Searching for Utopia

Among the channels I’m subscribed to, I must say Disney Channel is one of my favorites. I love watching HSM, or teen sitcoms like Hannah Montana or That’s So Raven. Well, I even liked Zoey 101, but hey, that’s not on Disney Channel.

Anyways, for me they’re just entertaining — not the sort of films to be taken seriously. But now as a mom-to-be, I can’t help but wonder why do those kids always seem to choose the same old path?

Let’s see, how many (ex) Disney girls can you name? Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Lindsay Lohan, Hilary Duff, Miley Cyrus, Vanessa Hudgens —

By 15 they’d reach the peak of fame with their squeaky clean images. Then they would do one or more of these things: leaking naked pictures of themselves, getting a few DUI charges, going to rehab — you get the picture.

In their sophomore works, in an attempt to ditch their Disney star images, they’d exploit their sexuality. Calling their new look as their real selves, good girl gone bad, or ’sexual revelation’, like Xtina does. It always works, you know.

Miley Cyrus, following the infamous vow of Britney Spears, has stated to stay virgin until she weds. With her saucy pictures floating on the net, I don’t think the poor lass really understood what she has said.

Hilary Duff is so far the only one who could resist those temptations. But if I had daughter, I still wouldn’t let her to act as a ’slutty pop star’ like Duff did, even for a role. You do what you do, it doesn’t matter if it’s only a movie or not.

Maybe children should rather stick to Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck, and leave the teen sitcoms to their mommies.

A while ago I received an email from my brother-in-law in Indonesia. He’s a communication lecturer, and currently writing his master’s thesis in a local university. He said he’s offered a scholarship abroad after graduating to upgrade his skill. As he’s very much committed to his profession, he plans to grab the opportunity.

His biggest concern is that he’d have to leave his family. Without doubt, when one’s married, family is a top priority. Therefore, though universities in the USA and UK receive more recognition in Indonesia, his first choice would be Australia or Singapore, since the two countries are not too far.

But what can’t be solved nowadays? Thanks to the miracle that is internet, distance learning would be the best solution for him. By opting for one, he’d still have some quality time with his family, get to keep his job, and top up his knowledge — all at the same time.

If you’re in the same predicament like my brother-in-law, Online Degree may be the most suitable option. One thing you’d need to make sure beforehand is the credibility of the school.

That being said, Kaplan Open Learning has it all. A UK-based online higher education division, it is an affiliate college of the University of Essex. Thus, it is the responsibility of the University of Essex to assure the quality of the college. When you enroll, you’d become a student of both with full access to their online facilities.

Whether you’re in the UK, Singapore, or on the move, it matters little. All courses are held online to give you the maximum flexibility to study at your convenience.

It offers many different degree programs, including Business Management, Entrepreneurship, Sales Management and Internet Marketing. So, the choice is yours. You might plan to obtain a university Foundation Degree or top up that degree to an Honours Degree.

From what I’ve read further on its website, the college also welcomes all types of financial aid and other scholarships.

Doesn’t it sound good enough for you? If it does, visit kaplanopenlearning.org.uk for more info.

Owning a car in Singapore is very expensive — if not most expensive. Last year, we bought a Subaru Impreza for like $53,500. In Indonesia, the same car is $36,900, while in Hungary it’s $43,257. It’s not the kind of car with big engines like you see on Need for Speed; but it serves its purpose. Other top-selling brands are Mitsubishi, Nissan, Chevrolet, and Toyota. Of course, you can always pick one of the Spykers, which can be around $1.5 million, or one of the Ferraris, which typically range between $780,000 and $1.1 million.

But why would you need a car in Singapore, you ask. Let me tell you why. Contrary to common belief, public transportation in Singapore is not that perfect. Well, at least not in suburbs like where we live. A trip to my office in Lorong Chuan takes around 1.5 hours by bus, that’s if I don’t have to wait for the bus. MRT is definitely not a choice, since both my flat and office are far from any stations. By car, otherwise, it’s only 30 minutes.

Another case was when I fell sick last year. I could only manage to walk to the nearest bus stop, only to find that the bus going to my GP — which is only 4km away — only went once each hour. Thankfully, a taxi was willing to take us — sometimes they refused, since the distance is too short, you see. Other than that, a car would also be most useful when you are with children or elderly people.

In short, there are situations in which you really need a car. But it’s not just the price that daunts car buyers in Singapore. It’s also the higher fuel prices, ERP, parking charges as well as inflation.

As for ourselves, we are lucky that parking is free at home, but in most HDBs you will be charged as much as $90 per month. That means, you should spend double price if you live in HDB and you also have to pay parking in the office. Click here here for parking rates for commercial buildings.

For us, fuel costs $167.68 per month, but it should not be the same for each person. Currently we travel for above 1,000 km in a month, and the car consumes more than 80 liters.

ERP charges are varied, but if you work in CDB area from 9-6, there is no way you could avoid it. Prepare with at least $50 per month, though most likely that would not be enough, as new gantries have recently been operated.

On top of those, depending on the type of your car, you’d still need to pay road tax and insurance. The two together would cost at least $1,200 per year, if you are a first-time driver. Other expenses will include services and repairs cost. Altogether, you should be ready with at least $1,000 per month to keep a car. If it’s still too expensive, worry not. You can still go for an off-peak car scheme. Click here for more details.

