Beware, night owls

 


SINGAPORE - This festive weekend, Yan Zhengrong will be at work till 5am every day. Working night shifts is a common occurrence for the 26-year-old chef. During the festive period, he is lucky to get by with four hours of sleep each day.

Likewise, Karen (not her real name), a shop assistant, often works overnight. And even though she is dead tired after work, Karen has difficulties falling asleep in the daytime due to the many errands she has to run.

When she wants to sleep, she is often kept awake by the noise from the daily activities of her family members. As a result, she is often tired and listless.

Shift workers like Zhengrong and Karen are not uncommon in Singapore. Amid the festivities in the coming weeks, those working in the food and beverage, sales, entertainment and security industries are likely to be rostered to work during odd hours.

While pulling an all-nighter occasionally is harmless, sleep experts TODAY spoke to warned that irregular sleeping hours can disrupt a person's sleep quality in the long term, putting him or her at high risk of developing circadian rhythm sleep disorders (CRSD).

Shift workers tend to sleep fewer hours than people who work regular office hours, so they are more prone to long-term partial sleep deprivation, said Dr Lim Li Ling, director of Singapore General Hospital's sleep disorders unit.

She added: "Our bodies operate optimally on a regular internal 'clock'. For instance, most people sleep best between 10pm to midnight and 6am to 8am, with about six to eight hours of sleep daily."



Personal Opinions: 
If a person who works on a shift system, his body's natural sleep-wake system goes haywire. The body won't know when to sleep and when to stay awake. Due to rapidly changing of work times; changing shifts every few days; makes it difficult for the body to adjust and can be very stressful on the body. As a result, those who don't get enough good quality sleep suffer poor work or school performance and they have difficulty concentrating in tasks which require attention and vigilance. Furthermore,  a host of health problems would occur such as an increased in risk of heart disease, depression, weight gain and, at worst, a shorter life span. Hence, with restful of sleep is essential for good health. In addition, by having regular exercise, avoiding alcohol and excessive caffeine could help you sleep better. After your night shift, try to avoid bright light by wearing sunglasses while commuting home from work in the morning.


Yanling

Safe Cycling

Safe cycling campaign launched 
By S Ramesh | Posted: 18 December 2010 1532 hrs


SINGAPORE: More efforts are being made in Singapore to promote cycling in a safe environment.

This was conveyed through the OCBC Safe Cycling Campaign launched on Saturday, in which 9,000 cyclist will be taking part.

The key message of the campaign is "1.5M Matters. Share the Road". 

Observing the safe distance of 1.5 metres from each other and obeying traffic rules would enable both cyclists and motorists to enjoy a safe journey on the roads. 

The month-long campaign will see some 50,000 car decals and 2,000 cycling jerseys being distributed.

The campaign aims to raise the awareness of the need for both cyclists and motorists to respect each other and share the roads. 

Organisers say safe cycling on public roads can be achieved as long as both parties play their part in observing traffic rules and keeping a safe distance from each other. 

OCBC Safe Cycling Campaign organiser Chris Robb said people in other cities in the world overcome climate challenges of cycling. 

"You hear stories about London where there are thousands of people cycling to work in (the) freezing cold; in snow, rain, and if they can do it those conditions, why can't we do it here in Singapore? 

"Get to work half an hour early, have a shower cool down and go to work," he said.

Comments: Such campaign are reminders to people that safety should always come first before anything but how effective is it? At places near housing estate, there is no path for cyclist to ride and yet the path is so small. Some people do not not even have a bell to ring to alert others they want to pass by and just zoom by you giving you a shock.. Such things are not part of being considerate and observing the rules.  Therefore, i feel that the government should let more people know about the rules and where cyclist should ride at such places. As there is not cycling pavement, people will just ride anywhere they want and accidents may happen. Such rules are like the unwritten rules which many will not know or may be forget after a while. If the government really wants to take actions, they should enforce the rule properly so that everyone knows, and when people breaks the rules and get caught, they cannot deny it and will remember it. This way, it serves as a warning to others and people will not dare to try it, thinking that they will not get caught. 

