No Strength Today to Move It Forward or Witness Its Death

This morning, I received a reply from the ministry. It was just a message to ask me for more information. I admit that my inquiry was hastily written IN SHOCK and didn't contain much information. I surely thought of responding to the message with more details. But I had no strength to log in to the ministry's website and find the shocking messages.
Tomorrow, I really should experience the shock again and send more information to the ministry, desperately hoping they will re-consider their decision
The only things I managed to do were to go the bank to deposit a cheque for a refund from the insurance company and read more pages of "Viet Nam Senki." And to get drunk.

The Ministry of Fear

This fear of having to leave here is probably at its highest with me having found yesterday that the ministry would accept no more appeal. I am absolutely happy to leave this country if I have a clear idea as to where I can/should go next. And though I have some emotional attachment to this place, it is rather shallow now, given the kind of treatment I've received from the ministry.
As soon as I found their rejection to accept another appeal from me, I sent an email to them asking them to give me just another chance. But how many more times am I willing to say, "Please"?
In the meantime, my feeling toward Sai Gon is growing, again. Tonight, I found a photo of "Q Cafe" uploaded by someone, a traveler. I frequented Q Cafe during my stay in the city for dinner and drink in 2008. I may plan to visit the city once again though I though there would be no more trip there last October.
I even re-read a Kaiko Takeshi book about the Vietnam War ("Sai Gon no Jujika") and re-started another by him ("Viet Nam Senki").
I would love to visit (even stay at) some of the places which Graham Greene, Kondo Koichi and Kaiko Takeshi mention in their works. (I know what Pham Ngu Lao has become.)The

Work in Senai/Yishun and No MOM Reply

Work in Senai (20 and 21) and Yishun (24 and 25).
This work which I got involved in last February has been going up and down like a roller coaster. One step up and two down. Then this has also been a good experience to me, witnessing how a project of setting up a new production line can be like.
Yesterday's afternoon meeting, lasting from 14:30 to 19:00, was especially tense with the discussion being tough and even rough. It seems nobody was happy at the end of it.

No reply from MOM to my second appeal.
My mind can be very disrupted because of another episode of this kind but I can also be calm when I feel that I've probably done enough in this country and, if I really have to leave, I should be prepared for the final negative outcome. Then, I must say I'd like to leave here only with me the only person who decide to do so. It should not be because I am forced to do so by someone who should have no say in my business.

Can Anybody Solve This EP Mystery?

A mystery about EP: the minimum monthly wage qualified to apply for an EP is S$3,600, which is not very high. Then, I saw a comment posted on the web by someone with a monthly salary of S$7,000 whose application had been rejected. How many EP holders are still out there with S$3,600. What kind of jobs do they have?

Last Night at Sara's

Last night, I went to Sara's just to bring some junk food I had bought in Japan, and a few minutes after I sat down at the counter, a young man, an "Australian from Singapore" who "loves" Japan, started talking to me. I found him speaking in not the Australian accent, but he had more like an American one. Definitely not in the Singaporean accent. which I HATE. I found out long time ago that most Singaporeans would not mingle with people who don't speak their (ha! funny) way. They seem to be insisting that it's still English (or some kind of it, ha!). Is this because their inferiority complex? This international city-state is international only on the surface. Nice talk with the young man last night. I appreciate his love for my country. He also says, "Silly" when I mentioned my visa problem. I agreed.

Singapore's MOM Intent On Closing Down My Business? (2)

Given what I went through last year, I knew this was coming. From the moment I received the notice that told me of the successful appeal last August to this day, I've been living in fear with no good idea about any way to keep both my company and myself alive. And work kept coming in. After two years of rather "quiet' business, the sales volume is going to increase by 90% or even more for this FY, compared with the last. Keeping myself busy has been a distraction from the fear.
Yes, the company can survive as it now has my good Singaporean friend as a director. But where should I go? I can imagine returning to and living in my own country can be tough, even daunting. I would age quickly and get smaller and smaller there. The environment of "all Japan" would kill me.
I've been having this feeling of delight, strange it may be to others, being in the minority or being a foreigner.
Looking at Japan from outside, it seems to me very closed and exclusive at personal level. It seems like so, definitely because of my experience of having worked with people from many different countries with myself being a foreigner. I can say with confidence I love my home country. But it would be another story if I have to live there. The Japan I find on short business trips is so lovely.
Right now, my thought channel is very much clogged preventing me even trying to think clearly. The only thing I know is I must kick myself, not standing still, come up with a workable idea and act quick With this clogged mind, I don't know how I can.

