Author: hazelnut
Women in Construction
TL;DR I have been approached by HR that they are preparing a short article on women in construction. I asked who the target audience was, and HR mentioned it would be for internal, and possibly to be featured on LinkedIn too. And I thought to myself, wow, i was approached to be ‘interviewed’ and featured. But after the article was published, chey, haha, there were other ladies that were been approached as well. Total of 4 of us. haha.. so anyway, since I drafted the replies to the questions posted, might as well post them and not let my effort go to waste. đ
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Brief background of myself:
I graduated from a local university with a B.Eng (Civil) in 2011. Iâve worked for two years in Singaporeâs largest developer, where I took on a project management role and structural improvement projects. Next, I changed my job scope to be a main contractor, where I had been involved in numerous projects from tender to construction to completion. I am currently pursuing my Masters in Science (Project Management), and work as a Planning Manager in a large A1 main contractor.
Your perception of the construction industry prior to joining the sector?
The construction site can be summed up with 3 âDâs â Dangerous, Dirty & Dusty. My first interviewer asked if I was ready for this environment, and the ignorant young graduate in me replied âyesâ with gusto. I am glad to say after 11 years, I love the challenges in this industry. From the past projects I have been involved in, the 3 âDâs can become safe and clean with proper management at the construction site.
Why do you want to join the construction industry? What âattractsâ you?
When I was a child, I received a toy which was a remote-controlled tower crane set. That was when I started developing an interest in construction equipment. Then, as I grew up to be a teenager, I looked around Singapore and marvelled at her skyscrapersâ design and engineering. So the choice to complete my degree in Civil Engineering was a straightforward decision for me, even as my seniors warned that it was a âdumping groundâ (the course which undergraduates would finally enrol in if they could not qualify for the course of their choice).
For me, I looked forward to proudly proclaiming how I was a part of the design and construction process of completed buildings that are standing tall. Joining a main contractor firm allows me to do just that.
What are the challenges you face, if any, in a male dominated environment?
The male-dominated environment can get very harsh for women. It is not uncommon to be yelled at, sometimes with vulgarities, or to be surrounded by men who would change their attire in front of you. However, it is essential not to take these happenings to heart and not treat them as personal. The physical work and the harsh working conditions, especially under the sweltering heat, meant that men arehot-tempered and would have more âç«æ°â. So, once you internalise that it is not a personal attack, you grow more resilient towards it.
One particular challenge women would face is that the construction site may not be conducive for a pregnant and breastfeeding mum. Pregnant staff are not recommended on site, so my work activities were limited to the project site office. After I returned from my maternity leave, the fast-paced environment and the lack of suitable nursing amenities meant that it was a challenge to be expressing milk during working hours. I was fortunate to receive support from my bosses and colleagues while fulfilling my duties as a mother during working hours.
Do you think being a female in this industry could be a disadvantage, or an advantage, or both?
Women are generally more detailed and risk-averse. I see this as an advantage, as handling a construction project is akin to whipping up a meal. It requires meticulous planning and careful execution to ensure the projectâs eventual success. Just like a chef has to estimate how much time he needs to prepare his ingredients, how he should prepare them, and what he needs to do while waiting for food to cook and ensuring that the food is not burnt. Therefore, time management is crucial, and womenâs ability to multi-task becomes an asset in completing more tasks in the same amount of time.
What does your day-to-day involve and what parts of your role do you enjoy the most?
My day starts with a short site walk to soak in the projectâs progress and observe site practices. Site walks benefits any staff because they allow one to visualise the actual situation and understand what is otherwise only seen as lines and words in drawings and documents. After which, I return to the office to a schedule filled with meetings, discussions and collaboration with colleagues, consultants, clients, and sub-contractors. My role requires me to be involved in drawing coordination, construction planning, scheduling and progress, claims and procurement. In addition, I set aside time to discuss work with my team of engineers and provide guidance to point them in the right direction.
In all that I do, I enjoy interacting with people the most. Sometimes, a conversation breaks down all barriers and is the start of building an amicable and good working relationship.
If there is one word to describe working in the construction industry, what would that be and why?
