Stocktake 2006

Stocktake 2006

I've delayed this stocktake for a long time. Either the internet connection was too slow (maybe thanks to the Taiwan earthquake that affected the submarine fibre optic cables) or I was too busy. Sometimes I was not in the mood to take on the massive task of pondering over the past 365 days. I kept telling myself that I have until 31 Dec 06. Now that I am barely 40 minutes before the new year arrives, I am going to mull over what I have done for the past 525 600 minutes (that is a year measured in minutes).

This may be a very fragmented entry, just like the episodes that pepper my life are. The only continuity is life. It flows like a smooth curtain of water and the events are like stones thrown at the water screen. There are splashes, some big, some small and most fade away, just like the curtain is restored after the disturbance dies down. I had earlier wanted to do a line-item stocktake but it would read like a never ending laundry list. Perhaps I should summarise the takeaways for 2006 instead.

I have a better understanding of the idea of work-life balance. I have also become better at achieving work-life balance. I have time for myself to do the things I like, I have learnt to take in information and news in tandem to the work I have to do. I have learnt to separate work and my private life well. I try my level best to keep it that way and whenever I had to work in my spare time, I know that such work is justified.

I have found a better equilibrium with my surroundings. This is a little difficult to explain but it is the innate sense of security that provides you with a protective. I don't feel invincible but I am more at peace with not having to prove what I am capable of.

I have lost even more rough edges. And with that, I am less piqued or angry with events that do not go as planned or with things which should but do not come my way. There are some things that I know I need to influence indirectly and so I try to make the best of the situation and steer it back. It is hard but it is a skill that needs to be honed.

And I have completed thinking about my next 5 years. It will be exciting!

Negation

Negation

Invitations open for anyone game enough to try negating the following statement.

Original statement

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife. - Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice.

My negation

There is at least a married man with misfortune who must be in want to get rid the wife.

Black Humour

Black Humour

Watched Scrubs on Christmas and a part of the show had this little ditty. It is Christmas in the eyes of an Emergency Room resident.

Twelve Days Of Christmas: Sacred Heart Version:
On the first day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
A drunk who drove into a tree

On the second day of Christmas
My true love gave to me
Two shattered skulls
And a drunk who drove into a tree...

Twelve beaten children
Eleven drive-by shootings
Ten frozen homeless
Nine amputations
Eight burn victims
Seven strangled shoppers
Six random knifings
Five suicides
Four beaten wives
Three O.D.'s
Two shattered skulls
And a drunk who drove into a tree

Something Christmassy

Something Christmassy

I've spent Christmas or the period before overseas but never in the northern hemisphere in the west. Even though the planes that I flew in had seasonal decorations like little wreaths tied to the windows, the feel is very different when you get surrounded by the Christmas spirit entirely.

This time around, when I visited US, it was already Christmas season and everywhere was decked out and ready for the Christmas holidays.

On the radio, Christmas carols and songs were played almost non-stop. Douglas fir was seen outside many houses. The more creative owners put out lit caricatures such as the deer, the Nativity scene, and Santa Claus. Christmas was in the air.

In New York, the Macy's shop windows were so well-decorated that shoppers and revellers alike stopped to ogle at the wonderful set-up and incredible feats of small scale large scale engineering (a lot of engineering works within a small frame). People were carrying shopping bags and everyone looked as if they can't wait for Christmas to come.

In DC, there were Christmas trees decked out with lights and livery in the lawn in front of the White House. Unfortunately, I was not aware of the significance of those trees and missed them. Apparently, there was a big tree and 49 smaller trees. That I know. What I didn't know what that the 49 smaller trees were decked out with the produce of the individual states to represent the state outside the White House. What a waste. The only consolation was that the fog came when we arrived at the tree at about 10 in the night. We would not have been able to get a good look.

Wreathes were laid at the Arlington Cemetary, a sight we missed. Instead, we had a great time at the Iwo Jima memorial. And we got a fresh prespective of the Federal Triangle and its buildings from across the Potomac River. Interesting, indeed.

This year, I found out about the Trans Siberian Orchestra. I became a fan and listened to their recordings even back home. Now that Christmas is over, I'm keeping the discs till the next year.

Christmas 2006 has great and I hope for more great Christmases to come.

Bread Maker

Bread Maker

Finally, after months and months of reminiscing about my gorgeous bread, I bought myself a bread maker machine.

I am still in the midst of experimenting with the machine but I'm pleased to say that the experimental loaves are still nice. The touch is still there. Now it is to keep the loaves from collapsing during baking.

That will take a little time to figure out exact proportions.

Just the important points

Just the Important Points

I had intended to write a lot more about my trip to the East Coast but life stood in the way. I cannot believe it but LIFE indeed stood in the way.

For some reason, I could not convince myself to sit by the computer and write. I just had to get moving, get things done. If I'm at the computer, I'm playing Crickler.

Still, there are some important people whom I met during my trip that deserves mention.

In no particular order, the following people made a difference.

1. BL, MZ, Lucy and Schroeder. You guys know who you are. Thank you for:
Picking us up at the train station. It wasn't much of a station but pulling up in that tank of a car really made my eyes pop out.
Bringing us to a welcome dinner at McLoones, beside the Atlantic Ocean. It was beautiful although the sun had set.
The wonderful room to rest our "soles/souls" and the completely furbished toilet.
The daily breakfasts. We enjoyed going "In Between" and having the gorgeous eggs benedict smothered with lots of cheese.
Your city tour. It had been interesting learning about your home state. I only wish I had more time there.
Bringing us to Whole Foods. You guys are responsible for my supermarket withdrawal symptoms. And cooking dinner after that.
Making the Circle Line NYC cruise happen. It was one of the best highlights of the trip.
Showing us what your town was named after. And having dinner at the diner beside it.
Zipping us around in your Corvette.
Sending us to the airport.
Being such gracious hosts who have set the bar so high.

2. The manager of the NYC hotel for giving me a letter to indirectly say that I've been cheated by some unscrupulous internet booking agent. The agent took my money and then cancelled my booking. From what I last heard, the agent owed the hotel in excess of hundreds of thousands of unpaid room reservations.

3. The many people with whom we only had a fleeting encounter.

4. The day manager of the Washington DC hotel. Your kind heartedness was definitely not appreciated - at least when I was making my way to Union Station and pulling my luggage along the less than pleasant upslope, you were definitely well-cursed.

5. The DC Metro duty manager for letting me use the toilet.

6. The excellent guide on the NYC cruise, for making the entire 90 minute cruise a joy. Thank you for sharing your hometown with us.

Eating in US

Eating in US

It's always an incredible experience eating at US diners or restaurants. The portions are always that huge. I normally have problems with a standard 3 course meal (starter, main course, dessert). I normally have at most 2 of the three and I may not even finish the carbo on the main.

There were a few great dishes that I just want to list up here. Many of them were not found in Singapore.

Roast/BBQ Chicken - For some reason, chicken in US tastes excellent. They taste like they are semi-kampung chicken. The meat is firm but extremely succulent. It is one great dish to order any time.

Pork chops/ribs - Incredibly flavoursome and tender cuts. There is something about US pigs that keeps their meat free from the odour that curse Australian pork. The cuts are generally generous and they will never taste dry or hard, like what we normally get in SIngapore.

Fish - salmon and tuna are generally superior. Had a pan seared tuna with wasabi potato at McLoone's (a restaurant right on the Atlantic coast in New Jersey). The rare tuna was incredible.

Vegetables - sweet, juicy, flavoursome. How else does one describe the wonderful produce there?

Bagels - my Archilles' heel. I love my bagel and can eat a couple of them in a sitting. Then I overheard from some yakking women that a bagel is equal to five slices of bread. Ok, time to shut out my mind. I will walk out to get my bagel with scallion cream cheese. I will walk out to get my bagel with scallion cream cheese...

Pizzas - Pretty amazing stuff, those pizzas. There are a lot of Americans with Italian ancestry. If anything, they have perfected their breads and cheeses well.

Desserts - to die for. What else do I say?

Is everything all good? Not exactly. There were some misses too, but in general, the good stuff are more what we get.

I've got to stop writing this. I am feeling so hungry now.

Chasing Trains

Chasing Trains

Our first host is a rail road enthusiast. He had written about 30 books about trains and aptly, for the next morning, he brought the two of us to New Hope, Pennsylvania to "chase" a historical engine making short excursion trips for visitors.

We did not take any rides on the train - I was not entirely excited, knowing that I would be taking return train rides to Washington DC later - and the timing was a little late. By the time we had our brunch and had driven about a couple of hours to New Hope, the next available train ride was going to be the 3.30 pm. I really dread losing whatever daylight I have remaining from the tremendously short winter days.

Host thus brought us to places beside the tracks where we could take great pictures of the historic engine as it comes past.

In fact, we chased it all the way back to the originating station at New Hope and then followed it to "North Pole", where Santa Claus boarded and distributed candies and hugs to the kids, to Buckingham, the end station where the trained turned round.

While I am no rail road buff, I knew just enough to keep conversation.

And for the record, the standard gauge track is 4 feet 8.5 inches. It is an ancient measurement. In fact, it is the distance between two the assholes of two horses placed side by side. This goes all the way back to the Roman days. So what we rely on for a great form of transportation today still depends on something used centuries ago.

