RIP Yakult Orange (1980 - 2026)

11 June 2026

On 10 June 2026, Yakult Singapore announced that Yakult Orange will be replaced by a new Peach flavour. In other words, Yakult Orange will be discontinued after 30 June 2026, after being on sold since 1980 (46years ago). The internet is divided. Personally, i like Orange, Apple & Grape equally. Yakult Singapore should just reduce the 2 original flavour to just 1, and add the new peach flavour. after all, nobody in my family likes the original flavour. when we were young, my brother & I dislike the original flavour & will feel sad if original is the only flavour left. I feel that i lose a huge part of my childhood memories if the orange flavour is gone. guess i will stop buying the assorted pack until orange is restore/retain.

RIP Yakult Orange (1980 - 2026)   © 文彬 2004~2024. All rights reserved.

Paynow changed my name to SEX BOXX PIXX

10 June 2026

This is a Public Service Announcement: Please dont be alarm, I did not change my name to SEX BOXX PIXX & you are not paying to a Porn Star (but Pornsak doppelgänger). What Scholax idea is this? 🙄

Paynow changed my name to SEX BOXX PIXX   © 文彬 2004~2024. All rights reserved.

Excellent Star Award 2026

22 January 2026

My personal preference, favourite and recognition for the local TV scene for Calendar Year 2026; as CY2026 is still on-going, this list will be updated accoringly with the premiere of new shows.

2026 opens strongly with the 'realistic' office drama "职不值得 The Grind". Hope Mediacorpse keep up the momentum and produce better dramas than 2025 (which is an extremely low benchmark).

However, "迷茫又无惧的我们 Last but not Least" is definitely below average due to its unrealistic plot and poor character development (especially Desmond Ng's character, who seems more like a terrible teacher from 1980s than a teacher post 2000; his notorious acts would definitely get him into trouble, receiving complains left right centre from by students and parents). for the very first time, I think Tasha acting is mediocre; maybe because she didnt receive majority of her education in Singapore, so her depiction of the teacher role is not realistic. the teens rebellious thrills are also very outdated and does not seems like stuffs Gen A will do. therefore, feels like the scriptwriter is writing a 1980s school drama than a 2025 drama. The saving grace is, Cheng Jun, Zi Sheng and Gladys Ng act well for their role. pity that Zhai Siming is downgraded to a useless cameo role.

Personally, I think the best drama is "一路惊魂 Highway to Somewhere", as there is surprises/twist at almost every episode! Furthermore, Romeo & Jeanette are on point thruout the drama. What I dislike about this drama is when it switched scene from the main couple to the young adults, because with the exception of Jasmine & Bonnie, the rest cant act (worst being the new Star Search girl, gosh her acting is damn bad, and its so obvious that she is dubious, Herman is really blind)!

Although I missed half of the drama as I was in Japan, "业落夕阳 Timeless Memories" is definitely a close 2nd, refreshing plot and great delivery from the cast. Tyler really improves a lot with every drama! His acting is now far more superior than his bff Ze Tong. Together with Richie, both will be the new batch of Lead after the 'Prince' generation.

"孩是老的辣 Kid U Not" looks promising from the teasers, but turns out to be a huge disappointment. The first few episodes (when the mains are still kids) is a boring predictable sleepy lullaby. the plot is not creative too, as it reminds me to much of "心里住着老灵魂 Soul Old Yet So Young", but yet not better. However, I must say Zoe, Aileen & Marcus acted very well for their roles. It might also be the first time in "Star Awards" history to see 4 generations of actresses being nominated for 'Best Actress' next year (e.g. Zoe, Aileen, Jeanette, Tasha, Gladys).

Best Drama:
职不值得 The Grind
一路惊魂 Highway to Somewhere
业落夕阳 Timeless Memories
孩是老的辣 Kid U Not

Best Actor:
许瑞奇 Richie Koh (职不值得 The Grind)
叶荣耀 Noah Yap (职不值得 The Grind)
邓伟徳 Tyler Ten (迷茫又无惧的我们 Last but not Least)
陈罗密欧 Romeo Tan (一路惊魂 Highway to Somewhere)
邓伟徳 Tyler Ten (业落夕阳 Timeless Memories)
陈建彬 Marcus Chin (孩是老的辣 Kid U Not)

Best Actress:
何盈莹 He Ying Ying (职不值得 The Grind)
欧萱 Jeanette Aw (一路惊魂 Highway to Somewhere)
郑惠玉 Zoe Tay (孩是老的辣 Kid U Not)
陈丽贞 Aileen Tan (孩是老的辣 Kid U Not)

Best Supporting Actor:
福地祐介 Fukuchi Yusuke (职不值得 The Grind)
陈泰铭 Rayson Tan (职不值得 The Grind)
黎沸揮 Roy Li (职不值得 The Grind)
蔡程俊 Cai Cheng Jun (迷茫又无惧的我们 Last but not Least)
陈子盛 Tan Zi Sheng (迷茫又无惧的我们 Last but not Least)
黄超群 Brian Ng (迷茫又无惧的我们 Last but not Least)
张奕恺 Nick Teo (一路惊魂 Highway to Somewhere)
朱厚任 Zhu Houren (业落夕阳 Timeless Memories)
刘谦益 Richard Low (业落夕阳 Timeless Memories)
David Matthew (业落夕阳 Timeless Memories)
王昱清 Wang Yuqing (业落夕阳 Timeless Memories)
章证翔 Zen Chong (业落夕阳 Timeless Memories)

Best Supporting Actress:
陈丽贞 Aileen Tan (职不值得 The Grind)
胡煜诗 Jernelle Oh (职不值得 The Grind)
鐘琴 Kym Ng (迷茫又无惧的我们 Last but not Least)
李嫣儿 Jazliyana Lee (迷茫又无惧的我们 Last but not Least)
黄慧燕 Gladys Ng (迷茫又无惧的我们 Last but not Least)
沈家玉 Jasmine Sim (一路惊魂 Highway to Somewhere)
罗美仪 Bonnie Loo (一路惊魂 Highway to Somewhere)
马艺瑄 Sora Ma (一路惊魂 Highway to Somewhere)
许美珍 Cynthia Koh (业落夕阳 Timeless Memories)
美心 Macy Chen (业落夕阳 Timeless Memories)
黄慧燕 Gladys Ng (孩是老的辣 Kid U Not)

Best New Artist:
黄慧燕 Gladys Ng (迷茫又无惧的我们 Last but not Least)
蔡程俊 Cai Cheng Jun (迷茫又无惧的我们 Last but not Least)
陈子盛 Tan Zi Sheng (迷茫又无惧的我们 Last but not Least)
黄慧燕 Gladys Ng (孩是老的辣 Kid U Not)

Best Theme Song:
不值得 / 梦飞船 Dreamz FM (职不值得 The Grind)
寻光 / 罗美仪 Bonnie Loo (一路惊魂 Highway to Somewhere)

Worst Drama:

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Excellent Star Award 2026   © 文彬 2004~2024. All rights reserved.

