Safety Starts with Me video

Below is a video that is filmed by my school's art teachers.It is a competiton called Safety Starts With Me.It is quite funny.Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdS5zOLG4T4

Some of my favourite techers and lessons in HCI

I like Mr. Yong Han Siong,Mr.Lee Sze Chin,Mr.Quek Sway Swee and Mr Tan Boon Beng especially their lessons.Their lessons are very funny an interestting especially Mr.Tan Boon Beng,my music teacher.Mr.Tan is a very kind and gentle teacher.He always like to smile.

LA Test

Finally!LA Test for term 2 is over!

The birth of Sir Stamford Raffles

Raffles, Thomas Stamford, Sir, (b. 6 July 1781, off Port Morant, Jamaica - d. 5 July 1826, Middlesex, England), founder of Singapore island, was born at sea off Jamaica on 6 July 1781 on board the West Indiaman Ann. The Ann was the ship captained by his father, Benjamin Raffles. His full name at birth was Thomas Stamford Bingley Raffles, where each name had significance to people who had influence over him or his family.Although the ship Ann had been at anchor at Port Morant, Jamaica for some days, Anne Lyde, Benjamin Raffles' wife, gave birth only the day after the ship had pulled out of port. Raffles was thus born at sea on 6 July 1781 or 5 July if taken by sea reckoning which calculates a full day from noon to noon rather than midnight to midnight. The baby was named Thomas Stamford Bingley Raffles at a christening ceremony on board the ship Ann, naming Stamford of Jamaica and Bingley of London as the child's godfathers. But he was rechristened Thomas Raffles by his uncle, the Rev John Linderman on 4 July 1784 at Eaton Bishop, Herefordshire, during a combined christening with his sister Harriet who was born in 1783. The Rev Lindemann was the brother-in-law of Anne Lyde. Raffles was the only surviving son of Benjamin Raffles.The name "Thomas" was a reference to his grandfather (d. 1784) who had been a clerk for at least 40 years at the Prerogative Office, Doctors' Commons. Raffles never used the name "Bingley", denying that Thomas Bingley had ever been his godfather although historians believe the wealthy Bingley had financially assisted the family during Raffles' cash-strapped childhood years. "Stamford" remains a shadowy figure although a Thomas Stamford has been identified - a merchant who traded between London and Jamaica during the same period Raffles was born. Raffles only officially used the name "Stamford" after his knighthood. The Ann was part of a convoy of 200 ships which were on the way to England and North America after a stopover in the lucrative slave trade of the Carribeans. She was a 260 tonner with 8 four-pounders. Built in 1765 in Scotland, the ship was owned by Hibberts & Co. of Glasgow with a possibility that Benjamin Raffles had a share in it, suggested in the ship's named closely correlated to his wife's, short of an "e".

The death of Sir Stamford Raffles

Raffles, Thomas Stamford, Sir, (b. 6 July 1781, off Port Morant, Jamaica - d. 5 July 1826, Middlesex, England) was found by Lady Sophia Raffles, dead at the foot of the spiral staircase of his home at Highwood (renamed Highwood House) in Hendon at 5:00 am on 5 July 1826. Locals Kwa Chong Guan and Dr James Khoo recently proposed that the cause of death was an arterio-venous malformation. Raffles was pronounced dead just as his household was in the midst of preparing for his 45th birthday. Aside from "a bilious attack", which Raffles had reportedly been suffering from for some days, there was little sign of serious illness prior to his sudden demise. Various theories abound over the cause of Raffles' death - a heart attack, an accidental trip over some steps causing a fatal concussion, a sudden stroke, or an apoplectic attack caused by a brain tumour. Recently, historian Kwa Chong Guan and local neurosurgeon James Khoo analysed the original post-mortem report by Sir Everard Home. They have concluded that Raffles died from an arterio-venous malformation. Acquired at birth, the condition caused a malformation of the major blood vessels in the right frontal lobe of Raffle's brain which then swelled under the pressure of blood pumping through it. Lesions which developed may have burst, causing the fatal haemorrhage on the morning of 5 July 1826. Indeed Sir Everard noted that Raffles' right portion of his skull was thicker than his left but mistakenly concluded the cause of death as an apoplectic attack resulting from a brain tumour. Symptoms of Raffles' arterio-venous malformation include severe headaches which Raffles attested to in his letters. It was also one of the reasons for him giving up Fort Marlborough in early 1824 and returning to England under semi-retirement. Kwa and Khoo also believe Raffles' growing irritable disposition could also be due to this condition. Although curable today, Raffles' achievements are all the more remarkable considering the constant pain this affliction would have caused him especially toward the end of his life.Although it was an early death, Raffles was spared further sufferings which would have inevitably befallen him had he lived longer. The haemorrhage, if it had not killed him could have caused a mental deficiency. The months prior to his death, the Committee of Accounts of the East India Company were calculating unnecessarily detailed repayments Raffles had to make for monies borrowed in the past. The total sum would have been an embarrassing loss for Raffles. In the following years, the death of his confidante, Charlotte Duchess of Somerset (d. 10 June 1827) and his dearest sister, Mary Anne (d. 1837) would have been painful losses for Raffles.Raffles was buried in Hendon parish church. No memorial tablets were permitted to be set up for Raffles until 1887 and the location of the grave was lost until accidentally discovered in April 1914 in a vault beneath the church

