intangibly).   Oh, and did I mention you should too?  It’s good for both your brain and heart.

If you haven’t, don’t get too depressed though…  I haven’t found a reason yet to get started myself.  Stupid child!  Did I ever tell you that Albert Einstein is my idol?  Not being disrespectful, I felt that he could have missed out on these essential food too.

Education in Singapore is getting so competitive that parents must plan strategically.  Not only do you as parents have to buy a home near a neighborhood school and hence qualified for a chance in the long queue of many other parents, you have to clock significant community work as extra qualifications.

Even legendary investor, Jim Roger, who is looking for a decent school for his daughter (Hilton Augusta Parker Rogers, born May 30 2003), is not spared from school’s community work.  Well… maybe he might be discounted and do less.  It buffers me how Singapore’s education system have changed so drastically.

The single most important piece of advice for you: Teach them Chinese. My baby girl is perfectly fluent in Chinese. I got a nany who only speaks Chinese to her. People think she is native, until they see her.
- Billionaire Investor, Jim Roger

Reflecting on Jim’s words, children these days speak far worse English and Chinese than my time.  We cannot ignore the powers of social pressure.  If you’re teaching your child, do you speak proper English or Chinese, or mixed languages (aka Singlish = broken English+Chinese+Malay+Chinese Dialects combo).

If you’re with your colleagues or business associates, do you speak perfect English or Chinese?  Not only will you find it awkward to speak fluently without breaking into Singlish again, peer pressure will force most of us to look completely like an idiot, if you ever attempt!

If you’ve understood what I mean, it’s best sumarrized by the principle of the pelicans.  It takes tremendrous effort to go against the norm.  It’s something not many people have understood well, let alone to act against the norm.

Inflation For All

A general survey shows an increasing pressure for grown up children to battle with the cost of inflation.  In the cooperate world, what do companies do when the economy turns down and reduced earnings?  The first thing companies do is to axe their staffs.  As a parent, you can’t axe your child.  Neither can you cut your child’s living allowances.

Now, before this becomes a heated debate, let me put things in some important perspectives.  If you’re currently a student, do consider how hard your parents are breaking even at work and at home.  Few parents come to the conclusion to become full time homemakers to keep you in check (which you may disagree).  No parents would like to shortchange their children in their education.  However, every expenses you incur must be well considered.

For parents out there, do consider a reasonable budget for both your child’s expenses and education plan without risking out on your own retirement.  Cut down drastically on all your unnecessary expenses.

For exampe, begin a savings plan for your child and encourage them to learn the importance of savings.  This way, your child can learn the virtue of frugality and help cushion your financial load.  Children brought up this way will be more responsible adults and take better care of their own finances.  Surely you don’t want your children to dip into your retirement savings because of your unintentional foresight to miss out teaching them about their relationships with money; something that is still missing out in today’s education system?

If you’re an adult, it’s about time to get started to relinquish your relationship with money.  Learn as much as possible about your own finances.  Brush up your financial quotion (FQ) if you haven’t by now.  The best sources are found in books written between the first world war and until 1990s.  Find a trusted mentor, whenever possible.  Have your long term plans crafted out carefully and center them around the support of your wife/husband and children.

Stay hungry, stay foolish, and live a life with passion!

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©2008 Insights, Inspirations, Tranquility, Peace and Harmony. All Rights Reserved.

Do you watch Channel U dramas?

Lately, Channel U is show casing a mini “breakthrough” in its drama series, “Perfect Cut 一切完美”.

I know, it’s PG rated, meaning if you’re under certain age group, you can’t watch this drama without your parents around.

Hack, as if kids these days have to wait at least 18 years old to watch such film on their own.  Give me a break… kids are so smart these days that they CAN watch anything they want on this thing call the Wild-Wild-Web.

Sorry, if this looks insulting, I didn’t mean to.

Actually, I’m just trying to pen down some interesting points for discussion, after having watched a few episodes of this new drama series.