I would say âdemandingâ. Construction is a laborious job on site, and even if one was carrying out an office role in planning or procurement, the level of detail and the pace of work required is demanding. However, commitment and self-motivation keep you going in this demanding career.
What are your thoughts having worked in the construction industry?
Construction is an ancient and aged profession, and its history dates back to as old as the Great Pyramid. Over the years of industrialisation, development in construction technology has stayed relatively stagnant compared to other industries. However, in recent years of increased emphasis on digitalisation and automation, many exciting things have been happening in the construction field. There are endless possibilities in our industry such as 3D printing a structure, constructing buildings like Lego, using robots to automate tasks, and leveraging AI to optimise designs and flag out problem areas. This is just the beginning of a myriad of opportunities. I see more womenâs involvement and contribution in ways that do not require them to be exposed to the 3 âDâs of a construction site.
What advice would you give to other females thinking to join the construction industry?
The construction industry is generally male-dominated, but that does not mean that women are unsuitable. The reason there are fewer women seen on construction sites is likely due to the 3 âDâs I mentioned. Once you get past your personal obstacles, the next step would be to let everyone know that you mean business and to take you seriously.
As cliche as it sounds, âwhen the going gets tough, the tough get goingâ. So if you are outgoing or love challenges, a construction industry career would definitely suit you to a tee.
the ART in the City
I picked the clinic at ARC for my pre-employment check up, to ććł the 2.5 years I spent with all my tears and sweat to make this place a successful completion. After the check up, I strolled around, taking in all the arts exhibit. This was indeed a very nice place that the developer and the consultants and not forgetting of course, the MAIN CONTRACTOR have done up.
It has been a long while since I had the chance to stroll all by myself. It was some quiet time, and I had courage to be myself, but I felt that the lack of BBW and the 2 boys were something that I would not trade with.. Probably once in a while is fine, but see, how much they have weaved themselves into my life.
the great RESIGNATION wave
It had been a long tussle. The first time I had a prospective pay raise when a headhunter contacted me, I delibrated during my Tasmania holiday and finally turned the offer down even though it would have been a 15% increase. This time round, the 3rd time a better job offer (read: salary package) came knocking on my door, I was determined not to let chance slip thru my fingers anymore. More money wanted to come to me, and it doesn’t pay to be loyal, so why be so silly, right?
Before I sent out my letter officially this time round, I spoke with Daniel and Lee, and Daniel, having been the one with the most direct impact about me leaving, spoke to me at great lengths, willing me to stay. I must say he is quite good, and I was swayed and at one point of time seriously did considered staying, but I think the problem is he, at a mid management level, still did not have direct say, and have to seek the permission and approval of higher ups before he could commit anything to me – which I saw as having no assurance that the promise and all that he said would last even in the subsequent years. I also read this article on Forbes (What to do when the boss begs you to stay), and even though I would think that the company probably will not find a cheaper replacement and kick me out, I still think that the rest of the points are valid in my case.
2 years have passed since Covid-19 became a full-blown pandemic affecting the whole world, and starting from 4Q2021, the US and Europe has also experienced the Great Resignation Wave, where employees are seeking better flexibility and better job opportunities. Somehow, the figures are not as pronounced in Singapore. Anyway, I know that around my time, Larry, Liling, Maymee, DingDing, Joey, also resigned, from our consultants, 3 other staffs as well.
Anyway, on this last day of my 8.5 years, I ended my employment at this really challenging project (this is also 10% of the reason why I left).
Covid restrictions to 5 for dining out, made it a lot less a fanfare. But it’s all good. As I aged, I cringed being the centre of the attention. The super AA (Attract Attention) me is no longer around.
Now, since we are on this topic, let’s continue posting some photos of Liling’s farewell.
At this moment, TT still hasnt gotten back to me regarding the next step of the conditional offer, which is they wanted to arrange an interview with the client for me. So my next chess play would be to go over to O, and let’s see how fate pans out my career. Wish me all the best and that the jump is for the better! đ„ł
If there’s something I learnt out of this, is that appreciate the things/people while you still have them and show them how much you treasure them. And that ‘Congrats’ should be the first thing you say to someone instead of ‘Oh, how come?!’ when they inform you they have found a new job/resigned.