Train chasing was interesting and it was an immense test of the patience. You must trust that the trains were going to run, if a bit early or late. And get your camera and get ready to shoot. Me? I prefer a ring side seat in the car.

Where had NYC gone?

Where had NYC gone?

When I last visited NYC in Aug, I flew in on a direct flight to Newark.

As the plane approached Newark, I had an excellent view of NYC. It was majestic looking steel and concrete city. The buildings were shimmering under the setting sun and it looked so un-San Francisco. I couldn't think of a better comparison then. I still can't. It is about the densest built up city I have seen. The tall sky scrapers and the shorter buildings that fill in all the gaps in between simply made any photo opportunity a good one.

When the plane turned to land, I had a sneak peak of Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. While she looked smaller than a thumb nail, the green copper oxide covered statue is obvious to anyone who has seen images of the SOL before. The Land of the Free. It felt amazing to visit the US again, having just gone to the west coast in Jul.

So, with those fond memories in mind, this visit, my travelling partner (TP) and I booked ourselves on the port side seats and waited to take the long awaited shots at NYC.

Guess what! As it was winter, the days were very short. When we arrived, NYC was lit up with street lights and nothing could be seen from the plane. We landed in almost pitch black darkness, the (early) night punctuated by guiding lights on the ground. When we finally touched down, the cabin was slightly illuminated with the lights along the highway.

TP was disappointed. I felt cheated.

But hey, who am I to fight nature?

USA 8 - 17 Dec 06

USA 8 - 17 Dec 06

Visited New Jersey, New York City and Washington DC.

During the trip, I took down interesting events to blog about but as luck would have it, I misplaced the list. I should have known better than to take notes on a piece of paper napkin from the Chinese buffet restaurant in NYC. No harm still, I suppose. This is after all a ranting ground - I'll be damned if I had written anything more important.

So what I intend to do is perhaps to do a segmented running commentary of some of the more interesting things that registered in my then tired and cluttered mind. What I cannot recall is probably not worth remembering.

The Nightmare

The Nightmare

I ditched writing this post just now when I realised that the airline did not allocate me the seat that I was asking for. The back end service is getting atrocious. I really dread to be offered endless "beef" meals again on the flight.

The Singapore-Newark sector is notorious for beef meals. It is like going on a mad-cow flight. Lunch, there is a beef dish and something else. Dinner, there is a beef dish and something else. Breakfast, beef noodles and something else. Something else is normally not savoury and I really really don't take beef. So I had to get my travel agent to help. Let's hope she can do better than me.

Well, back to the nightmare. I know to call it the nightmare is a little overdramatic but if I tell you that I am flying out to Newark tomorrow, you might indulge me a little.

It was night and I was near my former junior college when I saw a plane take off, fly in my direction and started wobbling. It was dipping up and down and before long, it came into view. It was a weird plane. It has two propellers mounted on top of the roundish plane and something like an extended passenger cabin below.

It was painted in familiar livery. The next thing, the plane dipped and crashed. There was no smoke, no explosion, no fire.

I remember running to the long staircase where I saw a lot of people standing by the side of the road opposite it. On the slope, there were charred pieces of the broken up plane. Some smoke was billowing out from the burnt pieces.

Suddenly, the sky was lit with flares and I awoke suddenly.

Don't ask me how or why things turned out this way. The last I saw a plane act this way was when the hydraulics were entirely disrupted and the plane has lost all ability to be steered. And autopilot will cause the plane to move in a sinusoidal manner in order to maintain height and fight granvity.

Still, it is very weird that I should have dreams like these. It is really a nightmare I could do without.

But well, I'm just going to do my packing tonight and get ready for my trip.

Que sera sera. What will be, will be.

Teach me how to dump

Teach me how to dump

- Dedicated to someone who knows who she is -

How does a partner in a relationship end the relationship?

I think this is a very challenging question to answer. It is easier to answer questions such as "Under what conditions should a couple consider break up?" or "When do I know I should dump him or her?" But this is not the reason for the post.

I believe there are many ways of saying those words. Perhaps we need to point out what is troubling us and how we think the issue will lead to irreconcilable difference in the end.

Character

After a quarrel, you will know whether you are still compatible. If after quarrelling, both sides can put aside the differences and go for a meal, then there is a chance. If halfway through, someone storms off or chases the other away, end it.

What to say: I do not think we are able to communicate effectively. When we quarrel, we are impervious to reason and I do not think we will be able to go on in the relationship since we will be quarrelling more often as we get to know each other better. And if we cannot get past knowing each other, we should find someone else whom we can better relate to. Goodbye.

Money

If both are penny pinching and fair, it is ok. If both are generous, it is ok. If one is generous and does not expect returns, it is ok. If one is petty and fair, it is ok. If one is dishonest, end it.

What to say: Darling, I'm broke. Because you have been spending a lot of money and I have also had to spend money on you, my finances have been cut off because I am told I am not supposed to throwing all the money into this relationship. A relationship cannot be sustained by money alone. If you think it can, you'll have to start supporting me from now. Otherwise, I think we need to reconcile our expenses in our own way and I need to regain my financial standing soon. Can you? No? Goodbye.

Habits

If there is no way to accept or break the partner's habits and they are bothering you, then it will only get worse as the relationship progresses and one starts taking the other for granted. Especially if the habit has progressed to a point where you really cannot stand it any more.

What to say: It's my way or the highway. Your choice. In any case, I've chosen the highway. Goodbye.

n-Timing, where n > 1

If your partner cheats on you, then it may be time. It really depends on how tolerant you want to be.

What to say: Goodbye.

You've Lost That Loving Feeling

By and by, the fireworks will die out. The passion may die off. The libidoes wane. The groin doesn't get excited anymore. You need to decide if this is the person you can spend your life with or not. Because spending your life with someone does not require the loving feeling all the time. There should be just enough embers to last. You can't burn high and nigh all the time. Even the grandest bonfires burn out.

What to say: If you no longer feel for me, then do you want a time out?

Poor Sex

What to say: Darling, I'm a slut. Dump me, please.

This will drive you nuts!

This will drive you nuts!

This is taken from T F Stern's website. He called it harmless entertainment. I suppose I agree.

The object of the game is to move the red block around without getting hit by the blue blocks or touching the black walls. If you can go longer than 18 seconds you are phenomenal. It's been said that the US Air Force uses this for fighter pilots. They are expected to go for at least 2 minutes. Give it a try but be careful...it is addictive!!

http://tinyurl.com/56t9u

Have fun!

If oil ran out a minute ago...

If oil ran out a minute ago...

Would there be a mad rush to fill up the vehicles with petrol?

What will become of air travel?

How will we learn knowledge, since almost everything we found out after the invention of the internet were placed in cyberspace?

Will it still be necessary to go to work?

What shall we plant?

How do we make chickens roam freely again? Currently and apparently, reared chickens are injected with growth hormones and they have to be killed after about 40 days after hatching. Failing which, they die of cardiac arrest. (I hear stories like these but never corroborated them.)

What will actors and electricians do?

Will fanatics drill into every inch of the Earth to check if oil indeed ran out a minute ago?

What will Green Peace protest next?

Lift Messages

Lift Messages

Where I work, the lift has a display and each day, there is a different message being shown.

Some examples are:

Think like a man of action, act like a man of thought.

Think every word you speak, do not speak every thing you think.

A mind is like a parachute - it works best when it is open.

The mind is not a vessel to be filled; it is a fire to be kindled.

Each day, lift users get some nugget of wisdom to think about and the past week was particularly interesting. The examples above were all shown last week and there is a common idea that ran through them - thoughts.

A person's thoughts can tell us a lot about him, if we are able to live in his mind and know what he is thinking about. However, we can't do that. We are forced to decide on how a man decides to translate those thoughts into words or other action.

I cannot help but think about the idea of being "lost in translation".

I vividly recall a story where a superior wrote a damning performance report for a subordinate right before she left. Yet when the subordinate came over and bade her goodbye not long after, the two hugged and the superior thanked the other and asked her to take care. What was going through the mind of the superior?

Was it a customary goodbye gesture or did it reek of hypocrisy? I don't have any idea. I'm struggling with staying true to my beliefs and showing how my actions are congruent with my beliefs. And believe me, it is already a constant struggle. I suppose people do not call the society a large dye pool for nothing.

I hope to just leave this question for reflection: How does one rationalise one's thoughts and the manifestations of those thoughts?

GST Increase

GST Increase

The government has announced its intention to raise the Goods and Services Tax from the current 5% to 7%.

I think I'll start spending my money overseas.

Value Add

Value Add

We ask for reports from others, only to rework on them to "value add".

Or do we just reinvent the wheel?

Random Tidbits

Random Tidbits

1. I saw the human version of Chicken Little. I even saw the resemblance between his dad and the animation character. I think the animators have figured out heredity before the biologists.

2. We care too much about people whom we don't even see but we give no second thought to the people right beside us. Advancements in telecommunication have led to a degeneration of our inter-personal communication skills.

3. In the past, we got an education before we become educated. Now, we try to educate without giving an education.

4. How very hard we try to live up to our own expectations, the very expectations projected on you from the powers that be, which we erroneously assimilate as our own. And then how even harder we try to justify that we are living for ourselves.

