Hot Days
It has been so hot the past couple of days that it feels like the world has become a global sauna. Airconditioning units are struggling to keep up to no avail, we had to turn it off and open the windows, but in a very humid country such as Singapore it sometimes is futile. We'll have to trudge along and try to cope up. One very popular sandwich store at the office yesterday closed shop, a sign was left for their avid customer, "Went off to escape the heat, will be back monday". I was cursing the cold weather in London last November, how I wish it was that cold now, around 10 degrees I think is just a good temperature. Last I hear, London was also nearing 30. Siberia might be a good place to scape and cool off ? Showers over the weekend is the forecast, I hope it brings lots of cool breeze and bring the temperature downwards. Is hoping for 14% hoping for too much?
The news world is a buzz with Apple overtaking Microsoft as the biggest tech company base on Market Cap. Everyone is a little surprised but kinda have that it was bound to happen feeling, Apple has slowly encroached on everybody's lives, from the mac, ipod, iphone and now the trend setting ipad. Who knows what's next from Cupertino. I'd like to add that I do love their products, the mac, ipod and iphone. I'll see about the ipad when it's available locally.
It's Vesak day today, an official public holiday here in Singapore. A Buddhists observed holiday which is sometimes called "Buddhas Birthday". Acts of generousity known as dana are observed by Buddhists organizations and temples. It falls on a Friday this year so it's a long weekend for us. A chance to relax and recharge.
I was craving for my favorite ipoh hor fun yesterday lunch, so around a little past 2pm, I went to the Amoy street food Center, where on the first floor is a famous stall which serves what I think is the best beef ipoh hor fun around. While walking towards the center, I was already imagining how I was going to enjoy the savoury noodle and beef. But to my surprise, auntie said hor fun no more, fish and rice only, can? with a little kids disappointed look, I thanked auntie and walked back to the office. Oh well, next week then.
Apparently, Philippine first quarter GDP growth was 7.3%, compare that with 0.5% the same period last year. Everyone is a little surprised. Strong factory output, exports, remittances and election spending has been identified as the source. I think inflation is also poised to increase a little but still manageable. The peso is starting to recover from it's fall to almost 47, it's now slowly moving back to the 46-45 range. Full year growth estimates are now being revised, Barclays has already done so by setting it at 6%, and I think we will see more good things to come. Yes, I'm an optimist! I hope the country can already move on from the elections, proclaim the winners and start working on more pressing matters, the budget deficit, education and social services for instance.
War looms in the Korean peninsula, The US, Australia and other countries have backed the South in giving blame and condeming the attack on a ship from the south by a torpedo from the north. China is playing a little neutral and Russia will send it's own investigators. Threats have been hurled from both sides of the border and everyone hopes it will all remain that way, only threats! The world does not need another war right now, we already are struggling with Iraq and Afghanistan, no one has yet found a solution for Somalia and their are still a couple of countries currently in civil war or technically at war with another state.
The crisis in the Euro area which started in Greece is slowly rippling accross the globe, economist say it will not derail the rebound from worst recession since world war 2 but no one should be complacent. It has already been one but not the only factor in the downward trends of markets, the Dow was temporarily below 10k again but good thing it recovered and it's now hovering that demarcation line. This whole affair has brought attention to the defeciencies of the Euro and the risk it is exposed to. But I think, these risks are also it's strength, being a group with small and big players, the big players will be able to help the small and maintain balance. But I do agree that more transparency and control should be in-place to keep the alliance balanced and avert crisis.
Big news for the gaming professionals, Blizzard is setting up a Singapore office. Start updating your resumes and send them out their way fast. Gaming enthusiast are also in for treat, Battle.net servers will also be located here, latency is of course expected to improve.
casual shoppers, bargain hunters, shoppaholics and even the thrifty are gearing up for the start of the Great Singapore Sale today, even I am hoping to find a good bargain. The 2nd IT show of the year will be on the middle of June so proper budgeting must be enforced so as bargains from both could be maximized.
Work has kept me busy lately, and I think it will be so for the next couple of weeks with project schedule untill June and a little spill over of the rolled-out projects and preparations for new ones taking over July and August. A large portion of those months will be dedicated to improving workflow, procedures and processes. I am learning a lot everyday, I work with a world class global team and I am proud to be part of this.
I'd like to share a challenge one would face working with a global workforce. One must master coordinating and scheduling keeping in mind that everyone is on a different timezone, add DST to the mix and it will surely be chaotic. I personally use Qlock, it's a onubtrusive, free and has a nifty feature of "When the time is", I just set the date and time for that timezone and I temporarily see what it will be for the other clocks I have already set. It will also automatically adjust for DST. Worldmate on Blackberry also has a feature similar to this which is of help when you are mobile.