1. Soothing and Nice Trailing Tune:

This drama entails a really nice tune entitled “你没想像中爱我” sung by local singer, Chew Sin Huey (石欣卉).  I didn’t what song it was until I used my super Googling and music ripping skills to instantly zeroed in on this nice little tune.  Here it is on YouTube that you can enjoy:

The lyrics too, was meaningfully crafted:

你没想像中爱我 - 《一切完美》片尾曲
词：石欣卉
曲：So Million
制作：曾偉祺
演唱：石欣卉

你小心翼翼 牵我手
其实是担忧 藏不住我
自尊也投降 活在她之下
我 好傻

你字字句句说 你不爱她
那又是什么 让你害怕
我疑惑但是原谅 因为你留下
我 好傻

不是我不说就不在意空等候
原来 你没想像中那么爱我
我不懂该拿什么安慰我的难受
你的存在 让我更寂寞

你寸步不离 像天使的她
挥霍我的爱 从不放心上
我有一丝无奈 也有一些明白
该 放开

不是我不说就不在意空等候
原来 你没想像中那么爱我
我不能再从你的怀抱感觉到什么
不爱我别再说 假装爱那是撒盐在伤口

啊~~ 谁说我不在意空等候
原来 你从来都没深刻爱我
我才懂不是我不心痛
其实是心没了感受

呜~~~

你没想像中爱我

—

Was that tune pleasant?

I thought so!  It is soothing and I like the rhythm a lot.

In case you’re not Chinese speaking, I’m really sorry about that.  So far, I haven’t found an English translation yet.  Perhaps you can find a friend to translate a bit?  The song title means something like: “You Didn’t Love Me As Much As I Thought You Would Be”.

“As Much As I Thought You Would Be…”

That’s usually an incorrect assumption that follows a hefty price we mortals pay.  And somewhat as I;ve observed, is something close to what all of us are addicted to.

2. Beauty Lies In The Eye of The Beholder

Life is really interesting.

Most of us are very worried about how the external world think/look upon us.

We become very concern on our we look, how we behave in front of others.

Rarely do we listen or pay great attention to our hearts, and follow our passions.

So where is this beauty that every sage is talking about?  Can more money fix that?

Let’s examine further. In the drama, this Chinese phrase keep repeating:

世界上“没有丑人，只有穷人”
“In This World, There Are No Ugly Man/Woman, Only Poor Ones”

How does that statement relates to you?

If you’re still growing up, your outlook may be the single most important part of your life.

Otherwise if you’ve pass that stage, you would still be spending a ton of time trying to look great… who wouldn’t?

Looking great and feeling great is closely related to one’s mental well-being.  Not only will you feel confident in everything you do, your spirit can be well uplifted and allowing you to focus on the big goals of your life (if you have any).

If you are convinced on the Law of Attraction, you may agree that looking great is one of those key factor that can pull in what you visualize.  That attraction is akin to what a magnet does to a piece of iron bar.

Unfortunately, most of us are not born physically perfect.

As we grow older, each of us are tainted deeper and deeper without us realizing.  It can get worse off…

Outside the drama, it’s not too hard to realize the psychological and financial impacts of looking and feeling good.  As such, beauty, health care, hair etc… related industries are rock solid businesses, perhaps even recession proof.  You see, no one really wants to look worse off in even in years of economic crisis.

Looking for perfection quickly becomes a matter of necessity, rather than an option.

Even then, not everyone can agree on the same level as to what beautiful is defined as.  Your concept of perfect beauty may be 180 degrees off from what I really think beauty should be!

To me, beauty is entirely relative, non-obsessive and entirely personal.

Unless you aspire a become real super star or high some profile public figure, you may want to reconsider giving up most of your obsessions of perfect cuts.

Instead, focus your heart and apply your efforts responsibly.  You are unique, special and beautify by yourself through your own efforts.

That intangible beauty of yours can emerge quietly in a different form (though not physical) as you go about deep in your habitual actions… And as your body is intensely consumed by your passions, that true beauty of yours should blossom without you even realizing it!

Ahh… it’s that intangible beauty - what no money can buy.

Stay hungry, stay foolish and live a life with passion!

Resources:

1. The Original Perfect Cut Blog

©2008 Insights, Inspirations, Tranquility, Peace and Harmony. All Rights Reserved.

You and I probably don’t enjoy falling off trees.  But the title probably did caught your attention, no?

Anyway, I thought this might be a little fun to put together and you might enjoy…

You see, some of my friends and colleagues have been recently circulating some very interesting mails that I thought it’s best shared with my readers over time.

One of the best ones I enjoyed is “Which Tree Did You Fall From?“.

Yes, it’s about trees… and the descriptions are somewhat strikingly accurate on some traits that you and I possesses.  While I haven’t figured out the rather accurate relationship between human traits and trees, I’m pretty sure you’ll love it soon after looking them up!

Okay, okay, I must admit that this isn’t new.

