What You Don't Know Won't Cost You
At a gathering one evening, I was engaged in conversation with a financial planner.
He told me that in Singapore, only full-paying healthcare is decent.
He gave the example of someone who has some critical condition, and only when you go to a wallet slimming private hospital that the person can be saved. Or this person can seek help at a government hospital and stay in the unsubsidised classes.
Curious, I asked him why the comment.
He said, in subsidised wards (in government hospitals), you get lousy doctors.
Interesting but flawed logic.
Government hospitals are also training hospitals. Young doctors train there and they are supervised by their professors or seniors.
When a subsidised patient enters the hospital, s/he is alloted to a senior doctor's team and the doctor and his/her trainees will come by and look after the patient.
When a fully paying patient enters, the senior doctor does all the work usually. And when the senior doctor is not around? The trainees come in nonetheless.
Even in the private hospital, you'll get teams of doctors.
So, as long as the supervising doctor does his job well, the patient is fine.
Having made this point, Financial Planner said, but you cannot choose the supervising doctor if you are a subsidised patient. If you are a private patient, you can choose who you want.
Oh, the money and the ego at work here.
I'm one person who doesn't know any top doctors because I'm just a church mouse.
I won't know who is good and who is bad. All I know is that if the doctor has poor bedside manners, then no amount of skills will make up for his lack of EQ.
Anyway, who are we to decide one doctor is better than another? They've all taken the Hippocratic (thanks for checking spelling, OKE) Oath.
Research also shows that a patient's healing process is 50% or more dependent on his faith in the doctor. As long as you have faith in the doctor assigned, you're likely to be fine anyway.
It's only people with a few more wads of stinky money that would actually do such snobbish things like compare and run down doctors. I'm convinced then that whoever ends up paying a bomb for medical care owing to flawed decisions DESERVED IT fully.
I never chose any doctors. The last time I stayed in the hospital, I was serving national service and I was cheapskately getting a cosmetic job (anal skin tag removal) at the army's expense.
I never chose a doctor. Didn't even know that my doctor, a Dr Tsang, was one of the best in his field. I only found out much later. He's one friendly, arrogant doctor. I know it's contradicting, but on him, it was fine.
So I went under and he knew I was a subsidised case. No question about that. And because my case was pretty simple and I had been a good patient (I fasted and cleaned out without complaint), he let me go first.
Instead of doing what he was asked to do, he looked in and ligated whatever internal piles he saw in the anus as a bonus.
He didn't even charge for that. It was the same fees whether I removed the little piece of flesh or for the additional he removed, for my comfort.
Choose a doctor? Whatever for?
I believe that doctors are benevolent in general.
I went back for a few reviews after my surgery and all the while, I was never made to feel like a subsidised patient. Dr Tsang was most professional throughout and I never thought I'd want to get anyone else.
Believe me. Usually, patient attitude counts a lot too. If you degrade or doubt your doctor, then he or she can't do much for you either.
It's a tacit trust in caregiving that makes it all so healing and wonderful.
I'll never argue with my cash by asking for full paying status!
Monday, May 01, 2006
We Must Be Doing Something Really Wrong
We Must Be Doing Something Really Wrong
Singapore must be doing something really, seriously wrong.
We don't have a "decent" opposition. We are almost a one-party state. We are alleged to have a non-transparent system which lacks proper checks and balance. We are even alleged to have a government of "yes-men" who are apparently unable to think beyond what the cabinet wants, much less say anything that is against what the government wants.
We project ourselves as living an oppressed life, in fear, devoid of freedoms of speech, without free newspapers and we will be thrown to political jail in Sentosa if we dare say anything against the government.
Singaporeans bay for opposition like anything on earth.
But there are some anomalies in this place.
Singapore kids at 10 and 14 consistently turn in the world's highest test scores in numeracy and reading achievements.
Singapore has one of the world's most competitive economies.
Singapore has one of the world's least corrupt governments.
Singapore has one of the world's busiest, if not busiest, ports.
Singapore has one of the world's best medical systems.
Almost every Singaporean family owns their place, with more than 85% living in government housing.
Singapore has portable drinking water and is free from major illnesses such as polio or TB.
Singapore babies are vaccinated against major illnesses since birth and periodically as they grow up.
Singapore has one of the world's best airport. In fact, it is one of the airhubs of Asia.
Singapore is home to some political dissidents thrown out of neighbouring countries.
Singapore makes people think twice before they shoot their mouths off and accuse us of things that are untrue: Otherwise, Singapore reserves the right to a robust rebuttal.
Singapore has a decent enough transport system (compared to many places I have visited).
Singapore has opportunities for its young in education, its mature population in work, training and retraining opportunities, and its old in healthcare and palliative care. (While I cannot say the same for cheap, heavily subsidised palliative care, existence itself is a start). Singapore has begun to think "inclusively", to take care of the disabled population. What Singapore needs to do is to take care of its gay and single population more, but then I digress.
Singapore has one of the world's best proliferation in IT and internet access.
Singapore ruling party government manages to share its surpluses with the population to help them with the challenging environment they live in.
We must be doing something really wrong. Somehow.
Singapore must be doing something really, seriously wrong.
We don't have a "decent" opposition. We are almost a one-party state. We are alleged to have a non-transparent system which lacks proper checks and balance. We are even alleged to have a government of "yes-men" who are apparently unable to think beyond what the cabinet wants, much less say anything that is against what the government wants.
We project ourselves as living an oppressed life, in fear, devoid of freedoms of speech, without free newspapers and we will be thrown to political jail in Sentosa if we dare say anything against the government.
Singaporeans bay for opposition like anything on earth.
But there are some anomalies in this place.
Singapore kids at 10 and 14 consistently turn in the world's highest test scores in numeracy and reading achievements.
Singapore has one of the world's most competitive economies.
Singapore has one of the world's least corrupt governments.
Singapore has one of the world's busiest, if not busiest, ports.
Singapore has one of the world's best medical systems.
Almost every Singaporean family owns their place, with more than 85% living in government housing.
Singapore has portable drinking water and is free from major illnesses such as polio or TB.
Singapore babies are vaccinated against major illnesses since birth and periodically as they grow up.
Singapore has one of the world's best airport. In fact, it is one of the airhubs of Asia.
Singapore is home to some political dissidents thrown out of neighbouring countries.
Singapore makes people think twice before they shoot their mouths off and accuse us of things that are untrue: Otherwise, Singapore reserves the right to a robust rebuttal.
Singapore has a decent enough transport system (compared to many places I have visited).
Singapore has opportunities for its young in education, its mature population in work, training and retraining opportunities, and its old in healthcare and palliative care. (While I cannot say the same for cheap, heavily subsidised palliative care, existence itself is a start). Singapore has begun to think "inclusively", to take care of the disabled population. What Singapore needs to do is to take care of its gay and single population more, but then I digress.
Singapore has one of the world's best proliferation in IT and internet access.
Singapore ruling party government manages to share its surpluses with the population to help them with the challenging environment they live in.
We must be doing something really wrong. Somehow.
Singapore as an Artificial State
Singapore as an Artificial State
There are a few questions we must ask ourselves before we decide who we should vote for in an election. Then we must seek the answers we want and see which candidates are able to give us the answers we seek if they are elected. Then we make our choice.
Question 1
Singapore is not blessed with all the natural resources like her neighbouring countries. How do we eke out a living?
Question 2
Can Singapore really afford to have an opposition for the sake of having an opposition? Need Singapore have it?
Question 3
In an election, we are choosing a government that can best further the larger population's larger interests. In choosing a member of parliament who represents the community we live in, we are choosing someone who can better further the larger community's larger interest. What's wrong if I vote the ruling party and benefit in the long run? (Voting is no different from horse betting!)
Question 4
What is the role of opposition in Singapore?
Question 5
Checks and balances exist in the form of independent auditors and nosey pokers. The former are able to find any needle in any haystack while the latter provide food for thought and further investigation. This is proven by NKF. In fact, NKF was brought to justice by the very mechanism that an opposition leader put in contempt. What can the opposition offer?
Question 6
What's wrong with getting my Singapore Progress Package money from the government? Hey, that's a tax rebate. Why does the opposition feel unhappy that the people get tax rebates (although in the form of a handout)? Can opposition offer more money? If not, then what happens to the excess cash? Will there be excess cash?
Question 7
Is a democracy the best way of running a country?
I'm past the age of having idealist thoughts about having a government which has a healthy opposition yah dah yah dah yah dah.
Checks and balances in a country the size of a nose-wax on a piece of A3 paper is really no big deal. One fart of a Ferrari and you risk dropping into the surrounding seas. Checks and balances, however, mean a lot to large countries because there is simply no way to ensure that California is doing things the right way when everyone else is in DC. Or Chiang Rai and Bangkok. If you project Singapore on a piece of A4 paper, a coffee spill near the business district would have possibly drowned out the entire backbone of government. Everyone is that close.
If there had been any doubts at all of the need for checks and balances, independent private sector auditors are more than ready to pounce on any unsuspecting agency and tear it into pieces in no time. If the agencies manage at all to hoodwink the national audit agency, that is.
I am content to have a job, to have disposable income, have a stable place to live in, enjoy first world amenities at upper-end third world prices, live in a secure enough environment where I don't have to take off my shoes to board a plane, have a robust economy with periodic tax rebates (especially before elections).
Whichever government is able to give me that gets my vote.
I am very tempted to see the fate of opposition if the ruling party offers the residents of any constituency a upfront 5% tax rebate for the upcoming term of office if the constituency has a walkover. And a tax rebate worth 10% of the percentage votes in excess of 50% won by the ruling party in any constituency? If the ruling party loses, then the tax rebates is forfeited.
People vote opposition and what happens?
Singaporeans do not understand that they are not delivering the correct message. The opposition could win a good number of seats. So what? They have the potential to cause chaos in the parliament sittings and soon, MNCs will disappear from Singapore. Singapore may lose its competitiveness because of frequent policy U-turns. Or worse, we have an opposition who sit in and waste precious time because of their directionless questioning. Then productivity is affected, people lose their jobs.
What have Singaporeans done to the opposition members? They have ruined their lives by dangling before them a chance that will never materialise. Steve Chia is almost calling it quits. High time too. A guy like him would do much better elsewhere.
Good people who oppose can stay on. Then their community lags behind because they simply don't have the clout and financial backing to catch up. Then why do people begrudge their own choices?
The ruling party can do what it wants. But people must know what to do to even out the playing field.
The true variable in the equation is not whether we have an opposition or not. It is the pride of Singaporeans, which is exponential to the amount of money he has in his pocket.
If you don't believe, just look around. How many people would do irrational things just because they have some money in their pockets? And if people are irrational because of the cash they own, then policies will be set to take advantage of the irrational behaviour of these people to fund the needs of the poorer people.
Basic economics principles here.
Singapore has come of age. At 41, she should be like Madonna. Unfortunately, many people are still behaving like rugrats. Until the rugrats grow up, Madonna will never exude the exuberance of an immaculate material girl. Until the population matures, Singapore will never have what it takes to have a cultured population, much less have a credible opposition (we really can forget about the first world opposition).
There are a few questions we must ask ourselves before we decide who we should vote for in an election. Then we must seek the answers we want and see which candidates are able to give us the answers we seek if they are elected. Then we make our choice.
Question 1
Singapore is not blessed with all the natural resources like her neighbouring countries. How do we eke out a living?
Question 2
Can Singapore really afford to have an opposition for the sake of having an opposition? Need Singapore have it?
Question 3
In an election, we are choosing a government that can best further the larger population's larger interests. In choosing a member of parliament who represents the community we live in, we are choosing someone who can better further the larger community's larger interest. What's wrong if I vote the ruling party and benefit in the long run? (Voting is no different from horse betting!)
Question 4
What is the role of opposition in Singapore?
Question 5
Checks and balances exist in the form of independent auditors and nosey pokers. The former are able to find any needle in any haystack while the latter provide food for thought and further investigation. This is proven by NKF. In fact, NKF was brought to justice by the very mechanism that an opposition leader put in contempt. What can the opposition offer?
Question 6
What's wrong with getting my Singapore Progress Package money from the government? Hey, that's a tax rebate. Why does the opposition feel unhappy that the people get tax rebates (although in the form of a handout)? Can opposition offer more money? If not, then what happens to the excess cash? Will there be excess cash?
Question 7
Is a democracy the best way of running a country?
I'm past the age of having idealist thoughts about having a government which has a healthy opposition yah dah yah dah yah dah.
Checks and balances in a country the size of a nose-wax on a piece of A3 paper is really no big deal. One fart of a Ferrari and you risk dropping into the surrounding seas. Checks and balances, however, mean a lot to large countries because there is simply no way to ensure that California is doing things the right way when everyone else is in DC. Or Chiang Rai and Bangkok. If you project Singapore on a piece of A4 paper, a coffee spill near the business district would have possibly drowned out the entire backbone of government. Everyone is that close.
If there had been any doubts at all of the need for checks and balances, independent private sector auditors are more than ready to pounce on any unsuspecting agency and tear it into pieces in no time. If the agencies manage at all to hoodwink the national audit agency, that is.
I am content to have a job, to have disposable income, have a stable place to live in, enjoy first world amenities at upper-end third world prices, live in a secure enough environment where I don't have to take off my shoes to board a plane, have a robust economy with periodic tax rebates (especially before elections).
Whichever government is able to give me that gets my vote.
I am very tempted to see the fate of opposition if the ruling party offers the residents of any constituency a upfront 5% tax rebate for the upcoming term of office if the constituency has a walkover. And a tax rebate worth 10% of the percentage votes in excess of 50% won by the ruling party in any constituency? If the ruling party loses, then the tax rebates is forfeited.
People vote opposition and what happens?
Singaporeans do not understand that they are not delivering the correct message. The opposition could win a good number of seats. So what? They have the potential to cause chaos in the parliament sittings and soon, MNCs will disappear from Singapore. Singapore may lose its competitiveness because of frequent policy U-turns. Or worse, we have an opposition who sit in and waste precious time because of their directionless questioning. Then productivity is affected, people lose their jobs.
What have Singaporeans done to the opposition members? They have ruined their lives by dangling before them a chance that will never materialise. Steve Chia is almost calling it quits. High time too. A guy like him would do much better elsewhere.
Good people who oppose can stay on. Then their community lags behind because they simply don't have the clout and financial backing to catch up. Then why do people begrudge their own choices?
The ruling party can do what it wants. But people must know what to do to even out the playing field.
The true variable in the equation is not whether we have an opposition or not. It is the pride of Singaporeans, which is exponential to the amount of money he has in his pocket.
If you don't believe, just look around. How many people would do irrational things just because they have some money in their pockets? And if people are irrational because of the cash they own, then policies will be set to take advantage of the irrational behaviour of these people to fund the needs of the poorer people.
Basic economics principles here.
Singapore has come of age. At 41, she should be like Madonna. Unfortunately, many people are still behaving like rugrats. Until the rugrats grow up, Madonna will never exude the exuberance of an immaculate material girl. Until the population matures, Singapore will never have what it takes to have a cultured population, much less have a credible opposition (we really can forget about the first world opposition).
Saturday, April 29, 2006
Vote?
Vote?
Don't waste my time!
I was a first time voter at the 1997 elections, when Mr Teo Chong Tee, MP Changi, elected in 1991 was supposed to stand against some opposition. Then we were told that Changi-Simei, the electoral group I was in, was absorbed into Aljunied.
Then, Mr George Yeo led a team against frankly-I-cannot-remember-which-team. Mr Teo retired and Mr David Lim took over him.
New or not, Mr Lim was a great MP. It will take a while to get under his quirky surface, with his characteristic twitch of his nose, but he's a good guy for Changi-Simei through and through. In fact, Simei got its MRT through Mr Teo's persistent canvassing and it got its CC and other better amenities like the POSB and OCBC banks as tenants within Eastpoint under Mr Lim's badgering.
Simei was indeed really lucky to have those great guys to be MP during its formative years.
1997, I voted for the first time. I was 22. Attended a rally. Rallies really help one understand the meaning of "It must be light travels faster than sound that you look smart until you open your mouth." That's why lawsuits fly.
I fully understood what powers I wield in my hand.
I knew that no matter how credible an opposition, a small little artificial state like us can do without them. If I were to think of Singapore as a duck, and the parliament as feathers that keeps the duck warm, keeps the duck afloat on the water and aerodynamic in the air, then opposition are the little feathers that run against the grain of the other feathers that protect the duck.
The ruling party may not be the best around but it keeps the duck warm, buoyant, and flighty.
While one or two errant feathers may be good to keep the duck in shipshape through periodic grooming, if there are too many feathers that are out of sync, the duck may not be able to groom itself back to shape. It might freeze or drown or lose its flight abilities.
I am pro-policy voter - a pragmatic, rational voter who is neither pro-government nor pro-opposition for the sake of doing so. I look at the policy and say it's good or it's bad and I make my adjustments.
The people are different parts of the duck. Not all of us can become duck foie gras. Be realistic.
In 2001, I had a walkover when Changi-Simei was absorbed into the East Coast GRC and Mr Lim went over to Bt Panjang GRC (he had a walkover too!). Mr Lee Yock Suan became MP.
Last year, I moved to my new place. I'm under Tanjong Pagar GRC. Under MM Lee, I have another walkover.
Did I miss my opportunity to vote?
Honestly, no. I'm glad that I don't have to pretend to be thinking who would be better for us - a "benevolent autocracy" or a "lopsided democracy".
There is no malice in the terms used. But a mature member of the electorate knows what is best for them, even if it is bitter medicine.
I have made my choice since 1997. Will I change? Yes, when circumstances change sufficiently.
But otherwise, a known evil is easier to deal than a literally crazed one.
