Stalin, Churchill and Roosevelt, who is the fairest of them all?

World War Two: Behind Closed Doors, Stalin, the Nazis and the West Stalin by Laurence Rees (2008), a BBC Book, is a good read – much about the relationship between this tyrant, Churchill and Roosevelt during the Second World War.

Hitler was a formidable conqueror; if not for Russians’ steadfast resistance and great sacrifices, Europe would have been completely run over by Germany. To the chagrin of Stalin, Churchill and Roosevelt were dragging their feet over the launching of a second front to ease pressure on the Russians; hence Stalin’s distrust of Churchill and Roosevelt. Contrary to what western historians’ romantic record that the Normandy landing was the D-day of the war, Germany’s fate had already been sealed after the losses they suffered in the eastern fronts. Both Churchill and Roosevelt were ingratiating themselves to Stalin. Poland which suffered also a great deal during the war was supposed to surrender a large tract of its eastern zone to Russia in exchange for continued existence under an accord struck between Stalin, Churchill and Roosevelt. But what happened was something else; Poland, together with all the eastern European countries became the satellite states of Soviet Union, which Great Britain and the United States were totally unable, or not prepared, to do anything about. There was a great deal of betrayal for many Poles had sacrificed so much fighting under the banner of the Allied forces.

Stalin was one who would not bat an eyelid in sending his own people to death, let alone the Poles and the minorities like Tartars in Russia. The Russians could blatantly blame the Germans for the Katyn massacres where thousands of Poles were killed cold-bloodedly – even though facts pointed that they themselves were the culprits. Might talks loudest!

This was from Churchill: The difficulty about the Poles was that they had unwise political leaders. Where there were two Poles there was one quarrel. Stalin was one up with this rejoinder: “that where there was one Pole he would begin to quarrel with himself through sheer boredom”.

There are indeed much to learn about the leaders on both sides of the divide from this book. Two sophisticates could not out-wit a country bumpkin!

BMWs and Fords

Channel NewsAsia has a program called SG+ where the presenter would invite a panel to discuss a topic of current interest. I happened to tune in into one last week. It was something about tertiary education in Singapore. Among the questions posed were: Are the polytechnics and universities in Singapore encroaching on each other's turfs? Is university ranking important?

Two were in the panel, one the president of SIM University, and the other, a head-hunter with one of the leading executive search firms in Singapore.

It was a very watchable. The issues were intellectually raised and discussed. It was clear that these people know what they are talking. The conclusion was even more important: Singapore policy makers and implementer know exactly what they are doing. The missions of the universities and polytechnics are very clear; the former is to go for higher level of knowledge and research and the latter, to impart skills that are becoming increasingly sophisticated in Singapore. The need for one to prepare oneself in terms of knowledge and skill sets to meet new challenges can no longer be taken lightly. The case of a bank’s IT manager finding himself made redundant was cited to illustrate the new reality. He has a degree and in a position that is seemingly sought-after, how could this happen? The job has been sourced out! He ended up becoming a real estate agent!

The National University of Singapore now ranks as one of the top universities in the world. Nanyang Technological University is also trailing not far behind. Is ranking important? Certainly - if you are in the pursuit of courses that are best taught by top economists, engineers, scientists or thinkers. But if you want to do a degree in Nursing, you certainly do not need to seek out Cambridge or Harvard to excel.

An article in Sydney Morning Herald was brought up for discussion. A professor in one of the universities says that universities should be producing BMWs instead of Fords. Years back, only the top 5% of high school students went on to do their degrees; the rest would join the workforce. Today, if you don’t go to university, something must be wrong with you, unless, of course, your family is so financially stretched to help you out. But be that as it may, the top 5% of the students in most decent universities are the of BMW stuff!

This BMW-versus-Ford talk reminds me of a recent interview my wife read about. A German engineer who is now working in the States was lamenting that there was no way that the States could produce cars that are as good as the German’s. Isn’t this easy for all to see?

Mercedes Benz, BMW and Audi are ALL German cars. There is only ONE Germany in this world. Anyone who aspires to build the likes of Mercedes Benz, BMW and Audi in another part of the world should go there to work as an apprentice first!

"When Chinks translate Mandarin into English"

The stuff below was forwarded to me by a friend:

 

Brilliant Beijing Hotel Brochure - Translated as only they can.

 
A friend went to Beijing recently and was given this brochure by the hotel. It is precious. She is keeping it and reading it whenever she feels depressed.

Obviously, it has been translated directly, word for word from Mandarin to English.

Getting There: 

Our representative will make you wait at the airport. The bus to the hotel runs along the lake shore. Soon you will feel pleasure in passing water. You will know that you are getting near the hotel, because you will go round the bend. The manager will await you in the entrance hall. He always tries to have intercourse with all new guests. 

The Hotel: 

This is a family hotel, so children are very welcome. We of course are always pleased to accept adultery. Highly skilled nurses are available in the evenings to put down your children. Guests are invited to conjugate in the bar and expose themselves to others. But please note that ladies are not allowed to have babies in the bar. We organize social games, so no guest is ever left alone to play with them self. 

The Restaurant: 

Our menus have been carefully chosen to be ordinary and unexciting. At dinner, our quartet will circulate from table to table, and fiddle with you. 

Your Room: 

Every room has excellent facilities for your private parts. In winter, every room is on heat. Each room has a balcony offering views of outstanding obscenity! ... You will not be disturbed by traffic noise, since the road between the hotel and the lake is used only by pederasts. 

Bed: 

Your bed has been made in accordance with local tradition. If you have any other ideas please ring for the chambermaid. Please take advantage of her. She will be very pleased to squash your shirts, blouses and underwear. If asked, she will also squeeze your trousers. 

Above All: 

When you leave us at the end of your holiday, you will have no hope. You will struggle to forget it.

Firefly, your community airline...

I don’t know what community Firefly is talking about; I certainly don’t feel that I am in any of its communities, except that I use it to commute to-and-fro Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.

It is not my preferred choice, for I have hardly any choice really.

“Last minute” bookings can cost a bomb; one way ticket makes you out of poorer by more than M$500, roughly the cost of Business Class tickets on the “regular” airlines. Unfortunately, my meetings are usually the last minute type. And from where I am putting up whenever I am in the country (Malaysia), Subang Airport is just 10 minutes away, compared with an hour or so I have to set aside for the journey to KLIA.

If you miss you flight, too bad; you lose everything. And if you are early and want to catch an earlier available flight, which might be half empty, you have to pay surcharges. SQ will rush you into an earlier flight by every means. Why? They can sell another seat in the next flight.

Tan Sri Low Yow Chuan who built Malaysia's first international hotel (The Federal at Bukit Bintang) used to say this to his staff: A hotel room NOT sold is a night’s revenue lost! Commonsense isn’t it?

* * *

You get to meet people in Firefly you don’t normally get to see in other airlines.

I suppose Firefly’s ATR aircraft are too small to be serviced by Changi Airport’s regular aprons. Since it is a ‘classless’ plane, every passenger – without exception – will have to be herded into a coach to be ferried to the aircraft which is parked elsewhere for boarding.

Ditto at the Subang airport, there is no VIP lounge there, everyone is equal there. You have to queue up like the rest to walk a short distance to board the aircraft.

Amongst them was this on-time shaker and mover in the Malaysian stock market. I understand he was living like a corporate fugitive for a couple of years overseas. He has a attractive travelling companion. His new wife, maybe? I couldn’t help asking myself: What counter is he trying to “mover and shake” next? But isn't Singapore too dangerous a place for this one-time big cat to prowl?

I also ran into the head of our o our many private universities. I even thought part-time at his "university" before it became one. I read that this university has awarded the Supreme Leader of a rogue country up north an honorary doctorate. I don’t think I want to be a friend of his.

A junior of mine who became the custodian of the country's distressed assets after the 1997 financial crisis was also spotted being squeezed into a corner in the ferry coach. This might turn out to be the first and last time he flew Firefly.
 

Heaven of Filth

The new township of Ara Damansara is supposed to be the pride of Sime Darby Property. It is where its Oasis also is. A drive through this neighbourhood will certainly disappoints. I wrote to the MD of Sime Darby to alert him of the conditions there. He replied, but through his assistant. In short, don't bother us; it is the responsibility of the local council.

Doesn't this attitude speak volumes of the type of managers we have in some of our leading GLCs?


 

Now you know where lah?



Right under the nose of 7-Eleven

What's the black stuff right by the side of the road?






Right in front of Tesco

These precincts of Damansara, I believe, is largely patronized by office and blue collar workers who work nearby. Most of them are Chinese or Indians. I want to draw some correlation with another place with somewhat similar demographics: Klang. My wife and I went for a drive looking for Padamaran yesterday. A motor cyclist, as he drove past us, just flung something out of his hand - as if it was the most logical way for one to get rubbish out of one's way. Most motorists there also don't bother to queue to turn left or right; they just squeezed their way through from the wrong lanes. The grounds are also no cleaner than those precincts of Ara Damansara I highlighted above.