You see, a quick Googling have me revealed a ton of similar writings all over the Internet many years ago. Since this information isn’t copyrighted and it’s rather insightful, I might as well put it up here.

Anyway, it takes me quite a while to assemble this information from various sources, and I trust that you’ll find this refreshing, interesting, and maybe perhaps, see another side of you that you have not discovered yet!

Stay hungry, stay foolish and live a life with passion!

—

STEP #1: Look up YOUR TREE under YOUR Birthday…

STEP #2: Decipher YOURSELF/YOUR TREE (in alphabetical order)

Apple Tree (Love) — quiet and shy at times, lots of charm, appeal, and attraction, pleasant attitude, flirtatious smile, adventurous, sensitive, loyal in love, wants to love and be loved, faithful and tender partner, very generous, many talents, loves children, needs affectionate partner.

Ash Tree (Ambition) — extremely attractive, vivacious, impulsive, demanding, does not care for criticism, ambitious, intelligent, talented, likes to play with fate, can be very egotistic, reliable, restless lover, sometimes money rules over the heart, demands attention, needs love and much emotional support.

Beech Tree (Creative) — has good taste, concerned about its looks, materialistic, good organization of life and career, economical, good leader, takes no unnecessary risks, reasonable, splendid lifetime companion, keen on keeping fit (diets, sports, etc.).

Birch Tree (Inspiration) — vivacious, attractive, elegant, friendly, unpretentious, modest, does not like anything in excess, abhors the vulgar, loves life in nature and in calm, not very passionate, full of imagination, little ambition, creates a calm and content atmosphere.

Cedar Tree (Confidence) — of rare strength, knows how to adapt, likes unexpected presents, of good health, not in the least shy, tends to look down on others, self-confident, a great speaker, determined, often impatient, likes to impress others, has many talents, industrious, healthy optimism, waits for the one true love, able to make quick decisions.

Chestnut Tree (Honesty) — of unusual stature, impressive, well-developed sense of justice, fun to be around, a planner, born diplomat, can be irritated easily, sensitive of others feelings, hard worker, sometimes acts superior, feels not understood at times, fiercely family oriented, very loyal in love, physically fit.

Cypress Tree (Faithfulness) — strong, muscular, adaptable, takes what life has to give but doesn’t necessarily like it, strives to be content, optimistic, wants to be financially independent, wants love and affection, hates loneliness, passionate lover which cannot be satisfied, faithful, quick-tempered at times, can be unruly and careless, loves to gain knowledge, needs to be needed.

Elm Tree (Noble-mindedness) — pleasant shape, tasteful clothes, modest demands, tends not to forgive mistakes, cheerful, likes to lead but not to obey, honest and faithful partner, likes making decisions for others, noble-minded, generous, good sense of humor, practical.

Fig Tree (Sensibility) — very strong minded, a bit self-willed, honest, loyal, independent, hates contradiction or arguments, hard worker when wants to be, loves life and friends, enjoys children and animals, few sexual relationships, great sense of humor, has artistic talent and great intelligence.

Fir Tree (Mysterious) — extraordinary taste, handles stress well, loves anything beautiful, stubborn, tends to care for those close to them, hard to trust others, yet a social butterfly, likes idleness and laziness after long demanding hours at work, rather modest, talented, unselfish, many friends, very reliable.

Hazelnut Tree (Extraordinary) — charming, sense of humor, very demanding but can also be very understanding, knows how to make a lasting impression, active fighter for social causes and politics, popular, quite moody, sexually oriented, honest, a perfectionist, has a precise sense of judgment and expects complete fairness.

Hornbeam Tree (Good Taste) — of cool beauty, cares for its looks and condition, good taste, is not egoistic, makes life as comfortable as possible, leads a reasonable and disciplined life, looks for kindness and acknowledgment in an emotional partner, dreams of unusual lovers, is seldom happy with its feelings, mistrusts most people, is never sure of its decisions, very conscientious.

Lime Tree (Doubt) - intelligent, hard working, accepts what life dishes out, but not before trying to change bad circumstances into good ones, hates fighting and stress, enjoys getaway vacations, may appear tough, but is actually soft and relenting, always willing to make sacrifices for family and friends, has many talents but not always enough time to use them, can become a complainer, great leadership qualities, is jealous at times but extremely loyal.

Maple Tree (Independence of Mind) — no ordinary person, full of imagination and originality, shy and reserved, ambitious, proud, self-confident, hungers for new experiences, sometimes nervous, has many complexities, good memory, learns easily, complicated love life, wants to impress.