Biography of Elizabeth Choy

Elizabeth Choy Su-Mei nee Elizabeth Yong a.k.a. Yong Su Mei (b. 29 November 1910, Kudat, Sabah - 14 September 2006, Singapore), a Hakka from North Borneo, noted for being a war-time heroine during the Japanese occupation and the only woman member in the Legislative Council in 1951. She also posed as an artist's model for the famed sculptress, Dora Gordine, who did two works of her entitled Serene Jade and Flawless Crystal. She worked as a teacher and became the first principal of the Singapore School for the Blind. She was also known for her qipaos and bangles, for which she was nicknamed "Dayak woman of Singapore".Elizabeth was born in Kudat in British North Borneo (today Sabah). Her great-grandparents had been assisting German missionaries in Hongkong and their work had brought them to North Borneo. There, the Yong family set up a coconut plantation. Her father had been the eldest in a family of 11 children and after completing his early education in China with some English education in North Borneo, he gained employment as a civil servant. Marrying the daughter of a priest from a well-respected family in North Borneo, he was transferred to Jesselton and later promoted to District Officer and moved on to Borneo's interiors in Kalimantan. Elizabeth was looked after by a Kadazan nanny and acquired Kadazan as her first language.Later, Elizabeth's father was posted to Tenom where there were no educational facilities, so Elizabeth and her siblings were sent back to Kudat where her paternal grandfather ran the village school, teaching in Chinese. Her higher education was taken at St Monica's School between 1921 to 1929, an Anglican missionary boarding school in Sandakan. Because the teachers could not pronounce Chinese names, she adopted the English name Elizabeth. In 1925, she and her aunt Jessie became the first girls to sign up in North Borneo's inaugural Girl Guides Company. By 1927, she was teaching the lower standards even whilst she was studying.In December 1929, she came to Singapore to further her studies at the Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus at Victoria Street. She shone academically, obtaining the Prize of Honor in her first year of school in December 1930. She resided with her fourth uncle at Selegie where he ran a music shop, the original T. M. A. at High Street. The untimely death of her mother in 1931 and the onset of the Great Depression placed upon her the burden of raising her six younger siblings. Thus she forwent a college education, even a possible scholarship, to start work so she could finance the education of her younger siblings.During the Japanese Occupation, she worked as a canteen operator with her husband at the Mental Hospital which was renamed Miyako Hospital (the predecessor of Woodbridge Hospital) where patients from General Hospital had been moved to. They secretly brought food, medicine, money, messages and even radios to British internees. Unfortunately, they were caught by the Japanese and Elizabeth was arrested on 15 November 1943, following her husband's arrest on 29 October a few weeks earlier. Believing their activities were related to the Double Tenth incident, she was interrogated by the Kempeitai but she never admitted to being a British sympathiser. She was released only after 200 days of starvation diet and repeated torture. Her husband was released much later.After the war, Elizabeth was invited to England as a celebrated war heroine noted as the only female local to have been incarcerated for such an extended period. She went there as part of the privileged few who were invited to Britain to recuperate from the war but her stay extended three more years, totalling four years there. In her first year, she was invited to meet Queen Elizabeth. In her second year, she took up Domestic Science at Northern Polytechnic and in her third year, she taught at a London Council School. Intent on studying art but without the finances for this venture, Elizabeth resorted to posing for art instead. The famed sculptress, Dora Gordine, made two sculptures of her - Serene Jade" and Flawless Crystal. Elizabeth gave her copy of Serene Jade to her daughters who, in turn, donated it to the Singapore Art Museum. Her copy of Flawless Crystal sits in an art gallery in Leicester, Britain.She returned to Singapore in December 1949 and was persuaded to stand for elections in December 1950 for the West Ward or Cairnhill constituency under the banner of the Labour Party, founded in 1948 by V. J. Mendis. However, she lost in the 1951 City Council Elections, to the Progressive Party representative, Soh Ghee Soon. However, she was nominated into the Legislative Council in 1951, becoming the only woman member there. She served for a full five-year term. As a member of the Legislative Council, she represented Singapore at the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in June 1953. She later stood for elections in Queenstown but bowed out from politics thereafter, believing she could do more for the country as a teacher.In the 1950s, she joined the women's auxiliary of the Singapore Volunteers Corps, and was instrumental in expanding the organisation when she recruited many of her friends and colleagues.She hit the headlines in early 1998, when she included a nude photograph of herself at a local art exhibition.1933 : Became a teacher at C. E. Z. M. S or Church of England Zenana Mission School (currently, St. Margaret's school)1935 : Transferred to St. Andrew's Boy's School, probably the only untrained teacher at that time.1949 : Began a stint as an artist's model, when she was 39 years old and was working in London. She posed for the famed sculptress, Dora Gordine, who did two works of her entitled Serene Jade and Flawless Crystal.1950? : Returned to Singapore as Senior Assistant, or Deputy Principal at St Andrew's School.End 1953 - beginning 1954 : Conducted a lecture tour of Malaya in the US and Canada at the request of the Foreign Office in London. Prior to the tour, she took time to visit Malaya to get a better understanding of the country. At that time, it was in the throes of Emergency.1956 - 1960 : Became the first principal of the Singapore School for the Blind.1960 - 1974 : Returned to St Andrew's Junior School and promoted to Deputy Principal in 1964.