Clement Juan

Nursing Home

6 more nursing homes in 5 years By Sharon See | Posted: 18 December 2010 1252 hrs SINGAPORE : The Health Ministry will spend up to S$120 million to build six nursing homes in  the heartlands by 2015. One of them, Ren Ci Nursing Home, will move from its present site Jalan Tan Tock Seng to  Bukit Batok. Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan announced the expanded programme at the Singapore  Christian Home for the Aged, which will also move near an HDB town. At its current location in Jalan Tan Tock Seng, the facilities at Singapore Christian Home for  the Aged are modest for a nursing home. But its new site at Sembawang Crescent promises better facilities and more than three times  the current bed capacity - from 75 to 248. Paul Tan, president of the Singapore Christian Home for the Aged, added: "We have our in- house therapist; we hope to have a training centre to train the houseman or all the caregivers  on how to take care of old folks at home too." The nursing home is one of the six nursing homes that will be in the heartlands. Two of them will be built in Buangkok and Jurong West. An earlier announcement had mentioned that Bright Hill Evergreen will be relocated to Punggol, while Villa Francis will move to Yishun. During his tour, Mr Khaw explained that the difference between nursing homes and those for  the aged is that the aim of nursing homes is to help improve patients' health so that their  patients can go home. He said: "An elderly home is just a baby-sitter service, where unskilled workers just watch  over the residents. But a nursing home is just a less intensive form of a hospital, so there  must be properly skilled people, making sure that patients improve in their health outcome." That is why the ministry is setting up an expert panel to see how facilities at nursing homes  can be improved and better equipped to provide rehabilitative care. The panel will be chaired by Tan Tock Seng Hospital's Senior Consultant Geriatrician Associate  Professor Chin Jing Jih. It will consist of local and foreign experts, including those from Australia  and Hong Kong. Mr Khaw said his ministry is also looking into reducing the over-reliance on foreign workers in  nursing homes and getting more locals to join the sector. At the Singapore Christian Home for the Aged, about 90 per cent of its 35 staff are foreigners.  Of these, only five per cent are skilled workers. But that too could change with the move. Mr Khaw said: "The activities in nursing homes are less urgent, less emergency in nature,  less acute in nature; there is therefore a lot of scope for part-time work. And I think that is why  when we re-site the building, the nursing homes into the HDB towns, one added advantage is it  then provides opportunities for, for example, retired workers, or housewives, who may just want  to keep themselves active." He added that wages would have to go up to attract more locals. This could mean the cost of  delivering nursing home care would also increase. However, Mr Khaw said patients would be  getting better service. Mr Khaw said moving nursing homes to the heartlands would also enable patients to be closer  to their family, making visits more convenient. MP for Sembawang GRC, Dr Lim Wee Kiak, said a dialogue session was held for residents of  the three blocks of HDB flats closest to the new site for the Singapore Christian Home for the Aged.  He said residents raised several concerns, which authorities took into consideration. These include  whether the new building would block their view, or if there are enough carpark spaces. The Health Ministry also said it is hoping to increase the bed capacity at the 63 nursing homes in  Singapore by more than 50 per cent to 14,000 over the next five years.  The current total bed capacity at nursing homes is 9,300. Comments: I think that Singaporeans nowadays are too obsess with earning money and having  a good life so much that they do not remember much about family time or they tend to neglect it.  As Singapore's standard of living is high, with education or job, it is very hard to have a good life.  Therefore, now everything in Singapore is education, money, job, more money, higher position  and higher qualification. Therefore, because of all this, people tend to spend less family time taking care of their older parents that are sick. They would usually send them to the nursing home since  the workers will take care of their parents. However, putting in the shoes of these  old parents,  they usually do not want to be a burden to their children. However, which parent do not want to be  with their family especially when they are old. Their wish would be to spend family time, watch their  children and grandchildren grow up.  Having more nursing homes in Singapore will only make more people who do not cherish family  values to send their family members there to stay and what's more is that now the government is  going to provide better facilities and care for them. To them, they do not mind paying a little more  just to get the burden off in a way. It is true that moving these nursing homes to heartland places  will be more convenient for family members to visit them, but how often will they visit even though  it is nearer? People will still be busy with their daily lives and  only visit during weekends, which  makes not much of a difference. If the activities in nursing homes are less urgent, less emergency  in nature, less acute in nature, why can't family members spend some time just bringing their parents  or sick to the hospital for routine check ups, instead of leaving them at the nursing home.  One reason may be no one is at home to take care of them which is valid. Another may be that maids are not so trust-able, therefore they have no choice. Of course every family has their reason. But i personally feel that the government should enforce the importance of family time and provide few solutions to encourage people to spend more family time. Clement Juan

Youth attack

7 youths attack man in Teck Whye: "Jail and cane them as an example to others"

 

A 26-year-old auxiliary policeman bumped into a youth on the way to the supermarket. For this, he was beaten up by 7 youngsters.