BrEaSTFEEDING here i go again
It’s been a little over 18 months since my last post on breastfeeding. And here I am re-embarking on my bf journey once again, and likely, this will also be my last leg of the journey – I’ll endure for as long as I can tahan.
We welcomed the birth of baby E on 18 Nov, 4days shy of his EDD, which if he abided to, would not get him a dedicated cake every year as he would be sharing it with me! Before his birth, I wrote in my birth plan as well as my wish list for this child, that I would like to be able for him to latch on and nurse directly and that skin-to-skin right after birth could hopefully aid in achieving that. He was delivered a whooping 300g heavier than his elder brother, but also half an hour shorter in terms of labour.
Second time through, my breast milk still took 5days for the first precious colustrum to ooze out. I guess that’s just how my boobs are wired. My hopes of getting baby E to know how to latch on diminished by the day, as I recalled how C was getting more n more impatient n cried everytime he did not manage to suck anything. They said ‘a hungry man is an angry man’, babies included. Nonetheless, the nurses at the hospital kept encouraging me to latch him on, and shoved his head into my boobs everytime he cried with his mouth wide open (I learnt that that was the key to a successful deep latch!). At times when I did not have their guidance, I ended up allowing baby E to latch shallow-lay – not covering the whole of the areola, and had sore nipples which made it painful to breastfeed.
Back home from hospital, my mum guided me to try side-lying position, which was very useful because I don’t get upper back aches while trying to bring baby to breast (more often than not, I bring breast to baby, cos the pillow props underneath are not high enough and it gets tiring on the arms trying to carry a 4kg for half to 1 hour). However, the side-lying position, once comfortable always had me dozing off while baby is at it, and I end up don’t realising that baby is not sucking anymore. And so the feeding sessions would drag.
And while J and my mum followed thru my insistance on cup feeding in order not to have nipple confusion, it was tiring to feed a baby 40-50ml, each time only pouring 10-15ml into the small plastic cup. I appreciate that they é ć-ed. Cos I think one reason for my failure with Chono may be attributed to too early introduction of the bottle teat, which was way easier than to suck from breast, cos the teat just delivers the milk with minimal sucking.
After reading so much, you ought to be able to guess if I had it successful with baby E.
The answer is a YES! đ This will be a very different experience for me as compared to my firstborn.
I managed to finish my confinement month without having to touch my electric double pump at all! Yayy to less washing (although I’m not the one washing at all for this whole month), and note I said ‘less washing’ and not ‘no washing’. I invested (OK, not like they cost a bomb đ ) in a pair of milk collector shells, and also took out my Hegen manual pump for use, for the reason which I will elaborate further in the para below on the pros and cons of latching on.
PROS vs CONS of latching on as compared to Exclusive Pumping
PROS:
- More bonding with baby as you are the only one who could feed him! And babies spent the next most amount of time feeding, other than sleeping! They literally feed like 1/3 or more of their time each day!
- Much less washing of a milk collector shell, which I will put in the other side of boob that is not latched on, because the let down usually occurs in both breast when baby starts to suckle. At first, without the milk collector shell, I was having embarrassing episodes of wet bra and shirt, and then I thought not to waste it so I collected cupping my manual breast pump over the other breast. I was contemplating whether to buy a Haakaa manual silicon breast pump which stays in place just by suction, but I read that it would actually draw more milk out than the natural let down, which in the ideal case, is not preferred as baby should feed on both breasts in one session.
- Breast milk that baby takes is always fresh and doesn’t need to be chilled/warmed up, which the older folks will say may have ‘wind’ in it.
- Trips outdoor would be more convenient as the nursery room does not necessary need to have the electrical socket for the electric pump to work. Baby is the pump on the go! You can feed where you have a seat, or even while walking (if you are strong enough to tahan baby’s weight).
- Less occurrence of engorgement unless baby is not around you. Baby is your mobile pump!
CONS:
- Direct breastfeeding is very baby-initiated and intervals between feeds could be as recent as within 1hour, whereas pumping schedule can be controlled by the mother herself, and would usually be at ~3hours interval (if mum is disciplined enough).