Biography of Lee Kong Chian

philanthropist and multi-millionaire businessman, the late Lee Kong Chian was the son of an immigrant from Fujian who made the journey to Singapore in 1903 with his father. His intelligence and talents attracted tycoons Cheng Hee Chuan and Tan Kah Kee who were responsible for his early start in business. Lee made his mark in rubber and later expanded into pineapple, coconut oil and sawmills among others. Lee also invested large capitals in big enterprises like the Overseas-Chinese Banking Corporation, Great Eastern Life, Sime Darby (Singapore), Singapore Cold Storage and the Straits Tradings Company. The last fifteen years of his life was devoted to charity work under the Lee Foundation of which the beneficiaries included the Singapore Chinese High School, Nanyang University, University of Malaya, and the National Library. Though a corporate magnate, Lee led a simple life and was known to be humble. His legacy lives on, with landmark institutions named after him, including the Lee Kong Chian Reference Library (National Library Board), the Lee Kong Chian School of Business and the Lee Kong Chian Building (Singapore Management University).Lee Kong Chian (b. 18 October 1893, Fujian, China - d. 2 June 1967, Singapore) alias Geok Kun, was a native of Fujian province, having been born and raised until he was 10 in Fu Yong village, Nan Ann district. Back in his hometown, Lee received his early education in a private school. Lee's father, Lee Kuo Chuan, was a poor tailor and like many other Fujian natives, turned to Singapore to make a better living. Father and son arrived in Singapore in 1903. Lee was only 10 then and he went to the Anglo-Indian School at Serangoon. The fees were cheap and though it was a Tamil school, Lee learnt English. He then enrolled into Yeung Chia School (predecessor of Chung Cheng School) at Aliwal Street to continue with his Chinese education. A hardworking and excellent student, he topped his classes. In 1908, the 15 year-old Lee was among 15 overseas students armed with a Manchu government scholarship to study in Chi Nan school in Nanjing. He continued his excellent streak and graduated as the top student two years later. Ching Hwa High School in Peking was his next destination for advanced study (a two-year course which was equivalent to pre-university standard). Lee subsequently went to the College of Mining and Communication in Tang Shan to study engineering. But China's political development and internal turmoil as the country headed towards a Republic put a stop to Lee's educational pursuit in China and he came back to Singapore in 1912.In Singapore, Lee's drive and energy took him through four jobs and two courses. His working day started from dawn as an assistant in the Survey Department, a job that lasted until noon. Lee then continued at Lat Pau Chinese Press as a translator of English articles into Chinese. At night, he taught at the Tao Nan School in Armenian Street and at Chung Cheng School in Aliwal Street. His thirst for knowledge led him to take up two courses - a Special Survey Class run by the Survey Department and a correspondence course in civil engineering with an American University. Even before putting the knowledge to use, Lee was courted into business.Lee's break at business came in 1915 when, upon noticing Lee's talent, Cheng Hee Chuan invited Lee to join China National Products Company. The company was formed to import goods from Malaya into China as European merchandise during WWI were in shortage. When Chee invited public investments, Lee subscribed to a number of shares and was appointed assistant English Secretary to the company. The venture did not take off but another opportunity came knocking two years later. Rubber tycoon Tan Kah Kee offered Lee to manage his rubber company at a time when Tan was planning to expand his rubber business to America and Europe. Tan's rubber company, Khiam Aik, grew by leaps and bounds under Lee's capable management and Tan took Lee to be part of his family by marrying him to his eldest daughter, Tan Ai Leh.Lee started his own business in 1927 when he formed Lee Smoke House in Muar, Johore, and in 1928 renamed it to Lee Rubber Company. The company survived the hard times of the 1930s' Depression, which forced many enterprises including Tan Kah Kee Ltd. to wind down. Khiam Aik in fact went bankrupt in 1931. Lee saw his company through a reorganisation to a limited company, and getting his bosom friend, Yap Geok Tui, and his clansman, Lee Pee Soo, to be directors of the company. Cash-rich at a time when prices of land were at rock-bottom, Lee acquired acres of rubber land and rapidly expanded his enterprise. Trade with every part of the world followed, and in Indonesia and Southern Thailand, separate companies were set up and independently developed. Besides establishing himself as a rubber tycoon, Lee diversified his business interest to include pineapple, coconut oil, saw mills, biscuits and raw material trading. In 1931, apart from establishing the Lee Rubber Co. Pte Ltd., Lee also set up Lee Pineapple, Lee Produce, Lee Sawmills, Lee