Of course, by the time I got to part 3 of my memoirs, a blue-blooded American had to tell me to quit my "bitchin'". Ha ha ha... I knew this was going to happen and will I ever quit bitching? Only time will tell. One thing I know, I am now not as jetlagged as I was; I am amazed that I recovered this quickly. I bet the injured shoulder does contribute to that (more endorphines?) but I am now more concerned about my impending check out in about 40 minutes and my arduous journey to the next hotel. One can't stay at the Sheraton at almost USD 200 per night unless one had to; the next hotel is less than USD 100 per night. As reluctant as I am to reduce myself to the next place, I need to. USD 100 pays for many meals. Thus, this final part of the memoirs.
One cannot help but be very awed by the John F Kennedy Airport in New York. It is amazingly huge and there are many pieces of artwork adorning its walls. I am not artsy enough to know if they can be considered impressive but it goes give me a feeling that the place I am about to visit welcomes people from all lands and is tolerant of diversity. And before long, one enters the border control area where queues form rapidly and snake around the barriers.
I hate the wait. There is something about the US border control folks that I should... not bitch about this time. Amazingly, for all the grief that the guy manning the counter had given to all the visitors before me, checking them till heavens come, he cleared me in record time.
It was as though he had been expecting me and after a couple of questions - what is your purpose for visiting and how long will you be here - he fingerprinted me like a con, took my mugshot and cleared me. All with so much friendliness I thought I would faint. I was so happy that I promptly went to the wrong baggage claim carousel and begin wondering why there were so few Germans among the passengers waiting for their luggage. Before long, I realised my mistake and went to the correct belt. My bags arrived in less than 5 minutes. (Of course, when you wait for almost 45 minutes at border control...)
I grabbed my bags and was waved through the customs folks even though I declared I had meat products (pork jerky for my NJ friends). Compared to Newark, JFK was really a breeze to go through. Everything was bigger and brighter. People were friendlier and the atmosphere was more welcoming.
Yesterday, the US revealed a new, friendlier face to a traveller. And to this terribly tired and irate traveller who has another leg of rail travel to complete, it was very much appreciated.
Showing posts with label respect. Show all posts
Showing posts with label respect. Show all posts
Monday, July 20, 2009
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Tribute to the FedEx pilots
I always think pilots are amazing people. They manoeuvre massive equipment that make drivers of large cars seem like they are driving toy cars.
And more amazingly, pilots bring people and goods from point to point; their work helps to connect people around the world.
While I must admit that the shipping captains are equally noble, there is nothing like zooming at 1000 km/h at almost 10 km above terra firma.
In many air freight companies and iffy airlines, pilots are required to operate equipment that may or may not be worthy of flight. Still, they try their best to get things and people from point to point each time.
Each failure to do so seems magnified beyond reason. Just because a plane crashes and a few hundred people die, it seems like the end of the world. Looking at it in perspective, the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami claimed about half a million lives. Assuming each aircraft takes 500 passengers and crew, we need to crash 1 000 aircraft at the same time to achieve the same amount of deaths. In fact, more people die on the road each year than in air crashes.
The FedEx pilots had to operate a MD11, which is highly suspect in its ability to survive severe conditions. Nonetheless, the pilots tried. That's the one of the most important lessons one should learn in life - to try. To die while trying is nobler than not having tried at all.
I only hope that the air disaster does not end in vain. Something should be done, such as phasing all MD11s out of commercial and freight service, so that aviation becomes even safer. That would be a larger tribute to the two men who tried.
And more amazingly, pilots bring people and goods from point to point; their work helps to connect people around the world.
While I must admit that the shipping captains are equally noble, there is nothing like zooming at 1000 km/h at almost 10 km above terra firma.
In many air freight companies and iffy airlines, pilots are required to operate equipment that may or may not be worthy of flight. Still, they try their best to get things and people from point to point each time.
Each failure to do so seems magnified beyond reason. Just because a plane crashes and a few hundred people die, it seems like the end of the world. Looking at it in perspective, the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami claimed about half a million lives. Assuming each aircraft takes 500 passengers and crew, we need to crash 1 000 aircraft at the same time to achieve the same amount of deaths. In fact, more people die on the road each year than in air crashes.
The FedEx pilots had to operate a MD11, which is highly suspect in its ability to survive severe conditions. Nonetheless, the pilots tried. That's the one of the most important lessons one should learn in life - to try. To die while trying is nobler than not having tried at all.
