Leap Year Traditions

What is a Leap Year?
A leap year is a year in which one extra day has been inserted, or intercalated, at the end of February. A leap year consists of 366 days, whereas other years, called common years, have 365 days.

Have anyone ever told you about this Leap Year Tradition before? Let me share this with you.

The Next Leap Year is 2008

Leap Year has been the traditional time that women can propose marriage. In many of today's cultures, it is okay for a woman to propose marriage to a man. Society doesn't look down on such women. However, that hasn't always been the case. When the rules of courtship were stricter, women were only allowed to pop the question on one day every four years. That day was February 29th.

St. Bridget's Complaint

It is believed this tradition was started in 5th century Ireland when St. Bridget complained to St. Patrick about women having to wait for so long for a man to propose. According to legend, St. Patrick said the yearning females could propose on this one day in February during the leap year.

February 29th in English Law

According to English law, February 29th was ignored and had no legal status. Folks assumed that traditions would also have no status on that day. It was also reasoned that since the leap year day existed to fix a problem in the calendar, it could also be used to fix an old and unjust custom that only let men propose marriage.

The first documentation of this practice dates back to 1288, when Scotland passed a law that allowed women to propose marriage to the man of their choice in that year. They also made it law that any man who declined a proposal in a leap year must pay a fine. The fine could range from a kiss to payment for a silk dress or a pair of gloves.

Sadie Hawkins Day

In the United States, some people have referred to this date as Sadie Hawkins Day with women being given the right to run after unmarried men to propose.

Sadie Hawkins was a female character in the Al Capp cartoon strip Li'l Abner. Many communities prefer to celebrate Sadie Hawkins Day in November which is when Al Capp first mentioned Sadie Hawkins Day.

Greek Superstition

There is a Greek superstition that claims couples have bad luck if they marry during a leap year. Apparently one in five engaged couples in Greece will avoid planning their wedding during a leap year.

Source from http://marriage.about.com

Its gonna be a MaD & CrAzY week

Finally the time has come for the last stage of project execution. Friends out there, please pray hard for us to have a smooth sailing project transition & all of us won't end up to be like this...

More than a Red Dot

Today 21st Feb 2008, its not only the last day of the Lunar New Year, its not only the day where the New Year TOTO Jackpot draw happens & someone may become a Millionaire...

Today the ENTIRE Singapore Celebrates being the First Hosting Nation to hold the Inaugural Youth Olympics in 2010!



SINGAPORE - Singapore erupted in celebration on Thursday after winning the right to host the inaugural Youth Olympics in 2010, with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong calling it a new era for Southeast Asian sport.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) awarded the Games to the city-state ahead of Moscow by a vote of 53 to 44. It will be the first time that Singapore is hosting a multi-disciplinary sporting event of such a magnitude.

"Friends and fellow Singaporeans, congratulations to all of us," said Mr Lee in front of thousands of cheering supporters wearing red and white, the colours of the national flag.

"It is a great honour and privilege for all of us. It will be the first time that the Olympic flame will be in Southeast Asia and in Singapore.

"We will be the focus of a new era for sporting development for Southeast Asia and Singapore. We worked very hard, it was a national effort, but more than that it was a people effort."

Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Community Development, Youth, and Sports, called it "an historic day".

"By choosing Singapore, the IOC has declared that it is possible for small young cities like Singapore to host the Olympic movement," he said.

"On Friday, the hard work begins. I know we will succeed because every Singaporean will go all out to welcome the youth of the world to Singapore in 2010."

Moscow had Russian President Vladimir Putin in its corner, far deeper pockets than Singapore in terms of budget, and long-standing ties with the IOC on its side. But Singapore played its size-is-not-everything card to perfection.

A huge buzz has been generated among Singaporeans, with people from all backgrounds in the nation of 4.5 million people supporting the bid.

Online, they have shown their backing by blogging, chatting on forums, posting videos and setting up websites. And more than 550 companies publicly backed the bid.