Printing and Lee Biscuits. Lee's business acumen not only benefited his own companies, but also saved others. Lee was responsible for saving small Chinese banks when these banks were feeling the heat from the crash on Wall Street in 1929. Under his leadership, Lee, who was then the director of the small Oversea-Chinese Bank, persuaded two other banks, the Ho Hong Bank and the Chinese Commercial Bank, to merge with his. By the end of 1932, the Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation (OCBC), which was the largest bank in Singapore, was formed. Lee assumed chairmanship of the bank in 1938 until his death in 1967. Other big names that Lee invested in included Great Eastern Life Insurance, Sime Darby (Singapore), Singapore Cold Storage and Straits Trading Company.
Lee's leadership graced important organisation like the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce to which he was twice elected as President. Lee also headed the Rubber Trade Association of Singapore, and as President, he represented the association in various rubber conferences. At the end of 1941, he was attending one of this conferences in Washington D.C. when the Japanese descended on Malaya. He stayed in New York during the Pacific War and was appointed as a lecturer for Columbia University, educating the US military and civil officers on Southeast Asia.Lee's trademark was his progressive business style, exemplified by his success in transforming a traditional rubber business into a modern corporation, thus earning him the title, "the first modern towkay in Singapore". His simplicity and humility often impressed his peers. By 1952, through the Lee Foundation which he established with a capital sum of $3.5 million, Lee began using his wealth to sponsor his strong belief in education. Generous donations to school-building funds and charities started and have continued since.The Lee Foundation bears the mark of Lee Kong Chian's progressive outlook on charity. The Lee Foundation was looked after by a committee whose task was to channel interests derived from Lee's properties into cultural, educational, charitable and public organisations. This was to ensure the longevity of the Lee Foundation's work; to provide steady and continuous support to organisations and charities in both good and bad times.Many have benefitted from the Lee Foundation's generosity. Among the educational institutions were the Singapore Chinese High School, Nanyang University, University of Malaya, and the Amoy University in Fujian. In 1965, Lee donated $1 million to the Singapore Medical Research Funds to start the Institute of Medical Specialties. By March 1967, 15 years after it was set up, the Lee Foundation had donated a total of $10 million. When Lee passed away in 1967, he left half of his fortune to the Lee Foundation so that it could continue Lee's philanthropic work.Lee was conferred the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws by the University of Malaya in 1958. His mark in education continued when he was installed the Chancellor of the University of Singapore on 3 June 1962, the highest honour for a civilian. He had to withdraw from the post in 1965 due to ill-health and he passed the baton to President Yusoff bin IshakLee's health deteriorated in 1964 and he was admitted to Queen Mary's Hospital in Hong Kong for treatment of liver cancer. He made a recovery after an operation, and in 1965, he proceeded to Shanghai for further examination by Chinese physicians. He came back to Singapore three months later and following months of rest, his health improved. However, his conditions took for the worst and he passed away peacefully on Friday 2 June 1967 at 7 pm at his mansion in Mount Rosie. His funeral service was held at Mount Vernon Crematorium, and people from many walks of life from millionaires to rubber tappers paid their last respect. The funeral procession was one of the biggest seen in Singapore but was kept simple despite Lee's millionaire status. He was survived by his wife, three sons, three daughters and several grandchildren.One of the hallmarks of the Lee Foundation was the National Library of Singapore. In 1953, Lee donated $375,000 for the construction of the Library's new building on the condition that the Library waived its annual fees. The enjoyment of a free public library by Singaporeans today owed much to Lee's generosity. Lee officiated the laying of the foundation stone of the new building on 16 August 1957. In the new millennium, 50 years after this first donation, the National Library once again benefited from the Lee Foundation through a S$60 million donation. To honour the Lee Foundation's contribution, the National Library named its new reference library at Victoria Street the Lee Kong Chian Reference Library. Continuing Lee's strong support for higher education, the Lee Foundation contributed S$50 million to the Singapore Management University (SMU). In recognition of this generosity, SMU has named in perpetuity the university's School of Business, its building and its university-wide scholars programme after Dr Lee Kong Chian