I only hope that the air disaster does not end in vain. Something should be done, such as phasing all MD11s out of commercial and freight service, so that aviation becomes even safer. That would be a larger tribute to the two men who tried.
Monday, December 01, 2008
Rosa Parks
Rosa Parks (February 4 1913 – October 24 2005) was an African American civil rights activist whom the U.S. Congress later called "Mother of the Modern-Day Civil Rights Movement".
On December 1, 1955, Parks became famous for refusing to obey bus driver James Blake's order that she give up her seat to make room for a white passenger. This action of civil disobedience started the Montgomery Bus Boycott, which is one of the largest movements against racial segregation. In addition, this launched Martin Luther King, Jr., who was involved with the boycott, to prominence in the civil rights movement. She has had a lasting legacy worldwide.
People always say that I didn't give up my seat because I was tired, but that isn't true. I was not tired physically, or no more tired than I usually was at the end of a working day. I was not old, although some people have an image of me as being old then. I was forty-two. No, the only tired I was, was tired of giving in.
Source
On December 1, 1955, Parks became famous for refusing to obey bus driver James Blake's order that she give up her seat to make room for a white passenger. This action of civil disobedience started the Montgomery Bus Boycott, which is one of the largest movements against racial segregation. In addition, this launched Martin Luther King, Jr., who was involved with the boycott, to prominence in the civil rights movement. She has had a lasting legacy worldwide.
People always say that I didn't give up my seat because I was tired, but that isn't true. I was not tired physically, or no more tired than I usually was at the end of a working day. I was not old, although some people have an image of me as being old then. I was forty-two. No, the only tired I was, was tired of giving in.
Source
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
The closing speech of Clarence Darrow in the Henry Sweet Trial (1926)
Keith Olbermann referred to Clarence Darrow's closing speech at the Henry Sweet Trial as he made a passionate plea for people to denouce Proposition 8.
Curiosity got the better of me as I searched for the famed closing speech in Google. I've found it. Darrow had a very incisive understanding of human nature. He knew people very well and the respectfully damning speech was persuasive and incredibly well-crafted. He allowed people graceful admissions without feeling shame. He let them feel that they were the righteous even though they were devil-incarnates.
It was indeed even more exciting than Atticus Finch's drama in To Kill a Mockingbird. A delightful read, indeed!
Curiosity got the better of me as I searched for the famed closing speech in Google. I've found it. Darrow had a very incisive understanding of human nature. He knew people very well and the respectfully damning speech was persuasive and incredibly well-crafted. He allowed people graceful admissions without feeling shame. He let them feel that they were the righteous even though they were devil-incarnates.
It was indeed even more exciting than Atticus Finch's drama in To Kill a Mockingbird. A delightful read, indeed!
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Simplicity and Complicity
Last night was the final night of the funeral wake of my second grand aunt (maternal side).
Final prayers were in full swing and in accordance to Taoist tradition, her entire family were involved.
Extended family members were excluded, or if you prefer, exempted, because the bereaved family was already very numerous. The human chain formed as part of the prayers to leading my grand aunt's soul to the "Gates of Hell" was long enough to require tables to be shifted out of the way so that the symbolic walking around can be performed.
As the family began their rites, it caught my attention that the whole clan has chosen to ditch all the funeral garb and peripherals. The men folk were dressed only in a white t-shirt and dark coloured pants while the women folk did not even have the basic head scarf! That's so underdressed. She was after all an 87-year old matriarch of the family. Isn't this too shabby?
My goodness! Such an act of filial impiety. Wow! I cannot imagine how they could do that.
Later, I heard that the leading Taoist priest performing the rites actually told the family that the eldest grandson is the oldest one. By tradition, and this is still held true, the eldest grandson is the oldest son of the eldest son! Goodness gracious. Is this guy for real?
And for the first time, I saw Carlsberg served at funeral wakes! Are they literally taking the concept of "clubbing" a little too far?
I am all for simplicity and moving with the times. But to veer off by so much, isn't that too disrespectful?
Final prayers were in full swing and in accordance to Taoist tradition, her entire family were involved.
Extended family members were excluded, or if you prefer, exempted, because the bereaved family was already very numerous. The human chain formed as part of the prayers to leading my grand aunt's soul to the "Gates of Hell" was long enough to require tables to be shifted out of the way so that the symbolic walking around can be performed.
As the family began their rites, it caught my attention that the whole clan has chosen to ditch all the funeral garb and peripherals. The men folk were dressed only in a white t-shirt and dark coloured pants while the women folk did not even have the basic head scarf! That's so underdressed. She was after all an 87-year old matriarch of the family. Isn't this too shabby?
My goodness! Such an act of filial impiety. Wow! I cannot imagine how they could do that.
Later, I heard that the leading Taoist priest performing the rites actually told the family that the eldest grandson is the oldest one. By tradition, and this is still held true, the eldest grandson is the oldest son of the eldest son! Goodness gracious. Is this guy for real?
And for the first time, I saw Carlsberg served at funeral wakes! Are they literally taking the concept of "clubbing" a little too far?
I am all for simplicity and moving with the times. But to veer off by so much, isn't that too disrespectful?
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
A Pregnancy Bonus?
I was just thinking random thoughts when I happened to revisit T. F.'s rant about taxes as well as the ludicrous request by the Louisiana Senator asking Congress for USD250 billion to rebuild New Orleans. Among other things, he claimed that using simple division, "if you are a family of four, your family gets $2,066,012."
I love this idea of raining cash. I would transplant myself to New Orleans if this amount of money is going to drop on me. I would even vote a Dem.... Oh wait. You never trust a Democrat.
Then I thought about how the Singapore government is throwing money at its people to get married, have kids and look after their old. Ok, at least there is clearly a Baby Bonus, where parents of second, third and fourth (and maybe subsequent) newborns are given awards of money and in kind.
Yet, while we see some improvements in our birth rates, more needed to be done. This is especially so when the father now calls upon his generation to work as long as they can before they can go and kick the bucket. So the son's idea of having more kids is becoming less and less attractive, since knowing very well that these very kids you are going to bring to suffer the injustices of the world are now going to be saddled with an additional problem - a aged populace of working folks who simply won't shut up, get out and go away for good.
If people don't retire, we have corporations and organisations that are bloated at the top end of the age scale. If we go by seniority, these elderly workers may occupy the middle parts of the spectrum. Just like obesity, it's the middle layers that do you in. So, is that really sound? Perhaps there are jobs just to take care of such things.
But truly, death is an inevitable outcome of living. (I can't believe I had written something that corny but I did.) So we should let nature take its course and not play god. Not all of us are going to live on and on because we are not genetically predisposed to. Just yesterday, I found out from Wikipedia that kangaroos live four to six years in general and a female kangaroo is in a perpetual state of pregnancy. The only day she is not pregnant is when she gives birth. (I know - Wiki had that and I went D - U - H as well.)
Despite their short livespan, there are about 50 million of them in Australia but since hunters were allowed to kill these marsupials for food and hide (and roo meat is really nice!), the numbers are more controlled now. Still, they could easily become a pest if they are not culled on a regular basis. (Animal conservationists are going to take issue with this. Hey guys, I eat dog meat too!)
So, at this point, I can't believe I have digressed so much that I actually forgot that I was writing about the pregnancy bonus!
Let me get back on track.
Societal conditions have made it rather unpalatable for couples to have kids again. Perhaps we can resort of using yet another carrot to entice them to make babies. To this end, we can offer the Pregnancy Bonus.
I really believe this will come sooner or later. When it becomes bad enough, trust me - natural births might be offered free in government hospitals (just like budget air tickets). Parents are just liable for the relevant service charges and taxes.
For me, I await the day when men are given an "emission bonus" for bringing about pregnancies.
I love this idea of raining cash. I would transplant myself to New Orleans if this amount of money is going to drop on me. I would even vote a Dem.... Oh wait. You never trust a Democrat.
Then I thought about how the Singapore government is throwing money at its people to get married, have kids and look after their old. Ok, at least there is clearly a Baby Bonus, where parents of second, third and fourth (and maybe subsequent) newborns are given awards of money and in kind.
Yet, while we see some improvements in our birth rates, more needed to be done. This is especially so when the father now calls upon his generation to work as long as they can before they can go and kick the bucket. So the son's idea of having more kids is becoming less and less attractive, since knowing very well that these very kids you are going to bring to suffer the injustices of the world are now going to be saddled with an additional problem - a aged populace of working folks who simply won't shut up, get out and go away for good.