Excellent Star Award 2025

24 August 2025

My personal preference, favourite and recognition for the local TV scene for Calendar Year 2025. CY2025 is full of crappy local dramas; especially so for 2H2025. Most of the teasers don't even makes me want to watch the show (especially the much hyped Xie Shao Guang comeback). The latest Star Search kids severely lacks X factor and really cannot act to save their life. Coupled with lousy script, the water polo and netball dramas are so bad and cringey till I cant even get past 1 episode. This batch of Star Search is definitely a far cry from the 2019 alumnus; probably among the worst batch in history.

Best Drama:
人生酱美味 Another Wok of Life
带剑女孩 The Spirit Hunter
命运使者 Fixing Fate

Best Actor:
许瑞奇 Richie Koh (人生酱美味 Another Wok of Life)
陈罗密欧 Romeo Tan (小娘惹之翡翠山 The Little Nyonya II: Emerald Hill)
张哲通 Teoh Ze Tong (小娘惹之翡翠山 The Little Nyonya II: Emerald Hill)
邓伟徳 Tyler Ten (小娘惹之翡翠山 The Little Nyonya II: Emerald Hill)
许瑞奇 Richie Koh (带剑女孩 The Spirit Hunter)
邓伟徳 Tyler Ten (带剑女孩 The Spirit Hunter)
徐彬 Xu Bin (命运使者 Fixing Fate)

Best Actress:
沈家玉 Jasmine Sim (人生酱美味 Another Wok of Life)
罗美仪 Bonnie Loo (人生酱美味 Another Wok of Life)
黄晶玲 Ferlyn G (小娘惹之翡翠山 The Little Nyonya II: Emerald Hill)
黄暄婷 Chantelle Ng (小娘惹之翡翠山 The Little Nyonya II: Emerald Hill)
刘怡伶 Tasha Low (小娘惹之翡翠山 The Little Nyonya II: Emerald Hill)
洪凌 Hong Ling (带剑女孩 The Spirit Hunter)
黄晶玲 Ferlyn G (带剑女孩 The Spirit Hunter)
黃思恬 Carrie Wong (命运使者 Fixing Fate)
芳榕 Fang Rong (命运使者 Fixing Fate)

Best Supporting Actor:
谢俊峰 James Seah (人生酱美味 Another Wok of Life)
郭亮 Guo Liang (人生酱美味 Another Wok of Life)
翟思铭 Zhai Siming (小娘惹之翡翠山 The Little Nyonya II: Emerald Hill)
张奕恺 Nick Teo (小娘惹之翡翠山 The Little Nyonya II: Emerald Hill)
赖宏恩 Eric Lay (小娘惹之翡翠山 The Little Nyonya II: Emerald Hill)
黎沸揮 Roy Li (带剑女孩 The Spirit Hunter)

Best Supporting Actress:
芳榕 Fang Rong (人生酱美味 Another Wok of Life)
欧萱 Jeanette Aw (小娘惹之翡翠山 The Little Nyonya II: Emerald Hill)
陈莉萍 Chen Li Ping (小娘惹之翡翠山 The Little Nyonya II: Emerald Hill)
姚懿珊 Dawn Yeoh (小娘惹之翡翠山 The Little Nyonya II: Emerald Hill)
沈琳宸 Sheila Sim (小娘惹之翡翠山 The Little Nyonya II: Emerald Hill)
郑六月 Juin Teh (小娘惹之翡翠山 The Little Nyonya II: Emerald Hill)
卓芳娴 Yunis To (小娘惹之翡翠山 The Little Nyonya II: Emerald Hill)
沈家玉 Jasmine Sim (命运使者 Fixing Fate)

Best Theme Song:
一剑世间 / 黄晶玲 Ferlyn G (带剑女孩 The Spirit Hunter)
命运小偷 / 王晓敏 (命运使者 Fixing Fate)

Most Improved Artist:
邓伟徳 Tyler Ten (小娘惹之翡翠山 The Little Nyonya II: Emerald Hill)
姚懿珊 Dawn Yeoh (小娘惹之翡翠山 The Little Nyonya II: Emerald Hill)
翟思铭 Zhai Siming (小娘惹之翡翠山 The Little Nyonya II: Emerald Hill)
郑六月 Juin Teh (小娘惹之翡翠山 The Little Nyonya II: Emerald Hill)
邓伟徳 Tyler Ten (带剑女孩 The Spirit Hunter)

Best Overseas Drama:
家族榮耀之繼承者 The Heir to the Throne
成为饭吧 A Good Supper
爱之轮回 The Passbook

Worst Drama:
青春小鸟 I Believe I Can Fly
庭外的一角 Devil Behind The Gate
心有所依 Where The Heart Belongs

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Excellent Star Award 2025   © 文彬 2004~2024. All rights reserved.

午觉半梦半醒的即兴创作

20 June 2025

夜幕低垂
她的酥胸也随着下垂

在她的细心呵护下
她茂盛的腋毛被午夜的微风吹得翩翩起舞
动感之余
也散发着狂野的芬芳
也许这就是爷爷泡的妞

午觉半梦半醒的即兴创作   © 文彬 2004~2024. All rights reserved.

Excellent Star Award 2024

31 December 2024

SG TV aired quite a lot of really lousy local dramas this year. I had shortlisted "时光倾城 Moments", "宠他，还是爱我? Furever Yours" & "不可饶恕的罪恶 Unforgiveable" for the "Worst Drama of 2024". However, as these 3 dramas are really bad in different aspects (i.e. nonsensical story, poor script, bad casting & poor acting for "时光倾城 Moments"; I really dislike the pets theme for "宠他，还是爱我? Furever Yours", which doesnt make me even interested to watch it; good concept but poor story, boring script, below expectation acting from cast, very bad cinematography for "不可饶恕的罪恶 Unforgiveable"), so I have difficulty deciding which of these 3 drama shall be crowned as the "Worst Drama of 2024". Nevertheless, I think "时光倾城 Moments" will clinch the title for the "Worst Drama of 2024".