Oak Tree (Brave) — robust nature, courageous, strong, unrelenting, independent, sensible, does not like change, keeps its feet on the ground, person of action.

Olive Tree (Wisdom) — loves sun, warmth and kind feelings, reasonable, balanced, avoids aggression and violence, tolerant, cheerful, calm, well-developed sense of justice, sensitive, empathetic, free of jealousy, loves to read and the company of sophisticated people.

Pine Tree (Peacemaker) — loves agreeable company, craves peace and harmony, loves to help others, active imagination, likes to write poetry, not fashion conscious, great compassion, friendly to all, falls strongly in love but will leave if betrayed or lied to, emotionally soft, low self esteem, needs affection and reassurance.

Poplar Tree (Uncertainty) — looks very decorative, talented, not very self-confident, extremely courageous if necessary, needs goodwill and pleasant surroundings, very choosy, often lonely, great animosity, great artistic nature, good organizer, tends to lean toward philosophy, reliable in any situation, takes partnership seriously.

Rowan Tree (Sensitivity) — full of charm, cheerful, gifted without egoism, likes to draw attention, loves life, motion, unrest, and even complications, is both dependent and independent, good taste, artistic, passionate, emotional, good company, does not forgive.

Walnut Tree (Passion) — unrelenting, strange and full of contrasts, often egotistic, aggressive, noble, broad horizon, unexpected reactions, spontaneous, unlimited ambition, no flexibility, difficult and uncommon partner, not always liked but often admired, ingenious strategist, very jealous and passionate, no compromise.

Weeping Willow (Melancholy) - likes to be stress free, loves family life, full of hopes and dreams, attractive, very empathetic, loves anything beautiful, musically inclined, loves to travel to exotic places, restless, capricious, honest, can be influenced but is not easy to live with when pressured, sometimes demanding, good intuition, suffers in love until they find that one loyal, steadfast partner; loves to make others laugh.

©2008 Insights, Inspirations, Tranquility, Peace and Harmony. All Rights Reserved.

That’s right, the sale of human organ is absolutely prohibited in Singapore.  If you deal with animal organs, maybe that’s a bit different.

Yesterday, Tang Wee Sung, the chairman of CK Tangs (one of the oldest departmental retail store in Singapore) was charged over the illegal transaction of human organ.  Tang Wee Sung is the second son of the late and highly respectable businessman, Tang Choon Keng 董俊竞.  CK Tang, who rose from rags to riches in the early days when SIngapore was still part of the British colony.

It was heartbreaking to hear about the case of the Tang family, one family who I always remembered and respected since I was a kid, being involved in something all of us may become completely incomprehesible, but largely forgivable, less the monetary transaction.

Why Do I Say That?

Simple.  No one wants to die.

As Steve Jobs once said, no one wants to die; even those who want to get to heaven do not want to die to get there.

Imagine you are diagnosed with long time diabetic and kidney failure is inevitable.  Without a kidney transplant, you will probably die in a year or even months.

Imagine you are extremely wealthy too.  You have the financial resources all set to track down suitable kidney donors.  Kidneys by the way, are not mechanical spare parts.  I’m not a medical professional, but I do know that the recipient’s body can easily reject a foreign part if it doesn’t like it hanging around.  This can cause a ton of complications and even result in death.

Imagine now, you’ve found someone who is suitable for such transplant.

Unfortunately, the person is a foreigner, probably someone in the 3rd world where daily survival is a major problem.

Will You Pay To Live Another Decade If You Can Afford?

Sure, money is not everything.

Money cannot buy you happiness when you are terminally ill.

But if money can trade you an extra 10 years, can you ignore its potential?

Listen, I’m not trying to justify anything.  I’m not even into supporting illegal organ transplant.

Reality brings us to the attention of what life may be all about.  Think about it.  If someone were to pay you $300,000 to save a life, would you do it?  Nope?  What about $1,000,000, $5,000,000 (without ever sacrificing your life at the same time)?

Truth to be told, we’re all devils and saints.  Devils in us when we can trade anything others see in demand just to be a little better off in our living conditions.  At the same time, the saint in all of us want to do make that all differences in others, especially when it comes to matters like life and death.

Remember folks tales where the hero would want to trade in their life to prolong the lives of their loved ones?  Who wouldn’t?

You Are Automagically Opt-in To Contribute Your Spare Parts.