If people don't retire, we have corporations and organisations that are bloated at the top end of the age scale. If we go by seniority, these elderly workers may occupy the middle parts of the spectrum. Just like obesity, it's the middle layers that do you in. So, is that really sound? Perhaps there are jobs just to take care of such things.
But truly, death is an inevitable outcome of living. (I can't believe I had written something that corny but I did.) So we should let nature take its course and not play god. Not all of us are going to live on and on because we are not genetically predisposed to. Just yesterday, I found out from Wikipedia that kangaroos live four to six years in general and a female kangaroo is in a perpetual state of pregnancy. The only day she is not pregnant is when she gives birth. (I know - Wiki had that and I went D - U - H as well.)
Despite their short livespan, there are about 50 million of them in Australia but since hunters were allowed to kill these marsupials for food and hide (and roo meat is really nice!), the numbers are more controlled now. Still, they could easily become a pest if they are not culled on a regular basis. (Animal conservationists are going to take issue with this. Hey guys, I eat dog meat too!)
So, at this point, I can't believe I have digressed so much that I actually forgot that I was writing about the pregnancy bonus!
Let me get back on track.
Societal conditions have made it rather unpalatable for couples to have kids again. Perhaps we can resort of using yet another carrot to entice them to make babies. To this end, we can offer the Pregnancy Bonus.
I really believe this will come sooner or later. When it becomes bad enough, trust me - natural births might be offered free in government hospitals (just like budget air tickets). Parents are just liable for the relevant service charges and taxes.
For me, I await the day when men are given an "emission bonus" for bringing about pregnancies.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Advertisement
This is tongue-in-cheek and is entirely harmless. Still, if you have someone to recommend, please do.
Are you RICH?
Are you OLD?
Are you DYING?
Are you a DATIN?
If so, you are the one I am looking for!
Other qualifying conditions:
Owns (and fully paid for) a plot of land half the size of SINGAPORE
Beside the beach (optional - scared of tsunami)
Has an Olympic size swimming pool, an Olympic sized diving pool, an Olympic sized wading pool and lots of deck chairs all around
Has butlers and maids to look after me head to toe (or better still, hair to sole)
Has a 888-bedroom house with 1088 toilets, lifts, sprawling but well-coiffered yard, immaculately maintained, clean and lettable (no need to convert into hotel later!)
Has no offspring (biological or otherwise), no pets, no illicit affairs (with members of house staff e.g. butler), siblings, husband, any other blood relations
Preferably cannot tell the difference between the real thing and a leg of ham
Will die right after but not before less than what it takes for local inheritance laws to kick in
(What else am I missing?)
Are you OLD?
Are you DYING?
Are you a DATIN?
If so, you are the one I am looking for!
Other qualifying conditions:
Owns (and fully paid for) a plot of land half the size of SINGAPORE
Beside the beach (optional - scared of tsunami)
Has an Olympic size swimming pool, an Olympic sized diving pool, an Olympic sized wading pool and lots of deck chairs all around
Has butlers and maids to look after me head to toe (or better still, hair to sole)
Has a 888-bedroom house with 1088 toilets, lifts, sprawling but well-coiffered yard, immaculately maintained, clean and lettable (no need to convert into hotel later!)
Has no offspring (biological or otherwise), no pets, no illicit affairs (with members of house staff e.g. butler), siblings, husband, any other blood relations
Preferably cannot tell the difference between the real thing and a leg of ham
Will die right after but not before less than what it takes for local inheritance laws to kick in
(What else am I missing?)
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Taiwan lawmaker Li Ao's farewell statement
李敖：「前途有限、後患無窮，可是可以保持這個聯絡，真的你們你們，我覺得你們好可憐，好，再見了，有事情再以後保持聯絡，如果還聯絡的話。」
Loosely translated, Li Ao (who is stepping down as an MP and no longer seeking re-election) said, "My future is limited but the repercussions are many. But we (referring to the reporters) can still keep our contact. Really, you guys, I think you are very pitiful. Ok, goodbye now. We can keep in touch in the future, supposing we are still in contact."
Brilliant guy.
Loosely translated, Li Ao (who is stepping down as an MP and no longer seeking re-election) said, "My future is limited but the repercussions are many. But we (referring to the reporters) can still keep our contact. Really, you guys, I think you are very pitiful. Ok, goodbye now. We can keep in touch in the future, supposing we are still in contact."
Brilliant guy.
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