Best Drama:
孺子可教也 Born To Shine
非爱不可 To Be Loved
完全省錢戀愛手冊 Love on a shoestring
浴水重生 Hope Afloat
最佳遗产 Never Too Late
爱不虚拟 Coded Love
异家人 Uniquely Ours

Best Actor:
陈邦鋆 Andie Tan (孺子可教也 Born To Shine)
张耀栋 Zhang Yao Dong (孺子可教也 Born To Shine)
林明伦 Darren Lim (孺子可教也 Born To Shine)
崇喆 Gavin Teo (非爱不可 To Be Loved)
张哲通 Teoh Ze Tong (浴水重生 Hope Afloat)
翟思铭 Zhai Siming (最佳遗产 Never Too Late)
许瑞奇 Richie Koh (爱不虚拟 Coded Love)
徐鸣杰 Jeffrey Xu (爱不虚拟 Coded Love)
姚彣隆 San Yow (爱不虚拟 Coded Love)
李南星 Li Nanxing (异家人 Uniquely Ours)

Best Actress:
黄晶玲 Ferlyn G (嫁给不同世界的你 I Do, Do I?)
美心 Macy Chen (孺子可教也 Born To Shine)
林昭婷 Kiki Lim (非爱不可 To Be Loved)
周智彗 Cheryl Chou (完全省錢戀愛手冊 Love on a shoestring)
黄暄婷 Chantelle Ng (浴水重生 Hope Afloat)
刘怡伶 Tasha Low (浴水重生 Hope Afloat)
陈楚寰 Denise Camillia Tan (最佳遗产 Never Too Late)
何盈莹 He Ying Ying (最佳遗产 Never Too Late)
陈子颖 Emily Chan (爱不虚拟 Coded Love)
许美珍 Cynthia Koh (爱不虚拟 Coded Love)
雅慧 Ya Hui (爱不虚拟 Coded Love)
黃思恬 Carrie Wong (爱不虚拟 Coded Love)
雅慧 Ya Hui (异家人 Uniquely Ours)

Best Supporting Actor:
陈建彬 Marcus Chin (嫁给不同世界的你 I Do, Do I?)
张哲通 Teoh Ze Tong (那一年的除夕夜 Once Upon A New Year's Eve)
洪国锐 Hong Guo Rui (孺子可教也 Born To Shine)
苏梽诚 Calvin Soh (孺子可教也 Born To Shine)
郭亮 Guo Liang (浴水重生 Hope Afloat)
徐鸣杰 Jeffrey Xu (最佳遗产 Never Too Late)
翟思铭 Zhai Siming (异家人 Uniquely Ours)
黄振隆 Desmond Ng (异家人 Uniquely Ours)
刘谦益 Richard Low (异家人 Uniquely Ours)

Best Supporting Actress:
陈丽贞 Aileen Tan (嫁给不同世界的你 I Do, Do I?)
许美珍 Cynthia Koh (嫁给不同世界的你 I Do, Do I?)
林茹萍 Lin Ru Ping (孺子可教也 Born To Shine)
刘玲玲 Liu Ling Ling (非爱不可 To Be Loved)
洪爱玲 Irene Ang (非爱不可 To Be Loved)
许美珍 Cynthia Koh (浴水重生 Hope Afloat)
张嘉轩 Grace Teo (浴水重生 Hope Afloat)
陈丽贞 Aileen Tan (最佳遗产 Never Too Late)
郭妃丽 Phyllis Quek (异家人 Uniquely Ours)

Best Theme Song:
非爱不可 / 佳旺 Keon Chia (非爱不可 To Be Loved)
让爱蔓延 / 崇喆 Gavin Teo (非爱不可 To Be Loved)
虚构 / 王思涵 Colbie (爱不虚拟 Coded Love)
加成一个家 / 黄振隆 Desmond Ng (异家人 Uniquely Ours)

Most Improved Artist:
林昭婷 Kiki Lim (非爱不可 To Be Loved)
翟思铭 Zhai Siming (异家人 Uniquely Ours)

Best Overseas Drama:
有種好男人 A Perfect Man
新闻女王 The Queen of News
法言人 Speakers of Law

Worst Drama:
时光倾城 Moments
宠他，还是爱我? Furever Yours
不可饶恕的罪恶 Unforgiveable
巨舞霸 The Blockbusters
再见明天 If Tomorrow Comes

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Excellent Star Award 2024   © 文彬 2004~2024. All rights reserved.

HIGHLIGHT LIVE 2024 [LIGHTS GO ON AGAIN] IN SINGAPORE

09 September 2024

HIGHLIGHT LIVE 2024 [LIGHTS GO ON AGAIN] IN SINGAPORE
8 September 2024 (Sun)
Singapore Expo Hall 7

[On a rainy day, I had a Shock when a Shadow takes a deep Breath at Midnight. perhaps it is a Mystery or just a Fiction, but I indeed heard that Beautiful Bad Girl Calling You "YeY". maybe it is just Good Luck that it stop raining at 12:30, so that It's Still a Beautiful Night and not too late for the BODY to feel Loved and Daydream Alone. Plz Don't Be Sad, even though the Ribbon Butterfly is No More Beautiful, but tomorrow Can Be Better. Take Care, as it is Not The End.]

from B2ST (pre-debut) to BEAST to Highlight (they were forced to change their name after leaving their management in 2016); from being sarcastically labelled by K-media as a 'recycled group' before debut to 1 of the most decorated 2G group that is still active today (despite the name change & losing their producer/rapper Junhyung due to the Burning Sun scandal)... Doojoon, Yoseob, Kikwang & Dongwoon has definitely come a very long way! fortunately, fans remained & evolved from B2UTY to LIGHT.

Wasnt expecting BEAST (tbh i'm still not accustomed to the new name) to perform in Singapore again, so I am pleasantly surprised knowing that they have a stop here, which happens to be the last stop of this tour. glad, we managed to get tix for this sold out concert. Expo was extremely crowded 2h before the door opens, with lots of fans Q-ing for merchandise. I’m surprised with the huge number of fanboys (easily 30% of the audience). Somehow this concert has the old school (i.e. early 2010s) K-concert vibes in Singapore, as fans are very orderly and will help each other take photos & even chit chat while Q-ing. Happy to see such good habits being revived.