I'll be dammed

I'll be dammed!

An interesting email I received.

- Start of message -

This is an actual letter sent to a man named Ryan DeVries by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, State of Michigan.

This guy's response is hilarious, but read the State's letter before you get to the response letter.

(State's letter) SUBJECT: DEQ File No. 97-59-0023; T11N; R10W, Sec. 20; Montcalm County

Dear Mr. DeVries:

It has come to the attention of the Department of Environmental Quality that there has been recent unauthorized activity on the above referenced parcel of property. You have been certified as the legal landowner and/or contractor who did the following unauthorized activity:

Construction and maintenance of two wood debris dams across the outlet stream of Spring Pond. A permit must be issued prior to the start of this type of activity. A review of the Department’s files shows that no permits have been issued. Therefore, the Department has determined that this activity is in violation of Part 301, Inland Lakes and Streams, of the Natural Resource and Environmental Protection Act, Act 451 of the Public Acts of 1994, being sections 324.30101 to 324.30113 of the Michigan Compiled Laws, annotated.

The Department has been informed that one or both of the dams partially failed during a recent rain event, causing debris and flooding at downstream locations. We find that dams of this nature are inherently hazardous and cannot be permitted. The Department therefore orders you to cease and desist all activities at this location, and to restore the stream to a free-flow condition by removing all wood and brush forming the dams from the stream channel.

All restoration work shall be completed no later than January 31, 2005.

Please notify this office when the restoration has been completed so that a follow-up site inspection may be scheduled by our staff. Failure to comply with this request or any further unauthorized activity on the site may result in this case being referred for elevated enforcement action.

We anticipate and would appreciate your full cooperation in this matter.

Please feel free to contact me at this office if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

David L. Price

District Representative, Land and Water Management Division





This is the actual response sent back:

Re: DEQ File No. 97-59-0023; T11N; R10W, Sec. 20; Montcalm County.

Dear Mr. Price,

Your certified letter dated 12/17/04 has been handed to me to respond in regarding to the above mentioned file.

I am the legal landowner but not the Contractor at 2088 Dagget, Pierson, Michigan.

A couple of beavers are in the (State unauthorized) process of constructing and maintaining two wood "debris" dams across the outlet stream of my Spring Pond. While I did not pay for, authorize, nor supervise their dam project, I think they would be highly offended that you call their skillful use of natures building materials "debris." I would like to challenge your department to attempt to emulate their dam project any time and/or any place you choose. I believe I can safely state there is no way you could ever match their dam skills, their dam resourcefulness, their dam ingenuity, their dam persistence, their dam determination and/or their dam work ethic.

As to your request, I do not think the beavers are aware that they must first fill out a dam permit prior to the start of this type of dam activity.

My first dam question to you is:

(1) Are you trying to discriminate against my Spring Pond Beavers... or

(2) Do you require all beavers throughout this State to conform to said dam request?

If you are not discriminating against these particular beavers, through The Freedom of Information Act, I request completed copies of all those other applicable beaver dam permits that have been issued. Perhaps we will see if there really is a dam violation of Part 301, Inland Lakes and Streams, of the Natural Resource and Environmental Protection Ac t, Act451 of the Public Acts of 1994, being sections 324.30101 to 324.30113 of the Michigan Compiled Laws, annotated.

I have several concerns. My first concern is... aren't the beavers entitled to legal representation? The Spring Pond Beavers are financially destitute and are unable to pay for said representation, so the State will have to provide them with a dam lawyer. The Department's dam concern that either one or both of the dams failed during a recent rain event causing flooding is proof that this is a natural occurrence, which the Department is required to protect. In other words, we should leave the Spring Pond Beavers alone rather than harassing them and calling them dam names.

If you want the stream "restored" to a dam free-flow condition please contact the beavers, but if you are going to arrest them, they obviously did not pay any attention to your dam letter... they being unable to read English. In my humble opinion, the Spring Pond Beavers have a right to build their unauthorized dams as long as the sky is blue, the grass is green and water flows downstream. They have more dam rights than I do to live and enjoy Spring Pond.

If the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection lives up to its name, it should protect the natural resources (Beavers) and the environment (Beavers' Dams). So, as far as the beavers and I are concerned, this dam case can be referred for more elevated enforcement action right now. Why wait until 1/31/2005? The Spring Pond Beavers may be under the dam ice then and there will be no way for you or your dam staff to harass them then.

In conclusion, I would like to bring to your attention a real environmental quality (health) problem in the area. It is the bears! Bears are actually defecating in our woods. I definitely believe you should be persecuting the defecating bears and leave the beavers alone. If you are going to investigate the beaver dam, watch your step! (The bears are not careful where they dump!) Being unable to comply with your dam request, and being unable to contact you on your dam answering machine, I am sending this response to your dam office.

Thank You, Ryan DeVries & The Dam Beavers

- End of message -

Fly, Little Kiwi

Fly, Little Kiwi

Saw the Youtube sharing on Kyle Bennett's blog and it provoked some deep thoughts.

Thought I'll share it with you.

"Spiderman, Spiderman..."

"Spiderman, Spiderman..."

Was at the doctor's yesterday. My pillow ran away the night before and left me with a terribly sore neck. Couldn't turn my neck, couldn't raise my arm.

So back to the doctor's.

I got my number and was told to expect a two-and-a-half hour wait. So waiting is such a chore, yet it can be therapeutic.

It's a chore because impatient people like me don't really like to wait.

Therapeutic because it never fails to console me that there are people who are in a worse shape than me.

And then there was this imp of a boy. Irritated the sh*t out of his mother. From the instance they both stepped in, the entire clinic was filled with the boy's singing, complaints, whining and the mum's questioning, threatening and complaints.

The boy kept going "Spiderman, Spiderman, I can see your underwear..." and the mum kept asking "Who taught you this? Tell me, who taught you this?"

There was even a time when she asked "Did you teacher teach you this?"

My eyes nearly popped out as my innate defences towards the teaching profession were awakened. Surprising, even though I've not taught for more than 2 years. Duh!? You think the kindergarten teacher would do something that dumb?

Imp asked to visit the toilet after that. And as I was seated outside the dental section of the clinic, which happens to be near the toilet, I could hear the exchange in the loo.

"Make sure you hold your pants high. Wait you get it wet. (Whine) Stand properly! If you drop into the hole, I'll walk out of the room. I'm not telling you (whine), I'm WARNING you. Aim properly. (Whine) Ok. Done? Dry it, dry it."

By then I went, duh... as though there is a piston inside the dick that will expunge every single drop of pee. There is bound to be a little leftover, which will eventually leak out (there is really extremely little in reality) and get deposited in the underwear. What's the big deal? Duh!

And hand washing time. "Hold my bag. Hold my bag. (Laughter) Hold properly. If everything drop out, you'll get it from me..."

Aiyoh, my neck is so painful and this is giving me a headache.

Resume Spiderman song.

Then the mum started a new front of attack.

"Are you sure you're sick or not? If you bluff me like the last time, I'll spank you."

"Really got pain."

Wah! Amazing leh! That imp has a sore throat and is still able to make noise NON-STOP. I wonder why choir kids always tell me they cannot sing because they got CCA-day sore throats. (Actually, I knew all along that the "sore throat kids" would not sing because they could not hold a tune to save their lives. But I won't bust their covers.)

And so, after a good two-hour of entertainment, imp's turn came. Nearly. When the patient before went to see the doc, imp needed to go to the toilet again. This time, he did big business.

Despite the mum telling the receptionists to hold the doctor for her son.

Alas, the next patient went into the consultation room before the winds movement ended in the loo.

But fortunately, he came out and went in as the next patient.

Peace was restored.

Life, the Universe and Everything... One

Life, the Universe and Everything... One

I took these questions from Probligo's blog, with his permission. Answers are mine though.

1. Why is there poverty and suffering in the world?

Hey there! What is your problem? Is poverty and suffering bad? How many people have gotten RICH and FAMOUS exploiting the poor and the suffering? And what is physical poverty and suffering when even more are tortured by mental and spiritual poverty and suffering?

2. What is the relationship between science and religion?

Depends on the religion. For some, science debunked religion. For some, science and religion are congruent. For some, religion is science.

3. Why are so many people depressed?

Many? Not enough are depressed, in my opinion.

4. What are we all so afraid of?

Our imagination. Don't we make up and tell ourselves of what we should be afraid?

5. When is war justifiable?

You let me know when. Then I'll wage personal war on you and take everything you have.

6. How would God want us to respond to aggression and terrorism?

Why isn't god doing what he is supposed to do? I'm not his militant, you know!

7. How does one obtain true peace?

Drink a lot of water? Honestly, just don't give a damn.

8. What does it mean to live in the present moment?

Nothing.

9. What is our greatest distraction?

Huh?

10. Is current religion serving its purpose?

Did past religion serve its purpose? If so, what was the purpose? If not, why bother?

11. What happens to you after you die?

You stop living.

12. Describe Heaven and how to get there.

Heaven has everything that you would want and nothing that you don't want. Eventually.

13. What is the meaning of life?

Why do you breathe?

