Growing up, there are just some tunes that really stick to u! I mean, these tunes just represent your childhood! For example, who can forget the famous song associated with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle! These Turtles in a half shell bring back not just comic book memories, but they certainly make you think differently about turtle soup!

As some associations are “Evergreen”,  I have been teaching some of these famous songs to the kids. Many of the establishments and businesses that these mascots  represent, are still significant pillars for children of today!

One song that I have been teaching the kids, is the “Mouseketeers Song”.  I used to watch the Mickey Mouse Club, every week when I was young and I loved it.  U guys remember the Intro?

And of course, who can forget the ending! Mic…See you real soon! Key….Y..Because we love you…You can watch it, if you are not from my era…

Times have changed and today’s Mickey Mouse Clubhouse is very much different!  However,  I still think that Disney has not lost his “Magic Touch” as the song still speaks to the kids of today. Whenever we catch the introduction on the telly, the kids and I will still dance together to the song and laugh at ourselves. The Songs may be different, but Mickey Mouse Clubhouse is still in the “Cool” category for any kid!

Check out the Current Mickey Mouse Club House song here if you don’t have kids, and you are not sure what I am talking about

Another tune that really clung on to me revolves around a yellow Giraffe! Yes! how can you not like what the yellow Giraffe stands for!

He is the mascot of the Biggest Toy Store in town, and he represents toy!  I definitely did not have the teach the kids to love Geoffrey, but they discovered this yellow animal by themselves, and they just got excited whenever they smell a shopping mall that has a Toys R Us nearby.

Unfortunately, “Toys R Us” does not buy “air time” for their advertisements in Singapore anymore, but when I was young, these advertisements really stuck with me as I watched them on my telly! My eyes just went Mega Big when I saw the toys on display! Check out the catchy theme song!

I showed the kids this advertisement! It seemed to hold their attention for a while, but they immediately took a liking for the current one.

I think it must be the modern Cartoon Characters that are in the current advertisement that really speak to them! Wonder if you guys share the same pleasant memories as me, when you watch these ads!

Recently, Nicole has been harping on the fact that Mcdonald’s is 24 Hours! She keeps on telling me, “Daddy, it means that we can go there anytime! For Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner!”

Needless to say, I did not share the same excitement. A fast food diet isn’t one of the most healthy diets around. As she was harping on this 24 hour service, she began to ask me…

“Daddy, does it mean that the Auntie at Mcdonald’s does not go home?”
This was when the discussion shifted to shift work, and I explained to her the shifts that the workers needed to work. Nicole then innocently exclaimed, “So, she earns a lot of money?”

“Er…Not really…” I replied, “They don’t get paid a lot!”

It is definitely intriguing to realise that even though the cost of living in Singapore has gone up, wages in certain industries have not risen by much. I remember I used to ask my friends why they were working at Mcdonald’s or any other fast food restaurant. The pay was a miserly $3.30 an hour, and the shifts were just so LONG! Through the years, the hourly wage for this low paying job has increased only by a few dollars and at a slower rate than higher paying jobs. As presently, wages are still under $6 an hour for the fast food industry!

That’s why many people are calling for minimum wage to help our lower income citizens. Unfortunately, minimum wage may not lead to progressively higher pay as the years go by! To put it simply, is there a justification for companies to adjust the pay a cleaner or security guard more than the minimum wage of $800 (assuming there is one) if they are still doing the same duties and having the same job scope? That’s why in many countries that have minimum wage schemes, the difficulty is in raising the minimum wage level year after year.

Hence we simply need a proper wage system to help our lower income citizens. I have been watching the news lately, and I have been intrigued by the Progressive Wage Model advocated by NTUC. It’s like a minimum wage but with an upsize package!

This means that instead of just setting a minimum wage, the Progressive Wage Model aims to help workers like cleaners and security guards upgrade themselves and make their jobs more productive too. Besides their original duties of cleaning or security control, companies will develop career paths to enlarge their job scope, upgrade their skills, productivity and career experience, and increase their pay accordingly!

With better wages and better promotion prospects, workers will tend to stay on longer with their bosses, and the shortage of workers in places such as the cleaning, F&B and hospitality industry will be addressed. Companies become more competitive with a pool of experienced labour.

As Ordinary Citizens, many of us would like to help our lower income compatriots. However, simply supporting the easiest way to raise wages (by calling only for minimum wage) without thinking about the long term effects will not help the lower income earners to earn more in the long run.

With progressive wage, profit margins for businesses can improve sustainably with new processes and automation. Because workers can now do more with the same number of work hours, the company can afford to pay them more too. The best thing is this arrangement is not contingent on subsidies, grants or artificial wage controls, but based on profit and productivity growth.

The progressive wage model definitely sounds like a good package. When workers are encouraged to upgrade, they will be more valuable to the company and the company gains a strategic asset too. Not only will the well being of lower income workers be looked after, but these companies will be more competitive as well!

This article was written in collaboration with NTUC

Everyone has heard of Jeremy Lin! And if you love basketball or Jeremy Lin, keep on reading as you get the latest scoop on a Jeremy Lin Interview!

