Not to pursue the matter anymore
I've emailed to several people regarding the exhorbitant fee for girls' home.
These few replies are what I get:
1) To MCYS assistant director of girls' home:They can try to help us file a variation court order and arrange a date. However, my parents have to be there and personally "convince" the judge why he should lower the fees. There's no guarantee that after the hearing, the fee will be lowered. It can remain status quo or worse, raise higher. (coz what we're paying S$1k per month is already "subsidized" , normal fee per pax is $2-3k per month. They don't want to reveal the breakdown of the cost)There's no guarantee that I'm allowed to go into the hearing because though I'm her sibling, only parents are allowed in the hearing. And if i'm not allowed in the hearing, the case is might as well considered lost coz it will be a chicken and duck talk between the judge and my parents. Even though there's a translator, he/she wouldn't know the situation much better than me, who's there for my parents to hear what they actually want to bring the point across.2) To my little sis's ex-counsellorShe thought that the amount she quoted was all right.She thought that my dad is not retiring this year even though he's at age 62She thought that if there's any problem can just personally talk to girls home and negotiate without consulting the judge.All of the above are all based on the ex-counsellor's assumptions. After I spoke to her on the phone and told her, she thought then who confirm. She just kept saying she thought and offered to write a letter to girls home regarding our situation. Thus, this will still lead back to situation 1.3) To our MPShe just emailed a reply that she has forwarded the situation to the assistant director of MCYS and asked her to look into it. This will again lead back to situation 1.Hmmm....seems that it's a futile process to try to cut down the fee anymore. My parents decided not to raise liao coz scared later the judge angry and punish us by raising the fee again.
All this could be avoided if the ex-counsellor didn't base on her ASSUMPTIONS and acted on her own. Rather, consulted my parents first and see what is an affordable amount they willing to pay. Enough of all these, let's get geared up for the upcoming election. A first world country should have a first world government...... and also
a first world opposition party...... according to what I heard from the news reported.
God's Assurances (part 1)
I Say: "It's impossible!"God Says: All things are possibleWhere in the bible does God say that?Luke 18:27 (New Living Translation Version)
He replied, "What is impossible from a human perspective is possible with God."I Say: "I'm too tired!"God Says: I will give you restWhere in the bible does God say that?Matthew 11:28-30 (New Living Translation Version)Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke fits perfectly, and the burden I give you is light."I Say: "Nobody really loves me!"God Says: I love youWhere in the bible does God say that?John 3:16 (NLT Version)
"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
Do you know?
Do you know that
- Parents need to pay a monthly maintenance fee to girls/boys' home if their child is put in there?
- The Monthly maintenance of a child in girls/boys' home is about $2k to $3k but authority says the breakdown cannot be disclosed.
- For every child that a couple has, the government subsidizes $2k Yearly off the income tax.
- When govt puts in $2k monthly at least for each child in the home, how come family only get subsidized $2k annually? When $2k is spent on food, lodging, learning at homes monthly, so does the family but from the govt subsidy, govt somehow help the family pay about $180 monthly. $2k monthly vs $2k yearly. Get what I mean?
- Singapore citizens get to pay a Fixed school fee irregardless of the income level from Primary sch & secondary sch as long as they're not private institutions.
- Monthly maintenance fee in girls/boys' home (govt operated homes) is based on income level. If your income low or got lots of commitment then you pay less. Your income high and portray as if not much commitment, then you pay more. Such that private operated home (eg, gracehaven) may end up cheaper than govt operated ones if the income is too high.
- The common point among the 2 points above is both are children below 16 years old and in a govt operated building, but how come there is such a difference. I doubt many people know about it.
These are not self made rubbish talk but if don't believe can go to the respective units and ask and be wowed by their response. Many things Singaporeans juz bochap and let it go or let it be.
One last thing, for those who didn't go Army definitely wouldn't know.
Though everyone knows that the food is catered,
the breakfast cost $2-3 dollars per pax. (normally a bun and coffee/tea, or bao, or lor mai kai, chee cheong fun)
Lunch cost $6-8 dollars per pax. (like mixed rice. but normally with 2 meat 2 vege 1 soup 1 colored drink and 1 dessert-ranging from fruit/pudding/ice-cream)
Dinner cost similar too. $7-8 dollars per pax if I didn't remember wrongly. (similar to lunch except they wouldn't repeat what they cooked in the afternoon la)
Supper another $2-3 dollars per pax. (jus like breakfast)
Thus, one person in army cost easily $20 per day!