Singapore's MOM Intent on Closing Down My Business?

As I had fully expected, my appeal was rejected by MOM. I have yet to check to see if a second appeal is allowed.
Is MOM really forcing me to close down my company and leave the country? If so, I must wonder whatever right this ministry has to shut down a private and 100% Singaporean company. The ministry should be aware that refusing to renew my EP application would lead to a forced demise of my tiny company.
This is not only about the company. It is also about my own career and, yes, life. MOM doesn't seem to care about these. But what could I expect of a government ministry?
The rules have been tightened further and further. I understand their intention is to protect jobs/wages of the citizens. But am I stealing anybody's job? Then, I ask how many Singaporeans are working as a translator/interpreter, especially of the Japanese language. How many Singaporean are wishing to be one, in the first place? If any, how many of them are capable of handling the language?
I would be happy if I could find a Singaporean who could manage the work as good as or better than I do. But where is the person?
Rather, I believe I am helping the country create job opportunities for them as I've translated financial documents of Japanese companies required to set up local entities, which would inevitably hire local staff. And some of my clients come to me because my company is located in this country. Closing down my business here also means a breach of trust for my clients, who have consistently chosen me as their preferred translator/interpreter.
Then, this may be really the definite end of so many things. Serious consequences could ensue
I think small business should be encouraged. Apparently, MOM has a different view..

Job in Tuas South and Tokyo + Musashi-Kokubunji

For five days (3rd-7th), I worked in a place which I would 

call the end of Singapore (Tuas South). Tough commuting. 

Back to this place after five years. Happy to see the 

machine again. Things went okay for the job. 

I took the SQ638 midnight flight and arrived at Narita at 

around 8AM on Monday for a 3-day interpretation job in 

Tokyo.

I had decided to go to Musashi-Kokubunji on the first day 
as I knew I would have plenty of free time.

I checked in the Sengakuji hotel first and started my trip 

to Nishi-Kokubunji.

Quite easy to go to Nishi-Kokubunji, but it was really 

tough to find the temple where Tatsumi-sensei is.

I began walking from the station, not very sure which way 

to go to the temple. I dropped by a small bank branch to 

ask the way. They misheard me. They needed some time to 

find the way, looking at many pages of the large area map, 

and gave me the way to the Kokubunji Hospital (!).

They spent some more time to find the Musashi-Kokubunji 

park, where the temple should reside.

Having Reached at the park (two parks, really), I found 

that it was vast and I would have to walk quite a distance 

to the temple. But I had only a rough idea about which way 

to go. After walking through the first park, I found the 

management office of the whole park, by this time drenched 

with sweat, and asked about the temple. They only showed me 

the map and didn’t know which way I should take. I 

continued to walk, trying to find the temple. Out of the 

second park (it was a small hill), I finally came to the 

Kokubunji Temple. Still not sure about the way to the grave 

of Tatsumi-sensei, I rang the bell of the temple. I was 

ushered to his grave.

Then, work. There were tough moments as I’d expected. But, 

I received commendation of “awesome,” “you are fantastic,” 

and “you did a wonderful job.” I appreciate every support 

I got for this job in Tokyo.

Shame on you, Maria Lessie Flores.

Video of Comfort Women Discovered

「韓国のソウル市とソウル大学人権センターは５日、『朝鮮人

慰安婦』の証明するという『初の映像』を公開した」（産経新聞

電子版）（http://www.sankei.com/world/news/

170705/wor1707050056-n1.html）。記事はまた、「映

像には慰安婦とみられる７人が映っており、うち１人が中国人

将校とみられる人物と話している」ともある。

慰安婦の存在を否定する人はもういないから、記事が指摘す

るように「（ユネスコ記憶遺産）登録への後押し」にしようとする

他は、わざわざそれを証明する映像を公開する必要もないは

ず。

それよりよほど重大なのは、「中国人将校とみられる人物」が

映っていることだろ！この人物（と他の男性ら）は、何のために

ここに慰安婦ととともにいるのか？

それから、「comfort women」を日本が使った

「euphemism」だと指摘している書籍や記事があるが、何の

「euphemism」だと言いたいのか？Prostitutes or

sex slaves?