HIGHLIGHT performed 24 songs in total. They opened the concert with hits released as HIGHLIGHT, but it is the older BEAST classics that ignite the stage & set the audience crazy. The ambient is totally different immediately when the intro of "Bad Girl" was dropped. Most importantly, they performed most of the songs I like (eg "on rainy days", "Breath", "Shadow", "Fiction" & "Good Luck"). It will be perfect if they had sang "Beautiful Night" too.

Acoustic at Expo Hall 7 is surprisingly good (Hall 1 was pretty bad when I watched MISIA in 2008). Doojoon, Yoseob, Kikwang & Dongwoon are superb performers with great charisma. Yoseob vocal (especially his signature high notes) is amazing. Doojoon really improved leaps and bounds (think he totally replaced Kikwang as my new bias). Interestingly, Junhyung’s rap were either omitted (thru re-arrangement, so some songs sounded quite abrupt) or replaced by instrumental. perhaps they did it for practical reason (as none of the remaining members are strong rappers) & as a form of respect (to show that Junhyung is irreplaceable). Overall a really enjoyable show. 🩶

#B2ST #BEAST #Highlight #Doojoon #Yoseob #Kikwang #Dongwoon #2GKpop

[setlist]
1 Switch On
2 PRIVACY
3 PAPER CUT
4 Feel Your Love (48.6Hertz)
5 CALLING YOU
6 Give You My All
7 Plz Don't Be Sad
8 BODY
9 Bad Girl
10 Shock
11 Special
12 Shadow
13 Good Luck
14 Breath
15 On Rainy Days
16 Ribbon
17 Fiction
18 NOT THE END
19 In My Head
20 Don't Leave
21 Beautiful
22 V.I.U. (Very Important You)
23 How To Love
24 Oasis

[side note: we will be attending another 1 more concert (BoA) before 2024 ends... so many K-concerts this year. hope there will be more 2G Kpop acts, especially those who are still active or made a comeback (eg. 2NE1, KARA, T-ARA, 2PM) will perform here next year. Jpop are welcomed too, as it has been 7years since the last J-pop concert here (i.e. Do As Infinity in September 2017).]

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HIGHLIGHT LIVE 2024 [LIGHTS GO ON AGAIN] IN SINGAPORE   © 文彬 2004~2024. All rights reserved.

Papa's 64th birthday

11 August 2024

身後 / 張惠妹


今天 (8月11日) 是爸爸的 64岁冥诞.
一首好歌是可以勾起我們的回憶的. 在 "ASMeiR Max 2024" 演唱會聽到 A-mei 現場唱這首歌時, 真的差一點淚奔.
如果有经历过去太平间, 从冰柜認領突然离世的亲人遗体, 然后办理葬礼, 火化, 捡骨, 安放灵骨塔, 慢慢放下, 然后继续生活的人, 应该都会认同这只获奖无数的 MV 真的拍摄的很好.
歌名也是有趣的雙關語: 可以解讀為一個人的身體後面 (你的身後) 和一個人死後 (身後事).
很顯然, "掉了", "身後" 和 "離別總是那麼突然" 也讓阿妹組成了 "死亡三部曲".

Today (11 August) is Papa's 64th birthday.
this song hits me hard when A-mei sing it live during her "ASMeiR Max 2024 World Tour" at Singapore Indoor Stadium on 28 July 2024.
for those who experienced sudden death of an immediate family member, going to the mortuary to identify the body from the freezer, retrieve the body, signing (lots of) admin documents, arranging the funeral, answering (tons of) Q&A from relatives and friends, walking the last journey to the crematorium for cremation, 'collecting the bones', placing the urn at the columbarium, slowly accepting the loss, and continue with life, will definitely be able to relate to this award-winning music video of A-mei single "Left Behind". it is not surprising that this MV won the Red Dot Design Award.
interesting, the song title (in chinese) is a pun of 'behind someone' and 'after death'.
this song is also a critical component of A-mei death trilogy comprising "Disappear", Left Behind" & "Tritesse".

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Papa's 64th birthday   © 文彬 2004~2024. All rights reserved.

Max Maeder wins bronze for Kitefoiling at Paris Olympics 2024

09 August 2024

Congrats Maximilian Maeder for winning the bronze medal in the Men's Formula Kite (Kitefoiling) Sailing on 9 August 2024 at the Paris Olympics 2024. 🥉

17years old Max Maeder becomes the 6th Singaporean Olympian to stand on the Olympics winning podium. This is definitely the best birthday present for Singapore. So proud for him. 🇸🇬🎂🎉

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Max Maeder wins bronze for Kitefoiling at Paris Olympics 2024   © 文彬 2004~2024. All rights reserved.

Singapore Live

07 August 2024

J-pop Live @ Singapore
Aikawa Nanase Fort Canning Live 10.6.06
(10 June 2006 @ Fort Canning Park)

THE TOUR OF MISIA DISCOTHEQUE ASIA @ Singapore Expo
(13 September 2008 @ Singapore Expo Hall 1)


K-pop Live @ Singapore
Super Show 3 Singapore
(29 January 2011 & 30 January 2011 @ Singapore Indoor Stadium)
Super Junior Asia Tour 2024 SUPER SHOW SPIN-OFF: Halftime Singapore
HIGHLIGHT LIVE 2024 [LIGHTS GO ON AGAIN] IN SINGAPORE


C-pop Live @ Singapore
ASMeiR Max 2024 World Tour Singapore


Singapore Indies Live
TRAFFIC JAM (street parties @ Connaught Drive)


National Day Parade
National Day Parade 2006
PossibiCity - PREVIEW NDP @ MARINA BAY 2007
National Day Parade 2024

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Singapore Live   © 文彬 2004~2024. All rights reserved.