Blessed Easter in advance!
Finally a long weekend for this week.
Time to get some rest, to spend time with loved ones and also blog.
Work has been great. I think i'm a workaholic. Everyday I look forward to my work where I never fail to learn new stuff and meet new people. Ever since I got my name card, I have been giving and receiving name cards. A different kind of feeling compared to schooling. When I go to places like church or friends' house, I always look at their lights, cables, plugs, sockets and try to see what brand they are. In my mind I would be thinking," hey, I sell that too!" My colleague was telling me that he went to Genting with his family and while he was sitting on a roller coaster, he saw a limit switch at the bottom of the track. The brand is one whom we are the sole agent in Singapore. It also never fails to amaze that how such a small thing forms into a big picture (roller coaster ride). Makes one appreciate the product better.
This week is also the starting week of a 4 week grueling time in NTU for the students. Yup, they're having their exams! For those who are having their exams, Jia you!!! Very soon, exams will be over and 3 month holidays is waiting for you (provided you not on attachment). Dear Maomi, you have to jia you too!
When was the last time I said that I received 3 calls within a month from P********. Today I just received the 4th! But I was really really in a hurry to meet a client from ST marine and the person called at the time when I saw him coming to meet me. The person said," Hi, i'm calling from P****** and our company is expanding and I......" I just told her that sorry, i got no time, meeting a client, bye. Hmmm..... don't they ever give up?????
Tomorrow and Saturday is an exciting day! Trinity Chrisitan Centre is having Easter Presentation called Doctor's Journal. There'll be performances, dance, musicals and songs. Admission is free thus don't miss this excitement packed event! I'm helping out as the technical soundcrew. Hee. Come and experience the true meaning of Easter.......... definitely not about bunnies and Easter eggs. ;p
Easter events coming up next week!
Easter is coming next week! Everyone's invited to this presentation by TCC. Admission is FREE!
A Doctor’s JournalA true story comes alive through multi-media, drama, contemporary dance and musicA disease he cannot heal.A finding he cannot refute. A revelation he cannot ignore.
Invite your family and friends for a unique Easter experience unlike anything they have seen before!
Apr 14 & 15
Trinity@Adam Fri & Sat, 4pm & 7.30pm
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Prefer something that's spoken in Chinese? There is an event just for you! It's on Sunday! Admission is FREE!
Unlocking the Code Chinese Easter Event Was Jesus of Nazareth a historical person? Did He really rise from the dead?
This presentation will help your Chinese-speaking family and friends unlock the facts, and impact them for eternity!
Apr 16
Trinity@Adam Sun, 8.30am & 11am
Boy turned Angel
Every Sunday afternoon, after the morning service at the church, the Pastor and his eleven year old son would go out into their town and hand out Gospel Tracts.
This particular Sunday afternoon, as it came time for the Pastor and his son to go to the streets with their tracts, it was very cold outside, as well as pouring down rain. The boy bundled up in his warmest and driest clothes and said; "OK dad, I'm ready." His Pastor dad asked, "Ready for what?" "Dad, it's time we gather our tracts together and go out." Dad responds, "Son, it's very cold outside and it's pouring down rain."
The boy gives his dad a surprised look, asking "But Dad, aren't people still going to Hell, even though it's raining?" Dad answers, "Son, I am not going out in this weather." Despondently, the boy ask, "Dad, can I go? Please?"
His father hesitated for a moment then said, "Son, you can go. Here are the tracts, be careful son." "Thanks Dad!" And with that, he was off and out into the rain. This eleven year old boy walked the streets of the town going door to door and handing everybody he met in the street a Gospel Tract. After two hours of walking in the rain, he was soaking, bone-chilled wet and down to his VERY LAST TRACT. He stopped on a corner and looked for someone to hand a tract to, but the streets were totally deserted.
Then he turned toward the first home he saw and started up the sidewalk to the front door and rang the door bell. He rang the bell, but nobody answered. He rang it again and again, but still no one answered.
He waited but still no answer. Finally, this eleven year old trooper turned to leave, but something stopped him. Again, he turned to the door and rang the bell and knocked loudly on the door with his fist.
He waited, something holding him there on the front porch. He rang again and this time the door slowly opened.
Standing in the doorway was a very sad-looking elderly lady. She softly asked "What can I do for you, son?"
With radiant eyes and a smile that lit up her world, this little boy said: "Ma'am, I'm sorry if I disturbed you, but I just want to tell you that *JESUS REALLY DOES LOVE YOU* and I came to give you my very last Gospel Tract which will tell you all about JESUS and His great LOVE."
