Christmas lights on the trees at St 83??

Two evenings ago, when I crossed Tampines Street 83, I saw Christmas lights on the trees along the road, yes, Christmas lights. This would only mean some festival or some celebration is near, but which one? The Hungry Ghosts one gone already, the Lantern one too, and Deepavali is still far away.
Then it dawned on me: OF COURSE, a VVIP (none other than our Prime Minister) will be coming to the new Tampines Central Community Centre for its official opening this Saturday, that's why everywhere around the area must make nice nice for him to see! By the way, the HDB block facing the CC also has the words 'WELCOME', 'PRIME MINISTER', 'LEE HSIEN LOONG' printed on 3 separate huge banners, with each banner at a different storey. That's subtlety for you. At least they try to cut costs, if the PM changes, they can still reuse 2 banners out of 3.

And the song that popped into my head (since there are Christmas lights):

You better watch out,
you better not cry,
you better not pout i'm tellin' you why,
PM Lee is coming to town

And in light of S'porean bloggers being charged for sedition left, right and centre by the Government, the next few lines sounded eerily true:

He's making a list,
checkin it twice,
he's gonna find out who's naughty or nice,
PM Lee is coming to town.

HAPPY 7th Birthday, Google!

You are my favourite search engine. Thanks for being so useful. Keep up the web-crawling!

Excerpt taken from a letter in ST Forum on Monday 26 Sept, written by a student:

Schools need balanced view on student blogs

....Studying in a prestigious all-boys school in the Bishan-Ang Mo Kio area, I have witnessed on many occasions the school administration root out pupils who criticised teachers on their weblog and extract a public apology from them (posted in cyberspace, nonetheless).....

So... must tell people you studying in Raffles Institution is it? Wah, RI leh, very hao lian right? Scared people don't know is it? Why can't you just say all-boys secondary school in S'pore? Or is it you think only elite schools like RI have students who are active bloggers and are more outspoken?

This brings to mind the lame parent who wrote in to Forum to complain about 'taupoking' in 'a premiere JC in the Bishan-Ang Mo Kio area'. Again, this father scared people don't know his clever precious son is studying in Raffles JC.

Oh puh-leeeeassse *roll eyes*

How do you deal with a lunatic?

Saturday morning:

I was at Bedok Interchange hawker centre for my usual breakfast of carrot cake. Had chwee kuay, fried chicken wing and hashbrown too, hand was oily as a result. Went to the sink by the toilets to wash my hand, but what I saw there was an oldish Chinese man washing his hands. Ok, so I shall wait. 10 seconds passed, and he still looked as if he was hardly done yet.

That was when I realised there was something loose in this man's mind, and he had to be at the sink at the moment when I wanted to use it. He was wasting a copious amount of water too, and he should be stopped.

What should I do? If I go up to him and politely ask him to step aside, he would probably ignore me and I will look like a fool. If I go and yell at him: 'OI, SIAM LAH!', I will look like a cad. If I go and shove him aside (since there's no point reasoning with a lunatic), he may turn violent; worse still, he could splash water all over the Italian calf leather strap on my Panerai.
What did I do then? I turned around and headed back to my seat, with hand still oily. Truth is, I have always been intimidated by the mentally ill. Aren't we all...

That man should be transported to the fountain at Bugis Junction; he will be happy and there will be no wastage of water.

Growth of a toddler

Here's little Sarah with me; photo was taken in November last year.



And here's Sarah having her breakfast, snapped last Sunday!

Citibank offered me a place at a Wine Appreciation workshop on Sunday, 28 August. Since it was free, I went for fun. Venue was this wine lounge just opposite Hong Lim Park (the Speakers' Corner that has gone dusty from under-use).

While walking to the wine lounge, I passed by this unit called Settlers Cafe, and when I looked in, it was full of happy people! I took a closer look, and realised it was one of those cafes where you could gather with friends to play board-games which are provided by the cafe. If you know your cafes, you would know that Mind Cafe also boasts a similar concept. From the atmosphere I saw at Settlers Cafe despite being a Sunday night, these cafes must have proven to be a hit with $'poreans.

I noticed that the set-up of the cafe allowed (or forced) customers to be huddled/seated close together as they played the games. Now, this is my theory-- the success of these cafes is because of one thing, GIRLS. Yes, girls. Think about it, will any normal guy get together with a bunch of guys to play boardgames at a cafe?? Sounds lame isn't it? No way would I say yes, no matter how interesting that board game is! But throw in girls into the equation, and it makes a whole lot of difference, and sense. Meaning, these cafes will either appeal to girls (those who are genuinely interested in learning new and fun boardgames), and to men who are interested in girls (and of course being in close proximity to them), which surely comprises a sizeable percentage of our population (and 99.7% of all the men).

Anyway, no matter how cynical I sounded (by the way, I've never patronized board-game cafes before), I guess it's all good clean fun. Much better than spending one's time in front of the PC and numbing your brains with online gaming.

Here's some pics of the wine workshop (to test the low-light mode of my new digicam). The lounge looks nice and cosy. When I asked the 'lecturer' why I always have a hangover with red wine but never with white, he confirmed that there are really certain people with this condition. His advice was for me to try red wine from different regions/countries for it has been found that not all reds give people like me headaches. Nah, I have never liked red wine anyway.

What a difference one more word makes. When I bother to say 'kopi gao' (instead of just 'kopi') to the auntie/uncle at the coffeeshop at Tampines Street 82, the coffee really tastes better, has more 'ooomph'! For the same price of 70 cents.