This is the latest in a series of violent attacks involving gangs of youths that have occurred all over Singapore, in places as diverse as Bukit Panjang and Ang Mo Kio.
A group of youths was also found with a pair of concealed choppers at a Pasir Ris chalet, while two teenagers have been placed in a Reformative Training Centre for kniffing fellow students.

Although these incidents are believed to be unrelated, they were all caused by trivial events such as staring and arguments.

Comments:
If you the type who always take a walk around Singapore, you could have a chance to see this kind of incidents espicially in clubs.

These stuffs have been happening since forever. Only after the downtown east murder the media emphasize more on it. Or maybe when a Stomper came across such incident in their life then this issue has become the people talk about in Singapore.

I guess the media should not publicise more often as it makes most parents worried too much for their child safety. Or even teens are afraid to go out alone.

ZoukOut 2010

Celebrating its 10th anniversary, ZoukOut 2010 takes centerstage on Saturday, 11th December at Siloso Beach, Sentosa Island from 8pm-8am and will mark a trailblazing jaunt of 10 pivotal years in music, dance and art in the great sandy outdoors. A milestone year for Zouk with a fittingly stellar line-up; ZoukOut, the most eagerly anticipated event this side of the globe, gets ready to be yet another treasure trove of lasting memories for years to come.

“From its inception in 2000, ZoukOut has become the ultimate beach dance party that music lovers from around the region look forward to each year. ZoukOut remains unrivalled in its stellar line-up of DJs and music offerings, and its ability to draw in throngs of revellers from dusk to dawn. In 2009, some 27,000 party-goers, of which 12,000 were foreign visitors, attended ZoukOut. Into its tenth anniversary this year, ZoukOut adds tremendous vibrancy to Singapore’s nightlife, and is a pillar of Singapore’s position as a events and entertainment capital.”

Comments:
Ticket prices may have been higher this year, but that didn't stop party-goers from hitting the biggest annual dance party ZoukOut. The party scene at Sentosa attracted an estimated 30,000 people.

The queue for the 10,000 tickets started as early as 5.30pm and were sold out by 8.30pm.

Tickets were even up for grabs on the Internet, and were priced as high as $320 on eBay.

Tickets to ZoukOut were so coveted that the Zouk club organisers even warned the public that there were fake tickets in circulation and that those with fake tickets would be refused entry.
People are willing to go to the extend to get what they want for such event which come only once every year. Even fake tickets are created to be sold.
In this kind of event, people are always looking forward to so it is expected what the outcome will be. Zouk should be more strict on their entry and have to do something to avoid outsiders making duplicate tickets for the event.

Dengue cases up after 3-year decline

  

The number of cases in the first 11 months of this year hit 5,016, compared to 4,497 for the whole of last year, according to the National Environment Agency (NEA).

The number of cases had been dropping from 8,826 in 2007 to 7,031 in 2008 and to below 5,000 last year.

The agency said the increase in cases this year can be attributed to the number of breeding sites, which had hit a high of some 18,000 so far.

NEA said breeding sites were found everywhere - from residences to non-residential areas to construction sites.

Nearly 11,000 homes were found with breeding sites - an increase of 31.5 per cent from the same period last year.

For non-residential premises such as schools and shopping centres, the increase was about 28 per cent.

The number of construction sites found with breeding areas also went up by 16.7 per cent. Although construction sites saw the smallest increase, it is a concern for pest control companies.

Ng Say Kiat, Singapore Pest Management Association, said: "Because of the size of the construction sites, the opportunity for mosquitoes to breed is of course higher. And when mosquitoes breed at the construction sites, usually it's in large areas, and the mosquito density most likely will be higher."

However, Mr Ng said current enforcement and regulations are sufficient.