14. Describe god.

Describe you own mind. Can you?

15. What is the greatest quality humans possess?

Enormous stupidity.

16. What is it that prevents people from living to their full potential?

Nothing. People live to or fail to live to their full potential on their own merit. Nothing can prevent them.

17. Non-verbally, by motion or gesture only, act out what you believe to be the current condition of the world.

Kinked index finger.

18. What is your one wish for the world?

That oil ran out a minute ago.

19. What is wisdom, and how do we gain it?

Wisdom is a sigh. We can gain it when we can hold the sigh in our hands.

20. Are we all One?

Will you give me all your money?

Head Hunted

Head Hunted

Got a call from a head hunting agency on my second day in my new job.

He was looking for a group executive director with 14 years working experience.

I can only yearn and sigh.

But this is a good start, no?

New Job

New Job

Reported to my new work place yesterday.

I've left my comfort zone to another discomfort zone.

The discomfort is less than when I first went over to the job I just left.

I know I would be able to manage my work here but looks like this new job is going to sap a lot of my time.

I am looking for directions. And I think the new workplace has a "busy, fiery" fengshui. Not too good for work - I hate being perpetually busy fighting fires.

Changed Links

Changed Links

After reading Kyle Bennett's blog today, I finally stopped dragging ass and changed a few links.

It's faster getting out there from there than to constantly hub out of Al's site.

Still, I'll be contributing to his traffic because he is too good to miss.

Should crimes that were committed many years ago simply be forgotten?

Should crimes that were committed many years ago simply be forgotten?

"They're called bui-doi, the dust of life
Conceived in hell and born in strife
They are the living reminder of all the good we failed to do" - Miss Saigon

The lyrics taken from the famous musical, Miss Saigon, reflected the "crimes" the United States Marines committed while they fought the Vietnam War. Marines, bored of their fighting and of life, kept mistresses or visited prostitutes and fathered many children. These children could never gain acceptance in Vietnam or in the United States - they were not dark enough to be Vietnamese or fair enough to be white Americans. As a result, they are dumped in orphanages and neglected. It took a while before the war lobbies realized that there were sex crimes committed and they needed remediation.

Immigration laws were relaxed, which allowed some of these children to be reunited with their biological fathers. However, not that many Vietnamese mothers were lucky enough to go over to chase their American dreams like their children managed to.

The United States faced up to the crimes committed by their soldiers and tried to compensate for their soldiers' actions. Clearly, the crimes committed many years ago were not forgotten, even though they could easily pretend that they were.

Japan, in contrast, is struggling to come to terms with its belligerent past. To the Japanese government, the atrocities of the Second World War *should* be forgotten. However, nations invaded by Japan never allowed her government to forget their transgressions. They protested and rallied every time the former Japanese prime ministers went to pay respects to the "heroes" at the war shrine. The crux of their unhappiness? A few war criminals were also buried at the shrine and the Japanese prime ministers' act showed that Japan was not remorseful of its violent past. Japanese authorities have also tried to downplay their past brutalities by changing their history textbooks to avoid mention of their past actions, such as massacres. This also drew much flak from countries like China and Korea, whose people bore the brunt of most hostilities.

Japan's "defiance" is even harder to accept given the fact that Germany had taken active steps to educate its people of its less-than-glorious past and its resolve not to commit future acts of violence.

War aside, other crimes committed in other arena should also serve as lessons for those who intend take the crooked path. The Baring's Bank scandal where a rogue trader siphoned off millions of dollars to pay for his debts and, in the process bankrupted the bank, should not be forgotten. False accounting and reporting, which led to the downfall of corporate giants like Enron, should never be forgotten. From the world shaking terrorist acts to the petty crimes, for as long as there are important lessons to be drawn from them, these crimes should not be forgotten.

"And of course he now denies it (that he was a criminal)
You'd expect it from a crook" - Inspector Javert, Les Miserables

In Les Miserables, Inspector Javert believes that a criminal will always remain a criminal and should never be given any reprieve. He devoted his life to tracking down Jean Valjean, a man who stole a loaf of bread to feed his dying sister, jailed twenty years for his crime, and then released on parole. Jean truly turned over a new leaf after he was let go by a priest despite stealing some silverware from the priest. He did good and his actions benefited his society. But Javert could not believe that a "bad" man could have a good side.

This is then one dilemma of life. If crimes should not be forgotten, then how do criminals, especially petty criminals, get on with life? The stigma of having committed a crime stays with them for the longest time and these ex-convicts suffer a lot of discrimination in their quests to resume to normal living. Many of them are unable to get jobs.

Singapore is currently promoting its Yellow Ribbon Campaign. The idea from the English evergreen "Tie a Yellow Ribbon (Round the Old Oak Tree)". The campaign aims to educate the public that a convict who has turned over a new leaf and is willing to start afresh is a "good man" once over.

Many companies support this campaign by changing their job application forms by not asking for the job applicants' past convictions. The government has also chipped in to quash the records of past offenders if they were convicted of less serious offences.

This campaign has helped to alleviate some difficulties of ex-prisoners in their job quest. However, time is needed for the campaign to show its effectiveness. Nonetheless, this is a positive development for the ex-offenders who have truly turned over new leaves.

While the crime committed many years ago should not forgotten, the criminal could be forgiven.

General Paper Essay Questions

General Paper Essay Questions

1) Is there still a place for charity in today's world?
2) 'A picture is always more powerful than mere words.' What is your view?
3) Does modern technology always improve the quality of people's lives?
4) 'National boundaries make little geographical or economic sense nowadays.' Discuss.
5) Should crimes that were committed many years ago simply be forgotten?
6) How far is your country prepared for future crises?
7) 'The world would be a better place if everyone spoke the same language.' Disucss.
8) To what extent do young people in your society take an interest in politics?
9) 'Entrepreneurship is just another name for personal greed.' How far do you agree with this statement?
11) 'Women will never enjoy the same rights as men.' Do you agree?
12) To what extent do the newspapers and magazines that you read deal with what is trivial, rather than with what is important?

These questions are all very open ended and they should elicit responses that cover at least three or four other aspects. I would have chosen questions 4, 5 or 6. Few candidates would do them but this would mean that it could be easier to shine.

The farewell note

The farewell note

Toyed with the idea of a farewell note.

I had drafted the contents already.

But it cannot see the light of day.

So there will be no farewell note.

There will, however, be a notice of posting out without mention of goodbye.

There is a significance too: How do I say goodbye when I was never here?

Posting Out

Posting Out

Clearing my pin-up board. I saw two phrases - let go, introspection - and was dazed for a while.

Tried remembering the context of the two phrases.

I did speak about these to a colleague. I shared how I came to be at peace.

Last Day

Last Day

My last day of work here.

I'm at peace. Have been at peace for a long time.

Counting down.

The world will be a better place if everyone spoke the same language.

The world will be a better place if everyone spoke the same language.

Another General Paper question which asked candidates to discuss.

Definitely a question for the Arts students. This is such a wide-ranging question that almost anything goes.

1. Advantages of speaking the same language
a. Technological standardisation: a flight almost crashed because volumetric measures (imperial ounces and litres) were misunderstood by different ground crew accustomed to their own practice. The plane took off with severely insufficient fuel.
b. The world as a global village will shrink into a global house: people are able to communicate among themselves that all transactions, especially financial, can be carried out efficiently
c. Medical sciences will evolve evenly: common language means common understanding, which means knowledge can be shared quickly and efficiently.
d. School children can have a common syllabus. (Is that really good?)

The list can go on but what price do we pay for getting a common language?

2. Disadvantages
a. Cultural erosion
b. Loss of nuances
c. Foreign language literature made obsolete
d. What should the common language be? Apparently, one was proposed but it never took off.
e. Assimilation issues - adoption of a common language will bring about a lot of turmoil, especially for things that are lost in translation. Case in point - the standardisation of European currencies to the Euro already caused so much problems. Britain, Switzerland refused to join in. A common ASEAN currency may not even happen. So how do a common language come about?

Conclude by suggesting why your stand (for or against) is superior to the other. (I would say that the world would NOT be a better place, but that's me.)

Timeshare Cartel

Timeshare Cartel

Just went to sit through a timeshare stupid nonsense yesterday. I made it clear that when I plan to take a holiday, I won't tolerate any uncertainty for bookings or dates. I am also willing to spend money to enjoy myself rather than waste them to keep timeshare fraudsters in jobs. Of course, they insisted they were not selling timeshare.

Less than 40 minutes into the meeting, the representative hastily ended the discussion. Friend was given the free watch, free 4D3N stay at Lijiang Sina Hotel (I can't even find it on the web), and $80 spa voucher.

Afternoon today, someone called me to sell me Marriott Vacation Club and asked me to sit in a 90-minute presentation. And then I can either get $100 Taka voucher or $125 Marriott Dining Voucher. Guess what? I have written to MVC to complain. If I get another call, I shall report them to the police and CASE.

I half believe the company we spurned last night sent over my number to this new company. Very simply because my Marriott membership contains only a number that I know. And it's not my office number.

Does modern technology always improve the quality of people's lives?

Does modern technology always improve the quality of people's lives?