No one can be in the Chinese Speaking World, and not heard of this “Rookie” who sparked off a renewed craze for the NBA over here in Asia.

“Linsanity” has taken the Chinese World by storm, and Jeremy Lin is the latest “Pin-up”  boy for any high achieving Chinese family. Seriously, it’s like what else can you ask for? Jeremy Lin gets good grades! He is a well-behaved scholarly Chinese boy, well mannered, does not get drunk, and he does not break any rules! and to top it off, he  is a graduate from Harvard…

But he does break all the stereotype rules,when you find out that this Chinese boy can, not just study, but he can  JUMP!

Yes! No one expects any Chinese boy to be any good at basketball, unless one is born with the Super Giant frame of Yao Ming. This stereotype of Asians definitely enabled Jeremy Lin to “fall through the cracks” in the early years, but he was just too good to fall through the system. Somehow, his “kairos” moment came, and the rest is history!

He is in the “pros” together with other NBA Stars like Kobe Bryant, and he is not just Chinese, but also a man who is unafraid of his religious convictions! Jeremy Lin speaks in Christian Meetings in Taiwan, and lets everyone know about his faith! This is the Cultural Mandate in action! Being relevant to society and a “Salt and Light” where ever he goes!

Would definitely love to see this Chinese boy in Singapore sharing his testimony in one of our local Churches! 

I really enjoyed this 60 minutes interview, which the American Network did on Jeremy Lin. As you watch it, you will discover his meteoric rise, and also his religious convictions as well!

There is a new kid on the block!

Women always seem to be better Social Creatures than Men! They are the homosapians who always still seem to keep in touch with the Primary School classmates, and even Kindergarten friends. While guys on the other hand, seem to be generally pathetic in this aspect.

Since the invent of Facebook, the guys have slowly crawled back the deficit in this Friendship arena. Although sustainability is another questionable, the bottom line is that, at least we are trying!

It seems that this phenomenon has been aided by the Internet, and it is on the Blogosphere, where this online community has its humble beginnings!

It began with an April Fool’s day prank started by Winston, a Daddy Blogger at blogfather.sg where he announced he was setting up a Singapore Man Bloggers group for the Daddy Bloggers in Singapore.

The online community seemed to love the idea, and since that day, there has been no turning back!

From there, our creative director Winston was in full swing…and the rest is history!

Daddy Matters is made up of an online community of active dads, who just want to encourage active Fatherhood.

If women have their BFFs to share their vomiting, water retention and  breast feeding experiences, we too want a community to share our Fathering Woes. So get ready to hear stories about us Grappling with the responsibilities of Fatherhood, fighting the middle age bulge, and our incessant love for “techie” gadgets!

We do not claim to be perfect fathers, but we definitely can be that online buddy who you can slap “High 5’s” with, and share EPL anecdotes on a Saturday night!  

So if you are a father, do join us at Daddy Matters!

Before I go, let me introduce to you the motley crew of Fathers who formed the first 11 Daddy Bloggers:

Winston Tay – blogfather.sg & dear.xander.sg

Nick Pan – nickpan.com

Edmund Tay – edunloaded.com

Andy Lee – sengkangbabies.com

Kelvin Ang – cheekiemonkie.net

Kelvin Ang – daddy.nivlek.per.sg

Isaiah Kuan – jbabiesdad.blogspot.sg

Daddy M -  thewackyduo.com

Patrick Pang – patrickpang.com

Vincent Lee – roamingglass.blogspot.sg

Christopher Vu – christophervu.com 

Should you wish to know more about us, you can do so at http://www.daddymatters.sg/about/first-eleven/

There has been a disturbance in the “Force” over the last few days!

If you have been a Star Wars fan, you will be glad to know that the Star Wars Troopers are making a special appearance at the Singapore Philatelic Museum on selected dates this quarter.

These “Live” Star Wars Characters will be accompanied by “Star Wars” movie memorabilia and action figures. I am sure that most of us will be familiar with the model ships and vehicles featured, coupled with the breathtaking diorama of the “Emperor Arrival Scene”! The special diorama typified by small Lego figurines captures the imagination of a  Galactic Empire ruled by an Evil Empire. Awesomely cool for any boy!  

Looking at all the memorabilia, it was more of a trip down memory lane for Daddy,as the figurines reminded him of his childhood. However, Nathan the young padawan, was quick to pick up on what’s going on, and learn the Jedi ropes.  As he had previously met the Storm Troopers at the Star Wars Kinect Launch, he was quick to re-connect himself with the force. Soon, he was running around the Museum and looking for Darth Vader and R2D2.

As it is a Stamp museum, I was definitely surprised that they actually made Star Wars stamps, and  people actually used it in their mail. I think I would have been really overjoyed as a boy, if I received such a letter from my friends!  

You will be glad to know that Entry to the Philatelic Museum is Free for kids, while I had to pay $5 for my entrance fee. The Storm Troopers will only be making their appearance from 2 to 4pm on weekends on these dates:

14 April, 28 April, 4 May, 18 May, 19 May, 2 June, 16 June

Do check out the Singapore Philatelic Museum for more details!