Like A Rose
Dan Lai
26
may_fifteen@mailcity.com
Engaged to the sweetest angel in the world
Loves to sing, watch movies and DVDs, swim, play balls, read self-improvement books and travel with my dear
8 Days Go Green
This week’s issue of 8 Days has gone “green”! Like what the writer explained, the cover page photo of Zoe Tay was taken some time ago but it was not published. So, they re-used the photo instead of wasting resources to arrange for another round of photo shoot. Good job! Yet, I somewhat suspect the sustainability of such approach from the magazine creator. We shall see then.
Before I touch on some of the contents in the magazine, I like to applaud my parents for adopting a resource-conserving method when purchasing magazines like 8 Days and I-weekly. After we finish reading them, my parents will return them to the vendor in exchange for some discounts for the next issues. The vendor has her own way of disposing these magazines in an environmentally friendly way. Of course, I think this is vendor-specific. Hence, we are able to avoid magazines being piled up in the house. Cheers!
Flipping through the pages of 8 Days, I came across articles that displayed the carbon footprint of some celebrities. These members of the entertainment circle quite openly shared their “non-green” habits like using the air-conditioner all day long and driving around even when not necessary. Surprisingly, they also announced their monthly utilities bills as a result of their lifestyle. Most importantly, they tried to make a commitment in altering or improving their way of life to consider more for the environment in the future. I do have some uncertainty in their willingness to change but I shall give them the benefit of the doubt for the time being.
The magazine, like all campaigns by the government and NGOs, listed out some ways to conserve energy and be “green”. I am quite satisfied of my performance here.
1) Turn off appliances at power sockets - Pass with flying colours! I always switch off both the electric device and the power socket. Occasionally, like one in 50 times, I forgot.
2) Don’t use air-con - Just pass! I only switch on the air-con earlier in the evening to cool my room and will off it when going to sleep. I will have the fan working when I am sleeping.
3) Take cold showers - Fail! I bathe in warm water unless when I am doing my In Camp Training.
4) Don’t take plastic bags - Just pass! When I buy things, if it is within my ability, I will request not to have plastic bags. If I know beforehand that I am going to the supermarket, I will bring along the recyclable bag. For hygiene purpose, plastic bags may still be required to separate the different categories of food (e.g. meat, vegetables, fruits, canned food etc.)
5) Car pool or cab pool. Better yet, take public transport. Even better, walk - Just fail! I take bus or MRT to work and only use the car at night for short and necessary travelling. During weekends, I may cover more mileage even when not needed sometimes.
6) Go paperless as much as possible - Pass with flying colours! I am still using my university notes as rough papers for work and home administration. I graduated one year ago. I applied for e-statements, if available, for my bills. As much as possible, I maximize usage for a piece of paper.
7) Bring your own coffee mug and non-disposable utensils - Pass with flying colours!
8) Recycle and reuse clothes �C Just pass! I donate old clothes to the church or give them to someone else.
People who know me may wonder whether I have conflicts in my beliefs and values since I am an environmentalist and a sales person in the petrochemical (plastics) industry. To me, I see them as rather separate issues. As an environmentalist, I inculcate in myself a sense of environmental conservation. When I have the opportunity, I will promote such awareness. As much as possible, I practice what I preach except during times when the flesh is extremely weak. As an employee selling plastic raw materials, my job is to generate revenue for the company. Due to the nature of the industry, demand and supply is mainly controlled at a macro level by market players. I do not advise my customers to buy fewer materials so as to produce less waste. The customers have to cover their bottom-line by taking care of the demand. With constant worldwide population increase, demand for polymers is predicted to go up. As a sales person, I am not worried of the consumption of our materials and hence the performance of the company. I just hope that when consumers cultivate environmentally friendly practices, we will eventually reach a balance between supply and demand which is sustainable. Of course, that is the ideal scenario.
Anniversary Presents
Thank you dear for the following presents:
1) Dr. Fish Spa - Dear brought me to Chinatown People's Park Complex for a 30 minutes session of Dr. Fish Spa. Each person were only charged $13.00 which I thought was much cheaper than the one at Singapore Flyer. The fishes here were actually quite big and the first few minutes were extremely ticklish. You really have to get used to it. Dear said that it worked very well for her and I was happy for her.
2) Customised EZY Link Card - Dear printed our photo onto two EZY Link cards and gave one to me. That was very sweet of her to think of such idea. I will definitely use the card everyday!
SPCA Fun Run
Today, dear, her sisters and I took part in SPCA Fun Run at Bedok Reservoir Park. It was a chance for us to wake up really early in the morning to exercise and also to do some charity. The registration fee for the run was $30 per participant and this money will be used to finance SPCA in their operations. We are all dog lovers so it is natural for us to be interested in this.
I am very proud of dear today! Ever since the end of JC life, dear had sort of like stopped exercising and from her many years of non-sporty lifestyle to her completion of 4.3KM by jogging and walking this morning, I have to say that dear had put in alot of effort. Since we set our date on our wedding day, dear had been conscientiously trying to sweat it out at gym to get the figure that she desires. I did not put any pressure on her but I understand how important the wedding day is to her. Most importantly, it had been really fun exercising together with her.
Aseanplas 2008 – International Trade Fair for Plastics and Rubber
Between 26 – 29 May, I was involved in this trade fair. The major resin suppliers who were involved were TPC, Dow and Sabic. Other exhibitors were either the end-user, which 2 of them are my direct customers, or machine makers. Of course, if compared to Chinaplas in Shanghai, this trade show was of a much smaller scale and according to my experienced colleagues; this year’s turnout is quite disappointing.
First day was quite tiring as we brought our customers to Singapore Flyer and dinner at Oosh at Dempsey Hill after a day of engaging with inquirers and visitors at the booth. During the day, we also organized a seminar to update our customers, distributors and agents regarding the project progress in Saudi Arabia.
On the second day morning, my golfer colleagues had a game with some customers from the region. One of my colleagues even got injured from the golf ball during the game. He was given MC for the rest of the days.
The last two days were pretty ok as fewer crowds were coming in. I even had the time to visit other exhibitions at Singapore EXPO. This exhibition, though not impressive to many people, was quite fruitful for me. I met many potential customers and we shared many aspects of the business and industry. Everytime during such trade shows, it would be best to learn as much as possible. Aseanplas is once every 3 years and I will be looking forward to participating in trade shows like Plastindia, M-plas and others.
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