The brainchild of IOC chief Jacques Rogge, the Youth Olympics will feature traditional sports such as athletics and swimming, and also some innovative events such as beach-wrestling and BMX bike riding.

Rogge made the announcement himself from the IOC headquarters in Lausanne, ending a process that originally started with nine cities in contention. This was whittled down to Athens, Bangkok, Turin, Singapore and Moscow before it became a two-horse race.

"This is a key moment for the Olympic movement," said Rogge. "Singapore has put together a very exciting project. Hosting the Youth Olympic Games for the first time is a great responsibility, and I have every confidence in the team in Singapore.

"I have no doubt that their professionalism and enthusiasm will be instrumental in the staging of a successful Youth Olympic Games in 2010."

The Games will see 3,500 athletes, aged between 14 and 18, competing in 26 sports.

Singapore is proposing 24 venues, with four being built as temporary facilities, including one large cluster of 13 facilities in its Marina-Kallang area.

The Youth Olympic Village will be located at a new multi-million-dollar student residential complex at the National University of Singapore, slated for completion months before the event.

Singapore is budgeting US$75.5 million to run the Olympics, covering everything from educational and cultural programmes to development of services and transport. The Games will run from August 14-16.

Sources from Channel News Asia

Cell Phones... Cell Phones... Choices... Choices...

Sigh... My 5 months old Motorola V3xx starts to give me problems.
1. Lately the battery life seems to get shorter & shorter. I have to charge it like every other day.
2. SMS function seems to be quirky. Sometimes I can't even write a letter where it just gets hung. Needs reboot to get it function again.
3. Because this phone does not comes with a daily alarm scheduling feature, I have to set my wake up call in the calendar. Since I am not driving any more, so sometimes I have to wake up real early in the morning to catch a bus & train to work. Sometimes I can hitch a ride with my neighbour & so I don't need to wake up that early.
4. Etc.. There are too many...

So comes May this year, I am able to upgrade my line by having to tie myself for another 2 years with M1. Which means I can rather good deals for the mobiles.

What should I go for next? Made couple of web searching & these are the few which I think is not bad.

Poll for me. Help me to choose...

Nokia 6500 Classic
Sony Ericsson W350i
Sumsung SGH-F330

Singtel Singapore Grand Prix... Here I come

After many days of trying via the official website for 2008 F1 Singtel Singapore Grand Prix to get hold a of 3 day pass... I GAVE UP.

The server either went down or unavailable or unable to process my tickets after clicking up till step no. 6 or for whatever reason it just hung there... I went almost berserk.

In today's papers, there were huge advertisement from the Race & ticketing sponsor saying "WE ARE SORRY", but that does not even ease the server retarded nature.

Being a typical Singaporean & afraid can't secure the First Singapore Night Race ticket, I called the Ticketing HOTLINE @ +65 6738 6738.

The line got through within seconds. No complicated steps like press 1 for blah, press 2 for blah blah, etc.. Just a press to get to ticketing & I got attended by a sales officer within 2 kroos.

He greeted & I told him what I want. He says the block was fully & suggested a different block. My seats were selected & the transaction got completed within minuets.

I am so happy & can't wait till September when I embrace the roar of the F1 engines right to ears & not via the TV screen.

Here is where I bought. The lower deck of the light blue zone. Seeya.

We are the Winners.

Collin & Adrain, I am so proud of you being the winners of the Amazing Race Asia Season 2.

You have proven the fact that disability is not an excuse for one to archive his/her dream with determination & strong will.

Congratulations.

Happy Lunar New Year 2008!!!

By now all my list of things to be done for the New Year had already completed. Even though I didn't manage to do something... also felt extremely shy to announce.

Hereby I wishes all my friends out there:-

祝:
鼠年如意
身体健康
心想事成
财源滚滚而来

最重要的是要发发发!!!