With that, he handed her his last tract and turned to leave.
She called to him as he departed. "Thank you, son! And God Bless You!"
Well, the following Sunday morning in church Pastor Dad was in the pulpit. As the service began, he asked, "Does anybody have testimony or want to say anything?" Slowly, in the back row of the church, an elderly lady stood to her feet. As she began to speak, a look of glorious radiance came from her face, "No one in this church knows me. I've never been here before. You see, before last Sunday I was not a Christian. My husband passed on some time ago, leaving me totally alone in this world.
Last Sunday, being a particularly cold and rainy day, it was even more so in my heart that I came to the end of the line where I no longer had any hope or will to live. So I took a rope and a chair and ascended the stairway into the attic of my home. I fastened the rope securely to a rafter in the roof, then stood on the chair and fastened the other end of the rope around my neck.
Standing on that chair, so lonely and brokenhearted I was about to leap off, when suddenly the loud ringing of my doorbell downstairs startled me. I thought, "I'll wait a minute, and whoever it is will go away." I waited and waited, but the ringing doorbell seemed to get louder and more insistent, and then the person ringing also started knocking loudly.
I thought to myself again, "Who on earth could this be? Nobody ever rings my bell or comes to see me."
I loosened the rope from my neck and started for the front door, all the while the bell rang louder and louder. When I opened the door and looked I could hardly believe my eyes, for there on my front porch was the most radiant and angelic little boy I had ever seen in my life.
His SMILE, oh, I could never describe it to you! The words that came from his mouth caused my heart that had long been dead, TO LEAP TO LIFE as he exclaimed with a cherub-like voice, "*Ma'am, I just came to tell you that JESUS REALLY DOES LOVE YOU*." Then he gave me this Gospel Tract that I now hold in my hand.
As the little angel disappeared back out into the cold and rain, I closed my door and read slowly every word of this Gospel Tract. Then I went up to my attic to get my rope and chair. I wouldn't be needing them any more.
You see "I am now a Happy Child of the KING.
Since the address of your church was on the back of this Gospel Tract; I have come here to personally say THANK YOU TO God's little angel who came just in the nick of time and by so doing, spared my soul from eternity in hell."
There was not a dry eye in the church. And as shouts of praise and honor to THE KING resounded off the very rafters of the building.
Pastor Dad descended from the pulpit to the front pew where the little angel was seated. He took his son in his arms and sobbed uncontrollably.
Probably no church has had a more glorious moment, and probably this universe has never seen a Papa that was more filled with love & honor for his son... Except for One.
This Father also allowed His Son to go out into a cold and dark world. He received His Son back with joy unspeakable, and as all of heaven Shouted praises and honor to The King, the Father sat His beloved Son on a throne far above all principality and power and every name that is named.
Blessed are your eyes for reading this message. Don't let this message die, read it again and pass it to others. We will meet in Heaven
Fee for girls home (An email)
Just sent this email to the list of emails I could find from toa payoh girls home. I know my english cannot make it like what Ms auditor has commented. But something has to be done right?
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To: Whoever it may concern,
I'm writing on behalf of my parents, whose daughter (also my younger sister), was sent to Girl's Home for 2 years recently. It is a very painful feeling emotionally for my parents and also for the rest of us in the family.
When they were told that they have to pay a monthly fee of $1.5k just because they stay in a private estate, all of us were shocked at the amount. We managed to "bargain" down to $1000. I understand that many girls who entered the girls home have financial difficulties thus pay at a subsidized rate of $100 monthly. Does that mean the non-subsidized rate is $1.5k? If so, please justify the amount. If not, does that mean the amount that we pay is used to subsidize the poor instead?
Girls Home is run by MCYS which is a government-runned organization. All of us pay our income tax. Rich pay more while the poor pay less. If a government operated organization still needs to be subsidized by wealthier "problematic" girls being put in girls home, then where have our taxes gone to? Then the people in prison should be charged a monthly fee too.
I'm writing not because I want a subsidy but because I want transparency. Justify the amount that needs to be paid. $1000 per month for 3 months can pay an undergrad's tuition fee for 1 semester. Just like the progress package, people who stays in HDB gets up to $800 while I only get $200. I'm fine with it as the difference is 4 times. But in this case, it's 10 times. A bit unbelievable right?
I would appreciate a prompt reply to this matter, or else I will send an article to ST forum to let the relevant authorities take control since I do not know anywhere else to do so. Thank you
Regards,
Nigel
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