This question is quite evil but it above came out in this year's General Paper AO Levels. I think this is extremely well-packaged - candidates can't fail this badly but they will be hard pressed to do well. How would I answer it?

This question needs to be analysed in several parts:

1. Modern technology - Not technological advances but merely modern technology. What is modern? Is the heart-lung machine used for heart transplants modern technology or is it a form of technological advancement?

2. Quality of life - what constitutes quality of life? In the past, before the concept of a global village, is living happily in your small little village lacking in "quality"? Now that we all dwell in residental apartments (or the metaphorical cages), what is "quality"?

3. Improvements - to claim that there is an improvement, there must be some agreed baseline. What is this baseline? Who decides how high or low the baseline must be?

4. Comparability - to claim that modern technology do not always improve the quality of life, the chosen modern technology must both improve and deteriorate quality of life, such as internet and email (information accessibility vs information overload, addiction), technology to harness nuclear energy (Diagnostic radiology vs Chernobyl vs North Korea's recent test), life sustenance systems (discuss the living dead), technology that enables genetic engineering (defect prevention vs designer babies, genetically modified food - disease resistance vs rapid growth), transportation (accessibility and expansion vs pollution). Also magnificent technology that are inherently adverse to human quality of life, e.g. intercontinental ballistic missiles.

This is my essay plan. Will I choose this question? Probably not. I'm not technologically inclined, however tempting and interesting the question is.

Do you sometimes...?

Do you sometimes...?

... feel like applauding when a particularly badly behaved child running about in a supermarket knocks into a pillar or a shelf and fall?

... feel like walking up to and slapping a precocious, attention-seeking child who is screaming at the top of its voice?

... have the urge to buy the whole lot of fruits on sale because they all look so ripe, juicy and sweet?

... have the urge to give up everything so that you can go a-wandering?

... have vivid recollections of a particular event that you thought you've forgotten and then get tormented by the things you said and did as the deja vu drifts past?

... wish you were richer/healthier/better looking, just only so that you may get better opportunities in life?

... resent the fact that you were born (despite you not asking to be born)?

... think that life's unfairness exists to punish you and solely you?

... want to tell the blabbering idiot to just shut the f**k up?

... suddenly want to get married but then you decide that being single was still better?

... crave for pizza (or some food) and when it is served, you lose all interest?

... wish that there were more violence now, so that there might be more peace later?

... wonder why people delight in killing other people, and then regret that it is not in your culture to murder the people you hate?

... wish you could be an adult sooner/become a child again?

... hope that you could have more money than you can spend?

... wish you could be somebody else? (Brad Pitt works for me.)

... yearn for freedom and then do not know what to do with it?

... want to lie down at some exotic seaside in the Bahamas and watch life go by?

... want to go with a big bang, like in an explosion in an aircraft in midair?

... envy or want to be Singapore's sex goddess Annabel Chong? (I do!)

... wish you could trade your brains/looks for some looks/brains?

... wish it was longer, thicker, and harder?

... desire things that are not yours?



If not one of your answers is "YES", I believe I have dead readers!

25 Iraqi Dinar

25 Iraqi Dinar

A colleague who was posted in a season ago gave many of us a 25 Iraqi Dinar note each and told us that in Iraq's hey day, each dinar was worth 3 to 4 Singapore Dollars.

He had just completed his tour with the UN peacekeepers and he came back, apparently loaded with now worthless dinars.

Saddam has been sentenced to hang.

I now await my souvenir 25-dinar note to grow.

How exciting the prospect of getting nothing to become S$75.

The Alignment Test

The Alignment Test

Took the test after reading it on Old Whig's Blog

You are 69.4% Good.
You are 10.3% Lawful.

Alignment: Neutral Good

You do the best good that a person could be expected to do. You are devoted to helping others. You are willing to work with authority figures, but you do not feel any particular allegiance to them.

You are the stereotypical "Benefactor". You believe in doing good without any particular bias for or against order.

Examples of characters and people who fit into the same alignment as you include Mother Theresa, Ghandi, Gandalf, Indiana Jones, O-Bi-Wan Kenobi, Luke Skywalker, Harry Potter, Frodo Baggins, and the Dalai Lama.

Hm...

Blame Who? (Part 2)

Blame Who? (Part 2)

In today's The Straits Times (emphases mine):

"As the family got on the escalator to go down, Shiyr shouted 'Ouch, ouch'. Her right rubber clog was stuck in the teeth of the escalator step.

"Mr Chong, a teacher, said: 'When I lifer her, I saw the jagged bone of the toe protruding out, where her toe used to be. It's not something any parent could bear to see.'

"Skin from the ball of her foot was also ripped off.

"At about 11.20 pm, the girl's rubber clog and toe were found separately in pits under the escalator and the toe was taken to the National Uiversity Hospital.

"This is not the first time an accident involving children, escalators and rubber clogs has happened.

"In August, a two-year-old girl got her shoe caught in the escalator steps, while she was with her parents in Toa Payoh Central." - ST, 6 Nov 06

MY GOD! RUBBER CLOGS! They are so soft and flexible they offer ABSOLUTELY NO PROTECTION whatsoever to any impact or crush.

What were the parents NOT thinking?

And why is the girl allowed to stand on the RIGHT of the escalator?

All signs point to poor parenting.

Adults who want to be vain and wear rubber clogs with gaping holes, carry on. But this is a poor child who needs to be protected. And instead of proper shoes, she got a pair of rubber clogs?

All I want for Christmas, this year, is for people to grow some brains.

Wrong Priorities?

Wrong Priorities?

There are some things in life that are all so wrong.

320 contestants vying for car in MediaCorp Radio Subaru WRX Challenge

They're at it again.

320 contestants are trying to outlast one another in a bid to win a brand new car in the MediaCorp Radio Subaru WRX Challenge.

It is a contest where you literally have a hand in winning the prize.

But there could be several factors that may conspire against you.

The hot weather, for one.

Also, the luck of the draw will decide your fate - more precisely, how your palm is placed on the car.

Ow Yong Teck Choon, a contestant, said: "The first time I gave up because it was actually quite a difficult position - the hand on the (car) window always kept sliding down. This time, I have to actually had to bend myself, so it was very uncomfortable."

After the first hour of the contest, a handful had already dropped out, with some aching muscles that needed medical attention.

But there are some Singaporeans who keep coming back, year after year, with something to prove.

40 contestants have taken part before and they all have their eyes on a $90,000 car.

But if a newbie walks away with the title, he or she will only get to drive away a cheaper $71,000 car.

"My brother is taking part.....I actually told him to wiggle his toes, not to faint," said Adeline Teo.

Besides fainting, contestants will also have to fight fatigue, sleep depravation, and perhaps, even carpel tunnel syndrome.

In the five years the contest has been held, the longest anyone has held his palm on the car was slightly over three days!

The contest is being held at Ngee Ann City. - CNA/ir

SHOULD WE NOT ASK THESE VERY FREE PEOPLE TO GO ON AN EXTENDED SOCIAL WORK SPREE INSTEAD? And the last wo/man standing after cleaning all the old folks' home and painting their walls, washing their toilets, changing their bedsheets, wiping the grime off their stoves, fumigating their homes etc will win the car!

A bit early, but I believe the old folks would definitely welcome an early spring cleaning to usher in Christmas, Hari Raya Haji, New Year and Chinese New Year.

What say you?

Blame who?

Blame who?

I could not hold myself back as I let fly a few colourful expletives when I heard the following news aired on television.

3-year-old lost her toe due to escalator accident

SINGAPORE: A 3-year-old had her right big toe and skin from her sole ripped off, after her foot got stuck in an escalator on Saturday night.

The accident took place at 8:40pm, Admiralty Place, a neighbourhood shopping centre located at Block 678 Woodlands Avenue 6.

The ambulance arrived in twenty minutes and brought her to the National University Hospital where she is still being treated.

The girl's mother said her toe was only found three hours after the accident so doctors are not able reattach it.

Her mother had asked why there were no emergency numbers displayed for escalator repair, unlike lifts.

She said if help had arrived earlier to dismantle the escalator, there could have been a better chance of saving her daughter's toe. - CNA/so


The mother had the cheek to blame EVERYONE ELSE!

WHAT THE HELL ARE PARENTS LETTING A 3-YEAR OLD CHILD TAKE AN ESCALATOR BY HERSELF?

I simply cannot believe my ears to hear that woman speak with all righteousness that her daughter lost her toe because the maintenance team took longer than expected to come.

In the first instance, why is the child allowed to take the escalator by herself? Where are the parents? What kind of supervision was there?

Anyone who cannot reach the hand rest of an escalator should be carried while riding an escalator! Or should NOT even take the escalator.

I only grieve because the escalator took away the wrong thing - the child's toe - instead of the parents' commonsense.

But I forgot - the escalator probably cannot find any.

The MRT Train as a Suicide Enabler

The MRT Train as a Suicide Enabler

One pauper who jumped into the path of an approaching MRT (UK calls it the Tube, US the Metro) train had his case mass reported in the local semi-tabloids. His family lost him but got about S$500 000 in condolence money. His widow, in fact, told the reporters that there is now enough money to live a decent life.

Then a few days later, another man jumped.

When the MRT started running 16 years ago, I already foresaw such occurrences as being the norm when the population ages or when people get poor enough and desperate enough.

