I enjoyed watching a programme called "Hustle" about a group of con-artists who....well.... hustle
They would decide on a target, usually a specific individual, set up some scheme so elaborate right up the alley of expertise of their prey to dent the pride, the smugness and sometimes to take revenge on behalf of other victims.
The ideas are so brilliant, it's a bit like ocean's 11 & ocean's 12..
However that's where the "niceness" stops.
Because in real life, there isn't any Robin Hood hustler Who'd teach a lesson to other lesser crooks, to those "thieves without honor" These con artists would not be targeting "deserving" individuals But unsuspecting ordinary people.
These people are professionals Professional Miners As a character in Hustler once said "We are miners, for we mine people's greed"....
Indeed.
Be warned!
The Internet has opened the playing field for such fiends Not just by spamming or through chatrooms but through other semi public environments Like "Friendsters", "Tagged" even "Skype"
I came across 2 such incidences through various 'venues'
1. Invitation to live and work in USA. This is a legitimate offer from USA, yearly application, within a specific time frame There is another website, which offers to help and monitor, for a fee... granted, one such agency that was pretty clean.
However, there are some dubious 'follow up' agencies They will call you up to hasten you, asking why you hadn't submitted the form, or sent the money They claim they are working on behalf of the legit agency, Like a 'sub-contractor' And will ask you to send the money prompto to proceed...
Nothing to worry about right.....? Wrong!!
Their request is the money be sent to a different address, a different name Heck, in a different country!!!
A quick check with the USA lottery enquiry, even the agency and it became clear the agency does not 'sub-contract' out to others, let alone a company outside of USA.
The fee ain't much, but as someone pointed out The amount is relative. It's not much for us, it's plenty for someone in another country. Multiply that by the no. of people who fall prey and well.... you get the picture!
2. Helping a bank to claim a dead man's inheritance
A 'bank manager' looking for a foreigner To claim a dead customer's capital Providing all information about the dead person
I played along with it to see where it was leading to... so.. here goes....
Somewhere along the way the bank will ask you to sign some papers knowing jolly well that you are not in the country to handle the transaction so they advise you to use their 'appointed attorney'
who in turn request to be paid his services first not a lot, just a few thousand compared to the millions you might be getting
The fact that there are people who will go all out to cheat people whose crime is reading their emails or signing up "Tagged" or "Friendster" or just "Skype"
Perhaps at this point I really should thank the "Hustle" team for making me weary of schemes and deals as the saying goes: "if it's too good to be true, it probably is"
I dun usually write about food. Thinking about it is enough to slap calories galore into my system. But I just have to, coz we went to this place way out in Clementi (sorry, used to live in the east, moved further in recently, but not that far west yet), and well, it totally blew my mind!
In the setting of an ordinary coffee shop, there is this one place where Big Mama CAN BE FILLED!! The food is western, the portions make me cry - they reminded me of the time in Florida when we had to share the dinner 'coz it was so darn HUGE - and the service is absolutely superb, comparable to some better restaurants.The price was reasonable, considering the hamburger patties were like 2 cm thick at least; and I kid you not, the queue is LOOOOONG.
I made the mistake of ordering a double patty - well I was hungry! I regretted it as soon as I saw my plate. The fries was over-flowing, heaped like a little mound. The coleslaw were like 2 ice-cream scoopfuls.... and then there was the burger. I couldn't eat it the normal way, me mouth ain't big enough. I had to struggle with it one layer at a time, and I couldn't finish it. No way, not even after a long walk in Labrador Park, not even if I had starved myself the whole day... 2 days may be...
So, should anyone stray onto this blog and wondered where on earth can one get a viking fill of food, here it is, it's called Botak Jones. Couldn't see anyone Botak (bald) there, but hey, who is complaining?!
Just saw that they have another branch at Ang Mo Kio.
A serious question was posed recently about whether I'd be concerned about what other people think about how I raised my girls...
At that point I answered that people will always have negative comments or positive suggestions on how children should be raised and I'm not really bothered about what people think of me.
What the girls post on their blogs, are reflection of their thoughts, and I could only advise them not to come across as anti-establishment or get themselves or their friends into trouble. My concern is more what others will think of them as individuals, character-wise and integrity-wise.
This question lingered on my mind afterwards, and got me thinking, as I had never really given it a thought.... What others think.
Perhaps I should say that not many people had criticised me about how I raised the girls, and those who had, well, all comments and suggestions are received, even processed, but not necessarily acted upon.
Don't get me wrong.
I'm NOT saying I'm the perfect mom.. Hell, the girls can tell you that. I can rant and rave and scream and shout and swear... all in the same breath. I'm only saying I'm trying to do the best I can in the way I think works.
It's like drying clothes. Your neighbours can tell you to hang your clothes outside, or along the common corridor, to 'catch the sun'. But I don't, not always, why? Because where I live, there ain't no sun to catch, only wind. So if I hang my clothes out, the chances are the clothes still won't get dried within a day, but they sure as anything to get blown down, pole and all. (Trust me, it happened a few times)
What I am saying is... What works for these kind souls who meant well, may not work for me. Some are blessed with really docile children, some are challenged with children who needs a firm hand. Each child is different in as much as each family is different. My children are like chalk and cheese. Both free-spirited, but express themselves in totally different ways. One is sensitive in one aspect, the other, well, a different one. Raising children is really trial and error, at least for me.
So if people out there are determined to find fault, be my guest. I admit I have gone wrong, many times, bitterly wrong, but I know that in my "tug & nudge" parenting, my girls know that they always have my support and love.
Funny.... So many things had happened and I couldn't bring myself to blog. May be I didn't wanna wallow in self pity, the craze of moving and stuffing 12 years of our lives, 9 years of a 4-roomed flat into ONE room..
Anyway, let's start with something more positive...
Had a brilliant week in Cambodia. Broke towards the end, but loved it. I indulged in a week of what I enjoyed - my calling.
Then, the bombshell, delivered on my birthday... I had to leave my work, for they decided that I was not committed, after spending hours doing translation, impromptu interpretation, writing articles for the newspaper and a whole weekend for the yearly event, I was told I was not committed. That is also including roping in my girls to help out...
Still, God is good as He provided a few filming opportunities for me. Yes, He is good, even though I had been so low that I chose to neglect reading His word, He is still faithful.
Dear Lord, help me to stay true to where you lead me, and help me to learn to hear You clearly. I have nothing to rely on but You
Name: charisMA Home: Singapore About Me: Mom of 2 amazing n different girls. Love to sing, act n help people, even if it's just with a smile. See my complete profile Earworm:
