UK
Iwoot - S$88.46
Vpost - S$45.89
US
Thinkgeek - $107.28
Fredflare - S$66.80
NBC - S$79.90
Comgateway - S$110.96
Total: S$499.29
As compared to 2010:
US
Thinkgeek - USD $175.28 (S$228.22)
Fredflare - USD $273.00 (S$355.45)
Vpost - S$129.69
Total: S$713.36
Brief Summary:
Well, this is a surprise. It felt as if I had spent more this year. Perhaps it was due to more merchants purchased from, a leap of four merchants as compared to two merchants last year - 100% increase.
Expenditure fell 30%, though shipping charges increased by 20.9%, perhaps due to increased shipping charges.
Still hard to say if it is cost-effective to purchase items from uk considering that vpostuk does not offer consolidation of packages. (Then again, since when is Christmas shopping ever cost-effective. )
Also, another highly influential factor would be the fluctuation of exchange rates. Without a doubt, the exchange rates would be favorable towards me now, and for times to come hopefully. More bang for my buck which equates to more bucks as the items seem significantly cheaper.
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Ah time, how fast thee passeth
Ah Father Time. Thee speedeth by so fast, the sun has risen 365 times already.
So this is Christmas, and what have you done?
Indeed. I have done so much and yet so little. Do I feel more accomplished in my life? More personal satisfaction? I think I do. I have found love. I am still able to help people in my work. I have helped thousands of people for majority of the year before I had to leave due to undesirable circumstances. Then I found another job, and am still able to continue serving people.
I hope you have fun
The near and the dear one
The old and the young
Fun. What a word to describe a year. A year of fun. Of ups and downs, of thrills and spills, of broken hearts. Yet, fun is something that defies our definition of life. Can life be fun? Definitely.
What is fun? Laughter? Joy? Emotional security? Not being burdened with materialistic achievements or goals and taking a backseat to smile and be merry?
If that is so, then my year was one full of fun.
What about yours? Can your life be summed up in a word?
So this is Christmas, and what have you done?
Indeed. I have done so much and yet so little. Do I feel more accomplished in my life? More personal satisfaction? I think I do. I have found love. I am still able to help people in my work. I have helped thousands of people for majority of the year before I had to leave due to undesirable circumstances. Then I found another job, and am still able to continue serving people.
I hope you have fun
The near and the dear one
The old and the young
Fun. What a word to describe a year. A year of fun. Of ups and downs, of thrills and spills, of broken hearts. Yet, fun is something that defies our definition of life. Can life be fun? Definitely.
What is fun? Laughter? Joy? Emotional security? Not being burdened with materialistic achievements or goals and taking a backseat to smile and be merry?
If that is so, then my year was one full of fun.
What about yours? Can your life be summed up in a word?
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Ethan
Ethan, me lad, I feel for you.
I watched as you walked through the restroom two to three times, your face scrunched up in worry.
Then I approached you and realized you couldn't find your dad, but his ticket was with you.
I went through the restroom and checked the surrounding foyer areas for any sign of him, but to no avail.
I advised you to sit on the cushion seats outside the door first, before we would go in together during intermission to determine if your dad was in the auditorium.
You sat down obediently, but still displaying slight anxiety.
With the wits a ten year old can muster, you told me the whole story. How your family were late. How your dad was behind you at the security counter. How you were with your younger three year old brother and your mum, and you went to the gents. Your mum then passed you two tickets, one for you and your father, before rushing into the venue with your brother.
You gave me your father's mobile and I tried calling, only to be diverted to voicemail.
I could only advise you that there was a high chance your father was inside, the underlying statement that he had gone in without you.
Then intermission came, and I brought you in to look for your family. They weren't at the seats so I brought you back to the main foyer area and there they were.
I watched as your dad stood with folded arms, and merely nodded at you as you went towards him.
Then I heard your mum scolding you being 'such an ass.'
My heart goes out to you, Ethan.
I only hope that you will build upon this traumatic incident, and not allow it to morph you. I wouldn't want to see you in the papers on a killing spree.
Ethan, me lad, take care and go forth well.
I watched as you walked through the restroom two to three times, your face scrunched up in worry.
Then I approached you and realized you couldn't find your dad, but his ticket was with you.
I went through the restroom and checked the surrounding foyer areas for any sign of him, but to no avail.
I advised you to sit on the cushion seats outside the door first, before we would go in together during intermission to determine if your dad was in the auditorium.
You sat down obediently, but still displaying slight anxiety.
With the wits a ten year old can muster, you told me the whole story. How your family were late. How your dad was behind you at the security counter. How you were with your younger three year old brother and your mum, and you went to the gents. Your mum then passed you two tickets, one for you and your father, before rushing into the venue with your brother.
You gave me your father's mobile and I tried calling, only to be diverted to voicemail.
I could only advise you that there was a high chance your father was inside, the underlying statement that he had gone in without you.
Then intermission came, and I brought you in to look for your family. They weren't at the seats so I brought you back to the main foyer area and there they were.
I watched as your dad stood with folded arms, and merely nodded at you as you went towards him.
Then I heard your mum scolding you being 'such an ass.'
My heart goes out to you, Ethan.
I only hope that you will build upon this traumatic incident, and not allow it to morph you. I wouldn't want to see you in the papers on a killing spree.
Ethan, me lad, take care and go forth well.
Thursday, December 08, 2011
Youth Gang Fight
I was reading the papers the other day about some gang fight where two youths were injured. Can't remember which one? It was the one that involved the student from Raffles Institution. I bet you can remember it now. And why not? The media subtly emphasized the educational institution the youth was from. Yet, if I were to ask you which school did the other youth come from, what would you respond?
You would probably think 'he got go to school meh?' After all, there was no mention of his school. What you just displayed or had participated in, is the effect of media on the unknowing. If you were able to find the article and read it again, you would realize only RI is mentioned and not any other schools. Subconsciously, you would recognize that as students from RI cannot be involved in gang fights; otherwise why would it be mentioned in the news article?
If that were true, the reverse would also be true. It is alright for students from other schools to be involved in gang fights. Most of you would vehemently object to that statement. But, most of you wouldn't object to the earlier statement either.
So which is which? Is your judgement being clouded by information, or lack of thorough information in the article? Is there an underlying presumption that it is a major head-turner for students from RI to be involved in gang fights?
If these were true, what about the other articles that you have read? Are you basing them on presumptions as well? Or personal knowledge? Or authenticated articles backed up by facts and statistics?
You decide.
You would probably think 'he got go to school meh?' After all, there was no mention of his school. What you just displayed or had participated in, is the effect of media on the unknowing. If you were able to find the article and read it again, you would realize only RI is mentioned and not any other schools. Subconsciously, you would recognize that as students from RI cannot be involved in gang fights; otherwise why would it be mentioned in the news article?
If that were true, the reverse would also be true. It is alright for students from other schools to be involved in gang fights. Most of you would vehemently object to that statement. But, most of you wouldn't object to the earlier statement either.
So which is which? Is your judgement being clouded by information, or lack of thorough information in the article? Is there an underlying presumption that it is a major head-turner for students from RI to be involved in gang fights?
If these were true, what about the other articles that you have read? Are you basing them on presumptions as well? Or personal knowledge? Or authenticated articles backed up by facts and statistics?
You decide.
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