Don't waste my time!
I was a first time voter at the 1997 elections, when Mr Teo Chong Tee, MP Changi, elected in 1991 was supposed to stand against some opposition. Then we were told that Changi-Simei, the electoral group I was in, was absorbed into Aljunied.
Then, Mr George Yeo led a team against frankly-I-cannot-remember-which-team. Mr Teo retired and Mr David Lim took over him.
New or not, Mr Lim was a great MP. It will take a while to get under his quirky surface, with his characteristic twitch of his nose, but he's a good guy for Changi-Simei through and through. In fact, Simei got its MRT through Mr Teo's persistent canvassing and it got its CC and other better amenities like the POSB and OCBC banks as tenants within Eastpoint under Mr Lim's badgering.
Simei was indeed really lucky to have those great guys to be MP during its formative years.
1997, I voted for the first time. I was 22. Attended a rally. Rallies really help one understand the meaning of "It must be light travels faster than sound that you look smart until you open your mouth." That's why lawsuits fly.
I fully understood what powers I wield in my hand.
I knew that no matter how credible an opposition, a small little artificial state like us can do without them. If I were to think of Singapore as a duck, and the parliament as feathers that keeps the duck warm, keeps the duck afloat on the water and aerodynamic in the air, then opposition are the little feathers that run against the grain of the other feathers that protect the duck.
The ruling party may not be the best around but it keeps the duck warm, buoyant, and flighty.
While one or two errant feathers may be good to keep the duck in shipshape through periodic grooming, if there are too many feathers that are out of sync, the duck may not be able to groom itself back to shape. It might freeze or drown or lose its flight abilities.
I am pro-policy voter - a pragmatic, rational voter who is neither pro-government nor pro-opposition for the sake of doing so. I look at the policy and say it's good or it's bad and I make my adjustments.
The people are different parts of the duck. Not all of us can become duck foie gras. Be realistic.
In 2001, I had a walkover when Changi-Simei was absorbed into the East Coast GRC and Mr Lim went over to Bt Panjang GRC (he had a walkover too!). Mr Lee Yock Suan became MP.
Last year, I moved to my new place. I'm under Tanjong Pagar GRC. Under MM Lee, I have another walkover.
Did I miss my opportunity to vote?
Honestly, no. I'm glad that I don't have to pretend to be thinking who would be better for us - a "benevolent autocracy" or a "lopsided democracy".
There is no malice in the terms used. But a mature member of the electorate knows what is best for them, even if it is bitter medicine.
I have made my choice since 1997. Will I change? Yes, when circumstances change sufficiently.
But otherwise, a known evil is easier to deal than a literally crazed one.
Friday, April 28, 2006
The Rain
The Rain
I hope it rains as heavily as possible, as incessantly as possible, with winds as gusty as possible and lightning as densely as possible for the entire period from 28 Apr 06 to 5 May 06.
This way, the stupid coffeeshop is no refuge to the beer drinkers, who will get terribly wet no matter how they hide.
I need to ensure that people don't disturb my beauty sleep at night.
I hope it rains as heavily as possible, as incessantly as possible, with winds as gusty as possible and lightning as densely as possible for the entire period from 28 Apr 06 to 5 May 06.
This way, the stupid coffeeshop is no refuge to the beer drinkers, who will get terribly wet no matter how they hide.
I need to ensure that people don't disturb my beauty sleep at night.
First Mover Advantage
First Mover Advantage
12 midnight, the beginning of the 28 day of April 2006.
The very time where official election campaigning can start, after Nomination day on 27 Apr 06.
A bunch of overly free men drinking past midnight.
Their aim: To brawl about their political differences when election campaigning officially begins, while claiming to be under the influence of alcohol.
The outcome: They woke up half the neighbourhood.
My question: Where are the policemen when we need them?
12 midnight, the beginning of the 28 day of April 2006.
The very time where official election campaigning can start, after Nomination day on 27 Apr 06.
A bunch of overly free men drinking past midnight.
Their aim: To brawl about their political differences when election campaigning officially begins, while claiming to be under the influence of alcohol.
The outcome: They woke up half the neighbourhood.
My question: Where are the policemen when we need them?
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Sex Education
Sex Education
Time for the nude, oops, I mean new, syllabus for Sex Education to be rolled out, I guess.
This time, they should take the guess work out of what's behind anyone's bra or pants or panties.
During sex education classes, pupils should be shown what a micro deal looks like and what a donkey-sized one looks like. I mean, hey, what's the big deal?
They should show them sumo-wrestler packages and tell all the bigger sized kids that if you continue to grow, the equipment will continue to "shrink". Not really, but it does look smaller after being enveloped in layers of fat. As a fat guy waiting for someone to accept my "live" fat donation (thank you, Kenny), I should know.
No guesses also that the skinner people normally show more. In fact, a medical study says something like losing ten kilogrammes gain you about an inch (2.5 cm). Skinny people should not starve themselves for any extra gains because they need to stay healthy by maintaining weight ranges within the BMI.
Well, if all else fails, you can go and do fat transfer, where they extract fats from the bum to beef up the, well, you know, beef. Dr Woffles Wu, are there any takers?
Otherwise, you can ask to get two tendons severed so that it will hang lower down and look longer (because it has lesser support). But you'll never get to sing, oops, I mean, see "mari kita" when you are high. It'll be just a horizontal vector.
Women have it easier, I guess.
They have breast implants and breast liposuctions. I mean, I have yet to see a girl kill herself for overly small breasts. Yes? That's why. And hey, Pamela has even downsized to something that won't throw her over the HDB flat parapet. So, you see, women are one lucky breed.
Did I mention hymen reattachment operations?
Ok, ok, I concede that guys who want to be women also got avenues. In Thailand, in... well, where else? I only remember Singapore pioneered the world's first sex change operations. Other than that, I only think Thailand. Maybe Shade can throw some light on this. Hm, what irony. Shade and light?
Oh, I digressed again.
The new sex-ducation (more sassy name, more attractive!) should also have size appreciation courses. Who says big is good? Those who have got theirs caught in the zipper will tell you big may not be bliss. And anyway, it's not size but performance that counts.
George of the jungle may be big and strong but hey, biceps can't satisfy the way a dong can. Why did I say that? Anyway, only the top 3 cm of the dong is needed to do the satisfying.
Hey, the sensation for the guys is the little band of cells at the root of the corona. The rest of it is no different from sponge. I mean, blood engorged fibrous muscles. So no matter what length or width or volume, as long as you know how to do it, you'll still be satisfied.
Why do you think man's best friend is his hand?
If it is meant to be big as hell, it'll have bones to support it. I watched it on Animal Planet. See, cable does make you smarter.
Another fact: Humans have the smallest balls around because males don't need to fight with other males to access the females and have sperm competition. Unlike a lioness who needs to be raped in excess of 80 times to be impregnated, how many men in Singapore would be fortunate enough to get an Annabel Chong to satisfy their needs?
And if you, suppose you, really managed Annabel, don't tell me you're going to let her sleep around with others? I mean, 200 over men in a day is a little excessive. Finding and aligning and insertion alone would already take time.
Then, the new syllabus should have a section on positions. There is no such thing as a position where a woman can be safe from pregnancy. No, not even if she rides. The tadpoles are more hardy than you think. And they even survive in and come out with Cowper's fluid.
So, what will the nude syllabus for Sex Education cover?
Time for the nude, oops, I mean new, syllabus for Sex Education to be rolled out, I guess.
This time, they should take the guess work out of what's behind anyone's bra or pants or panties.
During sex education classes, pupils should be shown what a micro deal looks like and what a donkey-sized one looks like. I mean, hey, what's the big deal?
They should show them sumo-wrestler packages and tell all the bigger sized kids that if you continue to grow, the equipment will continue to "shrink". Not really, but it does look smaller after being enveloped in layers of fat. As a fat guy waiting for someone to accept my "live" fat donation (thank you, Kenny), I should know.
No guesses also that the skinner people normally show more. In fact, a medical study says something like losing ten kilogrammes gain you about an inch (2.5 cm). Skinny people should not starve themselves for any extra gains because they need to stay healthy by maintaining weight ranges within the BMI.
Well, if all else fails, you can go and do fat transfer, where they extract fats from the bum to beef up the, well, you know, beef. Dr Woffles Wu, are there any takers?
Otherwise, you can ask to get two tendons severed so that it will hang lower down and look longer (because it has lesser support). But you'll never get to sing, oops, I mean, see "mari kita" when you are high. It'll be just a horizontal vector.
Women have it easier, I guess.
They have breast implants and breast liposuctions. I mean, I have yet to see a girl kill herself for overly small breasts. Yes? That's why. And hey, Pamela has even downsized to something that won't throw her over the HDB flat parapet. So, you see, women are one lucky breed.
Did I mention hymen reattachment operations?
Ok, ok, I concede that guys who want to be women also got avenues. In Thailand, in... well, where else? I only remember Singapore pioneered the world's first sex change operations. Other than that, I only think Thailand. Maybe Shade can throw some light on this. Hm, what irony. Shade and light?
Oh, I digressed again.
The new sex-ducation (more sassy name, more attractive!) should also have size appreciation courses. Who says big is good? Those who have got theirs caught in the zipper will tell you big may not be bliss. And anyway, it's not size but performance that counts.
George of the jungle may be big and strong but hey, biceps can't satisfy the way a dong can. Why did I say that? Anyway, only the top 3 cm of the dong is needed to do the satisfying.
Hey, the sensation for the guys is the little band of cells at the root of the corona. The rest of it is no different from sponge. I mean, blood engorged fibrous muscles. So no matter what length or width or volume, as long as you know how to do it, you'll still be satisfied.
Why do you think man's best friend is his hand?
If it is meant to be big as hell, it'll have bones to support it. I watched it on Animal Planet. See, cable does make you smarter.
Another fact: Humans have the smallest balls around because males don't need to fight with other males to access the females and have sperm competition. Unlike a lioness who needs to be raped in excess of 80 times to be impregnated, how many men in Singapore would be fortunate enough to get an Annabel Chong to satisfy their needs?
And if you, suppose you, really managed Annabel, don't tell me you're going to let her sleep around with others? I mean, 200 over men in a day is a little excessive. Finding and aligning and insertion alone would already take time.
Then, the new syllabus should have a section on positions. There is no such thing as a position where a woman can be safe from pregnancy. No, not even if she rides. The tadpoles are more hardy than you think. And they even survive in and come out with Cowper's fluid.
So, what will the nude syllabus for Sex Education cover?
Sunday, April 23, 2006
Idiotic Taxi Driver
Idiotic Taxi Driver
Told the taxi driver I wanted to travel by PIE instead of TPE, which he suggested.
He never listened.
The final bill came up to $17, instead of my normal $14.50.
Ticked him off before I got off the cab. Slammed the door for good measure. But he spoilt my entire day, nonetheless.
$2.50 could get me a good meal at my place. This is unacceptable.
Told the taxi driver I wanted to travel by PIE instead of TPE, which he suggested.
He never listened.
The final bill came up to $17, instead of my normal $14.50.
Ticked him off before I got off the cab. Slammed the door for good measure. But he spoilt my entire day, nonetheless.
$2.50 could get me a good meal at my place. This is unacceptable.
Saturday, April 22, 2006
Demanding Personal Assistant
Demanding Personal Assistant
Someone's personal assistant called me at work and demanded that I reserve car park lots for her bosses at the local university. I told her I can't do that and she asked why not. As though I have full and complete jurisdiction over the university.
Then she asked for the address and demanded that I also search out the map and email it to her. This, I thought, was extremely rude.
She even commanded that I indicate where the car parks are in the campus map so that her bosses know where to park. Like I am the estate manager of the university.
I know her bosses and some of them are my rank equals. I wonder if she speak with them like this.
Someone's personal assistant called me at work and demanded that I reserve car park lots for her bosses at the local university. I told her I can't do that and she asked why not. As though I have full and complete jurisdiction over the university.
Then she asked for the address and demanded that I also search out the map and email it to her. This, I thought, was extremely rude.
She even commanded that I indicate where the car parks are in the campus map so that her bosses know where to park. Like I am the estate manager of the university.
I know her bosses and some of them are my rank equals. I wonder if she speak with them like this.
Calculator Kaur
Calculator Kaur
Was at the doctor's on Friday. Not feeling too good.
A lady sat beside me. She was getting a medical check-up with her father.
Apart from making a lot of noise and complaining that the doctor is slow (he's thorough, not slow, and he tells you in English what's wrong with you).
Then, in her impatience, she walked to the nearby POSB and updated her bank account book.
As she sat down beside me again, she whipped out the calculator and started doing the sums in the book.
Was at the doctor's on Friday. Not feeling too good.
A lady sat beside me. She was getting a medical check-up with her father.
Apart from making a lot of noise and complaining that the doctor is slow (he's thorough, not slow, and he tells you in English what's wrong with you).
Then, in her impatience, she walked to the nearby POSB and updated her bank account book.
As she sat down beside me again, she whipped out the calculator and started doing the sums in the book.
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
I don't believe it...
I don't believe it...
What I saw on the first page of the Home section of today's Straits Times was sad, funny, and mostly unbelievable.
A JC student from a top 5 JC kills himself, convinced his private parts were too small.
Small wonder that people say when some guys undergo puberty, their brains descend to their crotch.
Must have been quite a headache (no pun intended) for him, trying to squeeze his developed brains into the weenie.
You know what rocks me even more? "The boy had confided in his mother in October last year that he was worried his private parts were too small. (Hey! She should have told him it is the performance and not the size that counts!)
"She took him to a neighbourhood clinic, where the doctor told him his penis was of a normal size for an Asian man, and prescribed him multivitamins.
"Despite strong emotional support from his girlfriend and his mother, he remained convinced he had a problem."
And then we found out that some teacher "said teaching students how to be comfortable with their physical and sexual development is not in the syllabus." So how? Segregate the classes and have sexuality education in the buff?
And then what?
Well, the poor boy did have a problem. But there are so many sites out there telling you what the normal measurements are. Of course, if you had a micro 1 centimetre bang pole, you can grieve. Otherwise, be content with what you have. If you can't win in size, then win in percentage extension and growth during erection!
What does he expect? Porn star sized equipment?
What I saw on the first page of the Home section of today's Straits Times was sad, funny, and mostly unbelievable.
A JC student from a top 5 JC kills himself, convinced his private parts were too small.
Small wonder that people say when some guys undergo puberty, their brains descend to their crotch.
Must have been quite a headache (no pun intended) for him, trying to squeeze his developed brains into the weenie.
You know what rocks me even more? "The boy had confided in his mother in October last year that he was worried his private parts were too small. (Hey! She should have told him it is the performance and not the size that counts!)
"She took him to a neighbourhood clinic, where the doctor told him his penis was of a normal size for an Asian man, and prescribed him multivitamins.
"Despite strong emotional support from his girlfriend and his mother, he remained convinced he had a problem."
And then we found out that some teacher "said teaching students how to be comfortable with their physical and sexual development is not in the syllabus." So how? Segregate the classes and have sexuality education in the buff?
And then what?
Well, the poor boy did have a problem. But there are so many sites out there telling you what the normal measurements are. Of course, if you had a micro 1 centimetre bang pole, you can grieve. Otherwise, be content with what you have. If you can't win in size, then win in percentage extension and growth during erection!
What does he expect? Porn star sized equipment?
Writing a CV
Writing a CV
The many years of not having a CV is finally coming back to haunt me.
I needed to write a CV to give to my boss.
Goodness gracious! I have something, but whether or not it makes a decent CV, I really don't know.
Well, there's a first time for everything.
And let's hear the man come back with his suggestions for improvements.
The many years of not having a CV is finally coming back to haunt me.
I needed to write a CV to give to my boss.
Goodness gracious! I have something, but whether or not it makes a decent CV, I really don't know.
Well, there's a first time for everything.
And let's hear the man come back with his suggestions for improvements.
Saturday, April 15, 2006
Friday, April 14, 2006
The Fight
The Fight
There was a fight at the coffee shop opposite my flat last night.
DARN! DARN! DARN!
I did hear someone smash a glass bottle at the kitchen area but I didn't know there was a fight.
I would have taken a few glass bottles and threw them over at the coffee shop people as well.
Those idiots have been blasting music, talking at the top of their voices over beer, and making a din for as long as I am living here. Anything would have made me feel better.
Then when I left the house for dinner, I realised that the glass bottle was actually smashed against my back door, there was a police barricade set up and about 5 police personnel were milling the area talking over their intercom and taking pictures.
I saw a table with a small puddle of blood and there were blood trails (small circular stains) leading from the coffeeshop to other places.
No fatalities. I'm so sad. Nothing exciting. Just a stupid little skirmish.
I wish they would take each other out like mafia gangs at odd. Perhaps my peace would be restored.
I dream a lot. Of course.
There was a fight at the coffee shop opposite my flat last night.
DARN! DARN! DARN!
I did hear someone smash a glass bottle at the kitchen area but I didn't know there was a fight.
I would have taken a few glass bottles and threw them over at the coffee shop people as well.
Those idiots have been blasting music, talking at the top of their voices over beer, and making a din for as long as I am living here. Anything would have made me feel better.
Then when I left the house for dinner, I realised that the glass bottle was actually smashed against my back door, there was a police barricade set up and about 5 police personnel were milling the area talking over their intercom and taking pictures.
I saw a table with a small puddle of blood and there were blood trails (small circular stains) leading from the coffeeshop to other places.
No fatalities. I'm so sad. Nothing exciting. Just a stupid little skirmish.
I wish they would take each other out like mafia gangs at odd. Perhaps my peace would be restored.
I dream a lot. Of course.
GRADING
GRADING
My favourite part of any trip.
SOFITEL PALM RESORT JOHOR BAHRU
Jalan Persiaran Golf, Off Jalan Jumbo, Senai
81250 Johore
All out of 5*
Room
Bed **** (Nice and firm)
Pillows **** (Good support)
Toilet *** (The flush refill mechanism is so noisy you'd think you're in a JUMBO jet toilet that's perpetually flusing during refilling)
Minibar **
Free drink items *** (2 Boh tea, 2 Nescafe, 2 Coffee Mate, 2 brown sugar, 2 white sugar sachets and 2 bottles of mineral water)
Brightness ***
TV programming **
Security **** (There's an in-room safe, Guards who patrol the carpark)
Amenities ** (Not enough to use)
Sofa **** (Surprisingly comfortable)
Room Service offering **** (Looks of it only)
Writing materials * (No pen even!)
Cleanliness ** (*** if not for dust bowl)
View * (What's the big deal looking at a grass lawn?)
Swimming pool
Cleanliness ** (Water was so dirty they had to throw in lots of chlorine)
Amenities ** (Free towels helped to salvage the score)
Jacuzzi in toilet ** (If you can take the stink of heavily used, extended use water)
Sobasei
Value for money *
Service 1/2
Ambience -** (How can sitting beside a bunch of bragging loud Taiwanese comparing their heights when they were 12 years old help?)
Sashimi * (Actually ***1/2)
Udon (No, you didn't see wrong)
Suki Yaki 1/2 (Actually *1/2)
Cleanliness -***** (yes, negative 5 stars! Imagine that the AFBM said that his inspection results was that the kitchen was UNACCEPTABLE. WHATEVER THAT MEANS!)
Breakfast at Ishwara
Value for money * (part of room price - we paid $70 for the room but the hotel only got $45. The rest went to the agent. But hey, that's still good money because this is off-peak rates!)
Service (Again, of course!)
Ambience * (Quiet enough to talk softly)
Food **
Cleanliness **
Overall
Value for money **
Comfort *
Security ***
Will I go back again?
SHOULD I GO BACK AGAIN?
My favourite part of any trip.
SOFITEL PALM RESORT JOHOR BAHRU
Jalan Persiaran Golf, Off Jalan Jumbo, Senai
81250 Johore
All out of 5*
Room
Bed **** (Nice and firm)
Pillows **** (Good support)
Toilet *** (The flush refill mechanism is so noisy you'd think you're in a JUMBO jet toilet that's perpetually flusing during refilling)
Minibar **
Free drink items *** (2 Boh tea, 2 Nescafe, 2 Coffee Mate, 2 brown sugar, 2 white sugar sachets and 2 bottles of mineral water)
Brightness ***
TV programming **
Security **** (There's an in-room safe, Guards who patrol the carpark)
Amenities ** (Not enough to use)
Sofa **** (Surprisingly comfortable)
Room Service offering **** (Looks of it only)
Writing materials * (No pen even!)
Cleanliness ** (*** if not for dust bowl)
View * (What's the big deal looking at a grass lawn?)
Swimming pool
Cleanliness ** (Water was so dirty they had to throw in lots of chlorine)
Amenities ** (Free towels helped to salvage the score)
Jacuzzi in toilet ** (If you can take the stink of heavily used, extended use water)
Sobasei
Value for money *
Service 1/2
Ambience -** (How can sitting beside a bunch of bragging loud Taiwanese comparing their heights when they were 12 years old help?)
Sashimi * (Actually ***1/2)
Udon (No, you didn't see wrong)
Suki Yaki 1/2 (Actually *1/2)
Cleanliness -***** (yes, negative 5 stars! Imagine that the AFBM said that his inspection results was that the kitchen was UNACCEPTABLE. WHATEVER THAT MEANS!)
Breakfast at Ishwara
Value for money * (part of room price - we paid $70 for the room but the hotel only got $45. The rest went to the agent. But hey, that's still good money because this is off-peak rates!)
Service (Again, of course!)
Ambience * (Quiet enough to talk softly)
Food **
Cleanliness **
Overall
Value for money **
Comfort *
Security ***
Will I go back again?
SHOULD I GO BACK AGAIN?
Meeting The Assistant Food & Beverage Manager
Meeting The Assistant Food & Beverage Manager
The night before, the AFBM asked to meet us the next morning.
This morning when we checked out, no one at the check out counter knew that he wanted to meet us.
My friend asked. I would not have bothered. I'd written to the CEO of the pathetic Novotel/Accor Group of Hotels and given him my story.
If we are important enough guests, the AFBM would have logged in that when we are checking out, we should be asked to wait for him while they try and locate him.
In fact, the AFBM should have tried to contact us and asked for a meeting, instead of us asking to meet him.
To cut the long story short, I'll give you some of the wonderful exchanges with him:
AFBM: I've checked the (Sobasei) kitchen last night. It was unacceptable. I have asked the executive chef to do a complete check and give me a report. I'll get back to you.
Us: (Big deal. If it was unacceptable, then ain't it time for some active action to be taken? A report? For what? Can eat is it?) *No response*.
* * *
AFBM: To me, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. That (the dour faced waitress' poor reaction) was unacceptable. Oh, I don't mean you are unacceptabl..., I mean your complaint was unaccep... I mean, the waitress was unacceptable. I would be very angry and disappointed...
US: (So? Suck your toe, chicken potato, mosquito love your toe...) *NR*
ME: We need not feel this way because it is not as though we are making things difficult. Your hotel is not even full.
AFBM: Yah, we only have about... well, the place can seat 150 and it'll never be full and I just came by 8 am.
ME: Yup, we saw you. And honestly, it's not as though I have not seen better hotels. Even Swiss Garden in Kuantan, being old and dilapidated, has better service and is more professional.
AFBM: *Bang balls*
* * *
AFBM: We will look into the report and report to you.
ME: By the way, Accor and Novotel has never failed to disappoint me - Amsterdam, Bangkok, and others. And now you.
AFBM: I'm sure this is not the first time here.
HIM: Yes, first time.
ME: Yes, he took like what, 3 years?
HIM: No, 2 years.
ME: Ok, 2 years to convince me to come here. And for what? Come here and suffer fools? By the way, your room is very dirty you know?
AFBM: Oh, the rooms also? The rooms are released when housekeeping and rooms are assured that they are good to go. I don't know about how they work...
ME: *Try harder, dude!*
* * *
AFBM: I'm sure you would give us a chance and would you come back here again?
ME: (Oh, no!) Only if you invite me.
AFBM: The next time you visit, you can let me know before hand and I'll take good care of you. I mean, I'll also take good care of the rest of the guests...
ME: *Touche!*
* * *
AFBM: Looks like your entire stay here was a very bad experience.
ME: Of course. It's even worse when it's only one night. (Fortunately, it's only one night!)
AFBM: I understand. This is really not the way things should be.
ME: (You mean it could be WORSE?) *NR*
* * *
AFBM: Are you leaving soon?
ME: (Why else do I check out before meeting you?) Yes.
HIM: We're meeting someone. (Weak lie)
AFBM: You won't eat lunch here?
ME: (What? You serving lizards and mosquitoes this time?) No. We're going back to meet someone.
AFBM: What about sandwiches? I have some sandwiches.
ME: (Since when did you have them? Penicillin?) No thanks.
AFBM: (Shakes head dejectedly)
* * *
AFBM: Mr Tan, thank you. Mr ***, thank you. I'll send you the report.
ME: (You readers are in luck!) Ok.
The night before, the AFBM asked to meet us the next morning.
This morning when we checked out, no one at the check out counter knew that he wanted to meet us.
My friend asked. I would not have bothered. I'd written to the CEO of the pathetic Novotel/Accor Group of Hotels and given him my story.
If we are important enough guests, the AFBM would have logged in that when we are checking out, we should be asked to wait for him while they try and locate him.
In fact, the AFBM should have tried to contact us and asked for a meeting, instead of us asking to meet him.
To cut the long story short, I'll give you some of the wonderful exchanges with him:
AFBM: I've checked the (Sobasei) kitchen last night. It was unacceptable. I have asked the executive chef to do a complete check and give me a report. I'll get back to you.
Us: (Big deal. If it was unacceptable, then ain't it time for some active action to be taken? A report? For what? Can eat is it?) *No response*.
* * *
AFBM: To me, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. That (the dour faced waitress' poor reaction) was unacceptable. Oh, I don't mean you are unacceptabl..., I mean your complaint was unaccep... I mean, the waitress was unacceptable. I would be very angry and disappointed...
US: (So? Suck your toe, chicken potato, mosquito love your toe...) *NR*
ME: We need not feel this way because it is not as though we are making things difficult. Your hotel is not even full.
AFBM: Yah, we only have about... well, the place can seat 150 and it'll never be full and I just came by 8 am.
ME: Yup, we saw you. And honestly, it's not as though I have not seen better hotels. Even Swiss Garden in Kuantan, being old and dilapidated, has better service and is more professional.
AFBM: *Bang balls*
* * *
AFBM: We will look into the report and report to you.
ME: By the way, Accor and Novotel has never failed to disappoint me - Amsterdam, Bangkok, and others. And now you.
AFBM: I'm sure this is not the first time here.
HIM: Yes, first time.
ME: Yes, he took like what, 3 years?
HIM: No, 2 years.
ME: Ok, 2 years to convince me to come here. And for what? Come here and suffer fools? By the way, your room is very dirty you know?
AFBM: Oh, the rooms also? The rooms are released when housekeeping and rooms are assured that they are good to go. I don't know about how they work...
ME: *Try harder, dude!*
* * *
AFBM: I'm sure you would give us a chance and would you come back here again?
ME: (Oh, no!) Only if you invite me.
AFBM: The next time you visit, you can let me know before hand and I'll take good care of you. I mean, I'll also take good care of the rest of the guests...
ME: *Touche!*
* * *
AFBM: Looks like your entire stay here was a very bad experience.
ME: Of course. It's even worse when it's only one night. (Fortunately, it's only one night!)
AFBM: I understand. This is really not the way things should be.
ME: (You mean it could be WORSE?) *NR*
* * *
AFBM: Are you leaving soon?
ME: (Why else do I check out before meeting you?) Yes.
HIM: We're meeting someone. (Weak lie)
AFBM: You won't eat lunch here?
ME: (What? You serving lizards and mosquitoes this time?) No. We're going back to meet someone.
AFBM: What about sandwiches? I have some sandwiches.
ME: (Since when did you have them? Penicillin?) No thanks.
AFBM: (Shakes head dejectedly)
* * *
AFBM: Mr Tan, thank you. Mr ***, thank you. I'll send you the report.
ME: (You readers are in luck!) Ok.
Breakfast Blues
Breakfast Blues
So we realised, too, that the clock in the phone was in the wrong time zone.
My dork of a room mate dragged me up telling me it was already 8 plus.
Duh! And SATCHEL actually wore his watch to bed! Can't believe it.
So there was I cleaned and dressed and dragging my tired ass to the lift only to discover that it was ONLY 8 am.
What the heck.
We walked to the Ishwara for breakfast.
The waitress doing the registration was already dour faced and when I asked for an inside table, she told me curtly that there are no small tables in the air con area.
Yeah, right. Is it my fault?
So you have tables outside?
Yes.
Is outside smoking?
Yes.
I don't want smoking. (Remember, someone already has his mucus factory baptised and commissioned for production?)
She gave a sour face and distorted her mouth to the right and showed me a face.
BLOODY F***ING BITCH.
So I went in and sat down at a table for 6. And I told her that if there are other small groups of 2 who want to sit inside, we are ok to share table with another couple of diners.
It was just out of hypocrisy that I said that because I freaking knew that the hotel is not even 50% full last night.
There is no way a 150-seater establishment serving breakfast from 6.30 am to 10.30 am (across 4 hours) in a hotel with 300 rooms cannot accommodate diners at 6-seater tables.
Furthermore, when I went swimming the evening before, there was only my friend and I. TWO PEOPLE IN THE FREAKING POOL.
Just do your distributions and you know. (In other words, don't question my assumptions.)
So we went in and discovered that half the inside was empty.
And throughout the entire dinner, the air con part NEVER EVER FILLED UP.
The reaction and pretense was not called for.
Breakfast was decent, not excellent but the dour service left a really bad taste in my mouth.
So we realised, too, that the clock in the phone was in the wrong time zone.
My dork of a room mate dragged me up telling me it was already 8 plus.
Duh! And SATCHEL actually wore his watch to bed! Can't believe it.
So there was I cleaned and dressed and dragging my tired ass to the lift only to discover that it was ONLY 8 am.
What the heck.
We walked to the Ishwara for breakfast.
The waitress doing the registration was already dour faced and when I asked for an inside table, she told me curtly that there are no small tables in the air con area.
Yeah, right. Is it my fault?
So you have tables outside?
Yes.
Is outside smoking?
Yes.
I don't want smoking. (Remember, someone already has his mucus factory baptised and commissioned for production?)
She gave a sour face and distorted her mouth to the right and showed me a face.
BLOODY F***ING BITCH.
So I went in and sat down at a table for 6. And I told her that if there are other small groups of 2 who want to sit inside, we are ok to share table with another couple of diners.
It was just out of hypocrisy that I said that because I freaking knew that the hotel is not even 50% full last night.
There is no way a 150-seater establishment serving breakfast from 6.30 am to 10.30 am (across 4 hours) in a hotel with 300 rooms cannot accommodate diners at 6-seater tables.
Furthermore, when I went swimming the evening before, there was only my friend and I. TWO PEOPLE IN THE FREAKING POOL.
Just do your distributions and you know. (In other words, don't question my assumptions.)
So we went in and discovered that half the inside was empty.
And throughout the entire dinner, the air con part NEVER EVER FILLED UP.
The reaction and pretense was not called for.
Breakfast was decent, not excellent but the dour service left a really bad taste in my mouth.
The Dust Bowl
The Dust Bowl
The next morning, we both woke up fed-up. The Mandara Spa bitch screwed up our moods, the swim didn't go well, the towel return was tougher than tough, the cockroach goodbye sequence was less than appetising, the TV was darned boring, and we had to forego room service. What could go worse?
Ok, pretend I didn't ask. Too late.
I flipped the blanket and guess what?
There was SNOW. Oops, I meant DUST.
The bloody the blanket was a dust bowl.
Cleanliness has really gone to the dogs.
And no prizes for who (not me!) ended up with a sensitive nose, excessive sneezing, and a hyper-active "muar-chee" (mucus) factory.
The next morning, we both woke up fed-up. The Mandara Spa bitch screwed up our moods, the swim didn't go well, the towel return was tougher than tough, the cockroach goodbye sequence was less than appetising, the TV was darned boring, and we had to forego room service. What could go worse?
Ok, pretend I didn't ask. Too late.
I flipped the blanket and guess what?
There was SNOW. Oops, I meant DUST.
The bloody the blanket was a dust bowl.
Cleanliness has really gone to the dogs.
And no prizes for who (not me!) ended up with a sensitive nose, excessive sneezing, and a hyper-active "muar-chee" (mucus) factory.
There Goes Room Service
There Goes Room Service
Part of the reason why we had such a flirty (light) dinner was we had intended to partake in the room service.
The seafood pizza with prawns and squid looks great, the sandwiches look promising and the nasi lemak's description was alluring, to say the least.
But what happens if Room Service food comes with other unwanted additions? After all, the cleanliness of the hotel is really suspect.
No room service then!
Part of the reason why we had such a flirty (light) dinner was we had intended to partake in the room service.
The seafood pizza with prawns and squid looks great, the sandwiches look promising and the nasi lemak's description was alluring, to say the least.
But what happens if Room Service food comes with other unwanted additions? After all, the cleanliness of the hotel is really suspect.
No room service then!
Meeting the Duty Manager
Meeting the Duty Manager
So Sobasei could not give us a satisfactory closure to the cockroach incident.
We approached the night duty manager and told her the story.
She said that she would get her manager to speak with us the next morning.
The next thing, the phone in the room rang.
It was the assistant food and beverage manager calling. He asked to meet us tomorrow morning.
So Sobasei could not give us a satisfactory closure to the cockroach incident.
We approached the night duty manager and told her the story.
She said that she would get her manager to speak with us the next morning.
The next thing, the phone in the room rang.
It was the assistant food and beverage manager calling. He asked to meet us tomorrow morning.
Accidents Galore
Accidents Galore - An Intermission
Shucks! The tea pudding bubbled out of the pot because I was so bloody caught up complaining that I forgot.
Then while cleaning up the mess, I completed 1.5 rounds of laundry.
Ok, back to bitching.
Shucks! The tea pudding bubbled out of the pot because I was so bloody caught up complaining that I forgot.
Then while cleaning up the mess, I completed 1.5 rounds of laundry.
Ok, back to bitching.
Sobasei Japanese Restaurant
The Sobasei Japanese Restaurant Farewell
We ate dinner at the Sobasei Japanese Restaurant. There were advertisements slapped all over the hotel and the hotel's website.
Of course, we'd give Sobasei a try.
Upon entering, they led us to a cut-off corner of the restaurant and sat us beside a bunch of bragging Taiwanese who were making so much noise in the restaurant. The restaurant was empty elsewhere.
I caught a rancid stench as I sat down. There seems to be a lot of oil on the walls and curtains.
We ordered our food in three different waves.
The sashimi moriawase (mixed raw fish slices) went well. We asked for another salmon sashimi and one plate of ika (squid) sushi.
The raw food went well enough.
The udon that we ordered was overcooked. It was bloated and the bland and over-watery dip didn't help.
We also ordered a suki yaki (chicken, as we both don't take beef). The waiters asked if we wanted the suki yaki to be cooked in the kitchen or at the table. Since they wanted to show-off, we'll entertain them. So we asked for the food to be cooked at our table.
So after all the food have arrived, the waiter came and made the suki yaki.
The cooking was not good. The food was not the best but the price was exorbitant.
And then, as we neared the end of dinner, a cockroach crawled out from the suki yaki gas stove.
That was it.
How could this be acceptable when you remember that what you had eaten were mainly raw stuff? What happens if...?
I dread to think.
We tried to attract the attention of the waiters but to no avail, and so I went out and asked for the manager. He was on leave. So I asked who was in-charge.
Some young 24 year old waiter said he is.
Great, so what?
He merely apologised and left the half-dead cockroach lie on my dessert plate waving good bye.
We ate dinner at the Sobasei Japanese Restaurant. There were advertisements slapped all over the hotel and the hotel's website.
Of course, we'd give Sobasei a try.
Upon entering, they led us to a cut-off corner of the restaurant and sat us beside a bunch of bragging Taiwanese who were making so much noise in the restaurant. The restaurant was empty elsewhere.
I caught a rancid stench as I sat down. There seems to be a lot of oil on the walls and curtains.
We ordered our food in three different waves.
The sashimi moriawase (mixed raw fish slices) went well. We asked for another salmon sashimi and one plate of ika (squid) sushi.
The raw food went well enough.
The udon that we ordered was overcooked. It was bloated and the bland and over-watery dip didn't help.
We also ordered a suki yaki (chicken, as we both don't take beef). The waiters asked if we wanted the suki yaki to be cooked in the kitchen or at the table. Since they wanted to show-off, we'll entertain them. So we asked for the food to be cooked at our table.
So after all the food have arrived, the waiter came and made the suki yaki.
The cooking was not good. The food was not the best but the price was exorbitant.
And then, as we neared the end of dinner, a cockroach crawled out from the suki yaki gas stove.
That was it.
How could this be acceptable when you remember that what you had eaten were mainly raw stuff? What happens if...?
I dread to think.
We tried to attract the attention of the waiters but to no avail, and so I went out and asked for the manager. He was on leave. So I asked who was in-charge.
Some young 24 year old waiter said he is.
Great, so what?
He merely apologised and left the half-dead cockroach lie on my dessert plate waving good bye.
"You Must Return The Towels, Ah"
"You Must Return The Towels, Ah"
So Mandara Spa lost my business.
After lazing around for about an hour and channel surfing limited watchable channels (some are so overcome by static that you would go nuts trying to filter out the noise), I decided to go for a swim.
I rummaged the hotel information and did not see any information telling me about the facilities provided for guests who want to go swimming.
So, I pulled on my trunks and a polo shirt and went swimming.
At the pool, I saw the towel loan counter. WTF. If they had said so earlier, I'd brought the whole works and I could avoid going back to my room to bathe but instead I could do my ablutions in the toilets.
Heck, so my friend took his trunks and I asked him to get the towels.
He returned with two towels and we soaked in the water for about three quarters of an hour.
When I had enough of dipping, I wanted to get back to my room to rinse out the excessive chlorine on my body and hair. I wrapped my towel around my waist and then this towel counter attendant came over.
"Ah, this towel must return. Lend only. You must return the towels, ah".
Sure, what's the big deal? We also found out that she is supposed to man the counter till 9 pm.
So I went back to my room after dipping in the jacuzzi and getting a quick rinse.
I washed myself in my room, took the towels and returned to the poolside to return the towel.
She was no where to be found. I searched the entire poolside shops, lounges, and areas and I was told by a shop attendant that I could just dump the towel there and sign out.
So, I could easily sign in and keep the towel. I just feign ignorance and insist that I have returned the towels?
Anyhow, towels or not, service sucks.
So Mandara Spa lost my business.
After lazing around for about an hour and channel surfing limited watchable channels (some are so overcome by static that you would go nuts trying to filter out the noise), I decided to go for a swim.
I rummaged the hotel information and did not see any information telling me about the facilities provided for guests who want to go swimming.
So, I pulled on my trunks and a polo shirt and went swimming.
At the pool, I saw the towel loan counter. WTF. If they had said so earlier, I'd brought the whole works and I could avoid going back to my room to bathe but instead I could do my ablutions in the toilets.
Heck, so my friend took his trunks and I asked him to get the towels.
He returned with two towels and we soaked in the water for about three quarters of an hour.
When I had enough of dipping, I wanted to get back to my room to rinse out the excessive chlorine on my body and hair. I wrapped my towel around my waist and then this towel counter attendant came over.
"Ah, this towel must return. Lend only. You must return the towels, ah".
Sure, what's the big deal? We also found out that she is supposed to man the counter till 9 pm.
So I went back to my room after dipping in the jacuzzi and getting a quick rinse.
I washed myself in my room, took the towels and returned to the poolside to return the towel.
She was no where to be found. I searched the entire poolside shops, lounges, and areas and I was told by a shop attendant that I could just dump the towel there and sign out.
So, I could easily sign in and keep the towel. I just feign ignorance and insist that I have returned the towels?
Anyhow, towels or not, service sucks.
It's In Your Room
It's In Your Room
After check in, we saw the Mandara Spa as we walked to the lifts.
We walked in and tried to find out the prices for the treatment packages.
The receptionist said, "Are you guests here?"
Yes, we said.
"The price list is in the room. You go to the room and see."
That's it. They lost my business.
Never mind not getting pampered. Anyway, RM 75 for some stupid manicure ain't for the shallow pockets.
Still, the service at the first shop sucked.
After check in, we saw the Mandara Spa as we walked to the lifts.
We walked in and tried to find out the prices for the treatment packages.
The receptionist said, "Are you guests here?"
Yes, we said.
"The price list is in the room. You go to the room and see."
That's it. They lost my business.
Never mind not getting pampered. Anyway, RM 75 for some stupid manicure ain't for the shallow pockets.
Still, the service at the first shop sucked.
Getting There - Sofitel Palm Resort Senai
Getting There - Sofitel Palm Resort Senai
Went over there last afternoon, on my pre-Good Friday half-day leave.
Here is a run-down of getting there.
1. Weather
It was raining when we drove in. Whether or not we liked it, we had to get in and out of the car. Or place hands out of the car - immigration booths, toll payment, lunch, changing money, shopping. You name it.
2. Route familiarity
For once, I chose not to drive because I'm a better navigator than a slow driver. So I let my friend, a more patient driver to get us there. Neither of us were familiar with the way there but slowly and surely, we made our way there without a glitch.
3. Parking
There were ample parking lots and the place is big.
4. Check-in
Since we did the internet pre-paid booking, all we had to do was to present the print-out voucher and we were given some room with a view of the golf course - pathetic by any standards, but this is minor compared to what is coming up.
Went over there last afternoon, on my pre-Good Friday half-day leave.
Here is a run-down of getting there.
1. Weather
It was raining when we drove in. Whether or not we liked it, we had to get in and out of the car. Or place hands out of the car - immigration booths, toll payment, lunch, changing money, shopping. You name it.
2. Route familiarity
For once, I chose not to drive because I'm a better navigator than a slow driver. So I let my friend, a more patient driver to get us there. Neither of us were familiar with the way there but slowly and surely, we made our way there without a glitch.
3. Parking
There were ample parking lots and the place is big.
4. Check-in
Since we did the internet pre-paid booking, all we had to do was to present the print-out voucher and we were given some room with a view of the golf course - pathetic by any standards, but this is minor compared to what is coming up.
Thursday, April 13, 2006
My Rants
My Rants
I've decided to set up the bitching blog anyway.
I'll be moving some posts over and maintain that blog perhaps for a short story collection some time in the future.
I'll be mauling Rose soon. I'll complete the story, perhaps in instalments or running continuations. Have not decided. Let's see how the thing develops.
I'm a highly social animal - not social social (aka social butterfly) but more like an analytical mirror. This is quite bad actually because it makes me judgemental and I measure people against my moral standards and inner rules. But hey, which human being isn't like that? It's just that some people are more vocal than others.
That's why I prefer to either factually report the occurrences or give it a slightly fictional twist to bring it away from all legal liabilities.
I've decided to set up the bitching blog anyway.
I'll be moving some posts over and maintain that blog perhaps for a short story collection some time in the future.
I'll be mauling Rose soon. I'll complete the story, perhaps in instalments or running continuations. Have not decided. Let's see how the thing develops.
I'm a highly social animal - not social social (aka social butterfly) but more like an analytical mirror. This is quite bad actually because it makes me judgemental and I measure people against my moral standards and inner rules. But hey, which human being isn't like that? It's just that some people are more vocal than others.
That's why I prefer to either factually report the occurrences or give it a slightly fictional twist to bring it away from all legal liabilities.
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Rose
Also known as "The Vietnamese Woman with the Love Bite"
Rose (name fictitious) sat on the very crowded MRT train. She was wearing a low white top exposing her shoulders, which she kept covered with a thin jacket made of the same white cotton as her top.
She left the jacket unbuttoned. And at the spot above her white top where the left flap of the jacket opens is a crimson red love bite. The unmistakable pair of lips that left the marks of the passion it shared with Rose's breasts. The brand of a possibly illicit affair which needed to be kept clandestine, but yet consumed in the light of day.
Rose clenched her fists, attempting to hide the gold ring that adorned her left ring finger. Isn't it easier to just remove the offending sight of the ring?
Perhaps not. Or she might forget her status that she is married and is merely here to hook unsuspecting Singapore men for hot passionate sex in exchange for cold hard cash.
Her phone rang and she spoke in quick tones. She never managed to mask the irritation and mild frustration. The call ended pretty quickly and a glaze covered her eyes. She was in her own little private space again.
Could she be thinking of the passionate love she had a while ago or is she already imagining the next bout of making out that might just take place at some condominium at Lakeside? Just then, the passenger beside her vacated his seat and Rose immediately took it and started speaking in her native tongue to her other friend. So, they had been separated by the passenger in the middle.
Unmistakably, Rose's irritation could be discerned even though the language was unfamiliar. She was complaining about something. Yet, her right thumb and index finger never left the ring on her left hand. She twiddled it as though it was something that she very much wanted to remove.
Or perhaps not. It was the ring from her hubby in Singapore. It fit better than the one given to her by her Vietnamese husband, to whom she was betrothed when she was just a little girl.
Good life in Singapore has made her knobbly fingers fleshier and the ill-fitting ring soon gave way to a better fitting one, just like her marriages. Legally, she had not divorced her Vietnamese husband.
It was tough to divorce him now that she is here and had been unable to contact him for a long time. She thought of him once a while, but she never felt bad ditching him for another guy.
This Singapore guy gave her her pink identity card. This effectively made her a citizen. Even though the marriage was merely for show. After all, he had never been interested in women. They did not even consume their marriage. They had a flat but each had led separate lives. Sure, they attended the occasional event as a couple but they had never shared bed or been intimate with each other.
He never knew, much less minded, her wanton ways, sleeping around with guys for the additional cash. While he gave her money each month for some expenses, she had been able to lead a pretty comfortable life from the additional pickings from those dirty old men "who can't stay hard enough to put on a condom".
She knew it, but hey, it gives her a good life.
The train pulled into Lakeside. She got off with her friend and soon they parted ways as she made her way to the condominium beside the train station.
#15 - YYY. She entered the lift and went up to the fifteenth storey.
She walked towards the door and pressed the door bell.
The door opened and she was roughly pulled in.
@ @ @
The next evening, the headlines of the Chinese local tabloids screamed, "Viet Woman Slashed to Death by Jealous Husband".
Rose (name fictitious) sat on the very crowded MRT train. She was wearing a low white top exposing her shoulders, which she kept covered with a thin jacket made of the same white cotton as her top.
She left the jacket unbuttoned. And at the spot above her white top where the left flap of the jacket opens is a crimson red love bite. The unmistakable pair of lips that left the marks of the passion it shared with Rose's breasts. The brand of a possibly illicit affair which needed to be kept clandestine, but yet consumed in the light of day.
Rose clenched her fists, attempting to hide the gold ring that adorned her left ring finger. Isn't it easier to just remove the offending sight of the ring?
Perhaps not. Or she might forget her status that she is married and is merely here to hook unsuspecting Singapore men for hot passionate sex in exchange for cold hard cash.
Her phone rang and she spoke in quick tones. She never managed to mask the irritation and mild frustration. The call ended pretty quickly and a glaze covered her eyes. She was in her own little private space again.
Could she be thinking of the passionate love she had a while ago or is she already imagining the next bout of making out that might just take place at some condominium at Lakeside? Just then, the passenger beside her vacated his seat and Rose immediately took it and started speaking in her native tongue to her other friend. So, they had been separated by the passenger in the middle.
Unmistakably, Rose's irritation could be discerned even though the language was unfamiliar. She was complaining about something. Yet, her right thumb and index finger never left the ring on her left hand. She twiddled it as though it was something that she very much wanted to remove.
Or perhaps not. It was the ring from her hubby in Singapore. It fit better than the one given to her by her Vietnamese husband, to whom she was betrothed when she was just a little girl.
Good life in Singapore has made her knobbly fingers fleshier and the ill-fitting ring soon gave way to a better fitting one, just like her marriages. Legally, she had not divorced her Vietnamese husband.
It was tough to divorce him now that she is here and had been unable to contact him for a long time. She thought of him once a while, but she never felt bad ditching him for another guy.
This Singapore guy gave her her pink identity card. This effectively made her a citizen. Even though the marriage was merely for show. After all, he had never been interested in women. They did not even consume their marriage. They had a flat but each had led separate lives. Sure, they attended the occasional event as a couple but they had never shared bed or been intimate with each other.
He never knew, much less minded, her wanton ways, sleeping around with guys for the additional cash. While he gave her money each month for some expenses, she had been able to lead a pretty comfortable life from the additional pickings from those dirty old men "who can't stay hard enough to put on a condom".
She knew it, but hey, it gives her a good life.
The train pulled into Lakeside. She got off with her friend and soon they parted ways as she made her way to the condominium beside the train station.
#15 - YYY. She entered the lift and went up to the fifteenth storey.
She walked towards the door and pressed the door bell.
The door opened and she was roughly pulled in.
@ @ @
The next evening, the headlines of the Chinese local tabloids screamed, "Viet Woman Slashed to Death by Jealous Husband".
New Blog?
New Blog?
I realised I've been writing a lot about women who have riled me or made me feel embarrassed for their existence.
Wondering if I should start a new blog where I bitch only about these women: A Misogynist's Tales.
I wonder.
I realised I've been writing a lot about women who have riled me or made me feel embarrassed for their existence.
Wondering if I should start a new blog where I bitch only about these women: A Misogynist's Tales.
I wonder.
Monday, April 10, 2006
Swatow Tea
Swatow Tea
I was given a bottle of Chinese Swatow tea by my friend, mentor, ex-colleague and her husband at the class BBQ.
The packing looks ordinary but the packers have managed to keep the tea leaves' smell in the bottle.
I've drunk much tea and I'm looking forward to opening this bottle once I am done with those I had bought in 2002. I guess a couple of rounds of tea jelly making will greatly help with old tea disposal. Let me see how I could go about it.
I was given a bottle of Chinese Swatow tea by my friend, mentor, ex-colleague and her husband at the class BBQ.
The packing looks ordinary but the packers have managed to keep the tea leaves' smell in the bottle.
I've drunk much tea and I'm looking forward to opening this bottle once I am done with those I had bought in 2002. I guess a couple of rounds of tea jelly making will greatly help with old tea disposal. Let me see how I could go about it.
Sunday, April 09, 2006
Transcending Cultures and Races
Transcending Cultures and Races
I knew I've done great as a teacher to introduce concepts of racial tolerance, cultural appreciation and the importance of being racially blind but culturally sensitive.
In fact, when I saw P***** playing mahjong, I realised I've found the universal panacea to Singapore's woes.
Small wonder we are going to build casinos.
Didn't people realise how GAMBLING is surely going to make the citizens of Singapore one united people, regardless of race, language or religion?
As long as you queue, you get a just, equal, and democratic chance at placing your bets. Of course, as long as you play within your means, you will have the peace you need and the loansharks may not be hounding you or hanging pig heads on your door to make you repay your loans.
You may have a chance to taste happiness, prosperity, and progress for your family's financial situation.
I knew I've done great as a teacher to introduce concepts of racial tolerance, cultural appreciation and the importance of being racially blind but culturally sensitive.
In fact, when I saw P***** playing mahjong, I realised I've found the universal panacea to Singapore's woes.
Small wonder we are going to build casinos.
Didn't people realise how GAMBLING is surely going to make the citizens of Singapore one united people, regardless of race, language or religion?
As long as you queue, you get a just, equal, and democratic chance at placing your bets. Of course, as long as you play within your means, you will have the peace you need and the loansharks may not be hounding you or hanging pig heads on your door to make you repay your loans.
You may have a chance to taste happiness, prosperity, and progress for your family's financial situation.
Death by Chicken Wings
Death by Chicken Wings
Bird flu is spreading. Many parts of Europe are facing the scourge. Africa has it. And many parts of Asia too.
In order to prevent the chickens from dying unnecessarily, we chose to end their lives humanely. We probably went through 200 chicken wings on Sat.
I remember packing about 25 curried drumlets home and counting those which were already consumed, the curry probably had about 50 to 70 wings. Plus the 150 we catered for the fire, we probably de-winged more than 100 chickens.
I remember eating about 10 roasted wings but not a single curry one as I was refluxing like crazy after a coffee overdose that morning. But I must say that the well-done wings tasted good. Wonder who's the good roaster (no pun, no pun!) - icloud or justin.
Bird flu is spreading. Many parts of Europe are facing the scourge. Africa has it. And many parts of Asia too.