Biography of Tan Kah Kee

Tan Kah Kee (a.k.a. Chen Chia Keng) (b. 21 October 1874, Jimei, Tong'an, Quanzhou, Fujian - d. 12 August 1961, Beijing, China). Prominent Chinese pioneer and philanthropist, nicknamed "Rubber King". He contributed extensively in financing schools both in Singapore and in Xiamen.Tan's birthplace - Jimei (Chip Bee, Chi Mei) in Fujian was a few miles from Xiamen Island. Both counties were to receive extensive donations for educational institutions from Tan. He himself was schooled between the ages of 8 to 16 at his village school in Jimei, departing for Singapore immediately after his graduation.Tan made his way to Singapore as a penniless 17-year old to work at his father's sundry shop. It had been managed by an uncle but Tan took on its management when the uncle returned to China soon after Tan's arrival in Singapore. For the next 50 years, he was to multiply the fortunes and expand the business enterprise moving into pineapple canning, brickworks, shipping but principally rubber manufacturing and processing. Noted businessmen and later sons-in-law, Lee Kong Chian and Oon Khye Hong were his employees.1890 : Came to Singapore to work at his father's sundry shop, Chop Soon Ann (Shun'an) Rice Company.1891 - 1892 & 1894 - 1898 : Takes over the management of Chop Soon Ann, including that of a sago factory and a pineapple factory.1903 : Family embezzlement led to the decline of his father's business and the closure of Soon Ann.1904 : Set up a pineapple cannery, Sin Lee Chuan (Xinlichuan) on a limited budget of $7,000 and bought over Jit Sin after his partner dies.1905 : Purchased 500 acres of jungle land in Singapore, initially for pineapple plantations but in the next year, used for rubber planting, making the Hock Shan Plantation, as it was named, Tan's golden goose. From here, Tan launched into the rubber business.1906 : From the profits of his pineapple cannery, he set up Khiam Aik (Qianyi) Rice Mills.1917 : Khiam Aik was converted into a rubber mill.1919 - 1925 : Founded Tan Kah Kee Co. in 1919 and business peaked during this period with his empire stretching to Thailand and beyond to China. In the 1920's, he was known as the "Henry Ford of Malaya".1920 : With help from his brother, Tan Keng Hean, the company set up the Sumbawa Rubber Manufacturer, a manufacturing complex at Sumbawa Road, creating various rubber goods from toys to tyres. 1925 : Tan Kah Kee & Co. was valued at an estimated S$7.8 million and noted as a pioneer in industrial development in Southeast Asia.1929 - 1931 : The impact of the Great Depression affected Tan's company. The bank required that the organisation convert to a limited company. Feb 1934 : Tan Kah Kee Ltd wound up after conflicts between the board and Tan concerning the rubber business. Despite major losses, Tan continues to finance the various schools he had thus far supported.1942 : Escaped to Java, Indonesia, during World War II.1950 : Retired to Jimei.Along with his business ventures, Tan was also instrumental in contributing to various educational endeavours. In Singapore he helped set up schools like Ai Tong, Nan Chiau Girls', Chong Hock Girls' and Kong Hwa. In 1918, he founded the first Chinese secondary school in Singapore - the Nanyang Chinese High School, which was opened in March 1919. Originally located at Niven Road, it moved to to a bigger premise at Bukit Timah Road six years later. Furthermore, he donated large sums of money to two English-medium institutions - the Anglo-Chinese School and Raffles College. He was also co-founder with Tan Lark Sye in the start-up of the Nanyang University. He also developed key educational institutions in China, establishing the Amoy University in Fujian in 1921 as a private University and maintaining it for the next 16 years.Tan was also a social activist during tumultuous times, aiding relief efforts such as the Fujian and Guangdong Flood Relief Fund and was closely associated with the Kuomintang and the Nationalist movement. During World War II, he helped recruit Chinese to assist the British. However, his support for the Chinese Communist Party led the British to deny him re-entry to Singapore after the war. He lived the rest of his life in the Fujian Province.1907 : Set up Tao Nan.1912 : Set up Ai Tong.1915 : Set up Chung Fook Girls' School.1915 : Set up Chung Poon.1918 : Set up Singapore Chinese High School.1919 : Donated S$100,000 to the proposed Anglo-Chinese College but this monies were transferred as S$30,000 paid subscription to the physics and chemistry fund in the Anglo-Chinese School when plans for the former was aborted.1929 : Donated S$10,000 to Raffles College which became University of Malaya.1941 : Set up Nanyang Normal School.1947 : Set up Nan Chiao Girls' High School.1955 : Founded Nanyang University in Singapore.1913 : Set up Jimei Primary School.1918 : Set up Jimei Normal School and Secondary School.1919 : Set up Jimei kindergarten.1919 : Set up Xiamen University, the first Chinese to have founded a major modern university.1920 : Set up Jimei Marine School and Commercial School.1921 : Set up Amoy University.