"NEA has stepped up spot checks at the construction sites and the intensity is definitely enough. With this increase in frequency of inspections, the mosquito breeding likelihood is much, much lower," he added.

Experts also advise contractors to work closely with pest management companies to ensure sites are free of mosquito breeding areas.

Personal thoughts:

The sudden increased after 3 years of silence about the dengue case, are confirm to bring a huge shock to either the government or to the residents. Based on the previous experiences that we had faced, it is believed that by having that kind of illnesses would definitely caused you to suffer lots of pain or even could cause your death. For example like causing you to feel weak, vomit, high fever or other kind of symptoms. However, due to the success that we had managed to overcome the situations and government are doing a great job in preventing the same problem to occur again. Singaporeans had tends to neglect or perhaps, let their guards down again. Giving out opportunities for the mosquitoes to breed and attack their family members once again.  Some might thinks that it is too troublesome to clear away those unwanted water in the flower pot or else places and do not pay much attention. As a result, in order to increase their awareness of how serious it could be, Singapore’s government had carried out certain patrolling routines to all household and getting some pesticide spray in some places such as drains or dustbins. Since, the government had done its part in ensuring our own safety. Indeed, each and every resident should also do their part in maintaining their house free from the occurrence of dengue breeding. If you do not want to do your parts in protecting your dearest people, then who will represent you and help you to do your part. If you do not want to see any of your dearest to suffer, then you should start keeping and cleaning your house now. Once again, protecting and having a happy family should starts from each and everyone now. Don’t let yourself regret for not doing so earlier on.

Yanling 

S'pore trains overcowded? Look at Big MRT crush in Japan!

Many of us who commute to work by MRT probably grumble about the crowds, but nothing beats trains in Tokyo. During morning peak hour, faces squashed right up against the doors are a common sight because carriages are packed to bursting.

These pictures were taken by Michael Wolf, a German-born photographer who is most famous for his works on contemporary life in Asia. His series of photographs, titled 'Tokyo Compression', are an archive of the daily train battle Japanese commuters must undergo in order to get to work.

Comments:

‘Not again? The train is fully packed again?! Oh man, I have to wait for another train again! I’m going to be late for classes again and again!’ I believed that majority of the people who are taking the public transport during the peak hours would think of, regarding they are reporting to school or for work. Indeed, some will feel so uncomfortable to squeeze into the MRT without any other choices as they are almost late for school or work. Due to the limited pole available for you to grab on and limited spaces, sometimes you will feel unsecure when the train is going to hit a turn or a sudden stop. However, to compare our situation with the Japan’s situation, theirs would be worst. Just by browsing through certain photos, it could be seen that there are not much spaces available for them to fully balance themselves. Hence they are just lying on the doors or relaying on someone’s body to get them balanced. What could be worst for them is that, it does not only bring them discomfort and unsecure, their mood for the day would probably be affected too. In order to prevent this kind of problems getting worst, Japan’s government had implemented a new strategy, and it is to have a special train only designed for females. Through this strategy, majority of the females would feel safer in the packed train and it would also helps to reduce the flow of crowd during the peak hours. Perhaps, Singapore’s government had also increased the number of MRT released during the peak hours to reduce the problems of the passengers are facing currently. On the contrary, the problems of crowds occurring in both countries have not been solved. Hence, I think the government should think of more ways to solve it. For example, increased more number of MRT released so as to cut down the waiting time. Implement more new MRT track ways, so that some of the passengers would use other routes instead of just one route to reach to their destination.  

Yan Ling

Singaporeans hit by mobile phone syndrome

A majority of Singaporeans are constantly thinking that their mobile phones are ringing, reported Sin Chew Daily.It said that a random survey of 50 people found that some 80% of them suffered from the mobile phone syndrome.
They would check their mobile phones incessantly to see if they were ringing or if there were any missed calls or messages.
A psychiatrist blamed this syndrome on stress."Such people should learn to relax to avoid stress taking over their daily life," said the psychiatrist. The psychiatrist advised sufferers to switch off their mobile phones or avoid answering their phones for a period of time.