In order to prevent the chickens from dying unnecessarily, we chose to end their lives humanely. We probably went through 200 chicken wings on Sat.
I remember packing about 25 curried drumlets home and counting those which were already consumed, the curry probably had about 50 to 70 wings. Plus the 150 we catered for the fire, we probably de-winged more than 100 chickens.
I remember eating about 10 roasted wings but not a single curry one as I was refluxing like crazy after a coffee overdose that morning. But I must say that the well-done wings tasted good. Wonder who's the good roaster (no pun, no pun!) - icloud or justin.
Food Before BBQ
Food Before BBQ
Historical binges that crippled the food soldiers before the all important BBQ event:
2006 (4/6 2004 class outing) - Fried stuff: chicken nuggets, curry puffs, fish fingers, sausages
2005 (Mdm Liu's farewell) - Canadian 2-for-1 Pizza
2003 (3/6 2003 class BBQ) - Nasi lemak
Premonitive occurrences - untimely rain before BBQ
Binge onset - late firestarting or important guest arrives late
Binge trigger - arrival of cooked, ready-to-eat food which is warm and yummy
Binge outcome - disinterest in actual BBQ food
Common co-occurrences - excessive water intake (salty food?) (all), charred food (all), less than excellently prepared BBQ food (2003, 2006), small BBQ pit (2005)
Pre-emptive measures - early cooking of BBQ food (rain notwithstanding), proper food seasoning (cost notwithstanding)
Preventive measures - dictator/dictatress early presence to enforce action, passing of law for fried/ready food as back-up after BBQ food is fully consumed
Conclusion - Ignore everything up there. I'm just there to have fun!
Historical binges that crippled the food soldiers before the all important BBQ event:
2006 (4/6 2004 class outing) - Fried stuff: chicken nuggets, curry puffs, fish fingers, sausages
2005 (Mdm Liu's farewell) - Canadian 2-for-1 Pizza
2003 (3/6 2003 class BBQ) - Nasi lemak
Premonitive occurrences - untimely rain before BBQ
Binge onset - late firestarting or important guest arrives late
Binge trigger - arrival of cooked, ready-to-eat food which is warm and yummy
Binge outcome - disinterest in actual BBQ food
Common co-occurrences - excessive water intake (salty food?) (all), charred food (all), less than excellently prepared BBQ food (2003, 2006), small BBQ pit (2005)
Pre-emptive measures - early cooking of BBQ food (rain notwithstanding), proper food seasoning (cost notwithstanding)
Preventive measures - dictator/dictatress early presence to enforce action, passing of law for fried/ready food as back-up after BBQ food is fully consumed
Conclusion - Ignore everything up there. I'm just there to have fun!
Saturday, April 08, 2006
Stupid-ordinare
Stupid-ordinare
Called my cable service provider S****** and check if I'm on automatic blood loss (GIRO) mode for bill payments.
So I went through the entire procedure of making selections following recorded instructions and dutifully keyed-in my account and identification card number.
And then I was put on hold as "all our customer service officers are busy. (As) Your call is important to us and we will attend to you shortly. (Advertisements.)" Repeat earlier message, advertisements...
So this guy picked up the phone finally and asked, "Mr Eugene, can I have your account number and identification card number?"
Me: I thought I keyed-in everything already? Why are you asking for it again?
Him: This is just a security feature. We need to verify...
Me (cutting him short): What is there to verify? I'm just checking if I'm on GIRO. I'm not even asking to know anything else.
Him: This is a procedure...
Me (interrupting again): What a stupid procedure when you ask me for information which I have entered based on your instructions? Your management is stupid or sleeping is it? Everything do twice?
Him: Mm..
Me: So you "Mm". That means they are stupid and sleeping.
Him: Er...
Me: Ok, since that's the case, no choice. My account number is....
I don't know whether to laugh or to cry but I was definitely laughing when I put down the phone.
Annihileration is sweet.
Called my cable service provider S****** and check if I'm on automatic blood loss (GIRO) mode for bill payments.
So I went through the entire procedure of making selections following recorded instructions and dutifully keyed-in my account and identification card number.
And then I was put on hold as "all our customer service officers are busy. (As) Your call is important to us and we will attend to you shortly. (Advertisements.)" Repeat earlier message, advertisements...
So this guy picked up the phone finally and asked, "Mr Eugene, can I have your account number and identification card number?"
Me: I thought I keyed-in everything already? Why are you asking for it again?
Him: This is just a security feature. We need to verify...
Me (cutting him short): What is there to verify? I'm just checking if I'm on GIRO. I'm not even asking to know anything else.
Him: This is a procedure...
Me (interrupting again): What a stupid procedure when you ask me for information which I have entered based on your instructions? Your management is stupid or sleeping is it? Everything do twice?
Him: Mm..
Me: So you "Mm". That means they are stupid and sleeping.
Him: Er...
Me: Ok, since that's the case, no choice. My account number is....
I don't know whether to laugh or to cry but I was definitely laughing when I put down the phone.
Annihileration is sweet.
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
Instant Replay in Tennis
Instant Replay in Tennis
Quoting Miss Martina Navratilova, "Where was this thing 20 years ago?"
She said it all.
Quoting Miss Martina Navratilova, "Where was this thing 20 years ago?"
She said it all.
Now that I have it...
Now that I have it...
Thaksin Shinawatra has done it.
First he refused to resign. Why should he?
Then he called a snap polls. Smart move.
Subsequently, he won the elections and could be PM again. Of course!
Then now he decides he will quit as PM.
My idol - how else to effectively take the winds out of the opposition first by teasing them, inducing them to play hardball, and now that they have nothing left, decide to give up everything all together?
Great strategician - now that I have it, I don't want it already.
Reminds me of a friend who's mantra goes: If I can't win, I don't want to play already.
Thaksin Shinawatra has done it.
First he refused to resign. Why should he?
Then he called a snap polls. Smart move.
Subsequently, he won the elections and could be PM again. Of course!
Then now he decides he will quit as PM.
My idol - how else to effectively take the winds out of the opposition first by teasing them, inducing them to play hardball, and now that they have nothing left, decide to give up everything all together?
Great strategician - now that I have it, I don't want it already.
Reminds me of a friend who's mantra goes: If I can't win, I don't want to play already.
Killer Shoulders
Killer Shoulders
The darned shoulders are killing me. It's not that I've nothing to write but the shoulders are so painful (repetitive injury caused by excessive typing) that they are holding me back.
I've been off from work on medical grounds for two days already. But I simply can't go to work yet.
Between the pain and the painkillers, I'll be suffering both ways - either I'm in agony or agonisingly drowsy.
I need a good long break soon.
The darned shoulders are killing me. It's not that I've nothing to write but the shoulders are so painful (repetitive injury caused by excessive typing) that they are holding me back.
I've been off from work on medical grounds for two days already. But I simply can't go to work yet.
Between the pain and the painkillers, I'll be suffering both ways - either I'm in agony or agonisingly drowsy.
I need a good long break soon.
The lighter side of Bird Flu
The lighter side of Bird Flu
From Well, I think they're funny
In an attempt to thwart the spread of bird flu, President George W. Bush has bombed the Canary Islands.
From Letterman...
Top Ten Dumb Guy Tips For Avoiding The Bird Flu
10. "Before eating chicken, soak it in Lysol"
9. "Don't lick unfamiliar pigeons"
8. "Frighten birds by constantly meowing"
7. "Stay away from basketball great Larry Bird"
6. "Anti-bacterial smoothies"
5. "Move to a place where there are no birds, like the moon"
4. "Avoid birds that look like they're up to something"
3. "Go back to the old Y2K bunker, start drinking"
2. "Fill birdfeeder with Sucrets"
1. "If you have a chicken, check for swelling in the McNuggets"
From Well, I think they're funny
In an attempt to thwart the spread of bird flu, President George W. Bush has bombed the Canary Islands.
From Letterman...
Top Ten Dumb Guy Tips For Avoiding The Bird Flu
10. "Before eating chicken, soak it in Lysol"
9. "Don't lick unfamiliar pigeons"
8. "Frighten birds by constantly meowing"
7. "Stay away from basketball great Larry Bird"
6. "Anti-bacterial smoothies"
5. "Move to a place where there are no birds, like the moon"
4. "Avoid birds that look like they're up to something"
3. "Go back to the old Y2K bunker, start drinking"
2. "Fill birdfeeder with Sucrets"
1. "If you have a chicken, check for swelling in the McNuggets"
Saturday, April 01, 2006
April Fools' Day
April Fools' Day
You know you are too old when you can't even be bothered to think of a prank.
You know you are too old when you can't even be bothered to think of a prank.
Thursday, March 30, 2006
Biscuits as a Centrepiece on a Conference Table
Biscuits as a Centrepiece on a Conference Table
You can hardly stretch beyond half the width of the conference table unless you lay your body on the table and make a reach, like a tired secretary cavorting with her boss.
Yet, the biscuits are placed right at the centre of the table, out of the usual reach of the meeting participants.
It's like a gesture of fake friendliness, a rhetoric open invitation (if such a thing exists).
The biscuits, coated in their luscious cream and chocolate, sit safely, losing their crispness in the humid surroundings.
Like a centrepiece, it sits looking pretty, wiling not a bit under everyone's eyes but becoming less savoury with time.
You can hardly stretch beyond half the width of the conference table unless you lay your body on the table and make a reach, like a tired secretary cavorting with her boss.
Yet, the biscuits are placed right at the centre of the table, out of the usual reach of the meeting participants.
It's like a gesture of fake friendliness, a rhetoric open invitation (if such a thing exists).
The biscuits, coated in their luscious cream and chocolate, sit safely, losing their crispness in the humid surroundings.
Like a centrepiece, it sits looking pretty, wiling not a bit under everyone's eyes but becoming less savoury with time.
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Spaggeddies (Marina Square)
Spaggeddies (Marina Square)
They are having a 1-for-1 for Mamma's Specialties to celebrate their opening.
Valid till 31 Mar.
They are having a 1-for-1 for Mamma's Specialties to celebrate their opening.
Valid till 31 Mar.
Imperial Kitchen (Marina Square)
Imperial Kitchen (Marina Square)
Pu'er Tea - F (God! There was only colour, and no taste!)
Nanjing Duck in Brine - D (Tasteless thin slivers of duck breast.)
Li Bai Drunken Chicken - F (Honestly, there are better wine out there. Chicken was quite tough, even though it's the leg - Drumstick and thigh)
Deep fried pork ribs - B (Succulently cooked through with a sweet-tangy sauce topped with chopped spring onions and served with sweet chilli)
Wanton in Chilli Oil - A (The wantons were great!)
Wonton Soup - A (See above)
Shanghai Tan-tan Noodles - A (For noodles), C (For sauce - too much peanuts, the cheap alternative)
Beijing Dumplings - C (The chef innovatively tried to pack in the soup into these a la xiao-long-bao, but they didn't impress)
Deep Fried Egg Whites with Red Bean Paste and Banana - F (For god's sake, how could any one use high gluten flour to hold up the egg whites and expect the resulting dessert not to taste like rubber balls?!)
Service - B
Ambience - C
Decor - C
Number of excuses for less than good food - A+ (They never seem to run out of them!)
The meal came up to under $60. Forgettable.
Pu'er Tea - F (God! There was only colour, and no taste!)
Nanjing Duck in Brine - D (Tasteless thin slivers of duck breast.)
Li Bai Drunken Chicken - F (Honestly, there are better wine out there. Chicken was quite tough, even though it's the leg - Drumstick and thigh)
Deep fried pork ribs - B (Succulently cooked through with a sweet-tangy sauce topped with chopped spring onions and served with sweet chilli)
Wanton in Chilli Oil - A (The wantons were great!)
Wonton Soup - A (See above)
Shanghai Tan-tan Noodles - A (For noodles), C (For sauce - too much peanuts, the cheap alternative)
Beijing Dumplings - C (The chef innovatively tried to pack in the soup into these a la xiao-long-bao, but they didn't impress)
Deep Fried Egg Whites with Red Bean Paste and Banana - F (For god's sake, how could any one use high gluten flour to hold up the egg whites and expect the resulting dessert not to taste like rubber balls?!)
Service - B
Ambience - C
Decor - C
Number of excuses for less than good food - A+ (They never seem to run out of them!)
The meal came up to under $60. Forgettable.
Different lives
Different lives
A friend is getting a 25.5% pay increase to jump ship and he's wondering if he should.
Darn!
I'll be lucky not to get 25.5% more work without extra pay...
A friend is getting a 25.5% pay increase to jump ship and he's wondering if he should.
Darn!
I'll be lucky not to get 25.5% more work without extra pay...
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Just a little more...
Just a little more...
Just a little more turned out to be too much. But you gave your life for the organisation you probably loved. Still, the question is, Had it been worthwhile?
I hope you are in a better place.
This post is dedicated to the SAF officer who died suddenly during the biathlon on Sunday. His name is Bernard Tan Cheow Han. I know of him, but did not know him personally.
Just a little more turned out to be too much. But you gave your life for the organisation you probably loved. Still, the question is, Had it been worthwhile?
I hope you are in a better place.
This post is dedicated to the SAF officer who died suddenly during the biathlon on Sunday. His name is Bernard Tan Cheow Han. I know of him, but did not know him personally.
Monday, March 27, 2006
Brokeback Mountain
Brokeback Mountain
Took a quick browse of the Annie Proulx's short story, Brokeback Mountain. Was not very long, about a few tens of pages.
Read it at Times Marina Square when my dinner partner went to negotiate some major business deal.
It was well-written. Something like a porno story out of a internet gay-porn site. The words were used in a very succinct and cutting manner.
Annie wrote in a very masculine way. It did not feel like a woman's work at all.
Still, it was quite electrifying to read the concise story that became a hit. Lee Ang left nothing to imagination - he fleshed out the suggested portions of the story.
But he did it in a tasteful way. Small wonder he is an auteur. We are mere movie buffs. Anyway I must say that the movie was great and so was the short story.
Someday, I'll get the book.
Took a quick browse of the Annie Proulx's short story, Brokeback Mountain. Was not very long, about a few tens of pages.
Read it at Times Marina Square when my dinner partner went to negotiate some major business deal.
It was well-written. Something like a porno story out of a internet gay-porn site. The words were used in a very succinct and cutting manner.
Annie wrote in a very masculine way. It did not feel like a woman's work at all.
Still, it was quite electrifying to read the concise story that became a hit. Lee Ang left nothing to imagination - he fleshed out the suggested portions of the story.
But he did it in a tasteful way. Small wonder he is an auteur. We are mere movie buffs. Anyway I must say that the movie was great and so was the short story.
Someday, I'll get the book.
Sunday, March 26, 2006
Should Teachers Blog?
Should Teachers Blog?
Life in the Sunday Times today explored this question.
I am just reminded (yet again) of my run in with my principal when she told me that what I blogged can be used against me.
I wonder what is so damned great about a teacher that s/he must trade off his or her privacy and private life to do the job.
I sold my time to the education ministry to do my work. I didn't PROSTITUTE myself to my job.
So why am I deprived of my rights to do what I want?
Even though I can agree that back-biting and politics should not be brought open into cyberspace, the fact remains that teachers NEED A PLACE TO VENT. And if everyone can be venting on the internet, why can't teachers?
Why not regulate when teachers inhale and exhale their next breath as well?
Life in the Sunday Times today explored this question.
I am just reminded (yet again) of my run in with my principal when she told me that what I blogged can be used against me.
I wonder what is so damned great about a teacher that s/he must trade off his or her privacy and private life to do the job.
I sold my time to the education ministry to do my work. I didn't PROSTITUTE myself to my job.
So why am I deprived of my rights to do what I want?
Even though I can agree that back-biting and politics should not be brought open into cyberspace, the fact remains that teachers NEED A PLACE TO VENT. And if everyone can be venting on the internet, why can't teachers?
Why not regulate when teachers inhale and exhale their next breath as well?
Bug Problem Solved
Bug Problem Solved
Finally located the source of the bugs which had bothered me for a long enough period of time.
It originated from a packet of unopened bow-ties (pasta).
I won't go on any more.
Finally located the source of the bugs which had bothered me for a long enough period of time.
It originated from a packet of unopened bow-ties (pasta).
I won't go on any more.
Friday, March 24, 2006
Snow White
Snow White
Just thought this was very funny, but I couldn't remember where I had seen it.
The gist of it goes:
After umpteenth times that Snow White failed to get the pictures she had sent in to develop, the counter lady told her, "Some day, your prints will come."
Just thought this was very funny, but I couldn't remember where I had seen it.
The gist of it goes:
After umpteenth times that Snow White failed to get the pictures she had sent in to develop, the counter lady told her, "Some day, your prints will come."
Bliss
Bliss
Bliss is currently broadly defined as:
Eating a bowl of piping-hot self-cooked porridge with fermented beancurd and preserved olives while watching in succession 2 hours of television programmes.
Go figure.
Bliss is currently broadly defined as:
Eating a bowl of piping-hot self-cooked porridge with fermented beancurd and preserved olives while watching in succession 2 hours of television programmes.
Go figure.
Zap Zap
Zap Zap
Never failed to be damned irritated by the massager advertisement that goes "zap zap" here, "zap zap" there. The advertisement markets the massager as a vibrating belt which reduces the size of parts of the body.
I think it goes:
"Zap zap hips, zap zap hips.
"Zap zap thighs, zap zap thighs..."
So irritating.
Maybe it is also time to
"Zap zap breasts, zap zap breasts",
because oversized ones were thought to cause bimbo-ism.
But it is definitely time to remove it from the copywriter's head:
"Zap zap brains, zap zap brains"
Small (pun intended) wonder there isn't much intelligence left.