Now it has happened.

So what do we do? Where do we go from here?

I wait with bated breath.

[If I had my way, I'll change the law to empower transport service providers to recover income lost as well as all other costs to repair damages from the families. This will definitely discourage future such acts.]

Free Lunch

Free Lunch

No. There is NO SUCH THING as a FREE LUNCH.

There simply isn't.

Had to stand in for a lunch appointment on Halloween and being slightly underdressed for the occasion, I was already hesitant. And then I got seated at the VIP table.

The one I stood in for had to deliver a lecture to his peers after lunch. I was told the lecture will still be conducted by him.

I uncomfortably sat through the opening speeches and I tried my best to appear as inconspicuous as possible for the longest time. I queued at the end of the group of VIPs before me taking their bloody own sweet time taking food and by the time I got food, a good amount of my lunch was spent queueing for food as though I am some poor vagrant in a soup kitchen waiting to be fed.

I barely downed my second morsel when my handphone rang - I was asked to stand in for the lecture. Oops! The people are all senior to me in terms of appointments and ranks. I hastily swallowed my food - I was running late for the lecture - braced myself for the onslaught and settled the lecture.

Free lunch? Not exactly. But the price to pay was a lesson in personal and professional development. I was given a great opportunity to rise to the challenge. I am very thankful for wonderful opportunities like these.

Watching the English - The Hidden Rules of English Behaviour

Watching the English - The Hidden Rules of English Behaviour

I'm reading the book "Watching the English - The Hidden Rules of English Behaviour" by Kate Moss. I found five book reviews at Amazon.com.

Pretty interesting - now I know why I feel so much better dealing with the Americans than the English.

I love it when the Americans tell me upfront - I don't want to talk about this. Can we change a topic? Or they say, let's not talk about this.

What I don't appreciate is unintelligible gluttal noises from the other group, which leave me wondering what's wrong.

It's not about EQ, mind you. It's all about the wonderful "understated euphemisms" that the English so treasure, their ironies and their wit. It's almost like a perverted form of the Asian modesty.

I do enjoy speaking with the English still, nonetheless, but this book makes me better understand the psyche of the very people to whom we faithfully sit their exams and acquire their certification year after year after year.

Maybe Ban Ki Moon left out the English when he spoke of modesty as a virtue.

Tone Deaf Karaoke Crooners

Tone Deaf Karaoke Crooners

It's ok to be tone deaf.

It's ok to sing karaoke.

It's even ok to be tone deaf and singing karaoke.

It's therefore ok to sing karaoke even if you are tone deaf.

Simply choose something which is familiar to the other listeners so that they can hum along to drown your bad singing out.

Don't choose a tuneless piece.

Or some piece which is already so obscure that you butcher it even further. Being poorly written, the piece has already claimed its place in oblivion. Why bring it out to the open to insult it further?

And karaoke singing is not BARKING into the bl**dy microphone.

Please SPARE MY EARS too.

Satay

Satay

She loved the Chinese satay* at Serangoon Gardens' Chomp Chomp market.

We used to get pestered and, in the end, one of us will relent and drive the three of us there.

I agree that the CC Chinese satay is really really nice.

Last night, I found another nice Chinese satay at ABC market.

And before I left, I found another stall at the same market. He said that was the original stall.

Guess what? I'm coming back for more satay soon.



* - satay, or sateh (variants), is a kebab that is believed to have originated from Chinese hawkers peddling barbecued meat on bamboo skewers. Literally, satay means three pieces and a traditional stick will consist of three pieces of well marinated meat and a piece of fat to blend the meat pieces together into a flavoursome morsel.

The Quarrel

The Quarrel

Saw a big quarrel between a couple at a coffee shop.

Woman was hysterical.

Man was flustered.

Woman was persistent.

Man was less so.

Woman was loud, shrill and rapid-fire.

Man was loud, deep but muffled.

Woman was accusatory, demeaning and fiery.

Man was placative, acknowledging and seemingly subdued (he controlled his emotions well).

Woman claimed that she was not respected at the funeral wake.

Man denied.

I waited to hear more. (They were not clear enough in their speeches because I was seated quite far away. Damn!)

Woman claimed that she was treated as a baby-bearing machine.

Man denied.

I can't wait to hear more! More! MORE!

Woman carried on her battle cries.

Man tried to calm her.

They held hands.

Shit! It's too early to end!

Then woman screamed her head off and their broke their hand holding.

She then went on ad lib, SFz, ffff, allegro vivace duppio movimento, adagio grandioso, etc.

And then Woman wanted something back from the wake.

Man asked if she wanted it back.

She repeated her command.

Man said he'll get it. Walked off.

She sat down, stoned at a coffee shop table.

I'm sad it ended so quickly - 20 minutes.

Will it ever be the same again?

Will it ever be the same again?

S/he threw a fit and they broke up.

Then they patched up.

Will it ever be the same again?

I know my answer in my heart.

One quarrel and it is enough to know if the two persons are meant for one another.

I used to scorn at my GP tutor for proclaiming this truth: he's right.

Trouble shooting

Trouble shooting

A faulty water heater that I asked my contractor to change turned out to be working perfectly fine. The problem lay with a disconnected wire at the switch.

A faulty flushing cistern that I asked my contractor to changed turned out to be requiring only new parts for certain components.

I count my blessings.

I am thankful for the perfectly working systems so that I am spared from spending so much money for repair works.

I am thankful for my honest to goodness contractor who did not simply do as he was told. Instead he put me first.

I am thankful for my housemate who made sure everything was taken care of.

I am thankful for my cleaning lady who worked extra time (I'll compensate her for that) to ensure that I have a clean house after the works are done.

(Er... Am I healed?)

People

People


People are always jealous of others who are smarter than, more privileged than, richer than, in better shape than, in better position than themselves.

Why not learn how to get there instead?


People always feel that proximity is charm.

Wait till you sit right beside a ticking timebomb.


If you are near god, you'll become an angel soon.

God (generic) sees far and wide and never near the self.


When you mingle around big shots, take heart if your status is not elevated.

You're at best sub-electronic particles.


Since you work in a position of prestige, things come by more easily.

For the record, good things hardly come by. I won't discuss blame, though.


Don't think that if you can't beat them, join them.

You'll still be beaten up - and likely by both the group you forsake and the group you join.

Encouragement

Encouragement

To the A level candidates, especially from PRCS 4/6 2004:

This examination marks the end of your 12 years of formal education. It is the culmination and a measure of your past efforts. Your pilgrimage to elementary information acquistion and knowledge making reaches a significant milestone.

This examination is the final hurdle that stands in your way to the entrance of the university. Many of you are worried, apprehensive, and perhaps even scared. This is common. No one, not even the most prepared of candidates, can be sure that they will ace the examinations.

You have all come a long way. If I said that results were not important, I'd by lying. But remember, in this quest for knowledge, the process is as important as, if not more important than, the product. Unfortunately, the system we are in only recognises the product. Truly, a scholar (someone who pursues and makes knowledge) fails more than he succeeds. But each failure is also a learning process in itself.

Do not be cowed by the challenges ahead. Neither should you be raring to meet each hurdle head-on, like a raging bull. Instead, face each approaching task with intelligent equanimity. Do not lose your head if you are thrown off balance. Do not feel arrogant if you think you've aced the paper.

The past lessons should be drawn upon. Remember where you had fallen short in the past. Re-visit those tracks and make sure this time, you do not falter. Remember when you have done well. Re-work those sums and make sure this time, you still have it with you.

Completing the entire paper may not be always the best thing to do - humanities excepted. Above average all round scores will result in better outcomes than lopsided scores.

Write legibly and express yourself clearly. Where you are unsure, make a quick draft. Work through the sums before committing them to paper. Start each question on a fresh sheet of paper. More haste, more waste. Think clearly, copy accurately.

And remember, no matter what happens, enjoy the scenery along the way. You've come this far, so don't forget to do it. [Tackling an A level examination is likened to conquering Mount Everest - you simply try your best to reach the summit and you never take a second glance at the wonders of nature.]

The challenge is immense. You will rise up to the occasion.

Take care and good luck in whatever you do.

You MUST Ace the Math Exam

You MUST Ace the Math Exam

"Where's your working?" riled the exasperated mother at her young daughter. Poor little girl was attempting a set of poorly typeset mathematics questions on a stack of dull blue paper.

"How do you minus? How do you minus?" mother asked hurriedly.

I was seated in McDonald's and it was nearly 5 pm on a warm Deepavali evening. Looks like darkness still shrouds this little girl's world until the devil of her mother is annihilated.

"How you check? How you check? How do you know you minus correctly? How you check? How you know buy ... left from $100 is correct?"

All the while, I heard nothing from the little girl.

"Who says check like that?" mother raised her voice. "Another way of checking is this, isn't it? This and this, it is $100. Isn't it? Isn't it?"

Of course it ISN'T. For *fill in name of your preferred god*'s sake, it is NOT obvious. If it is obvious, then this is not learning mathematics.

Nothing in mathematics is directly obvious, especially at the entry learning stage.

"What's your method? What's your method?" mother demanded. "This is only your working. Teacher must see your method! What's your method?"