Comments:
Indeed i agree that Singaporean are dealing with massive amount of stress in studies and work which would likely lead to the mobile syndrome. With the active lifestyle that we're leading, it's difficult to get away from this syndrome unless we get ourself a long break from our work or studies eg. Going for vacations or spending luxury time alone. However, once we get back to work the same old thing would reoccur again. All in all, i feel that it depends on the individual himself/herself whether if they're easily paranoid or being too stress out. As for myself, i do sometimes check on my phone but not to often, maybe it is because i still don't feel much stress yet.


Lin Zong Han

NATIONAL VOLUNTEER & PHILANTHROPY CENTRE SURVEY

Charity begins at workplace

By Cheryl Ong

IT SEEMS to go against that age-old saying, but a survey by the National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre (NVPC) has found that charity begins at the workplace, not at home.

Its biennial survey this year found that employers have a big part to play in getting their staff into volunteer work.

Of the 1,815 people polled, eight in 10 who used to volunteer, and half of those who had never done so, said they would get into it if their bosses organised events for them.

Speaking on Friday night at the National Volunteer & Philanthropy Awards at the Istana, NVPC chairman Stanley Tan thus urged companies to step up to the plate.

Companies need to move away from ad-hoc giving to a more targeted approach, he said, adding: 'They will need to understand community needs and structure their giving to make a difference over the long-run.'

President S. R. Nathan was on hand to give out awards to individuals as well as corporate and public sector organisations that have done this exceptionally well, benefiting needy individuals and charities in the process.

Comment: I feel that doing charity and being a volunteer for such events is whether people have the heart and willingness to do it or not. According to the survey, employees said that they would get into it if their bosses organised events for them. The question is that are they doing it for the job because it is an order from their bosses or they are doing it because they want to but lack of time? I feel that if there is a will to do it, we can definitely find time to do so but its whether we want to or not. Of course some people may have help out the poor and others by just by donating and not doing volunteer work as they are not exposed to such events. As Singapore mostly only advertise about charity shows which encourage us to donate or at most marathons, walks that we can join to show our support. But it is rare that people are aware that there are actually event that we can join as volunteer to help out and bring joy to this people who are less fortunate. Therefore, i think that the government should have more advertisements on tv or the internet on how we can volunteer ourselves in such events, school posting posters or having talks which encourages people to contribute to the society.


Clement Juan

DROWNING IN SINGAPORE RIVER

Booze, drugs found in man

By Khushwant Singh

Police officers inspecting the body of Mr Muhammad Asrul, which was found about 1m away from the bank of the Singapore River. -- PHOTO: WANBAO

THE toxicology report revealed the presence of not only alcohol but also traces of commonly-abused drugs in the blood and urine of Mr Muhammad Asrul Jumabi, 23, who drowned in the Singapore River on June 24.
While his death was ruled a misadventure at the coroner inquiry on Friday, the court heard that his friends told investigating officer Chun Yong Seng that they had only drunk vodka and stout that day. There was no mention of drugs obtained without prescriptions and this Staff Sergeant Chun said 'gave him concern that the friends may not have been totally forthcoming'.
The tragic chain of events began with Mr Muhammad Asrul, who was unemployed, meeting his friend Mohd Norhazmie Hamid, 27, a part-time mover, at Braddell MRT station at 6pm on June 23, They took the train to City Hall station to join two other pals.
His friends said that then bought a big bottle of vodka which they polished off at an open space near the station. They then shared eight cans of Guinness stout before trooping down to Chijmes to watch the live telecast of the World Cup game of England versus Slovenia.
At 4am, they walked to the riverbank near Clarke Quay to rest as some of them had to work that day. Mr Muhammad Asrul and Mr Mohd Norhazmie sat on the steps at the edge of the river and soon fell asleep. The others were seated on a bench further back. The friends said that when Mr Muhammad Asrul woke up, he did some stretching exercises but lost his footing and fell into the water. Mohd Norhazmie jumped in to save his friend. He too was not a good swimmer and had to be rescued by a third friend. By then , Mr Muhammad Asrul was nowhere to be seen. Police were called in and the body was recovered at about 8am.
Among the multiple drugs detected in Mr Muhammad Asrul were dextromethorphan, codeine and ephedrine which are used in the treatment of cough. Other drugs found included diazepam and promethazine.