Never failed to be damned irritated by the massager advertisement that goes "zap zap" here, "zap zap" there. The advertisement markets the massager as a vibrating belt which reduces the size of parts of the body.
I think it goes:
"Zap zap hips, zap zap hips.
"Zap zap thighs, zap zap thighs..."
So irritating.
Maybe it is also time to
"Zap zap breasts, zap zap breasts",
because oversized ones were thought to cause bimbo-ism.
But it is definitely time to remove it from the copywriter's head:
"Zap zap brains, zap zap brains"
Small (pun intended) wonder there isn't much intelligence left.
Monday, March 20, 2006
Class Gatherings
Class Gatherings
My lunch partners spoke of class gatherings today. One looked forward to meeting his ex-classmates while another hated the fakies and bragging that came with these gatherings.
I personally don't like gatherings. At least I did not like what happened to those gatherings that my class had. They were oblique bragging sesisons.
Now that I had my own form class and I meet them regularly enough, I try to keep those gatherings apolitical. We talk about everything under the sun. Everyone is equal. In your group of friends, it does not matter who earns more, who holds a higher postion, who is more influential... The group congregates because there is a common, shared life between them.
Simply meeting and appreciating that your friends are around and they still care about you is the best thing that can happen. And that is what is important.
My lunch partners spoke of class gatherings today. One looked forward to meeting his ex-classmates while another hated the fakies and bragging that came with these gatherings.
I personally don't like gatherings. At least I did not like what happened to those gatherings that my class had. They were oblique bragging sesisons.
Now that I had my own form class and I meet them regularly enough, I try to keep those gatherings apolitical. We talk about everything under the sun. Everyone is equal. In your group of friends, it does not matter who earns more, who holds a higher postion, who is more influential... The group congregates because there is a common, shared life between them.
Simply meeting and appreciating that your friends are around and they still care about you is the best thing that can happen. And that is what is important.
Housewarming
Housewarming
Visited an ex-colleague couple who had their housewarming on Sunday. Didn't expect that many other ex-colleagues are also staying in the same estate as them. In fact, they were close neighbours.
After that, went to another ex-colleague's house and bitched till the roof nearly collapsed.
It had been a long time since I left the school and many things have changed.
Fortunately, we are still us. Stronger, more steely determination, more resilient, but also more haggard, less cheerful.
It was a good chat on Saturday and things have changed a great deal. But the enduring friendship remains strong. Fortunately, some things in life remain constant.
Visited an ex-colleague couple who had their housewarming on Sunday. Didn't expect that many other ex-colleagues are also staying in the same estate as them. In fact, they were close neighbours.
After that, went to another ex-colleague's house and bitched till the roof nearly collapsed.
It had been a long time since I left the school and many things have changed.
Fortunately, we are still us. Stronger, more steely determination, more resilient, but also more haggard, less cheerful.
It was a good chat on Saturday and things have changed a great deal. But the enduring friendship remains strong. Fortunately, some things in life remain constant.
Saturday, March 18, 2006
My daily breakfast
My daily breakfast
1. 6 types of cereals and muesli
2. 12 types of different berry mashes, rhubarb compotes, yogurts...
3. Fried pancake
4. Grilled tomatoes
5. Hashbrown
6. (Steamed) poached eggs
7. Beef sausages
8. Bacon (those that were freshly made had so much fats attached to it, those which were leaner were tougher - they were reheated leftovers)
9. Sunny side ups - with the yolks raped
10. Boiled eggs
11. Breads
12. Spreads
13. Danish
14. Weak coffee - a tiny pack of sugar would have sweetened it
I can recall all these because the same items were served every day for breakfast in Canberra.
Sydney? No breakfast provided.
1. 6 types of cereals and muesli
2. 12 types of different berry mashes, rhubarb compotes, yogurts...
3. Fried pancake
4. Grilled tomatoes
5. Hashbrown
6. (Steamed) poached eggs
7. Beef sausages
8. Bacon (those that were freshly made had so much fats attached to it, those which were leaner were tougher - they were reheated leftovers)
9. Sunny side ups - with the yolks raped
10. Boiled eggs
11. Breads
12. Spreads
13. Danish
14. Weak coffee - a tiny pack of sugar would have sweetened it
I can recall all these because the same items were served every day for breakfast in Canberra.
Sydney? No breakfast provided.
Size matters
Size matters
Those who know me know that I am big. Fat. Round. Whatever.
So I flew to Australia on a Boeing 747. I typically dislike flying on 747s. The last time I took a 747 a few years ago, I found the seat small and tight and the pitch was hardly enough for me to stop my knees from knocking into the row in front.
This time around, the seats were wide - comparatively, I could wriggle my bum in the seat and adopt a couple of seating leaning positions.
There was this woman who is probably 5 feet flat at most (1.52 m) and her hips were 1.5 times mine.
She first complained that the seats were so small.
Then she went to the toilet midway during the flight and when she returned, she told her friends that the loo was so tiny.
The toilet design on a plane beats some of the toilet designs in Canberra hands down. Rydges Hotel, where I stayed in, had a ground floor gentlemen's room with a door that opens into a pillar. It would have taken a gymnast or an acrobat to get past that door to enter the toilet. I nearly couldn't manoeuvre myself out.
I wonder what would have befallen Miss Big Hips.
Those who know me know that I am big. Fat. Round. Whatever.
So I flew to Australia on a Boeing 747. I typically dislike flying on 747s. The last time I took a 747 a few years ago, I found the seat small and tight and the pitch was hardly enough for me to stop my knees from knocking into the row in front.
This time around, the seats were wide - comparatively, I could wriggle my bum in the seat and adopt a couple of seating leaning positions.
There was this woman who is probably 5 feet flat at most (1.52 m) and her hips were 1.5 times mine.
She first complained that the seats were so small.
Then she went to the toilet midway during the flight and when she returned, she told her friends that the loo was so tiny.
The toilet design on a plane beats some of the toilet designs in Canberra hands down. Rydges Hotel, where I stayed in, had a ground floor gentlemen's room with a door that opens into a pillar. It would have taken a gymnast or an acrobat to get past that door to enter the toilet. I nearly couldn't manoeuvre myself out.
I wonder what would have befallen Miss Big Hips.
Royal Highnesses
Royal Highnesses
Her Royal Highness The Queen and His Royal Highness The Supreme Bitch were in Sydney at the same time.
Unfortunately, they didn't see each other.
But the Supreme Bitch met the Queen on her birthday in London in 1999.
Interesting how things in life go.
Oh yes, when the Supreme Bitch came home, it seemed that the Queen followed. :-)
Her Royal Highness The Queen and His Royal Highness The Supreme Bitch were in Sydney at the same time.
Unfortunately, they didn't see each other.
But the Supreme Bitch met the Queen on her birthday in London in 1999.
Interesting how things in life go.
Oh yes, when the Supreme Bitch came home, it seemed that the Queen followed. :-)
SQ 222
SQ 222
Took the flight back on 16 Mar 06. Departed Sydney punctually at 1655 h.
Sat at the end of the plane. Good choice cos the seat cushions were still firm. Or at least still existing. When I flew down to Sydney earlier, the cushions on the seat was almost worn out, giving me a freaking painful butt.
But what stood out was the INCREDIBLE level of service. I never knew you could feel on the top of the world in economy class. Just two cheerful, responsive, meticulous, proactive stewardesses and a steward made the entire section properly fed, well hydrated throughout the entire flight.
When we hit turbulence, they simply calmly walked out of their rest areas and cheerfully but firmly got everyone to belt up and helped whoever was fiddling with their seatbelts.
One of them was from Korea. It is amazing that the recruitment programme was so successful. Imagine the Singapore Girl coming from Korea - if it were not for being loyal to the company and committed to the job, who would have bothered?
The girls epitomised what the Singapore Girl ought to be. The premium is worth it. And they have set new service standards against which the rest of the crew has to live up to from now on.
Took the flight back on 16 Mar 06. Departed Sydney punctually at 1655 h.
Sat at the end of the plane. Good choice cos the seat cushions were still firm. Or at least still existing. When I flew down to Sydney earlier, the cushions on the seat was almost worn out, giving me a freaking painful butt.
But what stood out was the INCREDIBLE level of service. I never knew you could feel on the top of the world in economy class. Just two cheerful, responsive, meticulous, proactive stewardesses and a steward made the entire section properly fed, well hydrated throughout the entire flight.
When we hit turbulence, they simply calmly walked out of their rest areas and cheerfully but firmly got everyone to belt up and helped whoever was fiddling with their seatbelts.
One of them was from Korea. It is amazing that the recruitment programme was so successful. Imagine the Singapore Girl coming from Korea - if it were not for being loyal to the company and committed to the job, who would have bothered?
The girls epitomised what the Singapore Girl ought to be. The premium is worth it. And they have set new service standards against which the rest of the crew has to live up to from now on.
Where you stand
Where you stand
Where are you from?
Singapore.
Oh, when did you arrive?
Sunday, 12 Mar.
So, when are you going back?
. . .
They are just so intent to see you go home. It's so clear you are not welcome here.
Where are you from?
Singapore.
Oh, when did you arrive?
Sunday, 12 Mar.
So, when are you going back?
. . .
They are just so intent to see you go home. It's so clear you are not welcome here.
Food Down Under
Food Down Under
1. Kangaroo Meat
2. Oysters
3. Bugs
4. Nectarines
5. Raspberry tart
6. Savoury pizza bread
7. Turkish food (exceptionally high class food and surroundings, courtesy of our wonderful hosts)
8. Flat whites (cafe latte)
9. Pork two ways (belly meat and fillet)
10. Semi-skim milk (smooth, like full cream milk)
11. Cheese
12. Bread (savoury pizza style, pesto with ham rolls, cheese bread)
13. Yogurt
14. Tuna sashimi
15. Salmon sashimi
16. Korean kimchi
17. Dinners which cost in excess of $75 for 2 people, excluding tips.
18. Australian wines
1. Kangaroo Meat
2. Oysters
3. Bugs
4. Nectarines
5. Raspberry tart
6. Savoury pizza bread
7. Turkish food (exceptionally high class food and surroundings, courtesy of our wonderful hosts)
8. Flat whites (cafe latte)
9. Pork two ways (belly meat and fillet)
10. Semi-skim milk (smooth, like full cream milk)
11. Cheese
12. Bread (savoury pizza style, pesto with ham rolls, cheese bread)
13. Yogurt
14. Tuna sashimi
15. Salmon sashimi
16. Korean kimchi
17. Dinners which cost in excess of $75 for 2 people, excluding tips.
18. Australian wines
Saturday, March 11, 2006
What a crowd
What a crowd
The entire departure area in the airport is full of people taking flights out of Singapore. And there are groups and groups of tourists who have just arrived.
The entire Changi Airport is bursting at its seams.
And as I approached the gate to board my flight, the sheer queue of people waiting to get their hand luggage x-rayed absolutely positively put me off. I beat a hasty retreat, knowing very well that I am going to regret this decision.
But tell that to my tightening bladder. I think a more sane decision would be find a place to take a leak before joining that dastardly queue.
Sigh... I hate peak period travelling.
I'm going to sleep through the flight to Sydney. Wish me luck.
Oh yes, I just saw a teacher briefing a big bunch of kids outside the departure gate just now. Many parents were crowding around listening in. Let's hope they are NOT on my flight. God! I could have slept all night and even begged for more.
Now, pass me the hot towel to clean myself and I'm going to dreamland.
Oh no... Now there is a bunch of screeching housewives walking past... I'm going nuts.
I hear my bladder complaining and am standing cross-legged now. I'm off.
The entire departure area in the airport is full of people taking flights out of Singapore. And there are groups and groups of tourists who have just arrived.
The entire Changi Airport is bursting at its seams.
And as I approached the gate to board my flight, the sheer queue of people waiting to get their hand luggage x-rayed absolutely positively put me off. I beat a hasty retreat, knowing very well that I am going to regret this decision.
But tell that to my tightening bladder. I think a more sane decision would be find a place to take a leak before joining that dastardly queue.
Sigh... I hate peak period travelling.
I'm going to sleep through the flight to Sydney. Wish me luck.
Oh yes, I just saw a teacher briefing a big bunch of kids outside the departure gate just now. Many parents were crowding around listening in. Let's hope they are NOT on my flight. God! I could have slept all night and even begged for more.
Now, pass me the hot towel to clean myself and I'm going to dreamland.
Oh no... Now there is a bunch of screeching housewives walking past... I'm going nuts.
I hear my bladder complaining and am standing cross-legged now. I'm off.
Period of absence
Period of absence
Will be off to a working trip to Canberra and Sydney. Will be back after 16 Mar.
Any entries during that period would be incidental.
Have a nice time while I slog away...
Will be off to a working trip to Canberra and Sydney. Will be back after 16 Mar.
Any entries during that period would be incidental.
Have a nice time while I slog away...
Wednesday, March 08, 2006
Education as an unwanted service
Education as an unwanted service
Background
There had been a request that I give alternatives to my earlier posting on Symptomatic Relief. My arrogant reply was that the omission of the alternatives was intentional, not because I am unable to give them, but because I treasure my freedom still. I don't particularly fancy living on Sentosa as an ISA detainee.
Perhaps what I can do is to give the request some air time and provide a sneak peek into my mind. That's perhaps all I can do and I wouldn't want to go beyond this.
Introduction
Education has been treated as a panacea to many social ills. Countries with the means to provide affordable education to the masses do so, with every intention of achieving high literacy rates. A well educated population means that job opportunities become easier to come by. Multinationals are more likely to consider setting up their factories or outfits in countries with high literacy rates (and implicit in this argument, the presence of prerequisite infrastructure). These factories and money-churning outfits need workers and the well-educated workers are then able to be gainfully employed.
As with all well-educated work forces, the work to be undertaken is more towards adding value to the products rather than simple downline production or menial work. This means that the corresponding renumeration of these workers will be higher. As a result, the general standards of living will improve. (Implicit too, is that the cost of living will also increase, but that would be another story.) However, while social ills may be reduced, many other ills cannot be eradicated. An uncultured population remains uncultured, even if they are educated. Because even if their education provided them enough immersion in culture, nothing has overtly changed in the society they are in that requires them to move away from their undesirable past: the repugnant actions, the uncouth behaviour, the sloppy ways still remain.
Aim
In this entry, I wish to argue that the mass provision of education is neither prudent nor necessary.
Education as a ever widening safety net
As with all populations, there are the movers and the shakers, the leaders and the followers, the sprinters and the laggards. Not everyone wants to be a leader (although I would think that everyone wants to have a lot of money). Not everyone has a mind for studies, just like an elephant like me with duck feet can never expect to ever be as skinny or athletic as the average Joe. Neither will I expect to wear a pair of proper cowboy boots, because if the length (width) fits, the width (length) won't. Ok, I digress. But the point remains: Not everyone will take to education like a fish takes to water. Not everyone will master mathematics or chemistry or even learn that you have to use the past participle after the verb has/have/had (well, in most cases, you do!). No one can claim that education will be the solution to everyone.
Yet, in our deep-rooted belief that education is the universal medicine to all social ills, we keep expanding the catchment of education. We believe that if we manage to keep everyone in the school system long enough, everyone will be educated.
But how many times must we remind one other that getting an education and being educated are entirely different issues? Yet, the equivalence is drawn every time. The glaring differences (I won't even use the notion of subtlety here) are blurred with broad strokes.
We expand and expand and expand our educational streams and institutions. In the name of providing differentiated education to different parts of the student spectrum, have we considered that there are those whose real education is from the university of the society? Mandatory education does nothing for them.
Cost Effectiveness of Education
If more and more people are being kept within the education domain, then why does the cost of education not go down? Instead of obeying the law of economy of scale, cost of education has been rising year on year. Just take the recent university and poly fee hikes as an example.
Yes, we may be attracting top brains to our local institutions to put them on the education map, we may be upgrading our infrastructure to provide better service or better education to our students, but why is it that the increase in student intake (and therefore the increase in fees) insufficient to pay for all these?
Without going into higher end education because it probably makes a difference when you are taught by a Harvard-trained professor as compared to a XYZ-trained professor, let us concentrate on basic education.
We are now training batches and batches of teachers. One the one hand, the education service laments the insufficiency of teachers. On the other hand, schools are expected to reduce class sizes, provide differentiated education, additional classes, CCA etc. But what is our priority? What is the true bread and butter of a teacher? Have we got our priorities messed up?
I clearly recall my days when the Cambridge Examination Syllabi were not reduced, schools were in double sessions, and we managed to complete our syllabi on time for the exams. Why is it that with the current reduction in syllabi and full-day school system, more and more schools are finding it difficult to complete the syllabi?
The reason is perhaps simpler than we would think: Because the quality of students have dipped. The PSLE T-score is dependent on the raw score and the passing/failure rate can possibly be pre-determined. I am not sure about this but if this indeed happens, students who make it into the secondary schools may not be of the same calibre year-on-year. This is especially so for the mediocre to poor performers who made it into each stream. As a result, a lot of time is spent on trying to teach these slow learners.
Are they in stream X because they are really stream X calibre or does the larger landscape allow them to slip into stream X? Until we know the answer, we can perhaps only postulate a guess. Also, teachers are given so much additional work that teaching is perhaps no longer the main job description of a teacher.
Then why is education costing so much when teachers actually teach so little, as compared to all the other work they have to do?
The Real Customers of Education
The education we provide do not necessary reach the very people we seek to educate. The education system is filled with enough undesirable pupils to make teaching a tough profession. While teachers stay on and try their best to win these strayers over, teachers also realise they are not gods. There is only so much that can be done. However, there is still a lot of convincing the people out there that the teachers have done their best.