- Any elder child may get jealous when they see the younger sibling perpetually always plastered to your chest and that you aren’t able to spend time with them instead. C said to me ‘mama, put didi down and play with me’ đ
- With latching, there will be less or almost no situation of over-supply as your body gets all the signals from baby’s latching and constantly changes the amount of breast milk to produce. For mothers that are returning to work, introduce pumping to stimulate more production as pumping drains the breast really empty. That said, baby E seems to be suffering from symptoms of over-supply with frothy/foamy stool, but luckily it lasted not more than a week, although he still had lots of wind.
- Baby always take in the foremilk first, and may not empty the breast to drain fully the hindmilk. With pumping, the consistency is evenly mixed as all of the outputs are mixed into one bottle.
I was also reading up on the constitution of breast milk, and came across this very interesting article on ‘foremilk’ and ‘hindmilk’, which the author did an experiment with her own breast milk.
http://thefunnyshapedwoman.blogspot.com/2011/05/foremilk-and-hindmilk-in-quest-of.html
And so, as I have mentioned earlier, I have been using the milk collector shell to collect the bm that were flowing like a fountain during let down. And that would be the foremilk. Everyday, I would be able to collect 200-300ml by this manner, and that been too much for baby E, I would offer them to C. At first, when it was pure bm, he rejected it, but I mixed it with the FM that he was familiar with, and he finished every drop of it, saying the milk was sweet!
I’m glad to be able to have different experience for both babies. The bonding that you experience is not something easily achieved by playing toys or other activities. This time round, let’s see how long I can continue breastfeeding my no. 2! Stay tuned! âïž
đ€± 
đŹ
happy TEACHERS’ day
It’s been like how many years since I said ‘Happy Teachers’ Day’… *counting fingers… and give up*
Teachers’ Day, just like Valentine’s day or Christmas, has now been so commercialised such that every business out there is vying for a slice of the money cake. Gifts range from useless stuffed toys to stationeries, cookies to chocolates, or even one serving of honey which probably cost much less than its packaging. And ever since I joined Art Don’t Throw ane Journey to Zero Waste Facebook group, I became very conscious of cutting down my carbon footprint in my entire lifetime..
This year is C’s first teacher’s day, and I get questions from evelyn on what gifts to prepare. I told her to use Jenelle’s handprint/footprint to make some art pieces or a greeting card, but it seems art is not her cup of tea. C’s school further supported my ideology that buying something which the teacher does not need/want is not encouraged, and to use recycled material to make a greeting card instead.
So I cracked my head on C’s behalf and finally came up with the idea to paint superheroes on the plastic meiji milk bottles. Just so because teachers are SUPERHEROES! I asked C to pick a female character for each of his teachers, and drew the outline on the bottle. J chipped in to help cut them up! And it was time to paint with this 2.5yo boy! He was very obedient and patient to let me guide him thru the whole painting process, and understood that we couldn’t æç ž this art project since they were meant for his teachers!
And the final product..
And the next day, decided to give his 3 superheroes more character, by tying bottle caps as their hands n feet. It really made C crackle in laughter when I made these superheroes waltz towards him in the kiak-kiak-kiak sound.
And feeling quite proud of his äœćïŒI decided to share on Art Don’t Throw Facebook page. And little did I expect to get such positive feedback and encouragement and likes. Even when we took part in Photo Contest previously, we didn’t managed to garner as much support. đ
Also, compiled a 23sec video of C wishing his teachers! Instead of saying Happy Teachers’ Day, he is saying happy birthday to teachers! And even when we ask that he repeat after us, he will just say Happy and Day đ. J and I thinks that he knows and æ æçă
Also, happy TEACHERS’ Day to dearest BBW! =) he was overwhelmed by gifts from students and teachers alike, and said he was so stressed, since he it was his first teacher’s day in school and didn’t know what to expect and thus didn’t prepare anything for the rest of the teachers. But glad that he seems to be liking his new career so far! =
BONJOUR you baguette đ„
After my debut in bread making experience, I came across French Baguette making while surfing YouTube on bread making. My favourite kind of bread! I thought it must be very challenging to make nice tasting crispy-on-the-outside-yet-soft-on-the-inside baguette but no, I must say this is way easier than the other bread recipes because minimal kneading is required. The recipe I followed was from John Kirkwood, and YouTube with free video sharing is the best when u want to follow any recipe. Sometimes words just don’t express the entire meaning fully. If not for the video, on how certain steps are done, I don’t think my results would be successful!