By then, I glanced her direction. Of course, long before this, I had already made some less than complimentary comments about such an oppressive mother killing her daughter's interest and confidence in the subject.

This poor girl knows f*cking nothing about methods and workings. The indefinitely ongoing syllabus has made even the teachers see stars. What the older woman knows was in the days long past, when students were drilled into doing mathematics the "correct" way. These days, if sh*t can be eaten, the syllabus probably would say, candidates are required to eat sh*t during the mathematics exam.

Everything has gone bonkers.

"Look at you! It's all wrong! What did you get here?"

Silence.

"How come come down it becomes this?"

Silence.

"Why here you get this and then here you get this?"

Students make mistakes. This is part and parcel of learning. Students are still trying to make connections in their minds. As they learn, their connections between steps will be stronger and they are better poised to remember how to carry down preceding information more accurately.

On my right, another mother was looking at two girls doing primary 4 mathematics practice. She was quiet and she let the two girls do their own work.

But by then, the sight of one parent trying to make her daughter fulfill the dream that she could not have and another parent who gave no hoot about her daughters' work, I've decided I needed to go out and get a breath of free air.

After all, the afternoon tea should be one where it is partaken with little stress, especially during a warm Deepavali afternoon. How is it that I begin to see the dark clouds gathering?

I had wanted to tick the naggy woman off (in my capacity as an ex-Math teacher) but I decided I knew better. Why equip her with more advanced thinking and strategies that she could draw on to further add stress to her girl?

Like I always told my ex-students: If you are really good, you'd have done well in your national exams. Maybe you didn't because something happened. As a result, you've been posted to some ordinary ordinary school with ordinary challenges. Surely, if you're good, you'd been able to excel in any of the past 3 years you were with us. But, in none of the exams you've excelled. What is that telling us?

If the girl is good, she'll make it. Why stress yourself excessively? Why turn the young one off learning and when she goes to some ordinary school, she excels only in ordinariness?

I'm Hard At Work

WHY YOU WON'T EVEN KNOW THAT I AM HARD AT WORK

"Asia is ... a region where modesty is a virtue. But the modesty is about demeanour, not about vision and goals. It does not mean the lack of commitment or leadership. Rather it is quiet determination in action to get things done without so much fanfare." - Ban Ki Moon, United Nations Secretary General (Designate)

A Wild Thought

A Wild Thought

Took part in a sense-making workshop after North Korea tested its nuclear bomb.

Was told to write a possible near term scenario.

I wrote:

The radiation from the test blast caused the cabbages within the 100 km radius of the test site to grow to epic proportions. This solved North Korea's famine problem. It also allowed North Korea to manufacture and export amazing amounts of kimchi, overtaking South Korea as the main exporter. North Korea earned enough money in one test to get out of poverty.

No prizes for guessing that the trainer rolled his eyes in exasperation.

Fortunately, I was not a test subject but an observer. Had a good laugh in the end.

Coconut Tart and Stupid Egg

Coconut Tart and Stupid Egg

The taxi driver on Saturday insisted that half the population of people will be wiped out in the next two years.

I'm sublimely delighted to hear that. Oooh, I love Deaths. I mean, I love the idea of alleviating the earth of so many unnecessary beings. Six Feet Under is one of my favourite shows, by the way.

Then he launched into the coconut tart and the stupid egg thing when I tried to get him to clarify.

Then I asked if coconut tart and stupid egg are one and the same. Either would have caused death in excessive quantities.

That really really really got him. :-)

NYDC - Suntec City

NYDC - Suntec City

Food - A
Service - F

I should start a new blog to chronicle these bad experiences.

I had to wait outside a less than 10% full outlet before someone would come and let me in.

The entrance sign said wait to be served. So I did. And even when the servers saw you there, they were reluctant to approach, as though I would turn into some monster and bite their heads off if they come near me.

No worries - with or without their heads, their IQs would have remained intact.

Finally, the guy at the cold kitched slammed on the service bells many times, someone looked at him and that someone came over to usher us in.

The restaurant was hot. It was at least not cool enough.

I know how long one has to wait for savouries at NYDC. So I took the menu and ordered a pizza first and said that my friend and I will now look at the dessert selections.

A while into browsing, the server came up and asked, "Can I have the menu back?"

WHAT?

And then friend gave back a copy of the menu.

WHY THE HELL DO YOU DO THAT?

Why do I have to give up a menu? The restaurant wasn't even 10% full and there were more than enough menus to tile the entire restaurant floor. What's the problem with us having a copy of the menu when we were, and we already have informed the server that we were, going to order dessert!

That's it. I don't really have especially long fuses these days. Not really my fault but I really don't take such nonsense well these days.

I filled in a customer feedback form and handed it in.

I wrote that "We have decided to forego dessert because we were pissed off." and that "Our menus were taken away from us."

Of course, the entire crew started their discussions and before long, the shift leader came to see us.

Unfortunately, he was too eager to cover up - he gave the excuse that their policy was to take back the menu once the orders are complete. Then why the f*ck did the server not ask for the menu when we were done with the pizza ordering?

Why ask for the menu back suddenly? You could wait till the food arrives before asking for that silly booklet back, no?

When I mentioned the tardy service, he said that the bell was to inform the crew that the cold kitchen had just placed out another dish to be sent to a customer. C'mon, I have eyes.

I am too jaded and too tired to argue with you d*mw*ts. [Need to buy a vowel?]

I'm just too happy to finish my pizza and go off.

Who cares about your desserts on the house? If you mean it, you'll take concrete actions to make sure I am suitably assauged.

And the final insult? 15% off the bill. Big deal.

But I'm already way past bothering.

Congratulations Singapore. S2006 is just over and we have slid to new lows in service standards.

What next in 2007? The Poor Service Excellence Award, to be given to the best server offering the worst service in a restaurant?

The Price of Civility

The Price of Civility

Dear Singaporeans,

Your civility is worth a mere 15% of the total cost you incur at a restaurant.

Accept it.

Bad service from the waiters will at most get you a 15% discount. Never mind your entire evening is ruined.

Your civility is this cheap.

Face it.

Yours sincerely,

Another Singaporean

Ten Thousand Years Old

Ten Thousand Years Old

A man bought a tortoise and asked the aquarium owner, "This tortoise, how long do you think it'll live?"

The owner replied, "A tortoise can live for ten thousand years."

The man brought the tortoise home and the next day, the tortoise died.

He stormed back to the aquarium and demanded, "You said the tortoise will live for ten thousand years! But this only lived for a day!"

"When did it die?"

"It died today"

The owner calmly replied, "I believe it turned ten thousand years old today."

Hakka Tea Rice

Hakka Tea Rice

Someone fell in love with Hakka Tea Rice and ate it for meals on end for lunches.

Well, it is nutritious but it is an acquired taste.

I love it too, but I normally eat it when in Malaysia.

Somehow, the taste of the Malaysian version is more intense.

Personal preference, I guess.

Lunch Meeting

Lunch Meeting

Met my army friends for lunch. It's always good to network and get updates.

Cryptic comment that people who need insurance most normally had no insurance.

So common everywhere.

And so sad.

Mid-Autumn Festival

Mid-Autumn Festival

There was a mid-autumn festival mini-celebration in the office on Friday.

There were mooncakes, pomeloes and some tea.

Someone sneaked a mini-mooncake and ate it before the event. And HR manager went round trying to catch the culprit. So funny.

Tea was nice. Jasmine fragrance, heavy enough on the palate. Just wished it was a little more astringent - it'd have more kick.

Had a slice of ice cream mooncakes for the novelty. Not too bad. Skipped the rest.

And then I worked till almost 8 pm, only to find my favourite "auntie" back in the office before I left. The "auntie" was taking a bath in the toilet and a colleague and I wished him good night before we left.

"Auntie" apparently went to the gym, so that he can stem the horizontal expansion.

Real hardworking indeed.

Is my ruined dinner only worth S$2?

Is my ruined dinner only worth S$2?

I just ticked off the manager of an Italian restaurant over dinner just now.

I refused to pay service charge and then I got so tired of his attitude, I demanded a discount on top of not paying the 10% service (which the restaurant has included in the bill).

So that fellow said, ok, I'll give you a discount and he promptly docked 15% off the total bill (before taxes) and left the $5.10 service charge there.

Well the waiters messed up our orders!
Could not even handle three items - ham and melon, linguine marinara, Hawaiian pizza.
Was it that difficult?

And we were seated in the smoking section because the manageress (some dumb woman) assured friend that we were in the upwind position and so won't be getting smoke.
So damned wrong - we were human air purifiers.

And then when we asked the waiter back to verify the orders, he came back with only 2 items.
After the orders were corrected, the dumb waiter left the order chit on the counter and it was not recorded.

We waited endlessly for the food.

When my pangs began, I asked one of the waiters "how much longer do I have to wait before my food arrives?" He said he'll check.

Then I saw him pick up the order chit, send it to the manager to get it keyed into the system.

And he went to scold the fellow who took our orders and never came back to tell us how much longer we had to wait.

Two eternities later, we asked another waiter and he said our ham and melon is coming. The dish was served and then the waiting game continues.

Finally we couldn't take it anymore; I made friend go up to the manager to tell him to cancel our orders.