So, is it even worth it to own a car in Singapore? Maybe, maybe not. Funnily enough, with all those expenses we could still save more money than if we chose to sell the car and move to CBD. Methinks the soaring property costs are way more frightening.

Related article: Unsafe Roads in Singapore?

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This is the latest update from High School Musical 3 to cheer up your day after the sad news from Hungary.

Yes, it’s High School Musical 3: Senior Year, and it’s going to hit the theaters on October 24. Yay! Can’t wait! Maybe I’ll go for it on the first night it’s out with those Zac Efron’s fans. Hm—

Hungary’s canoeing legend, Gyorgy Kolonics died yesterday in Budapest due to what seemed to be heart failure.

He was two-times Olympic gold medalist and fifteen times world champion.

He became ill during training in Danube for his fifth Summer Olympics in Beijing, and lost consciousness soon after. The attending paramedics could not help him.

Pregnancy is perhaps the most important phase of life. For a first time mother-to-be, however, it can also be most complex, especially when you’re living in a foreign country like we are now.

But don’t fret. Things will go well if you’re fully prepared. First of all, you’ll need help from an OB/GYN. Choosing the right one for you is very important, so don’t just go with any OB/GYN. Here are the things you would want to consider before seeing one:

1. Decide your budget
You can check the size of hospital bills you are willing to afford in this link from the Ministry of Health. Depending on the procedures and ward class, you will see different figures. Take your time to browse through them, and then make up your mind.

2. Do online researches, ask your friends, or visit a trustworthy GP for recommendations.
Some OB/GYNs only want their patients to deliver in specific hospitals, usually where they practice. Make sure the OB/GYN could deliver in the hospital you have chosen, and it should not be far from where you live.

I’d say it wouldn’t be wise for me to choose Mount Elizabeth, since I live in Pasir Ris. Perhaps I would just give birth on the way.

3. Avoid too busy clinics
In most cases, usually more patients also mean that the OB/GYN is better/ more likeable. But it might not be suitable for you, especially if it’s your first pregnancy. Busy OB/GYN will only spend 5-10 minutes for each patient to cut the line short.

First time mother-to-be are usually still confused about many things, so you’ll need the OB/GYN who can listen to your questions and needs. Say bye-bye to OB/GYNs who act rushed.

4. Check the environment, nurses.
Even when you find the OB/GYN is good, don’t forget that you’ll have to deal with the clinic’s environment for about nine months. At times you may find the nurses are hard to deal with, and at other times you simply can’t find any car park nearby.

5. Do some “trial” visits
Usually OB/GYN starts their package after your pregnancy is four months old. So if you begin to see them before that period, you should have a few visits before deciding whether you’re seeing the right one.

Without doubt, Singapore is world famous for its clean environment. It’s so clean that you should have no worry about treading on dog poo while enjoying your afternoon stroll.

But if dogs behave amazingly well here, some others may not. Check the message below:

The picture is said to be taken from a 10th floor male toilet in Park Mall. And I’m afraid this problem plagues many other places across the island, especially inside the elevators of HDBs. Imagine taking a ride to level fifteen in an elevator reeking of urine.

Why do people even pee in the elevator?

You are what you eat, so we heard often. After years, I’ve just realized that I’m actually quite fussy about food. Don’t get me wrong, I eat almost everything; but red meat. But I definitely can’t stand eating the same thing over and over again.

One thing to keep me busy during my first year in Singapore was to hunt for Indonesian food. I hadn’t had to taste any for a while, so it was like a desperate urgency at that time, mind you. Luckily there are many Indonesian restaurants across the islands to satisfy my voracious appetite.

The bad news is that most of those restaurants have similar menu. In fact, I think 90% of Indonesian restaurants here have ayam penyet. Ayam Penyet Ria, Waroeng Penyet, Pondok Jawa Timur, Java Kitchen, Yasero, Resto Surabaya — and the list goes on (Pecel lele at Ayam Penyet Ria is still my favorite though).

Well, there’s nothing wrong with this smashed chicken, but come on! There are so many great food from Indonesia, like my favorite pepes ikan, or buntil, or stuffed milk fish (otak-otak bandeng). Yum yum! Bayang has pepes, but it’s nothing like you usually eat in Indonesia. There’s still room for improvement.

So, by now I’ve given up the hunt and just eat whatever I happen to find. Surprisingly, I’ve found several yummy findings:

Near Eunos MRT there’s a stall selling fried pomfret. The last time it was only $3, which is very cheap, but the taste can compete with the one from Java Kitchen. The uncle also sells anchovy fried rice, but I never care to order anything else.

I had my first and best taste of stingray BBQ at Century Square food court. I think it’s around $5.80 now, and they also have the same fried pomfret and — guess what, ayam penyet!

Popeye’s Chicken in Changi Airport offers fewer menus than what we had back in Surabaya, but they taste as nice. But one of the waitresses surely needs more practice.

And my best finding so far is the kueh stall in Giant Tampines. I don’t know what its name, but it sells many kinds of kuehs and snacks. Zsolt loves the cakue (cakoi), which is the local version of Hungarian langos. while my favorite is the onde-onde. It’s oh so crispy outside and tender inside. I’m talking about the sesame ball — not to mix it up with local onde-onde, which is klepon in Indonesian. I think this is the best onde-onde I’ve ever had in my life.

Hm, and now I’m having a craving for tempe gembus (menjes). Anyone knows where to buy it in Singapore?