Just 4 simple ingredients: bread flour (which has >12% protein), instant yeast, salt, n cool tap water!
End product:
I baked mine for 10mins on the first side and ~12mins on the other.. The patience is however needed for all that proofing. I started at 10am, and would have it out of the oven around 4pm. That’s a whooping 6hour! Not anything I could achieve if not for Work From Home.
đ€€ And C now knows this kind of bread is called Ba-get. Not bad for a 27+mo, in my opinion.
my virgin Bread baking experience!
I faintly remembered I tried making a bread many years ago but it was not successful and it became as hard as a rock. After that, #midnightbakers only tried their hands on cakes, cookies, pineapple tarts, macaroons but all this while no bread đ.
So this time round (I shall erase that failed attempt from my experience list đ), with the oven staring at my face everyday in Circuit Breaker (since 7april), in Phase 1, and now that I’m still working from home in Phase 2, I decided to attempt once more. My #midnightbakers partner decided that he is more interesting in eating than in baking so I’m all left alone. đȘ So here’s documenting my virgin experience and I must conclude that it was a success!
Some photos to boast and reminisce :
I actually took a video after removing it from the rising 1 hour later. But since I didn’t sign up for a professional account, I can’t upload videos. Anyways.. Look how small it was before.. And guess what, when I removed the damp towel above it, the dough was touching the towel! After I lifted the towel, the dough immediately sinked to about 2/3 of the depth of this white bowl!
situation doesn’t seem to be improving, and itâs SADDENING to read and hear about it
2 months have passed since the start of lockdown in Wuhan, China. In these 2 months, many other countries have followed suit, restricting local movements, banning international travels, facing strain on their medical system. The situation is exacerbated on many more folds when the country is big, and the governments did not take fast and decisive actions. This war against the virus will be one of the biggest in the modern history and I hope mankind learns the invaluable lessons from this episode. Less selfishness, more care and passion and responsibility.
Found a few interesting reads and articles and decides to have them archived here, so that when I read back on this years later, I hope I am reminded on these lessons learnt.
Below is shared by the founder of Quadrant who was admitted to National Centre of Infectious Diseases (NCID) here
200 Ambulances!
That is how many ambulances came ahead of mine Monday as I entered the National Centre for Infectious Diseases here in Singapore.
[If you want to know about the behind the scenes on the fight again Covid-19 in Singapore, please read on]
Now back up a few hours. I’m on a work call when my temperature spikes and I can not think clearly. A dry cough had started earlier that day. With Tylenol not controlling the fever, I head to a local clinic. Prior to the previous Friday I had been in Home Quarantine due to our family travels to Korea and Canada. Upon returning the boys and I had 15 days in isolation at home. During that time, Leslie came back from a business trip to NY. We had obeyed all orders to stay home as we were high risk, due to the travels. Now, sitting in the doctors office, I went over this with him. After giving the timeline and explaining my symptoms I was thrown into an experience like no other.
Within seconds of ending my story, the doctor jumped into action (which I am guessing is the protocol they must follow). I was rushed into a back isolation room while the staff closed the office for decontamination. I could hear tons of commotion, cleaning, and calls being made to a central body, the mall and the ambulance dispatch.
I waited there for them to prepare my exit. The clinic is on the 3rd story of a mall. A back door lead me down a half lit back hallway that was sprayed with some disinfect cleaner. I was lead by the ambulance attendees down the flights of stairs and out the back door. They inform me we have two other pick-ups along the way. As we headed to the National Centre for Infectious Diseases, two more potential Covid-19 patients joined us.