Comment: From this incident, we know how drugs and drinking too much can really harm us. Mr Muhammad Asrul most likely as he was not in the right mind as he took different kinds of drugs that harms his body, drink which makes him being unable to think straight. He may be taking different kind of drugs due to his unemployment and is feeling low, thinking that it will help him feel better but in the end harming himself. Although it may be an accident, but such cases can be prevented by simple measures. We can learn to always stay positive no matter what happens, treat ourselves well and if we need a friend to talk to, avoid places where there is a chance that an accident may happen and go to places like a friend's house, cafe like starbucks to chill out and talk things out. Drinking may be common and some of us like it, but we should always know our limit as drinking can cause us to not be in a clear state of mind which leads to accidents like drunk driving and for this case, not in the full state to control our body.

Clement Juan

Polytechnic student charged with molest

SINGAPORE : A 23-year-old Nanyang Polytechnic student has been charged on Friday with molesting one of his schoolmates and stealing another woman's undergarments.

Jee Guang You allegedly lifted the 19-year-old girl's skirt up to her right thigh in the polytechnic's library at around 11:30am on November 24.

He is also believed to have stolen three bras worth a total S$15 from a flat at Block 361 Bukit Batok Street 31 on December 1.

Jee, who was wearing a grey T-shirt in court, looked calm as he appeared before the judge.

The slim, fair-complexioned student will be back in court on December 10.

If convicted of molest, he can be jailed up to two years, and fined or caned.



Comments: I personally think that this case should be handled well and not leniently as this is a serious case. If the sentence is light, many will think that it is actually okay to do such things as i will only be fined at most or some who are bolder may even do things that are more outrageous and causing more girls to be victims. Upon government looking at this seriously, it will serve as a good warning to other students and even outsiders the seriousness of molesting girls and the consequences they will be facing. Also for girls who are alone and are areas that are quieter should also learn from this case, by being more aware of their surroundings so they will be able to protect themselves better from such cases. Schools can also give talks on such cases so that students will be more educated. Thus, by taking such precaution measures, the molesting crime rate will decrease as people have the fear of being caught.


Clement Juan

Mail Levy

How much does it cost to employ a maid ?

Maid Salary - The monthly salary is now $350 or more, depending of nationality and experience

Maid Levy - $170/$265 (from 1 July 2007) every month, paid to the government. If you have children below 12 years old, or elderly above 65 years old, you pay $170. Otherwise you need to pay $265.

You must provide enough food for the maid. Most family will ask the maid to eat whatever the rest of the family is eating. However if the maid is Indonesian and does not eat pork, you will need to make sure you have non-pork dishes for her every meal.

Comments:
I have found that many maids are providing very good care to the elderly and the terminally ill. It is time we show our appreciation to our foreign maids for their contribution in helping to care for our young, elderly and the terminally ill. They are in fact making a very important contribution to our nation.
It is very sad that many maids have to work for salaries $350 or more in order to repay their debts incurred in securing their position here. If we put ourselves in their shoes, it will be easier to understand why some of them had turned violent under stress.

Many employers of maid are also unwittingly breaking the law when they take over the debt by paying the employment agencies the debt owed by the maid and then deducting a monthly sum from the maid’s salary.

Towards this end, the government needs to review the rationale for the
foreign maid levy. The government should impose a higher minimum salary for the maids and reduce the levy. It is not right that we as a nation should compound the problems of the poor in our neighbouring countries. The monies collected from the levy should also be used to equip the maids with skills which they can use when they return home. Let us remember that maids are our fellow human beings as well as our neighbours.

Road Rage

Aggressive man with tattoos threatens driver with wooden bat

This man grabbed a wooden bat from the boot of his car and used it to threaten a driver he had got into an argument with. When a female passenger in his car tried to stop the fight, he nearly lashed out at her instead.

Rather than get involved in a fight with an armed man, the other driver apologised, backed off and returned to his car where a young boy was sitting in the front seat.

STOMPer Kum described the man's behaviour:

"A road bully threatens to bash up another road user with a baseball bat.

"This is video footage taken by a bus passenger along Upper Changi Road on Nov 28."

Comments:
Singapore driving license centres should provide some anger management course after drivers had passed thier driving lessons. The locals have become more aggressive and harsh nowdays whenever a driver make an abrupt lane change which could have cause a great danger.

Somehow i also think that some drivers in Singapore are not being considerate and drive the cars as if they are the only vehicle on the road. Other drivers could not have been so aggressive if they are being considerate on the road.