But the manager said food is on the way up. And they did come up but by then the entire night was ruined.
When food was placed on the table, I had to ask for cheese and chili flakes as well as additional plates as we were sharing.

And all this while, food was being served to the others!

And most didn't have to wait for more than 10 min before the first dish arrived.
So when it came to paying, I told friend to get the manager.

We disputed the service charge and asked not to pay. He agreed and offered the discount. And when he came over with the 15% without removing the service charge, I refused to pay. I told the waiter to get the manager back.

So when he came, I asked him what discount I am looking at.
He said, 15% (of $51) discount. So I said, less 5.10 (or 10%) service charge.
So what is the real discount?
He said $2 lor.
And I said, is this an insult? Do you think I cannot afford $2?
I told him to jolly well put the $2 plus back if they so cannot absorb it.

And three eternities later, he returned without another bill showing 15% discount and $5.10 service charge removed.

I'd made it easier - I'd given the cheapest dish on the house and close the case.
Cheapest dish plus the offending service charge.

This would definitely assuage the anger of the customer.

Al Dente Trattoria - service F, food D

20 Ways to Say No

20 Ways to Say No

I think I am still learning.

Broken Ware

Broken Ware

Went to Mustafa's. As I walked around, I notice a large number of pieces of broken ware. It isn't a very pretty sight. It must be quite some losses each month.

Wonder why Mustafa's does not consider widening its aisle? What about employing its employees in a better manner? What about having retainers to prevent things from falling off so easily? Or not having fragile items on high shelves or too many items on any shelf?

A store that wants to be profitable must reduce unnecessary wastage. Some of the damaged items are not cheap.

I recall opening a bag of bathroom rugs ($19.90) and immediately a "security" guy rushed up to me. I checked the rugs and replaced them before he made any noise. But comparing the $19.90 rugs and the many pieces of chipped and broken crockery, pots, pans that cost much more than that, why are people deployed here?

Spoilt Music Player

Spoilt Music Player

Sat, 16 Sep

Ate at the Shanghainese restaurant where their music player was spoilt. It took an eternity to finish a song.

The waitress complained that the boss was such a cheapo that he had preferred to wait till the player is entirely damaged before replacing it.

I'm not going back there any time soon.

50 Cents

50 Cents

Sat, 16 Sep

Went to Tiong Bahru Market for dinner and in the end, stopped at a roadside shop to eat Shanghainese food instead.

Shopped at an adjacent household store and found the floor wiper that I had really really wanted for the longest time.

My leg has been covered with nappy rash since I moved to the new place because the toilet floor never dried up fast enough. With this little rubber wiper, I could sweep away the bath water after my bath to aid the floor drying.

The entire contraption cost $6.50 and I didn't think it was worth that much. Perhaps $5.80 or so. So I asked the salesgirl if she could give me a little discount.

She said that she isn't the boss and she couldn't make decisions. She also said that it was very difficult to give a discount on such an item. So I asked her, what items can you give a discount then?

That was not altogether tongue-in-cheek because I do see things which I want to buy.

Then, in front of an earlier customer she was serving, she asked, "I can give you a 50-cent discount. You won't want it right?"

I went, "Huh? Of course I would take it. Who would argue with 50 cents?"

The other customer looked in disbelief. Who in the right frame of mind would not want a 50-cent discount? Never mind that it is not much but if you add up all the savings, you'd have some substantial amount!

So she said, "Ok loh. If it makes you happy..."

"Of course I am very happy. How much do you think I was asking for when I asked for a little discount?"

Floored by a toenail

Floored by a toenail

Was tortured by an ingrown toenail since May this year. For months on end, I was trying to get the nail to grow outwards.

I changed nail cutting patterns, I trimmed the thick skin on the sides of the toe, I squeezed out enough pus to fill a couple cream eclairs, I tried everything, anything, something. Nothing worked.

Finally, three weeks ago, my doctor agreed to perform a wedge resection for me. Basically, I grinned and beared (I would have preferred to use bore, but it sounded weired) throughout those three weeks.

In fact, since May, I had travelled to China and twice to US with a swollen toe filled with pus and wrecked in pain.

I went for my little surgery yesterday - toenail wedge resection.

I couldn't describe in a better way the American Family Physician online journal could. And the pictures there are really accurate.

There were a few things that I could say though.

1. Four lignocaine injections were required for the standard digital block. I nearly died of pain at this stage. When I went out of the consultation room for the anaesthesia to take effect, I nearly fainted because the adrenalin rush subsided and I had a moment of "energy loss".

2. Despite being unable to feel the toe at all after the anaesthesia had set in, I actually felt PHANTOM pains. Incredible.

3. I was nervous the whole day for the procedure. I braced myself for the pain and the gore. But the pain far exceeded my expectations. If I had thought that the pain was going to an 8 out of 10, the injections must have felt like 20. So painful.

4. The post-operative pain was not as bad as I thought. It was quite bearable.

My doc showed me the nail that he had pulled out. All that was protruding was a little little bit of nail which I could have cut off if the nail was not stuck to the nail bed.

This has been a very painful and arduous process. I hope this will not recur.

The Waiting Game

The Waiting Game

An hour after SQ 21 took off from Newark, the Airbus 340-500 plane's outer left engine caught fire. A decision was taken to turn back to Newark some half an hour later and the plane landed at 2 am on 20 Aug 06. Passengers who did not wish to go home or had no place to go were put up at the Marriott Newark International Airport Hotel.

I got my room at 3.30 am, and honestly, I didn't even know that the rooms ran out before the passengers could be fully accommodated. The remaining passengers were then driven to the Newark Hilton some 30 minutes away. I would believe that by the time they got their room, it was 4.30 am. Maybe 4.45 am. Poor fellows. Well, if I were in one of those never-moving queues, I'd probably be at the Hilton too.

I must say that Singapore Airlines had been gracious. Passengers had single rooms unless they choose otherwise. This is very kind of them. SQ also paid for our 3 meals while we were (I am) happily stranded at Newark.

This is honestly a HAPPY problem for me. I was dead tired, damned sick and dreading work. Being stranded now with food and accommodation simply meant that I get to rest, recuperate and avoid work without having to take any leave. I guess it's different when you are an employee and when you are self-employed. I hear the bitching by the self-employed on the next flight, how they "lost money". Hey, they got their lives back and they worry about monetary losses. So if I tell you that many people have bad karma, the bad karma must have arisen out of their GREED.

I digress. At 4.15 am, I missed a call. When I called the operator later, I was told that SQ 21 was NOT flying off as planned at 1100 hours that morning. The mechanics were waiting for replacement parts from Heathrow.

Without any black and white notices, I was not too sure. But still, this was GREAT news. I turned off the TV and went to bed. How wonderful. I'm going to sleep in and wake up in time and go down at 0930 hours. In case the call is a prank, I'd still be in time to fly off.

When I woke up to pee at 0700, I saw a note under my door. The message was right. Apparently, the next attempt to fly out will be at 2300 hours.

This is better than a wild wild dream come true. I went back to sleep and woke up at 0830h. I washed up and went for breakfast. I met my group members at the breakfast table and they broke the news to me.

When I told them I knew of it at 0415 hours, they were pretty surprised. Anyway, BREAKFAST was GREAT at Marriott. Never failed to impress me. I had a good breakfast, went back, got into my bed and decided to catch some TV. Again, AFGM was showing. Heck. What luck. And the other channels were showing absolute trash. How can that be? This is a prime Sunday morning! Aren't there kids' shows that I can dumb my brains with?

Anyway, without available entertainment, I called my NJ friend and told him this story. It was a long enough chat and it was great to coop up in a room and rot.

I went right back to a fitful sleep after the call, waking up almost hourly. Between 1130 and 1300, I decided on both occasions to skip lunch. And I slept the whole afternoon through, only disturbed by a freaking dumb chambermaid who wanted to change my sheets but every time she knocked, opened and got blocked by the security chain, she ran away. I know she ran away because the minute I ran to the door to ask who's that, she's nowhere to be seen.

Finally, I managed to catch her and I told her to leave the sheets outside my room. I'll pick them up.

Heck, is it so tough? Granted I'd chosen not to hang the Do Not Disturb sign because I do need fresh towels etc, I believe she should have been more responsive and responsible. I mean, early afternoon hauntings??

At 1600 hours, my phone rang. One of my companions told me that he has booked me on the next flight out the same night. The flight was at 2300 hours and he wanted me to come down to the lobby and confirm my seat.

This is pretty irritating, since I'm happily stranded. So, I had to come down and then after confirming my seats, went for dinner.

All this while, after the 4.30 am advisory no. 2, there was absolutely no news from SQ any more. While their staff hung out at the Marriott Lobby, they were not able to do much because they simply had no access to any computers.

People queued and made all sorts of proposals to get out of Newark to Singapore. If I had been alone, I'd gladly sell my seat away and earn a bit more insurance money and some compensation.

Some people were agitated about the poor communications but the SQ ground staff were really overworked. You can see that.

Anyway, the second attempt to return was uneventful. I met the stewardesses who served me on the SIN-LA leg in Jul. It was so interesting.

And I met the urologist I sat next to on the return journey. We began chatting from the lounge onwards.

-End-