The Human Organ Transplant Act allows for the kidneys to be removed in the event of death due to accidents for the purpose of transplantation. All Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents* between the ages of 21 and 60 years are included under HOTA. They will have priority in receiving a cadaveric organ if they need one. However, they can also opt out of HOTA if they do not wish to donate their organs when they die.
On 21 January 2008, the Human Organ Transplant (Amendment) Bill was passed by Parliament to include Muslims into HOTA.
Muslims will be included under HOTA from 1 August 2008.
- Sources: Ministry of Health: Human Organ Transplant Act

Yes, you read that correctly.

If you ever want a kidney transplant, you’ll have to wait for someone of age 21 to 60 to die.  With only 40 years give and take 1 year.  This leaves an extremely low probability of finding a suitable donor as your death clock ticks louder.

Even if you do find a living donor, the person may not ever consider helping you out (the devil inside is at work).  No amount of money in your CPF can ever hope to be of any good - if they ever can be used for such purpose in the first place!

If you hate people ripping you up on your death for any useful spare parts (hopefully), you can always opt-out.

Conclusion:

Though I may be a bit crude in my own views, I seek your forgiveness.

The truth is, you can rest assure that there will be a ton of people waiting in long queues to trade their body parts.  Prohibiting such trade is a wise move for the greater good of humanity.  Unfortunately, every life is just as precious.  No one can wait indefinitely for an organ transplant.  No one wants to suffer the torment of failing organ in their body.

Survivals of kidney patients will probably tell you it’s a miracle if they ever survive their ordeals.  There are literally uncountable stories on the Internet (do read them in the related post section), and they often warm our hearts and remind us that goodwill does and still exist on this money-scented world.

The world would be a lot better place if a global agency exist to quickly track and mediate organ transplant, hence reducing the pains of sufferers.

To wrap up…

Be a responsible human being.

Do take good care of your own health and watch what you eat.

Stay hungry, stay foolish and live a life with passion!

—

Resources:

1. Kidney-for-sale: CK Tang chairman charged with 3 counts
2. Middleman to be paid $300,000 to get kidney for CK Tang boss
3. C. K. Tang (Tang Choon Keng)

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• Surgeons transplant 6 kidneys at once
• Couples swap kidneys in UK first
• PM backs transplant opt-out
• Organ donor system overhaul call
• Concerns over foreign transplants

©2008 Insights, Inspirations, Tranquility, Peace and Harmony. All Rights Reserved.

Sure, you don’t need to be a rocket scientist to realize what this means.  With a sales record of over 6 million units sold to date, Apple Computer now extends its projection to 10 millions units of iPhone devices sold worldwide by the end of this year.

So what is this opportunity I’m taking about?

I’m not suggesting that you go around scooping shares of Apple Computer.  It’s way overvalued anyway, unless you’re betting your money on the short term momentum growth of its international iPod/iPhone/iTouch sales.

I’m coming up some ideas that you may be profiting from if you pay attention to the unstoppable world demand to mobile computing.

To understand its explosive growth, let’s take a look at some features that Appel has been quitely building so far.

iPhone 2.0 OS:

The new OS has plenty of firepower.  One of the smartest move Apple ever made is to release the iPhone Software Development Kit (SDK) and the support for enterprise network connectivity.  If you’re a seasoned software programmer, it is very hard not to imagine the possibilities you can do.

The iPhone SDK comes with a iPhone simulator - an emulated environment where software developers can run, test and debug their applications without actually owning the gadget.  The SDK empowers developers to create killer applications that leverage on the iPhone’s groundbreaking technologies, such as the Multi-Touch™ user interface and animation technology.  With large memory for storage and built-in three-axis accelerometer and geographical location technology (GPS), the iPhone may be destined to set a new standard on how mobile devices gets tightly integrated into our everyday life.

From a user perspective, you can connect your iPhone to your cooperate network via Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync, running secure-over-the-air push mails, contacts and calendars - all pushed to your iPhone device!  IT administrators can easily set up multiple iPhones, password policies, VPN setting, installing certificates, email server settings, all to be easily managed and securely through private cooperate networks running Cisco’s IPsec VPNs.

As you can see, as the user base increase over time, hundreds and thousands of developers may be in a mad rush to create the next killer iPhone application.

Users of iPhones will have to be wary though.  Malicious iPhone application developers may seek to exploit unannouced software valuabilities.