NDP 2024

03 August 2024

NDP 2024 (NE3) on 13 July 2024 @ Padang

grateful for the tickets to watch NDP 'live' for the 7th time [2005 Padang; 2006 National Stadium (NS crew); 2007 Float; 2009 Float; 2016 Sports Hub; 2019 Padang; 2024 Padang].

obviously, my all-time NDP favourite is still the Singapore Flag flypast 🇸🇬 & aerial display.

the audience are obviously hugely disappointed when the Reviewing Officer stand-in is not CPT Lam Hong Xiang (i.e. the RSAF Oppa who went viral & was widely hyped by students online for 'being more handsome than K-pop idols'!!). the 'chey' was so loud that it was quite awkward when nobody clap for the NE3 stand-in (& worse, he seems to be some big shot lol). furthermore, the students cheered very loudly for Benjamin Kheng & the SMRT bus deployed for the Dynamic Defence Display (really paiseh to the max for the President stand-in). man, it is really quite unexpected that Benjamin Kheng is extremely popular among the Pri5 & Sec3 boys... they screamed madly for his 2 appearances on stage & all of them know how to sing his songs!

tbh I went to NDP 2024 NE3 without expectation, so I am pleasantly pleased with the show segment. thankfully there isnt any cliche rendition of Sang Nila Utama, Raffles, LKY crying, national disasters or the pandemic.

the 60s retro songs coupled with visuals of classic local food are nicely curated for nostalgic vibes. plus, the interlude films (especially "Care and Compassion") are neatly done, stirring the right amount of emotions, without being over-the-top. tbh some of the interviews did moved me (at the brim of tears), but it is done 'just right', so instead of really dropping a tear, it warms my heart with a smile. i think it is not easy to achieve this 'just right' amount of emotion & empathy.

I am extremely proud that NDP 2024 is directed by ADM seniors Davier & Chia Meng. objectively, i do think they did a great job.

Together As One United People
Happy 59th Birthday Singapore.
Majulah Singapura 🇸🇬

[side note: am seated quite high up at the Yellow Sector (north grandstand). somehow i feel the temporary grandstand is quite shaky when the speaker or audience are louder than usual. didnt experience such tremble during past NDP at Padang, so can be quite scary while standing & when climbing the steep stairs.]

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NDP 2024   © 文彬 2004~2024. All rights reserved.

Brickworks

01 August 2024

BP's Map Reflection
- SINGAPORE STREET DIRECTORY
- Boundary changes of Constituencies & alleged gerrymandering
- Going map-crazy... I Like!

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Brickworks   © 文彬 2004~2024. All rights reserved.

General Paper

Op GP Journals:
Journals written in June 2020 after discharged from hospitalization, while recuperating after my benign brain tumour surgery.
- Op GP Journal 1: Give the nurses & frontline heroes the overdue amount of respect & recognition
- Op GP Journal 2: “剃头刀” (Titoudao)
- Op GP Journal 4: The radial states of America
- Op GP Journal 5: 21years of J-pop
- Op GP Journal 6: I absolutely hate Adobe’s intangible Creative Cloud (CC) subscription model
- Op GP Journal 7: Boundary changes of Constituencies & alleged gerrymandering
- Op GP Journal 8: SKY Castle

Recuperating Journals 2023:
Journals written in March - May 2023, while recuperating after discharged from hospitalization due to seizures.
- 坂本龍一様
- "Silent Walls" (密宅)
- What's happening to the malls of Tampines?


Recuperating Journals 2024:
Journals written in January 2024, while recuperating after brain tumour surgery.
- SimplyGo-stan
- Re-introduction of White Flat?


Response to article:
- Give the nurses & frontline heroes the overdue amount of respect & recognition
- I absolutely hate Adobe’s intangible Creative Cloud (CC) subscription model
- Boundary changes of Constituencies & alleged gerrymandering
- Say “No” to free work & exploitation!
- Perceived (mis)handling of the pandemic by the Singapore Government
- Flaws of our meritocracy system and group think
- Pain points experienced by young/1st-time home-seekers like me
- SQ will not proceed with paper boxes for food on medium-haul and long-haul flights after feedback
- Going map-crazy... I Like!
- East Coast Long Island (finally?)
- Paris 2024: worst-ever Olympics Opening Ceremony in history


Personal Opinion:
- Unhappiness on NUS Virtual Commencement 2021
- College of Everything
- What's happening to the malls of Tampines?
- Achieving while battling adversity
- SimplyGo-stan

- Paris 2024: worst-ever Olympics Opening Ceremony in history


Published Op-ed:
- Article published in i-weekly (NO.490 22MAR2007)


Singapore Topics:
- Boundary changes of Constituencies & alleged gerrymandering
- Perceived (mis)handling of the pandemic by the Singapore Government
- Flaws of our meritocracy system and group think
- Pain points experienced by young/1st-time home-seekers like me
- SQ will not proceed with paper boxes for food on medium-haul and long-haul flights after feedback
- What's happening to the malls of Tampines?
- East Coast Long Island (finally?)
- SimplyGo-stan
- Re-introduction of White Flat?

Map Topics:
- The radial states of America
- Boundary changes of Constituencies & alleged gerrymandering
- Going map-crazy... I Like!

Urban Planning Topics:
- Pain points experienced by young/1st-time home-seekers like me
- East Coast Long Island (finally?)
- Re-introduction of White Flat?

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General Paper   © 文彬 2004~2024. All rights reserved.

ASMeiR Max 2024 World Tour Singapore

29 July 2024

ASMeiR Max 2024 World Tour Singapore
張惠妹世界巡回演唱會新加坡站
28 July 2024 at Singapore Indoor Stadium

華語天后的第十次巡回演唱會! C-pop Diva is back in town!! & this time it is at Indoor Stadium (not the white elephant with lousy acoustic, where only audience who has no appreciation for music will waste $$$). Besides talent of the artist, good venue acoustic is very important in making a concert successful.

We didnt managed to get tix for the 1st night (which was sold out within minutes on sale), so we are very grateful for being able to get tix from our friends in the media industry for the similarly full-house 2nd show.

The BGM when we entered Indoor was "好膽你就來" (as per concert SOP, it means this song will not be performed). The concert opens punctually at 8pm. The setlist for both nights is slightly different. A-mei replaced "藍天" with "我恨我愛你", and "姐妹" was intentionally left out from the main repertoire.

A-mei is still a powerhouse. While she did not performed my favourite "藍天" & "不顧一切", I am still very impressed with her explosive vocal throughout the 3h concert. She performed 24 full songs & 2 medleys (i.e. 32songs in total).