Now, this is where is gets interesting. As we are lead out of the ambulance two others drove away, while there is a line of more behind us. On the ground there were X’s that mark the spot where we are allowed to stand. One by one, the line moves forward for the initial screening and segregation. Right before we are about to enter, we are told “No pictures, no video”. So I make my way in but now my fever is out of control (no meds for 6 hours). The first nurse quickly marks me “High-Risk” and a porter take me into the hospital, through the hundreds and hundreds of people. For every patient there was hospital staffer; nurses, porters, janitors, doctors, pharmacists and technicians. It looked like a war zone, except for the fact all the staff were calm, deliberate, organized and professional.
The porter and I wind our way around the halls, where perfectly placed desks are on perfectly marked x’s on the floor. Barriers prevent people walking in the wrong spots and signs mark who is where, and what is their status (high or low risk). I am giving paperwork to review. No, not insurance. No, not credit card. They are only concerned with the virus. The questionnaire clearly marks on the page “Do not photograph or share this information with anyone…” so I will respect their wishes. All I can allude to is that the health care system here, is like no other I have witnessed. They are doing everything to ensure the safety of the citizens, protection of the economy and that they are going to what it takes to end the spread.
There are about 30 desk in my section, with different levels of people’s illness, but the one thing we all have in common is that we are high risk. As the night goes on they call us to check out our lungs. An x-ray room is only meters away. Everyone gets one. If you are lucky, and your lungs are good, they take a swab right there and you are on your way. You get to go home and wait 12 hours for the results. If positive, an ambulance will come right away and bring you back. After waiting 6 hours, and after dozens of people making their way, the doctor comes up to me with the bad news. Lungs are infected, I’m heading upstairs for the night.
Now, this will be the third time I’m informed “no photos / no video”. I’m taken to a private isolation room, where I’ll spend the night waiting for the results of the Covid test. I’m first fitted with a computer on my wrist that attaches to the electrode to monitor the basic stats of oxygen in my blood (one of the major concerns for people with Covid). Then comes the swab. For people who scroll Facebook and have seen where the swab goes… yes…it hurts… it is not pleasant. If you haven’t seen, well it goes in your nose and tickles your brain it seems. As I finish the blood tests I realized really what was around going on around me.
As I can’t show photos of the room, let’s just say it is one of the most clean, modern and organized hospital rooms I have ever seen. To get into my room though there an ‘airlock’ type room where staff come in, close the first door, and the second opens. They are all wearing disposals hazmat type wear from head to toe. Every time they leave, they have to go into the decontamination room that separates my room from the hall, dispose of all their protective clothing, wash and disinfect anything they brought in with them. This process is repeated over and over again, with each visiting staff member. The amount of protocol to just visit me, is something amazing.
Around 3:30am I call it a night. Tests are done, fever still high and the doctor confirms I have pneumonia. I’ll find out in 12 hours if Covid is the cause.
The morning comes, and as it rolls on, I’m greeted by the nurses and the doctor through out the morning. Every time someone comes in, they have to go through the whole process of disinfection. The amount of protective gear they go through, just to support me is unbelievable. I feel guilty, as you hope that they are safe. As they risk getting infected themselves, ALL of them are cheery, calm and professional. I can’t imagine the stress they are going through, yet none of them show it.
Well, it’s 3pm and the good news comes in, the first test came back negative for Covid. I have never been happier to only have pneumonia. But saying that, this disease is tricky. There have been cases where it hides, and with the state of my lungs, the doctors are taking no chances. Night two I am awoken for my second covid test at 3am. To fast forward the story, this test comes back negative as well. But with pneumonia, the doctor wants to take no chances. To see how my lungs are doing they bring an xray machine to me, in my room. Ok, now, if you have ever seen a mobile xray machine, it looks like a dinosaur with a crane neck. As the radiologist leaves, he then spends then next 10 minutes decontaminating it. And goes on his way. He was cheery and professional too. With hundreds of patients and dozens coming in by the hour… they are all keeping it together.
So I sit here, on day three. Heading off for the night. My next covid-19 test will be at 3am. I would like to say, I’m the lucky one. Lucky that I don’t need a ventilator, and lucky that is just an oddly timed pneumonia. And with everything going on, the Singapore health system is ensuring my safety and the safety of those around me.