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The Network Effect:

Although the size and scope of Apple’s developer program remains a mystery at this point of time, it is not hard to realize the potential of software sales demonstrated from online auctioneer eBay and various social networking sites.

If you haven’t realize by now, the best way to promote any product is by word-of-mouth - and social networking tools are all set empower software developers to extend their reach to a hungry pool of iPhone users.

As partners of the new Apple Store, it is likely that Apple will take a profit cut from the sales of 3rd party downloaded through iTunes.  iPhone developers though, may be allowed to sell their software at any price they see fit.

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Get Funding Through iFund?

I’m not kidding!

Even if you’re not keen to develop iPhone or iTouch software, you can always setup an outsourcing team and manage the projects and do your own marketing, or even outsource them out!  So you may be asking, where do I draw the capital from?

Answer:

The KPCB’s iFund™.

Essentiall, iFund™ is a $100M investment initiative that will fund market-changing ideas and products that extend the revolutionary new iPhone and iPod touch platform. The iFund™ is agnostic to size and stage of investment and will invest in companies building applications, services and components. Focus areas include location based services, social networking, mCommerce (including advertising and payments), communication, and entertainment. The iFund™ will back innovators pursuing transformative, high-impact ideas with an eye towards building independent durable companies atop the iPhone / iPod touch platform.

- iFund™ FAQ

If you can see what I envision, location based services + social networking + mobile commerce is likely to be the next big bang of the mobile/wireless lifestyle.  Not to mention the lucrative revenues from advertising and a massive bazaar and marketplace for real-time auctions, the world may get a little smaller with the power promise of wireless connectivity.  It is hard to imagine why Google and Microsoft hard biting hard on the next biggest onslought of paying consumers in the face of recession and slowing economic growth.

On a personal note from the standpoint of a private investor, it is sad to uncover that the venture capitalists firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers are only interested to work with investment opportunities, rather than seeking investors.

Nevertheless, the future of iPhone/iTouch is bright; and as aspiring entrepreneurs who dream to earn their first million bucks may be brave enough to venture right into this new venture.

Will you be the garage born multi-millionaire?  Or will it be your neighbour next door?

Stay hungry, stay foolish and live a life with passion!

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©2008 Insights, Inspirations, Tranquility, Peace and Harmony. All Rights Reserved.

Just today, REACH launched its very first attempt to increase its reach (obviously) via the extremely hot social networking platform, Facebook.  If you’ve never heard about Facebook by now, then you’ve been living under the rock for the past 2 years.

For those who are new to REACH, it’s a feedback system for the general public to submit their concerns for the various outlooks of Singapore.  Topics such as CPF changes and the rising cost of living (inflation) that has been hitting hard on the ordinary and lower income groups have been systematically compiled, summarized and probably escalated to the various goverment agencies of concern.

All feedback is compiled into summary reports which are surfaced to the Cabinet and government agencies every month for their information.
- Source: REACH FAQ

I believe this is a wise move made by the Singapore government - a bold step useful in paying closer attention to the younger generations here in Singapore (especially Generation Y) , the future of Singapore .

After reading the news reported on Channel NewsAisa, I took a peak at REACH’s Facebook profile and attempted to locate the Wall Post made by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

“What?!  PM Lee has a Facebook profiel?!”, I mumbered…

I took a closer look but no way I can find it.  A quick search found a profile listed as “Lee Hsein Loong” but it look very much like a young guy.  Opps!  I realized I’ve mispelled the wrong guy!

Trying again with the keywords “Lee Hsien Loong” yield 16 results (at the moment) and voila!  I’ve found our Prime Minister’s Facebook profile with his little picture (protrait) on it!

Hey, hey…!

Before you get too excited, spinning your head off the hookand start your “friend add” frenzy, consider a little technical problem with Facebook…

Facebook currently has a maximum technical limitation of 5,000 friends per profile.

So if you think you want to be a “Friend” of REACH or our Prime Minister (sounds scary?), you must act fast.  Once that limit is reach, no one knows for sure if Facebook will up this limitation, or waive it and let loose its business steam!

There are alternatives actually, if REACH ever consider in the future… is to create a Facebook Page/Group instead, and allow only friends from the Singapore based network to get more Singapore citizens to get involve.

Then again, how about Singaporeans who are based overseas?  Will it be just as effective or will it (or can it) be abused?

Comments?  Maybe you can offer your 2 cents! 

Have a great weekend ahead and live a life with passion.

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Resource Links:

1. REACH launches first roving interactive exhibition in heartlands