More information about P.Govindasamy Pillai

P. Govindasamy Pillai (b. 1887, Mayavaram, Tamil Nadu, India - d. 1980), popularly known as PGP, a well-known and successful South Indian businessman who established the string of PGP stores. He was also a noted philanthropist, the biggest donor to Perumal Temple, founder-member of the Indian Chamber of Commerce set up in 1937, founder of the Ramakrishna Mission and a Justice of the Peace in 1939. P. Govindasamy Pillai (b. 1887, Mayavaram, Tamil Nadu, India - d. 1980), popularly known as PGP, a well-known and successful South Indian businessman who established the string of PGP stores. He was also a noted philanthropist, the biggest donor to Perumal Temple, founder-member of the Indian Chamber of Commerce set up in 1937, founder of the Ramakrishna Mission and a Justice of the Peace in 1939. Pillai grew up in an Indian village of Koorainadu, Mayavaram, Tanjore District,Tamil Nadu. In his teens, he ran away from home and boarded a ship to Singapore, landing at Tanjong Pagar in 1905.After many unsuccessful attempts looking for a job, he gained employment at a provision store at 50 Serangoon Road. It was a backbreaking job starting before dawn and ending after midnight. He was given no wages, only food and accommodation. However, it was during this time that he learnt to run a business, knowledge that would put him in good stead later. In 1929, he went back to India and returned with his young wife, 15 year-old Packkiriammal. On his return from Singapore, he found himself without a job as the provision store was put up for sale on the owner's demise. Pillai turned the occasion into an opportunity and bought the shop instead. He borrowed S$2,000 from the chettiars or Indian moneylenders and started a business selling spices, oils and grains. At first, he named the store Dhanalakshmi Stores, after his eldest daughter, and later changed it to P. Govindasamy Pillai or PGP Stores.Being thrifty and frugal, he managed to save enough to invest in properties and to start other businesses such as textile shops, flour and spice mills. PGP saree shops were popular and his sons later expanded this business. The Little India Arcade currently occupies the place where P. Govindasamy Pillai saree shop and supermarket once stood. He also invested in properties in Serangoon Road, Race Course Road and Buffalo Road.Pillai was one of the few successful South Indian businessmen and managed to build two houses in Campbell Lane and later in Race Course Road. During the Japanese occupation, Pillai and his family escaped the horrors of war for they were in India but his property and goods were confiscated. He returned to Singapore in 1945 and started all over again. He expanded his business across the Causeway and opened PGP stores in Malacca and Johor.He retired in 1963, handing over the family business, valued at S$3 million to his children. After the death of his youngest son, his daughter-in law managed the PGP stores. It ran into huge debts and was closed down in 1998. Pillai died of heart attack in 1980 at the age of 93. He is most remembered for his generosity and charity. A pious Hindu, he donated a large sum to the Sri Perumal Temple to build a S$425,000 Gopuram or an entranceway to the