LIM YI HUI - Hotels and shops in Tibet

Three months after anti-government riots in the Tibetan capital, the tourism industry is still suffering, with hotels almost empty and shop owners struggling to make ends meet. As hand-picked spectators cheered the Olympic flame through the city in a tightly controlled torch relay on Saturday, Tibetans and Chinese seemed to share the same despair that it will be a long time before tourists return in great numbers. Beijing barred all tourists from Tibet after a massivecrackdown on violence that erupted in Lhasa not long ago. Chinese tour groups are now allowed back but foreign visitors are still barred. The ban on tourism in Tibet has caused difficulties for many businesses.

Pesornal views: I always feel that the businessmen would suffer the most in times of war or riots in the country. This incident is not an exception either. Most of them are innocent people who just want to make a living by doing some businesses. However, the riots had caused them to have a drastic decrease in foreign customers and affect their daily income. Hope the situation in Tibet will improve soon. :)

LIM YI HUI - Unclean water kills 4000 daily worldwide

The World Health Organisations(WHO) has estimated that: Polluted drinking water will kill around 1.6 million people this year unless the government around the world make a concerted effort to clean up their supplies. Over 4000 people die each day from water-bourne and some 700 million people in Asia alone lack easy access to safe drinking water. The number is still rising. Dr James Bertnam, coordinator of the WHO's Water, Sanitation and Health Programme, said that we must anticipate long-term water shortages caused by rising demand and climate change.

Personal view: I realised how fortunate I am to be able to live in Singapore, without having to worry about the shortages of water or the water being polluted. It is rather sad to learn that people from other parts of the world are experiencing shortage of water, drinking unclean water which would affect their health. And it could lead to death for certain cases. I think the government of countries having such problems should convey the seriousness of the water situation to their citizens and also educate them on how to improve the water conditions.

LIM YI HUI - Next target: Cut energy use

"Singapore has to work harder at cutting down energy usage," said the National Development Minister Man Bow Tan. Singapore has scored relatively well on the water and land usage fronts but not on the energy side. He added that the government would definitely take actions to improve the situation. Singaporeans, as consumers also have to contribute their part into understanding the amount of energy that their various appliances use up, and opt for energy-saving versions instead. Certainly, there are challenges as Singapore seeks to cut down on its energy usage. Upfront costs may be a bit higher but it is a must to spend.

Personal views: With respect to water, we have done very well: How do we save water? How do we make sure that water is reused and recycled? On land, we have also done rather well- better utilisation of land. Therefore, I am sure that the energy side will also improve, so long as each Singaporean individuals contribute.

LIM YI HUI - Doctor that thinks out of the box

Recently, an anaethetist puts her hands into another good use: making gift boxes out of her unwanted objects, from friends and home, which she sells for charity. In between seeing patients, the self- professed handicraft enthusiast can often be seen folding and gluing in the hospital, with curious nurses surrounding her.The mother of three has created more than 500 boxes this year for various charitable causes. Up to date, she has recycled more than a thousand greeting cards and is still wanting to recycle more.

Personal view: I like her attitute- willing to fork out her free time to create the gift boxes to raise money for the charity. I think everyone should learn to be like her having her spirit of helping others.