There was never a dull moment. The audience are so high that it is either a massive KTV arena or almost everyone are standing and grooving to the beat. Truly AMSR!! As usual, she teared up numerous time whenever the audience sing-along loudly with her.

Most importantly, A-mei surprised fans of the 2nd show with a double encore!! The 1st encore is an acoustic rendition of "姐妹" as a baby shower blessing from A-mei (& Singapore fans) for her backing chorus 叶玮庭 (Uni Yeh), who is heavily pregnant and will be going for maternity leave after tonight show. It is a very sweet moment & A-mei gave Uni a basket of merlion plush toys, each representing a member of her family. The 2nd encore is "人質".

A trivia noteworthy is, the music director, many band members, crew & support staff of the tour are Singaporeans, so A-mei said the Singapore stop is effectively a 'homecoming performance' for them. Her mother & some of her relatives are among the audience too.

From what she mentioned, A-mei will likely have another major tour next year, before she celebrate her 30th anniversary in 2026.

張惠妹世界巡回演唱會新加坡站 (第2场)
[Opening: ASMR Overture]
血腥愛情故事
當我開始偷偷地想你
你想幹什麼
愛什麼稀罕
站在高崗上
我恨我愛你
剪愛
也許明天
[Chorus Interlude: 一個人跳舞 + 火 + 狠角色 + 都對也都錯]
你說了算
High High High + 相愛後動物感傷 + So Good
解脫 + 一想到你呀 + 牽手
彩虹
[Band Interlude: 別在傷口撒鹽]
難搞
身後
掉了
我要快樂
勇敢
趁早
聽海
[Dance Interlude: 跳進來]
跳進來
驕傲
Bad Boy
Yes or No
渴了
我要飛
三天三夜
[Encore 1] 姐妹 (Acoustic) [baby shower blessing from A-mei & Singapore fans for Uni Yeh]
[Encore 2] 人質

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ASMeiR Max 2024 World Tour Singapore   © 文彬 2004~2024. All rights reserved.

Paris 2024: worst-ever Olympics Opening Ceremony in history

27 July 2024

nice city... but this supposingly 'unique' concept just didnt work. visually quite messy & lacks focal point(s). probably the most underwhelming opening ceremony for recent Olympics... 🥱

Hahaha & i'm not alone. the internet is really buzzling with tons of harsh critiques from international media (e.g. NY Post, , Irish Star, Daily Mail, Daily Express US, Express UK, LADBible, Herald Sun, SCMP, Yahoo Sports) & global netizens on the worst-ever Olympics Opening Ceremony in history. [interestingly, only Singapore's mainstream media praised the opening lol... guess they dun have enough time to edit their final draft accordingly to the reality in time for print.] Don't believe, go google "worst Olympics Opening" and see the results yourself.

Extracting some of the more striking reports/comments from the media here for ref:

"Taking the show out of the stadium and onto the Seine was a unique and well-intended idea from a historically out-of-the-box country. But not every revolution works out." - NY Post "Nothing came together. Was any of the messy staging awe-inspiring or remotely impressive, as London, Beijing, Sydney, Rio and Tokyo all were? Non. The fake enthusiasm of the NBC presenters, including Kelly Clarkson, over the buffet of banality deserves an Emmy." - NY Post (https://nypost.com/2024/07/26/entertainment/the-paris-olympics-2024-opening-ceremony-was-shockingly-bad/)

"The Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony has been dubbed the "worst in history" by angry fans watching the action unfold from home." - Express UK (https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1928620/paris-2024-olympics-opening-ceremony-worst-history)

The 2024 Paris Olympics Games left viewers fuming as sports lovers called the introduction the "worst opening ever", declared the boat parade "terrible," and raged against the abysmal camera angles." - Daily Express US (https://www.the-express.com/latest/olympic-games)

"The Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony was dubbed the 'worst in history' by many UK viewers - with the city centre spectacle failing to impress fans all over the globe" - Irish Star (https://www.irishstar.com/sport/other-sports/shocker-france-paris-olympics-opening-33337777)

"But the chaotic nature of the whole ceremony failed to grip some viewers who were already beginning to turn off at the start." - GB News (https://www.gbnews.com/sport/other-sport/paris-olympics-opening-ceremony-worst-ever-viewers-switch-off)

"The Paris Olympics organisers’ brave attempt at a different approach to the opening ceremony did not go down too well with fans on social media." - South China Morning Post (https://www.scmp.com/sport/paris-olympics-2024/article/3272107/paris-olympics-opening-ceremony-branded-worst-ever-disappointed-social-media-users)

London-based lecturer Dr Luka Vicinic expressed his disappointment, tweeting: "Honestly, this is the worst Olympic Games Opening Ceremoy since I can remember. Seriously, what on Earth is this? "

"The unique opening ceremony proved very divisive, with many panning the disjointed coverage and complaining it went way too long. One of the biggest gripes was the lack of air-time the athletes received, with the majority of the focus on the performances rather than the competitors. Viewers only saw glimpses of the athletes from wide camera angles, and many complained there wasn't enough focus placed on the stars of the Games." - Yahoo Sports (https://au.sports.yahoo.com/olympics-opening-ceremony-divides-opinion-as-athletes-dudded-by-horrible-move-in-paris-205723497.html)

The 1st Olympics Opening I watched live was Atlanta 1996 (when I was P5, in the morning before school). To be honest, I do remember snippets of each olympics opening. For Atlanta 199, while eerie, the soulful performers & pringles chips in olympics colours (each representing a continent) dancing to the tribal beats was impactful; Sydney 2000 (Sec3; Bjork refused to hold a mic when asked to lip-sync); Greece 2004; Beijing 2008 (the footprint fireworks across Beijing city night sky); London 2012; Tokyo 2021 (MISIA singing Japan national anthem to an empty stadium). Paris 2024 will definitely be remembered as a boring cheap show shadowed by lots of terror threats & poor weather.

Personally, this mess is like a rojak of our Singapore River Cruise, City Duck Tour, Chingay rehearsal, rehearsal of NDP @ Marina Bay Float, just that we (a little red dot) did it much much better. Like what some netizens commented, they feel embarrased on behalf of France.

Paris 2024: worst-ever Olympics Opening Ceremony in history   © 文彬 2004~2024. All rights reserved.