Temple and the first Indian wedding hall which bears his name -- Govindasamy Pillai Kalyanamandabam. The first wedding to be solemnised here was his granddaughter's to his son Ramakrishnan.In 1952, a new home for the Ramakrishna Mission at Bartley Road was built with his generous donation. He also donated to many other institutions including University of Malaya, Indian Association and Gandhi Memorial Hall.On 28 February 2001, Singapore Post released stamps featuring Pillai in recognition of his contributions to Singapore and the Indian Community.His wife is Packkiriammal. His sons are Ramachandran, Ramakrishnan, and Danabalan. His daughters are Dhanalaskhmi, Rukumani, Pushpa and Shanbhagavalli.

Biography of P.Govindasamy Pillai

P.Govindasamy Pillai,popularly known as PGP, was an immigrant who came from an Indian village of Koorainadu, Mayavaram, Tanjore District,Tamil Nadu. In his teens, he ran away from home and boarded a ship to Singapore, landing at Tanjong Pagar in 1905.During that time, he was only 18 years old. He started work at a provision shop in Serangoon Road.He seized the opportunity to learn horw to run a business despite the poor working condition, which later proved useful when he started his own business by selling spices, oil and grain in 1920. He was not only a thrifty person but also a humble man.

Feel free to play

You can feel free to play the games in my blog.

New Gadgets

Today, I have added more new gadgets to my blogs.

Should tagbox even appear in blogs?

Tagbox is placed in blogs so that readers can comment on the blog post without having to type them into the comments box. However, sometimes, tagboxes are being misused and people write silly comments there.The problem with tagboxes is that we have the freedom of choice whether to put in our real name or remain anonymous. It allows short comments to be posted and the name is not restricted, unlike a comments box, which place the name automatically.This has resulted in the misuse of tagboxes. Many infringes the name of their friends and post nasty comments on others, thereby causing the innocent to get into hot soup. Some uses fake personalities, like stating himself as one's boyfriend/girlfriend, and tags on his/her tagbox, causing his/her friends and relatives to get mistakened.This is dangerous as one may state that he/she is a terrorist and wants to destroy a particular country. This will cause unnecessary trouble and confusion around the particular country.Therefore, the question is, "Should tagboxes exists in blogs? Should readers get the freedom of choice whether to state their own name or remain anonymous?"(This is what Yong Rui stated)
Personally, I think that tagbox should appear in blogs so that people can give comments easily but at the same time the owner of the blog should take note of some comments in their tagbox as some of the things stated there is false.

New blogs

I have created two more blogs today!

So sorry

Sorry everyone as I should have actually posted this message a few months ago. Welcome to my blog! I am blogging for the first time(not really true as I had a primary six class blog)or should I say that this is my first time having my own blog so please excuse me if there is any mistakes in my blog.