To be easy, we have to give and take when driving. No hard feelings should be taken in order to have a pleasant and safe journey on the roads so drivers would not react aggressive.

Asian families struggle to support children, parents

                                   

SINGAPORE - More Asian families are struggling under the pressure of simultaneously supporting their children and ageing parents, a study released Wednesday said. 

Longer lifespans and women bearing children at a later age have increased the number of Asia's so-called "sandwich generation," said the study by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). 

"Across the region, many members of the sandwich generation are squeezed by the financial burden of caring for multiple generations and are concerned that their future living standards will decline," it said. 

One in five working-age Asians is now a member of this group, said the EIU study, sponsored by investment product and services provider Fidelity International. 

Members of this cohort are typically aged between 30 and 45, married and support one or two children and two parents or parents-in-law, and their size varies across the region, according to the study. 

In China, 37 percent of the working-age population cares for both children and elderly parents, while in Japan and Australia the figure is only six percent. 

Due to financial pressure, members of this group are working harder, saving less and taking fewer risks with their money, the study said. 

"More than one-third... have had to work harder to cover family expenses since becoming 'sandwiched', about half have reduced their savings and investments and nearly two-thirds are more cautious with their existing investments than they would otherwise be," it added. 

More than a third -- 36 percent -- of them say they are "struggling to cope" with the demands of supporting both children and ageing parents, with the number higher in Hong Kong at 53 percent. 

Filial piety, however, remained strong, with 78 percent agreeing it was their responsibility to care for their aged parents, according to the study, entitled "Feeling the Squeeze: Asia's Sandwich Generation." 

Personal thoughts:

With the low amount of salary which you have earned, it probably would be a tough situation for you to support your whole family’s expenses. Such as children's education is a major expense, providing healthcare for elderly parents is an additional burden especially for the lower income group. Thus, even by working more longer hours will not do much help to reduce their expenses. Therefore, government had stepped into this situation and help up with the poor to cope with their basic expenses. Such as providing funds to the lower income family or giving out some daily necessities to them, which Singapore have been doing. In order, to help parents reduce their child’s education fees and to reward those hardworking and outstanding students, by giving out some scholarships or bursaries. As a result, it would not only help the parents in their expenses, it had also help to motivate the students to work hard. Perhaps, saving habits are also encouraged for each individual. 

Liow Yan Ling

Air pollution in Shanghai after expo

A month after the World expo, Shanghai set records for air pollution that which could scare investors off. For this grand event, Shanghai order construction sites and factories to stop their work for 6 months,also they kept vehicles off streets to keep the air clean.

But since the expo ended on October 31, thick haze settled over the city and pollution triple as compared to the past few weeks.Gas leakages at oil refinery has caused foul smell in the air.The media reported that the air pollution in November has been the worst for 5 years.

"During the Expo, the government was very conscious about our air quality and wanting to give foreign visitors a good impression," said Lisa Jin, a student at East China Normal University in Shanghai.
"But after the Expo they have become lax and do not seem to care about the air quality."

On the contrary,Shanghai's environmental protection agency blamed the pollution on cold weather and stated that the months of November and December always bring bad air.However industry experts said the resumption of factory work and a significant increase of vehicles entering the city is the main factors that is causing air pollution.

"Will we see the blue skies days again in the near future? I seriously doubt it," Marc van der Chijs, co-founder of China's No.2 online video website Tudou, said recently on his blog.

Many residents look back wistfully at the clean air this year and wonder if they'll see it again. If Shanghai offically does not approach the problem it would surely threaten the views of people around the world about Shanghai.

Comments:
Shanghai should maintain the environmental standard of the city,even after the expo, and implement measures to reduce air pollution. Residents living in Shanghai would be badly affected and would cause a higher chance of contracting lung diseases. Therefore, they should cut down on the working hours of factories or constructions to reduce air pollution in the city. However,it would be a difficult task to set a limit or reduce vehicles entering the city.
Even though Shanghai is presented as China's most developed city, it also has given investors the impression of a badly air polluted city. Having to know this, investors might not want to invest or start business here as the problem would greatly affect the revenue earn. It would greatly affect the economy of the city and the views of others countries toward them.

Lin Zong Han