Super Junior Asia Tour 2024 SUPER SHOW SPIN-OFF: Halftime Singapore

19 July 2024

Super Junior Asia Tour 2024 SUPER SHOW SPIN-OFF: Halftime Singapore
14 July 2024 at Indoor Stadium

19years of fandom & proud to say that i have never missed a single Super Show in Singapore (SS3 Jan2011, SS4 Feb2012, SS5 Jul2013, SS6 May2015, SS7 Jan2018, SS9 Sep2022; i attended both dates for SS3 & SS4). 💙

personally i think "Super Show Spin-off: Halftime" is better than SS9; perhaps bcoz they sang much more older hits (in their original arrangement & choreography) today.

the concert opens with their latest single "Show Time", followed by their 2006 pre-breakthrough singles "Wonder Boy" & "Dancing Out", setting the right energy level for the entire live.

as "Spin-off: Halftime" is not a standard Super Show (i.e. it is conceptualized as a 'deviation', like the halftime of a football match), so the repertoire includes a list of songs that aint staple in recent Super Shows. the most interesting segment would be the mashup sub-units that feature 'random' members (some being really unexpected) to perform signature tune of the original sub-units. for instance, Leeteuk was added to form SJ-L.E.D. with Eunhyuk & Donghae (the dance duo of SJ-D&E) to perform "Suit Up" (originally by SJ-LSS, which Leeteuk is an original member); Shindong, Kyuhyun & Yesung grouped as SJ-S.K.Y. to sing "Let's Not" (a ballad by SJ-KRY; Shindong who isnt known for his singing capability did impressed with his vocal!); SJ-R.S. (Ryeowook & Siwon; both not great dancers) challenged SJ-D&E with their rendition of "Danger". Solos (an important segment during normal Super Shows for each member to showcase their individual strengths & works outside the group) were also banned, so the numerous solo ballads were jointly sang by all the members.

The performance of "SPY" & "Opera" (both were non-lead singles off their 5th & 6th albums respectively) were very well-received by fans, and "Lovely Day" becomes a huge karaoke session. the energy picks up again with classics "Devil" & "Black Suits", before "A Man in Love" seemingly transport us back in time, as if we are watching the opening number of "Super Show 2" in 2009. finally, a Super Junior concert is incomplete without a performance of their magnum opus "Sorry, Sorry" (rearranged as a rock version).

the boys are still strong performers in terms of dance & vocal capabilities, still as jovial (e.g. their long love for crab/crap, singlish), and some members even demonstrated drastic improvement in languages. Siwon even preached & prayed, and he explained "he cant help it, coz it is Sunday".

Lastly, Leader Leeteuk announced that Super Junior will perform at Singapore in September 2025 as part of their 20th Anniversary celebration, Heechul will be performing & ELFs will get to select their favourite songs to be performed (likely thru voting). Like what Eunhyuk said, the Super Junior members are growing old, so are ELFs (growing old together with them), so i'm really looking forward to the events, releases & tours commemorating their 20th Anniversary next year.

Hope they enjoyed their chilli crab, pepper crab, super crap, Botanic Garden walk & the warmness from Singapore ELFs during their stay here.

setlist:
Opening VCR
Show Time
Wonder Boy
Dancing Out
MENT
Don't Wait
Runaway
VCR
Suit Up (SJ-LSS song; cover by SJ-LED)
Let's Not (SJ-KRY song; cover by SJ-SKY)
Danger (SJ-D&E; cover by SJ-RS)
It has To Be You (Yesung solo; SJ ver)
At Gwanghwamun (Kyuhyun solo; SJ ver)
The Little Prince (Ryeowook solo; SJ ver)
The One I Love (SJ-KRY song; SJ ver)
VCR
Get a Guitar (Riize; cover by SJ)
Hype Boy (NewJeans; cover by SJ)
VCR
SPY
Opera
MENT
Lovely Day
From U
Devil
Black Suit
A Man in Love
Sorry, Sorry
MENT
Believe

[side note: 1.5years since i attended a concert & July calendar is suddenly filled with 2 lives & NDP. love the live atmosphere.]

#SuperJunior #SuperShow #SuperShowSpinoffHalftime #Leeteuk #Yesung #Shindong #Eunhyuk #Donghae #Siwon #Ryeowook #Kyuhyun #ELF #SapphireBlue #SingaporeIndoorStadium #IndoorStadium #Stadium #Kallang #Singapore

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Super Junior Asia Tour 2024 SUPER SHOW SPIN-OFF: Halftime Singapore   © 文彬 2004~2024. All rights reserved.

新闻女王 The Queen of News

01 July 2024

"新闻女王" (The Queen of News) 真的很好看! 早前在网上看了粤语原音版 (看字幕, 不会广东... 广东话真的太复杂, 太太太难了! 只会几个单字. 如果不是因为没华语版, 我才不看广东版...). 所以后来在 Ch8 9pm 看了华语配音版. 虽然失去了演员说话时的语气和情感, 但不用看字幕简单方便多了.

佘诗曼不愧是 'TVB 最后的一姐'. 她一人撑起了 "新闻女王" 整部剧 (马国明 George 太花瓶了, 有点浪费).

从 "刑事偵緝檔案4" 的 '阿Man' 就开始注意佘诗曼, "金枝欲孽" 的 '尔淳' 让我觉得她的演技进步了很多. 而 "法證先鋒 2" 的 '马帼英' 让我开始喜欢和欣赏佘诗曼的演技. 继 "延禧宫略" 的 '娴妃' 后, 佘诗曼多次在剧中呈现了在超短时间内变换多个表情的精致表演. 而每个表情和情绪发挥的时间点与力度都拿捏得刚刚好.

"新闻女王" 所有角色的人物性格鲜明, 多数主要演员和单元主角的表现也不错. 众多角色中, 最喜欢陈子杰 (杰哥) 和刘艳; 方太最恶心.

全剧出了许多名言和经典台词. 开场和结尾都以 "抢独家, 抢头条, 抢画面" 作呼应.

最后, 黄宗泽这位神秘的国王帅气登场也非常耐人寻味... Stay Hungry, Stay Stupid.

期待 "新闻女王 2" 的拍摄与播出.

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新闻女王 The Queen of News   © 文彬 2004~2024. All rights reserved.

九龙城寨之围城 Twilight Of The Warriors: Walled In

01 June 2024

"九龙城寨之围城" 应该是这20年来最优秀的港片了!!