Now if you read to this point, I’d like to leave on this. To see first hand the chaos this is causing, the stress on the health system and the amount of work and supplies that are needed to treat patients and keep the medical staff safe is beyond comprehension. Living it first hand, I have not only a new found respect for all those in the medical industry (including the extremely important janitors and cleaning staff who are keeping the hospital safe), but also for the system itself. There is a reason people should self isolate, there is a reason why we should practice social distancing, and there is a reason why, if you are sick, you get yourself out of the general population. The system here in Singapore is beyond amazing to witness. But there is a limit to its capacity. Today they are in good shape but that is because of the measure they take to keep it that way. Of health systems that aren’t as advanced, I can’t see how they will cope. It was like a war zone on the first floor with the amount of sick people. Singapore is able to keep it managed and organized, but I don’t see how other nations will.
For societies and people who are taking the social distancing as a joke, get your act together. If you saw what is going on the inside, you’d sober up quite quickly on the reality that our medical systems face. So stop posting garbage that dimensions this pandemic. It’s real, it’s intense, people are dying and the medical staff are risking their lives to save yours.
Thank you to everyone who is working to keep us safe.
03 April 2020 – after a long wait, SG govt finally announced ‘Circuit Breaker’, a partial lockdown that closes school and non-essential workplaces and services.
The 28 days CB period will last from 07 April – 05 May.
Situation on 10 Apr (record breaking no. of new cases)
Situation on 10 Apr (record breaking no. of daily new cases)
This guy captures the difficulties of #WFH for people who have other commitments at home.
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10157253507962076&id=659742075
Another first hand account by another survivor of Covid-19:
The world has been saying that Singapore had been complacent by not paying enough attention to the marginalised foreign workers living in ‘cramped condition’ like 12-20 workers in a dormitory room.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-52232147
15 Apr 2020
Singapore had another record number of daily new cases, 447! đ± 404 of them are linked to foreign workers, and that could be attributed to the massive testing of the workers. On the brighter side of things, no imported cases had been reported since 10 Apr.
18 Apr 2020
Look how fast our numbers are multiplying.. We surpassed Malaysia…
20 Apr 2020
Now another record breaking figures of 1,426 infections. The numbers in the dormitories are rising.. Our fellow brothers in the construction industry are now the hot topic, with their living conditions making up alot of the headlines.
22 Apr 2020
Watch PM Lee’s announcement of the extension of circuit breaker here.
Circuit Breaker to be extended by 4 weeks to end on 1 June.
As of 11 May 2020
The ‘total cured’ curve is starting to pick up, and likely to follow the gradient of the total cases.
Specific to construction projects, on how tier-ed resumption of work will be prioritised.
2 Jun 2020 – the start of Phase 1
A colleague shared this, which i thought was very important for bosses to keep in mind. Know that everybody are now not in the same office environment, but at home, where different priorities, situations and life commitments come into play.
18 Jun 2020 – start of Phase 2
26 Jul 2020 – https://www.facebook.com/14440041382/posts/10158730310331383/?d=n
05 Aug – A superbly high number since the start of the dormitories saga. “We remain on track to clear all the dormitories by 7 August, except for a few standalone blocks in the dormitories that serve as quarantine facilities.” Lee calls it the ‘TOP (Temporary Occupation Permit) effect”
https://www.moh.gov.sg/news-highlights/details/908-new-cases-of-covid-19-infection
08 Aug 2020
27 Nov 2020
We are enroute to Phase 3 – reopening of our economy and social activities! Jiayou the rest of the world!!
28 Dec 2020 – start of Phase 3 (when 5 is extended to 8)
30 Dec 2020 – this post sums it all up with the Web links to the articles
The next challenge for Singapore – convincing the majority of the population to get inoculated.
One year on from the day Singapore saw it’s first Covid-19 case on 23 Jan 2020. This article sums it all up. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/covid-19-pandemic-singapore-one-year-on-coronavirus-14004318
17 Oct 2021 (almost closing to 2 years and we are still battling new waves of infections and variants and new normals)
With so many fatalities around the world, I have heard of colleagues who are stuck here in Singapore when their elderly parents pass away due to Covid, especially in those neighbouring countries where cases are aplenty and medical care may not be able to help them recover.