Schools as a welfare shelter or child care centre
When widespread education is provided, parents clamour for more. Many a parent will in fact love to find a school that takes his or her child, keep him or her there, and educate him both academically and morally, and take over the absolute parentiing responsibilities from the parent him- or herself.
The mandate of the school has changed - in fact artificially and unreasonably expanded - by the very customers to whom an indirect service has been provided. How can education or the school become a surrogate parent that needs to impart full familial upbringing and values to the children? This is preposterous!
Life and Culture Education
As a learned population, we are failures in life and in culture. How many of us actually know our cultures well? How many of us have the resilience of our forefathers (even if we had more knowledge than them)? How many of us still secretly harbour undesirable habits like sitting with their legs resting on a chair a la rickshaw man style? How many of us remember to turn off our handphones in a cinema? How many of us know about marriage and funeral rites? How many of us even remember death anniversaries? What do we really care about? Our next meal, our next hairstyle, our next pub to visit, our next item to shop for... We have degenerated into a bunch of people who are entrenched in our mundane lives. How many of us even know who his or her MP is? How many people even remember who is Yusof Ishak?
We live a wandering life - educated and learned by all means but aimless. We think we know a lot but many people around me still do not understand why I try to start Friday afternoon meetings after 2.30 pm, especially if I have Muslim members. Many people are conceited, arrogant, full of themselves. Self-confidence is a positive trait but when you forget that you need to leave space for others to co-exist with you, then your values are suspect.
Alternatives
Excessively providing education to school-going age pupils is akin to throwing pearls to the swines. Some of these young ones do not have the aptitude or the interest in education. They would much prefer to spend their time doing something else.
One alternative is to require them to serve protracted NS for 4 years. This way, we can get them regimented fast and instil in them proper discipline. They could eventually go back to school after 2 years in NS. A bit of physical hardship does make the young ones think twice about staying out of school. But this is also transferring the problem.
The holistic solution to a problem like this is to provide basic tier education services which are wholly paid for by the parents - children from needy families can be exempt and children who achieve 100% accounted for attendance get 100% fee rebates at the end of the year. The other cases are pro-rated. After all, as with all services, people will abuse them. But people have yet to abuse money.
The parents of a child that drops out of this system will homeschool the child, failing which the child will be institutionalised. All fanciful stuff like character development programmes, flashy extra-curricular activities, enrichment programmes such as outings and field trips should be outsourced to private service providers. These service providers can be government schools whose main mandate is to provide an alternative to value-add against the open competition out there. If these schools fail, then the teachers lose their jobs.
Parents must be made to face legal punishments together with their children if neglect can be proven in cases of character development and morals. Just like we fine people who spit indiscriminately, when a child is caught for spitting, punish the parents as well! If it were not the case that the parents were also guilty of that habit, they might well have not made the effort to inculcate the correct values. Correct them at once - confine them for a week, let them spit but collect the spit. End of each day, make them swallow everything they spat out. Tell me that this will NOT work!
Teachers' pay should also be driven by the market and his or her customers (students) - a good teacher commands a higher salary. This way, teachers will be motivated to do their best and students will also have a say to decide on the quality of education they receive.
Considerations
These are radical ideas which may or may not work. But endlessly providing education as a solution is not going to work. A horse by the river will stop drinking once it is sated. No amount of forcing will make it drink anymore. Current education opportunities are saturated for the "normal" population. The needs of the educationally subnormal and gifted are far from being provided sufficiently. Here, we face an unwanted service at one region and those who need help, education does not want to go there.
This anomaly takes more than mere lip service to address. Something real has to be done about it. However, when it will be will really depend on when resources will be made available.
Conclusion
We are still a long way off from being a cultured, learned, tolerant, sensitive nation. School children recite Mr S Rajaratnam's ideals in the form of our pledge. The words are simple:
We the citizens of Singapore
Pledge ourselves a one united people
Regardless of race, language and religion
To build a democratic society
Based on peace, justice and equality
So as to achieve happiness, prosperity and progress for our nation.
But in the stark simplicity, how many of these have we imbibed personally? Why hasn't widespread, affordable, and accessible education to the people done its job? At who do we point our fingers? Teachers? Principals? Pupils? Parents? Stakeholders of education? Only we ourselves know best!
The great man is dead. Hopefully, his ideals for Singapore will not fade away with him.
Background
There had been a request that I give alternatives to my earlier posting on Symptomatic Relief. My arrogant reply was that the omission of the alternatives was intentional, not because I am unable to give them, but because I treasure my freedom still. I don't particularly fancy living on Sentosa as an ISA detainee.
Perhaps what I can do is to give the request some air time and provide a sneak peek into my mind. That's perhaps all I can do and I wouldn't want to go beyond this.
Introduction
Education has been treated as a panacea to many social ills. Countries with the means to provide affordable education to the masses do so, with every intention of achieving high literacy rates. A well educated population means that job opportunities become easier to come by. Multinationals are more likely to consider setting up their factories or outfits in countries with high literacy rates (and implicit in this argument, the presence of prerequisite infrastructure). These factories and money-churning outfits need workers and the well-educated workers are then able to be gainfully employed.
As with all well-educated work forces, the work to be undertaken is more towards adding value to the products rather than simple downline production or menial work. This means that the corresponding renumeration of these workers will be higher. As a result, the general standards of living will improve. (Implicit too, is that the cost of living will also increase, but that would be another story.) However, while social ills may be reduced, many other ills cannot be eradicated. An uncultured population remains uncultured, even if they are educated. Because even if their education provided them enough immersion in culture, nothing has overtly changed in the society they are in that requires them to move away from their undesirable past: the repugnant actions, the uncouth behaviour, the sloppy ways still remain.
Aim
In this entry, I wish to argue that the mass provision of education is neither prudent nor necessary.
Education as a ever widening safety net
As with all populations, there are the movers and the shakers, the leaders and the followers, the sprinters and the laggards. Not everyone wants to be a leader (although I would think that everyone wants to have a lot of money). Not everyone has a mind for studies, just like an elephant like me with duck feet can never expect to ever be as skinny or athletic as the average Joe. Neither will I expect to wear a pair of proper cowboy boots, because if the length (width) fits, the width (length) won't. Ok, I digress. But the point remains: Not everyone will take to education like a fish takes to water. Not everyone will master mathematics or chemistry or even learn that you have to use the past participle after the verb has/have/had (well, in most cases, you do!). No one can claim that education will be the solution to everyone.
Yet, in our deep-rooted belief that education is the universal medicine to all social ills, we keep expanding the catchment of education. We believe that if we manage to keep everyone in the school system long enough, everyone will be educated.
But how many times must we remind one other that getting an education and being educated are entirely different issues? Yet, the equivalence is drawn every time. The glaring differences (I won't even use the notion of subtlety here) are blurred with broad strokes.
We expand and expand and expand our educational streams and institutions. In the name of providing differentiated education to different parts of the student spectrum, have we considered that there are those whose real education is from the university of the society? Mandatory education does nothing for them.
Cost Effectiveness of Education
If more and more people are being kept within the education domain, then why does the cost of education not go down? Instead of obeying the law of economy of scale, cost of education has been rising year on year. Just take the recent university and poly fee hikes as an example.
Yes, we may be attracting top brains to our local institutions to put them on the education map, we may be upgrading our infrastructure to provide better service or better education to our students, but why is it that the increase in student intake (and therefore the increase in fees) insufficient to pay for all these?
Without going into higher end education because it probably makes a difference when you are taught by a Harvard-trained professor as compared to a XYZ-trained professor, let us concentrate on basic education.
We are now training batches and batches of teachers. One the one hand, the education service laments the insufficiency of teachers. On the other hand, schools are expected to reduce class sizes, provide differentiated education, additional classes, CCA etc. But what is our priority? What is the true bread and butter of a teacher? Have we got our priorities messed up?
I clearly recall my days when the Cambridge Examination Syllabi were not reduced, schools were in double sessions, and we managed to complete our syllabi on time for the exams. Why is it that with the current reduction in syllabi and full-day school system, more and more schools are finding it difficult to complete the syllabi?
The reason is perhaps simpler than we would think: Because the quality of students have dipped. The PSLE T-score is dependent on the raw score and the passing/failure rate can possibly be pre-determined. I am not sure about this but if this indeed happens, students who make it into the secondary schools may not be of the same calibre year-on-year. This is especially so for the mediocre to poor performers who made it into each stream. As a result, a lot of time is spent on trying to teach these slow learners.
Are they in stream X because they are really stream X calibre or does the larger landscape allow them to slip into stream X? Until we know the answer, we can perhaps only postulate a guess. Also, teachers are given so much additional work that teaching is perhaps no longer the main job description of a teacher.
Then why is education costing so much when teachers actually teach so little, as compared to all the other work they have to do?
The Real Customers of Education
The education we provide do not necessary reach the very people we seek to educate. The education system is filled with enough undesirable pupils to make teaching a tough profession. While teachers stay on and try their best to win these strayers over, teachers also realise they are not gods. There is only so much that can be done. However, there is still a lot of convincing the people out there that the teachers have done their best.
Schools as a welfare shelter or child care centre
When widespread education is provided, parents clamour for more. Many a parent will in fact love to find a school that takes his or her child, keep him or her there, and educate him both academically and morally, and take over the absolute parentiing responsibilities from the parent him- or herself.
The mandate of the school has changed - in fact artificially and unreasonably expanded - by the very customers to whom an indirect service has been provided. How can education or the school become a surrogate parent that needs to impart full familial upbringing and values to the children? This is preposterous!
Life and Culture Education
As a learned population, we are failures in life and in culture. How many of us actually know our cultures well? How many of us have the resilience of our forefathers (even if we had more knowledge than them)? How many of us still secretly harbour undesirable habits like sitting with their legs resting on a chair a la rickshaw man style? How many of us remember to turn off our handphones in a cinema? How many of us know about marriage and funeral rites? How many of us even remember death anniversaries? What do we really care about? Our next meal, our next hairstyle, our next pub to visit, our next item to shop for... We have degenerated into a bunch of people who are entrenched in our mundane lives. How many of us even know who his or her MP is? How many people even remember who is Yusof Ishak?
We live a wandering life - educated and learned by all means but aimless. We think we know a lot but many people around me still do not understand why I try to start Friday afternoon meetings after 2.30 pm, especially if I have Muslim members. Many people are conceited, arrogant, full of themselves. Self-confidence is a positive trait but when you forget that you need to leave space for others to co-exist with you, then your values are suspect.
Alternatives
Excessively providing education to school-going age pupils is akin to throwing pearls to the swines. Some of these young ones do not have the aptitude or the interest in education. They would much prefer to spend their time doing something else.
One alternative is to require them to serve protracted NS for 4 years. This way, we can get them regimented fast and instil in them proper discipline. They could eventually go back to school after 2 years in NS. A bit of physical hardship does make the young ones think twice about staying out of school. But this is also transferring the problem.
The holistic solution to a problem like this is to provide basic tier education services which are wholly paid for by the parents - children from needy families can be exempt and children who achieve 100% accounted for attendance get 100% fee rebates at the end of the year. The other cases are pro-rated. After all, as with all services, people will abuse them. But people have yet to abuse money.
The parents of a child that drops out of this system will homeschool the child, failing which the child will be institutionalised. All fanciful stuff like character development programmes, flashy extra-curricular activities, enrichment programmes such as outings and field trips should be outsourced to private service providers. These service providers can be government schools whose main mandate is to provide an alternative to value-add against the open competition out there. If these schools fail, then the teachers lose their jobs.
Parents must be made to face legal punishments together with their children if neglect can be proven in cases of character development and morals. Just like we fine people who spit indiscriminately, when a child is caught for spitting, punish the parents as well! If it were not the case that the parents were also guilty of that habit, they might well have not made the effort to inculcate the correct values. Correct them at once - confine them for a week, let them spit but collect the spit. End of each day, make them swallow everything they spat out. Tell me that this will NOT work!
Teachers' pay should also be driven by the market and his or her customers (students) - a good teacher commands a higher salary. This way, teachers will be motivated to do their best and students will also have a say to decide on the quality of education they receive.
Considerations
These are radical ideas which may or may not work. But endlessly providing education as a solution is not going to work. A horse by the river will stop drinking once it is sated. No amount of forcing will make it drink anymore. Current education opportunities are saturated for the "normal" population. The needs of the educationally subnormal and gifted are far from being provided sufficiently. Here, we face an unwanted service at one region and those who need help, education does not want to go there.
This anomaly takes more than mere lip service to address. Something real has to be done about it. However, when it will be will really depend on when resources will be made available.
Conclusion
We are still a long way off from being a cultured, learned, tolerant, sensitive nation. School children recite Mr S Rajaratnam's ideals in the form of our pledge. The words are simple:
We the citizens of Singapore
Pledge ourselves a one united people
Regardless of race, language and religion
To build a democratic society
Based on peace, justice and equality
So as to achieve happiness, prosperity and progress for our nation.
But in the stark simplicity, how many of these have we imbibed personally? Why hasn't widespread, affordable, and accessible education to the people done its job? At who do we point our fingers? Teachers? Principals? Pupils? Parents? Stakeholders of education? Only we ourselves know best!
The great man is dead. Hopefully, his ideals for Singapore will not fade away with him.
In the name of helping...
In the name of helping...
Northlight School will be set up to take in 13 year old students who have failed PSLE twice. It aims to train these students vocationally and place emphasis on their character development. The 3-year training programme will also include 10 week attachments annually.
I will state a few quick observations here but I am taking the position of the devil's advocate.
1. Imagine the poorly educated parents of these students going around telling others that their child is now in "No light school". How not very bright.
2. Since ITE is not the end and since ITE takes in PSLE failures who are at least 14 years old (i.e. triple PSLE failure students), then is Northlight the new end?
3. Do we now have a new stream called Express (Condemned)? How else do we exclude these pupils from regular education so quickly? Do they have a way back to mainstream education?
4. Do we need to review child labour laws? Are 13 year olds legitimate workers? If not, how do the work attachments feature?
5. Why do they need to repeat PSLE? Why can't failures who know what they already want simply opt to DSA to Northlight? Why does the system enforce an additional year of misery on pupils who have already decided that they can't pass PSLE? And if the child is forced to take a second try, why not simply review laws to allow the currently superannuated pupils a third try? Maybe they are third time lucky, maybe they are not?
6. If the drop out rate at vocational institutes is 60%, then what is the expected drop out rate here?
7. If going to VIs already carry a stigma, then does going to Northlight mean carrying an albatross?
Let's hope there are answers.
Northlight School will be set up to take in 13 year old students who have failed PSLE twice. It aims to train these students vocationally and place emphasis on their character development. The 3-year training programme will also include 10 week attachments annually.
I will state a few quick observations here but I am taking the position of the devil's advocate.
1. Imagine the poorly educated parents of these students going around telling others that their child is now in "No light school". How not very bright.
2. Since ITE is not the end and since ITE takes in PSLE failures who are at least 14 years old (i.e. triple PSLE failure students), then is Northlight the new end?
3. Do we now have a new stream called Express (Condemned)? How else do we exclude these pupils from regular education so quickly? Do they have a way back to mainstream education?
4. Do we need to review child labour laws? Are 13 year olds legitimate workers? If not, how do the work attachments feature?
5. Why do they need to repeat PSLE? Why can't failures who know what they already want simply opt to DSA to Northlight? Why does the system enforce an additional year of misery on pupils who have already decided that they can't pass PSLE? And if the child is forced to take a second try, why not simply review laws to allow the currently superannuated pupils a third try? Maybe they are third time lucky, maybe they are not?
6. If the drop out rate at vocational institutes is 60%, then what is the expected drop out rate here?
7. If going to VIs already carry a stigma, then does going to Northlight mean carrying an albatross?
Let's hope there are answers.
The Point of No Return
The Point of No Return
Quite amazing, to make up one's mind to end it all. To jump off that tall building or swallow those pills or slit those wrists take a hell of a lot of courage.
Not to mention, stupidity.
But there is a bigger underlying question that needs to be answered. Why. Yes, why. Why do these people do it?
What have made them decide that they have gone past the threshold of no return?
One does not decide to die and goes about dying in a short period of time. There must be the signs.
The withdrawal, perhaps? The sudden social (or anti-social) behaviours? The out-of-the-blue, off-the-cuff actions that are so out of place? Talk? Changes in body language? Lack of interest? Giving away things? Talking in riddles? Leaving behind or willing away things?
While I am tempted to chastise these quitters for their cowardice, I refrain from doing so. Because they have embarked on a path that requires a lot of bravery to execute.
Yes, life is precious. But what if the living has already decided that life is worthless?
We owe our being to our parents, but to whom do we credit our misery then? Did a person ask to be born?
I have a feeling that many people are not living out their own lives; they are living another life for another. In other words, someone is living out their failed aspirations through the poor sufferer.
I have discussed this more than once, but thought it might be useful to revisit this - after all, this is high jump season (Mar Common Tests coming!).
Suicide is another ill of our instant society. It is a solution, isn't it? Never mind the roasting in eternal hell. Heck, didn't Someone say any person will be forgiven if s/he believed in Him? S/he will believe in Him before s/he slits his/her wrist/swallow the pills/jump off the building then.
Let the living manage the fall out of my actions. After all, they are all living well, aren't they? Surely, the dead must have been lulled into feeling that his/her past existence meant nothing at all. Or that no one cared. Or the hole that they have dug for him/herself is too deep to climb out of.
Nothing surprises me anymore, except the exceptional courage that some people have to end it all. And ok, perhaps the erroneous "foresight" that s/he has past the point of no return.
I am only curious now how the person actually felt as s/he hurtles through the air, past the real point of no return. Will s/he even have an opportunity to feel any regret? Or does s/he feel only bliss?