剧情非常紧凑, 125分钟 没冷场, 没疑惑.
选角有惊喜. 除了古天乐和林峰领衔主演外, 也难得看得到一群明星 (如洪金宝, 郭富城, 任贤齐, 黄德斌)出演几个关键要角. 最喜欢的始终是龙哥和城寨四少 (信一, 十二少, 四仔, 陈家洛)之间的情与义.

虽然我没有去过历史上的九龙城寨, 但从许多文章, 报道, 照片, 影片读过和看过这个神秘且传奇的"三不管"地区的历史背景, 人文与生活风貌. 可以看出团队非常用心的还原九龙城寨的容貌和社区文化与风土民情. 城寨与启德机场之间危险的距离也多次透过不同的方式被强调.

如无意外, 下届香港金像奖的最佳电影, 最佳导演, 最佳美术指导, 最佳武术指导 这几个奖 应该会是囊中物. 林峰也有望封帝.

喜欢; 非常值回票价.

"Twilight Of The Warriors: Walled In" is the best Hong Kong movie produced in the past 20years!!

At 125min , it is an action-packed crime action film with a good plot and character development. Casting is excellent. Besides starring Louis Koo and Raymond Lam, the movie also featured superstars like Sammo Hung, Aaron Kwok, Richie Jen, Kenny Wong for several key roles. In particular, I love the brotherhood between Cyclone and the "4 protectors" of the Walled City.

Although I have not been to Kowloon Walled City, the history geek in me had read rather in-depth on its historical background, politics, culture and everyday life through articles and documentaries. It is quite obvious that the production team had did intensive research, which enables them to create realistic set and everyday life of the Walled City. Even its distance to Kai Tak Airport is emphasized multiple times using different metaphors.

I wont be surprised that "Twilight Of The Warriors: Walled In" will bag the Best Film, Best Director, Best Art Direction, Best Action Choreography awards in the next Hong Kong Film Award. In fact, Raymond Lam might even be crowned Best Actor.

I love this film; worth the bucks spent (on the ticket).

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九龙城寨之围城 Twilight Of The Warriors: Walled In   © 文彬 2004~2024. All rights reserved.

Re-introduction of White Flat?

28 May 2024

i recalled this so-called "White Flat" was piloted in Punggol in 2000, but the initiative was unsuccessful then, so it was scrapped... if this idea was piloted before, how is this considered a 'pilot' again? but "White Flat" concept makes more sense now, as many crazy young couples like to tear down the internal walls of their BTO, something i'm sure they will regret years later. Response to: https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/housing/open-concept-hdb-flats-without-partitions-or-beams-to-be-piloted-in-kallang-whampoa-bto-project

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Re-introduction of White Flat?   © 文彬 2004~2024. All rights reserved.

We Keep The World Laughing on ERP2.0

30 April 2024

On 27 April 2024, ROADS.sg uploaded a skit "Who is the CHAMPION who came out with this idea?" to question sarcastically on the usability of the new 3-part On-Board Unit (OBU), which the 3 components are installed all over the car (note: the driver has absolute no say on where these components will be installed), and the video demonstrated how the driver has to awkwardly adjust himself to insert the cashcard into the IU and remove it [watch ROADS.sg's video here].

Obviously, this went viral quickly. As of now (29 April 2024, this video has garnered 4.4k reactions (breakdown: 2.1k Like, 2.1k Laugh, 41 Wow, 41 Angry, 28 Sad, 14 Love). The video also has 1.3k comments and 1.7k shares.

Generally, from the comments, most netizens agree with ROADS.sg that the new OBU is a stupid invention that is not well thought and poorly designed without the end-user in mind. Technologically, it is also a downgrade from the current IU, and netizens called for a review of the implementation.

It makes me wonder who is the scholar that 'invented'/approved this brilliant idea lol! 🫣 Personally, i think the elephant in the room is, if motorcycle can do a 1-to-1 (i.e. single piece) IU replacement without compromising functions, why does the new IU for car needs to be split into 3 units (installed randomly all over the car)??

While this new 3-part OBU is already quite a bad running joke being ridiculed online and offline for the past 2 days, LTA surprised everyone with an even sillier 'powerpoint slide video' on 29 April 2024 as a failed attempt trying to rebuke why the motorbike single-piece IU cannot be installed in cars [watch LTA's video here].

Obviously, LTA's video went viral for the wrong reason, as most netizens do not buy the rationale. As of now (29 April 2024 11.55pm (13h after the video was uploaded), LTA's video garnered 703 reactions (breakdown: 133 Like, 306 Laugh, 7 Wow, 251 Angry, 6 Sad, 0 Love). LTA's video has 813 comments and 186 shares. Comments are generally quite negative. Similar negative feedback are also observed across news pages, forums and offline.

Similar to SimplyGo, the 'poor explanation is worse than not explaining' attempt by LTA is actually creating even more questions than clarifications...

1. LTA's explanation on why the motorcycle single piece OBU cannot be installed in cars is because the interior of car has a higher temperature than the ambient temperature outdoor raised eyebrows. It is like implying the original 1998 technology (in terms of dealing with the interior temperature) is much better than the new one. If this is the case, then why is there a need to change/upgrade? Furthermore, there are a lot of other equipments installed in cars (e.g. radio, dash-cam, taxi meter, etc.). LTA's explanation is simply not convincing.

2. Giving LTA the benefit of doubt that the motorcycle single piece OBU cannot be installed in cars due to the temperature issue, can this challenge be resolved? If not, is it due to technical or cost constraint?

3. If the motorcycle single compartment is not missing any function, why does the car version needs to be split into 3 separated compartments?

4. Why drivers cannot decide where these components should be installed in their cars?

5. If the compartment for the insertion of cashcard needs to be installed at the leg area, why cant it be installed at the driver's side?

6. Is there any trial for this? If yes, what is the sample size and feedback?

7. What is the intention of transiting to ERP2.0? (i.e. to further track our every movement?)

8. What's the benefit of ERP2.0?

Considering that ERP has an excellent track record of not breaking down once since 1998, we need more clarifications and transparency on this.

With so much hate on this online & GE coming soon, many wonder whether will we see another go-stan on this nonsense too. After all, it is not that easy for the same agency to make so much blunder within a few months lol. but well, We Keep The World Laughing.

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We Keep The World Laughing on ERP2.0   © 文彬 2004~2024. All rights reserved.