Casualness about cleanliness, orderliness and hygiene is generally indisputable in Chinese- and Indian-dominated cities and country sides all over the world. Is there anything wrong with the type of "formative" education Chinese and Indians children receive in their schools? Many seem to take this "lack" well into their adulthood and beyond!
 

Fair weather friends

Banks are no friends to small timers like us. Every transaction costs you money. Their service attitude is generally the same all over the world. Some are more Shylock than others, though.

In Singapore, you feel insulted by the interest rate they offer you. But they are generally pretty efficient. In Malaysia, some are outright daylight robbers. Tellers in Australian banks are most knowledgeable about their products. After your transaction, you are usually asked, "can we do something more for your today?" But don't count on them to have ready cash if you need large withdrawals.

My wife is forever chasing better interest rates. She thinks the stock prices are too high and property bubble is about to burst. Where else to make your money work, especially with the real rate of inflation we are experiencing today? Banks of course!

Some of her fixed deposits in AmBank were due for renewal.

'Can I enjoy the rate just advertised?"

'Sorry, that is for new funds," she was advised.

Hong Leong Bank and Public Bank appeared to offer similar rate. She decided to try out Public Bank.

'Oh, you have to open a savings account first, bank in your AmBank banker's cheque and wait for it to clear before we can open FD accounts with us.'

'How long does it take?'

'Two days.'

Waiting for two days for the banker's cheque to clear? As if AmBank's cheques cannot be trusted?

'Oh, we treat all cheques like that.'

I suppose, this bank just wants the money as a source of cost-free fund for two days!

No deal; she proceeded to visit Hong Leong down the road.

Hong Leong in SS2 looks like a government office. (Many government offices in fact look much smarter now!) The visitors chairs are so pathetic there. There was only one 'consultant' manning the investment desk and she had to handle a few customers in one breath! And there were so many papers to fill.

* * *

Aren't Hong Leong Bank and Public Bank the best rated banks in the country, at least in terms of share price? I told a friend who has a daughter working in Hong Leong Bank about the conditions of its SS2 Branch.

'My daughter has to go to office at 6am in the morning. She normally doesn't come home before 9:30pm."

Apparently, the staff there have to do two persons' job. No wonder these banks are laughing all the way to - where else? - the bank of course!

* * *

Foreign banks are not much better. Standard Chartered is a case in point. Like all banks, the roll-over rate is lousy. (Banks don't need customer loyalty!) My wife decided to take her fixed deposit out to bank into another bank. She was advised that it would cost her M$5 for the bank to issue her a cheque to return her the money.

What? I need to pay for the money you owe me?

Yes, of course.

Upon my advice, she asked for the matured FD with interest to be paid in cash. It took the bank almost half an hour to assemble and count the money. Of course, it has to be counted in front of us.

She was also worried; would it be safe for us to walk around with the money?

But principles are principles! No two way about it.

We later found that all day light robbers in Malaysia behave the same!

Lorenzo and Vonza, Shame on you...

I bought a dining set, amongst other stuff, for my little pad at Saujana Resort from Lorenzo's showroom at Sunway Pyramid. Two years or so later, the 'leather' started to flak and the chairs became very unsightly. I went back to the showroom only to complain - only to find that it had ceased business. I tried call their numbers. no response.

Learning that there was another Lorenzo outlet across the Taman Bahagia LRT station, I lost no time in visiting them. A lady manager promptly gave me her name and email address. Simple, I just had to mail her the original receipt and a photo of the condition of the chairs. One month passed, nothing from this lady. I sent in a reminder. Again nothing from them. I have more or less resigned to seeing such attitude that I decided not to lose my cool with them. I promise myself; I would never buy anything from Lorenzo again!

When I was driving in the Subang area one day, a furniture outlet attracted my attention. I asked if they would be able to reupholster  the chairs. No problem; M$360 each! I told them that I had to return to Melbourne in a month's time. No problem, we can do it for you. The chairs never came back in time as promised. I was in town again a couple of times after that. 'Not ready yet.' I was told each time I called. I even went to the showroom to have a show-down with them. But what could you do with those girls who didn't have a clue of what I was angry with them about?

One fine day, they called to deliver. What? Only five out of the chairs were mine; the other three were totally different in design. They were certainly not the chairs I had left with them. I decided not to pay them the balance and ignore the owners frantic calls and SMSs after that.

I finally took delivery of the last three today - after making Lucy, who over the phone introduced herself as Vonza's owner, sweat for the last couple of months!

There are so many Lorenzo and Vonza type of business people in Malaysia!