Quite amazing, to make up one's mind to end it all. To jump off that tall building or swallow those pills or slit those wrists take a hell of a lot of courage.
Not to mention, stupidity.
But there is a bigger underlying question that needs to be answered. Why. Yes, why. Why do these people do it?
What have made them decide that they have gone past the threshold of no return?
One does not decide to die and goes about dying in a short period of time. There must be the signs.
The withdrawal, perhaps? The sudden social (or anti-social) behaviours? The out-of-the-blue, off-the-cuff actions that are so out of place? Talk? Changes in body language? Lack of interest? Giving away things? Talking in riddles? Leaving behind or willing away things?
While I am tempted to chastise these quitters for their cowardice, I refrain from doing so. Because they have embarked on a path that requires a lot of bravery to execute.
Yes, life is precious. But what if the living has already decided that life is worthless?
We owe our being to our parents, but to whom do we credit our misery then? Did a person ask to be born?
I have a feeling that many people are not living out their own lives; they are living another life for another. In other words, someone is living out their failed aspirations through the poor sufferer.
I have discussed this more than once, but thought it might be useful to revisit this - after all, this is high jump season (Mar Common Tests coming!).
Suicide is another ill of our instant society. It is a solution, isn't it? Never mind the roasting in eternal hell. Heck, didn't Someone say any person will be forgiven if s/he believed in Him? S/he will believe in Him before s/he slits his/her wrist/swallow the pills/jump off the building then.
Let the living manage the fall out of my actions. After all, they are all living well, aren't they? Surely, the dead must have been lulled into feeling that his/her past existence meant nothing at all. Or that no one cared. Or the hole that they have dug for him/herself is too deep to climb out of.
Nothing surprises me anymore, except the exceptional courage that some people have to end it all. And ok, perhaps the erroneous "foresight" that s/he has past the point of no return.
I am only curious now how the person actually felt as s/he hurtles through the air, past the real point of no return. Will s/he even have an opportunity to feel any regret? Or does s/he feel only bliss?
Sunday, March 05, 2006
Symptomatic Relief
Symptomatic Relief
Too often we seek symptomatic relief, forgetting the larger worries.
The population grew too fast - decree by law to curb babies production.
There are too many cars on the road - enforce road pricing and regulate car growth.
There are too many illegal hawkers on the streets - send out health inspectors to book them, confiscate their goods and tell them not to come back and peddle their stuff again or risk being sent to jail.
The environment is too dirty - start a Clean and Green Campaign.
The people are not courteous enough - start a courtesy campaign.
The Chinese are losing their roots - impress the Chinese populace that Chinese (hua yu) is cool.
Some of our more athletically-inclined pupils are "losing out" in the academic pursuit - have the Direct School Admission.
I'm hungry - eat instant noodles.
We are an instant society seeking instant relief from the many ills we see. We are a distorted monster with many parts tweaked out of balance and out of sync with the other parts.
We are not holistically whole; we are a Frankenstein monster of cannibalised parts brought alive by some lightning.
The society is given a collective brain and it surely can think. But everyone little thinking bit wants the ills it identifies to be rectified immediately.
Single ills are easy to cure, but collective failings need a whole-of-system review.
What do we solve so that we could solve all the problems, or most of the problems, in the shortest time?
We had hoped that education is going to be the panacea. But has education worked its magic?
While I hope to say, "Only time will tell", I believe there are already some answers out there.
Do we and should we take a really good look at the system again?
Too often we seek symptomatic relief, forgetting the larger worries.
The population grew too fast - decree by law to curb babies production.
There are too many cars on the road - enforce road pricing and regulate car growth.
There are too many illegal hawkers on the streets - send out health inspectors to book them, confiscate their goods and tell them not to come back and peddle their stuff again or risk being sent to jail.
The environment is too dirty - start a Clean and Green Campaign.
The people are not courteous enough - start a courtesy campaign.
The Chinese are losing their roots - impress the Chinese populace that Chinese (hua yu) is cool.
Some of our more athletically-inclined pupils are "losing out" in the academic pursuit - have the Direct School Admission.
I'm hungry - eat instant noodles.
We are an instant society seeking instant relief from the many ills we see. We are a distorted monster with many parts tweaked out of balance and out of sync with the other parts.
We are not holistically whole; we are a Frankenstein monster of cannibalised parts brought alive by some lightning.
The society is given a collective brain and it surely can think. But everyone little thinking bit wants the ills it identifies to be rectified immediately.
Single ills are easy to cure, but collective failings need a whole-of-system review.
What do we solve so that we could solve all the problems, or most of the problems, in the shortest time?
We had hoped that education is going to be the panacea. But has education worked its magic?
While I hope to say, "Only time will tell", I believe there are already some answers out there.
Do we and should we take a really good look at the system again?
Saturday, March 04, 2006
Lebanese Food
Lebanese Food
Had Lebanese food for dinner tonight.
Was an interesting meal, and healthy too.
Parsley leaves salad, red bean salad, brinjal paste, stuffed vine leaves, okral (ladies' fingers) are part of the meal. All interesting and I like them a lot.
Well, more about it when I get to know these better.
It was served with Lebanese bread, mini cheese pizza, mini thyme pizza, and spinach pie. An acquired taste, no doubt, but it was an enriching and pleasant experience.
Will go there again!
Had Lebanese food for dinner tonight.
Was an interesting meal, and healthy too.
Parsley leaves salad, red bean salad, brinjal paste, stuffed vine leaves, okral (ladies' fingers) are part of the meal. All interesting and I like them a lot.
Well, more about it when I get to know these better.
It was served with Lebanese bread, mini cheese pizza, mini thyme pizza, and spinach pie. An acquired taste, no doubt, but it was an enriching and pleasant experience.
Will go there again!
Where you stand
Where you stand
Was eating dinner at a coffeshop opposite a Hotel 81 last night.
At the entance of H81 by the roadside, there was this woman in a maroon power suit, a brief case and in heels making a call.
Then she walked into the hotel.
Are you thinking what I am thinking?
* * *
Same place, there was this bald, skinny caucasian man. He paced up and down the entrance corridor of the same hotel.
He was making a calls and after finishing a call after a few laps on the tarmac, he disappeared into the hotel.
Are you thinking what I am thinking?
* * *
An man in his 50s brought a woman in her late 20s or 30s and walked into the coffeeshop where I was eating.
He seated her down and said in Chinese, "We'll just eat what I order, ok?"
She did not reply.
I know they have come from across the road.
So he ordered a big plate of Indian Rojak and finished the food in no time. They paid up and left.
I've stopped thinking.
But I am indeed happy that there are people who might not have to spend the night alone.
Was eating dinner at a coffeshop opposite a Hotel 81 last night.
At the entance of H81 by the roadside, there was this woman in a maroon power suit, a brief case and in heels making a call.
Then she walked into the hotel.
Are you thinking what I am thinking?
* * *
Same place, there was this bald, skinny caucasian man. He paced up and down the entrance corridor of the same hotel.
He was making a calls and after finishing a call after a few laps on the tarmac, he disappeared into the hotel.
Are you thinking what I am thinking?
* * *
An man in his 50s brought a woman in her late 20s or 30s and walked into the coffeeshop where I was eating.
He seated her down and said in Chinese, "We'll just eat what I order, ok?"
She did not reply.
I know they have come from across the road.
So he ordered a big plate of Indian Rojak and finished the food in no time. They paid up and left.
I've stopped thinking.
But I am indeed happy that there are people who might not have to spend the night alone.
Poor Management
Poor Management
A certain hotel cafe in Singapore serves Taiwan Porridge Buffet Dinner from 6 pm to 1 am nightly.
As the charges are economical, the cafe is usually packed, with advanced bookings of about a fortnight.
Went there last night. Discovered they have a new rule.
Dinner buffet will end at 10 pm and the supper seating is at 10.30 pm. No bookings are allowed for supper. And I was there at 9.20 pm.
So the waiter and the supervisor gave their instructions: If you want to eat dinner, you have to vacate by 10 pm. Otherwise, you will till 10.30 pm, stand outside and queue.
I tried to ask to be seated while I wait for supper, then they said, if you are seated, we will charge you dinner prices, and then supper price again.
Between waiting almost an hour and paying twice, I walked off.
I finished dinner at 10.15 pm and came home.
If a particular buffet were so saleable, the easiest thing to do is to enforce seating times. You can do this by allowing diners two hours (or an hour and a half, depending) to consume their dinner. They can be issued count-down timers or given time chits stating their end time. Of course, they can go beyond the time, but that would incur additional charges, depending on the number of dining sessions used.
In this case, you can have a constant flow for dinner, you can take in a constant stream of customers and you never have to keep people waiting for too long, not knowing when the next table will be freed up.
Isn't this a better idea than to make famished diners waiting for dinner either leave half-way into dinner or starve till the next available seating?
Singapore service standards have a long way to go indeed!
A certain hotel cafe in Singapore serves Taiwan Porridge Buffet Dinner from 6 pm to 1 am nightly.
As the charges are economical, the cafe is usually packed, with advanced bookings of about a fortnight.
Went there last night. Discovered they have a new rule.
Dinner buffet will end at 10 pm and the supper seating is at 10.30 pm. No bookings are allowed for supper. And I was there at 9.20 pm.
So the waiter and the supervisor gave their instructions: If you want to eat dinner, you have to vacate by 10 pm. Otherwise, you will till 10.30 pm, stand outside and queue.
I tried to ask to be seated while I wait for supper, then they said, if you are seated, we will charge you dinner prices, and then supper price again.
Between waiting almost an hour and paying twice, I walked off.
I finished dinner at 10.15 pm and came home.
If a particular buffet were so saleable, the easiest thing to do is to enforce seating times. You can do this by allowing diners two hours (or an hour and a half, depending) to consume their dinner. They can be issued count-down timers or given time chits stating their end time. Of course, they can go beyond the time, but that would incur additional charges, depending on the number of dining sessions used.
In this case, you can have a constant flow for dinner, you can take in a constant stream of customers and you never have to keep people waiting for too long, not knowing when the next table will be freed up.
Isn't this a better idea than to make famished diners waiting for dinner either leave half-way into dinner or starve till the next available seating?
Singapore service standards have a long way to go indeed!
Thursday, March 02, 2006
Teen Curfew
Teen Curfew
So, the police is finally doing something about loitering teens.
But is this something useful? I don't seem to see much point in despatching patrols out to "book" teens who are loitering, only to JUST inform their parents.
Why bother? If I had my way, when police "book" teens, their parents will be fined $150 each time their children are booked.
Better still, fine and attend parenting classes.
I believe married couples should attend parenting classes before they can be allowed to be parents.
In fact, dating couples should be tested and awarded marriageability licenses before they are allowed to register their marriages.
For too long, the holy matrimony has deteriorated to the unholy trinity or worse, the orgy quadrinity. Why can't two people who were madly in love when they married each other stay mad? Why must they sober up all of a sudden and spread their misery elsewhere?
And then, what folly to think that having kids will save a marriage? The kids are innocent. Kids will never save a marriage. They simply prolong the inevitable, adding unnecessary agony in the waiting process. If the parents decide that the kid is no longer reason enough to stay together, then the divorce will tear the child apart as well.
But I digress. The point is, teens leave home in the night because the home has become unbearable. Parents at home are largely to blame for such cases.
A home that is harmonious and happy is a home that children would want to stay in. If the home is dysfunctional and the parents are always seeking to pin blame on their children and worse, there is sibling rivalry or mutual sabotage, then whoever stays at home is going to bear the brunt of any outbursts.
No sane person in the right frame of mind would give up a perfect evening to be scolded senselessly and irrationally by parents who simply need someone to vent their anger on.
Small wonder teens escape the comfort of home and loiter.
For unruly teens who are caught, for instance, those causing niusance to the neighbourhood, by all means, arrest them and get them punished. School-based public caning should be a reasonable way out. After all, this would mean that the stakeholders of education are cooperating with one another to ensure that the young are properly brought up. For such cases, triple the fine for the parents to $450. Then maybe the parents will cane the child at home again.
Then the child will run away at night and loiter. And they get caught again.
Soon, we can be exempt from paying taxes. The parents of errant kids will be paying for our progress shares!
Remember the recent slide in COE prices but owning the car is still a money burner? We now can apply the same concept on parenthood. We can dispense with the parenting license as rearing the kids itself is debilitating enough. So, people will think twice about having kids or if they do have kids, they will be careful in raising their kids to be responsible kids and responsible adults.
Otherwise, we will always be dealing with kidults. These are those who physically age but never mentally mature.
So, the police is finally doing something about loitering teens.
But is this something useful? I don't seem to see much point in despatching patrols out to "book" teens who are loitering, only to JUST inform their parents.
Why bother? If I had my way, when police "book" teens, their parents will be fined $150 each time their children are booked.
Better still, fine and attend parenting classes.
I believe married couples should attend parenting classes before they can be allowed to be parents.
In fact, dating couples should be tested and awarded marriageability licenses before they are allowed to register their marriages.
For too long, the holy matrimony has deteriorated to the unholy trinity or worse, the orgy quadrinity. Why can't two people who were madly in love when they married each other stay mad? Why must they sober up all of a sudden and spread their misery elsewhere?
And then, what folly to think that having kids will save a marriage? The kids are innocent. Kids will never save a marriage. They simply prolong the inevitable, adding unnecessary agony in the waiting process. If the parents decide that the kid is no longer reason enough to stay together, then the divorce will tear the child apart as well.
But I digress. The point is, teens leave home in the night because the home has become unbearable. Parents at home are largely to blame for such cases.
A home that is harmonious and happy is a home that children would want to stay in. If the home is dysfunctional and the parents are always seeking to pin blame on their children and worse, there is sibling rivalry or mutual sabotage, then whoever stays at home is going to bear the brunt of any outbursts.
No sane person in the right frame of mind would give up a perfect evening to be scolded senselessly and irrationally by parents who simply need someone to vent their anger on.
Small wonder teens escape the comfort of home and loiter.
For unruly teens who are caught, for instance, those causing niusance to the neighbourhood, by all means, arrest them and get them punished. School-based public caning should be a reasonable way out. After all, this would mean that the stakeholders of education are cooperating with one another to ensure that the young are properly brought up. For such cases, triple the fine for the parents to $450. Then maybe the parents will cane the child at home again.
Then the child will run away at night and loiter. And they get caught again.
Soon, we can be exempt from paying taxes. The parents of errant kids will be paying for our progress shares!
Remember the recent slide in COE prices but owning the car is still a money burner? We now can apply the same concept on parenthood. We can dispense with the parenting license as rearing the kids itself is debilitating enough. So, people will think twice about having kids or if they do have kids, they will be careful in raising their kids to be responsible kids and responsible adults.
Otherwise, we will always be dealing with kidults. These are those who physically age but never mentally mature.
Wednesday, March 01, 2006
Gingered Syrup
Gingered Syrup
Sitting at my computer checking my mails now. The hall windows were open and I had the fan turned on. It is not too hot an evening but it is quite humid. Just had my bath and preparing for bed.
Then the breeze entered the window, bringing with it the smell of gingered syrup. There is also the distinctive smell of pandan leaves in the syrup. I am wondering what is simmering in that pot of sugared water - sweet potatoes, dumplings, what?
This smell reminds me of dessert and even though the night is warm, a piping hot bowl of something sweet is still welcome.
Love that feeling of the warm and slightly spicy gingered syrup going down the throat, slightly warming the stomach as it enters.
How nice, that warm feeling inside a person.
I've a bottle of gingered sugar. Maybe I'll just make myself a warm glass of gingered milk later.
Or I'll take cold comfort in imagining that I've taken a good cup of the warm brew.
I think the latter. For it's calorie-free.
Sitting at my computer checking my mails now. The hall windows were open and I had the fan turned on. It is not too hot an evening but it is quite humid. Just had my bath and preparing for bed.
Then the breeze entered the window, bringing with it the smell of gingered syrup. There is also the distinctive smell of pandan leaves in the syrup. I am wondering what is simmering in that pot of sugared water - sweet potatoes, dumplings, what?
This smell reminds me of dessert and even though the night is warm, a piping hot bowl of something sweet is still welcome.
Love that feeling of the warm and slightly spicy gingered syrup going down the throat, slightly warming the stomach as it enters.
How nice, that warm feeling inside a person.
I've a bottle of gingered sugar. Maybe I'll just make myself a warm glass of gingered milk later.
Or I'll take cold comfort in imagining that I've taken a good cup of the warm brew.
I think the latter. For it's calorie-free.
Resistance is easy
Resistance is easy
I did not turn on my computer yesterday. I kept myself busy watching television programmes instead.
I think cable is something wonderful. Actually, more accurately, having money is wonderful. How else can I get cable?
I caught so many shows last night, beginning with channel surfing over dinner, then the 7 pm Chinese serial and Strong Medicine (I'm definitely addicted to this one already!), then 8 pm Zhang Fei show and intermittently swapping channels to make sure I don't miss other shows, such as Travel and Living's Whatever his name's Indian trip with lots of food, and over and over across many channels.
I even took a bath midway through the shows.
Caught the ending of the Channel 5 news and went to bed.
Resistance? No sweat.
I did not turn on my computer yesterday. I kept myself busy watching television programmes instead.
I think cable is something wonderful. Actually, more accurately, having money is wonderful. How else can I get cable?
I caught so many shows last night, beginning with channel surfing over dinner, then the 7 pm Chinese serial and Strong Medicine (I'm definitely addicted to this one already!), then 8 pm Zhang Fei show and intermittently swapping channels to make sure I don't miss other shows, such as Travel and Living's Whatever his name's Indian trip with lots of food, and over and over across many channels.
I even took a bath midway through the shows.
Caught the ending of the Channel 5 news and went to bed.
Resistance? No sweat.
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