Unfortunately, i also experienced the first of my relatives, to succumb to this evil virus. äșè è was one of the 9 reported on 17 Oct. 2021. đŠ he could have been unvaccinated (even mum is not sure), and had been in a nursing home since the start of this pandemic. (Many clusters have sprouted from nursing homes.) I hope it eases him to a less painful place and relieve him from all his conditions.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/singapore-covid-19-new-cases-deaths-oct-17-moh-2249951
2022 – the year where almost everybody around you seems to test covid positive some time or another. Fb feeds were flooded with ART test kit that showed 2 lines, and everybody’s account who what they experienced and how they handled it.
26 Apr 2022 lifting of covid restrictions in singapore
Dorscon orange drop to dorscon yellow.
our THIRD PLAY : the son
Pangdemonium’s EDM shouted ‘Last Day of Early Bird Discount’ about a month ago in my Inbox. Thinking it has been some time since our last play – Grandmother’s Tongue, I bought tickets for J and I, and cheekily just told J to reserve today for a ‘blind’ date.
We arranged for in laws to babysit baby C while we headed out for a 6hour pastor break without the little 2yo terror.
SYNOPSIS
âThis is not about how much you love your son.
Itâs about protecting him.
In these circumstances, love is not enough.â
Nicolas appears to be your average 16-year-old â sullen, silent, and secretive.
Except it seems like only yesterday that he was a happy, lively boy with a bright future, and a smile that would light up the room.
Shuttling back and forth between his divorced parents, Pierre and Anne, his behaviour becomes increasingly erratic: Pierreâs new partner Sofia observes that Nicolas is âultra-weirdâ; Anne confesses that he âfrightens herâ; and Pierre defends him as âjust being a teenagerâ. All Nicolas can offer as an explanation is that âlife is weighing him downâ.
What is causing his dark moods? How come heâs so angry? When did he start lying? What secret is he harbouring? Why is he hiding a knife?âŠ
As Nicolasâ mental and emotional state spirals into a black hole, it starts to take a heavy toll on everyone. At their witâs end, his parents are left with no choice but to consider desperate measures â which could either be the miracle they all need, or the one thing that will tear them all apart.
Written by Florian Zeller (playwright of The Father, which Pangdemonium staged in 2018 in a sold-out run), The Son is in many ways a spiritual companion piece to our highly-acclaimed 2019 production of Late Company. A brutally honest drama that will leave an indelible mark on your heads and hearts, and a timely exploration of urgent mental health issues among our youth, this is a story of one family â and, in fact, a story of so many families â struggling to save a lost loved one, where, sometimes, love is not enough.
Spoiler alert : The actual play had totally no recollection of this scene at all.
Adrian roped his real son in for this play, and as the climax climbed through the play, the relationship on screen was very professionally played out. It made my heart cringed everytime the sad reality was displayed. It also drew my attention to the fact that depression and other mental health issues could be more prevalent in our society, albeit under false pretense that everything else is fine. In all the bustle n hustle in our busy lives, never forget to stop along the way to show care and offer help to others. It could be just a simple question of concern, or even just spending some quiet time with them to let them know someone is there. They may not open up immediately but it might just lift their spirits. Anyway back to the play, Adrian and his rest of 5 cast had an extremely flawless replay of the whole 115mins long skit; they left me with moments of suspense, imagination and anxiety. The actors made me feel like I was not only just viewing from the audience pen, but as if I was right there with them in the scene.
In this midst of the Covid-19 epidemic, SRT decided that the SHOW MUST GO ON, while implementing all the necessary measures like contact tracing and temperature screening. It’s true that our lives should go on as normal, provided we take all reasonable measures. Now that the numbers are hitting 85000 cases with 2900 death toll worldwide, it seems that the initial downtrend is picking up again. Hoping that this virus storm blows over soon and everybody stays healthy.
The play is on until 7march, if any of you are interested to catch it. Look for it here : https://pangdemonium.com/production/the-son/
#pangdemonium #theson
Life is a daring adventure or nothing 