Here's MediaCorp starlet Fiona Xie's Omega in my hands. I think she's an ambassador for Omega, but not very sure about that.

Came across this most interesting piece of news, which of course, did not appear in the state-controlled Straits Times.

Agence France Presse
September 2, 2005
SINGAPORE

A SINGAPOREAN activist has filed a police complaint against national broadcaster MediaCorp for allegedly violating the island's Films Act banning political advertising using film or video.
The complaint, filed by Yap Keng Ho, accuses MediaCorp of screening two programs about ruling People's Action Party leaders and is meant as a protest against Singapore's stringent censorship, Yap said.

Yap told AFP Friday, Sept 2, he wanted to expose a pro-ruling party bias in the legislation banning political films with his complaint, which comes as police investigate independent Singaporean film maker Martyn See for making a documentary about an opposition leader.

The Films Act bans political advertising using films or videos, as well as movies directed towards any political end such as promoting parties.

"I feel that it is a very unfair and biased legislation," Yap, a 44-year-old information technology consultant, told AFP. "I want to show the world whether law enforcement (in Singapore) is going to be fair or not."

Yap's complaint alleges that MediaCorp had violated the Films Act by screening two programs in 2002 and this year featuring Singapore's founding father Lee Kuan Yew and his son, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, respectively.

A spokesman for the Singapore police confirmed they received the complaint "and are currently making the necessary checks with the Media Development Authority (MDA)."

A spokesman for MediaCorp said they were unaware of Yap's complaint.

On Monday, filmmaker See surrendered to police his camera and remaining tapes of the documentary "Singapore Rebel" about Chee Soon Juan, secretary-general of the opposition Singapore Democratic Party.

Chee, the most vocal opposition politician in Singapore, is facing bankruptcy after the High Court ordered him to pay S$500,000 (US$300,000) for defaming PAP leaders.

Affluent Singapore has often been criticised by human rights groups for maintaining strict political controls despite its rapid modernisation since becoming a republic 40 years ago last month. Singapore has been ruled by the PAP since independence.
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Wow, so it appears someone wants to turn the tables against the Government by making MediaCorp as a scapegoat. Good luck to him, I have a feeling our men in blue will snuff out his complaint faster than you can say 'Majulah Singapura'.
But his complaint is logical-- if film-maker Martyn See is harassed by police for making that 'political' documentary on Chee Soon Juan, MediaCorp should also kena the same treatment, face prosecution even, for airing those 'political' documentaries that show our PAP ministers doing their jobs and being approachable and friendly in a bid to boost their public image. Will that even be likely? Yes, if the sun could rise from the west.
This brings to mind the letter in ST Forum which reminded the police to take action against the person who used the 999 number to inform police about the Buangkok white elephants, as 999 is supposed to be used for emergencies only. Talk about getting back at that tattle-tale!

A response by a concerned lady regarding Mediacorp's reply (on Thurs) to my letter (on Tues) was printed in Straits Times Forum page today:

Why harp on 7 deadly sins? Focus on virtues

MEDIACORP'S Ms Han Chuan Quee, in reply to Mr Kelvin Lau's letter, 'TV show shouldn't plug premarital sex' (ST, Sept 13), said that the programme What Women Want, Really was a) 'an attempt to give the topic a fresh new look'; b) 'to give the singles a hearing' as a married couple's views had been included; c) the target audience was adult decision-makers, and d) to 'appeal to professionals, executives and businessmen who form two thirds' of the viewers.

If this were so, why was the programme shown on a Sunday at 3.33 in the afternoon, when children, including teenagers, would be watching? Why was it not scheduled late at night when presumably only adults would be the viewers?

I can understand why a 'fresh, new look is needed' as the seven deadly sins have been in existence for as long as man has been on the earth. But why on earth do we need to focus on them when the world is in dire need of life-giving virtues - kindness, compassion, altruistic love, honesty, faithfulness, integrity, loyalty, sincerity, thoughtfulness and others - the lack of which is being seen more and more in today's society?

Is the bottom line dollars and cents because businesses highlighted in the programme and MediaCorp News will definitely profit by the exposure, even if it's at the expense of moral damage to easily influenced youths?

With hotels already offering special room rates for couples - mostly unmarried - on Valentine's Day and other packages, there is already a lackadaisical attitude towards premarital sex and cohabitation.

There is, in fact, a dire need for the opposite - a promotion of the virtues of virginity before marriage, faithfulness after marriage and a great sense of commitment to whatever a person takes on, be it a job, a service, a given task or a vocation.

This can be achieved if the focus is on others instead of oneself. We are all born with the instinct for self-preservation but for society to survive we must look out for others too. The majority of advertisements have the same mantra - I, I, I, what I need, what I want, what I like; and all these must come now.

So borrow to get what you want, go for your trip now and pay later, buy that expensive car now even if you can't afford it, etc.

Our society needs to change its focus and the media can be a force for change. For a start, how about a programme highlighting couples who have been faithfully married for many years and their secrets to keeping love and passion going? That would be rivetting. To stay in love for a long time is a difficult feat, and should be applauded.

Patricia Maria de Souza (Mdm)
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Went for some retail therapy at Orchard today, yes, men need retail therapy too (e.g. Sehsuan has already placed his order for the new 4GB IPod Nano).
Bought a CD (Nicola Conte's Other Directions) and a pair of Clarks Originals - Desert Trek. Its mahogany beeswax leather looks aged, that's the way I like it; I love the natural rubber sole too (they call it plantation crepe).

*** I saw him/her today! ***

Two responses to my letter were printed on today's Straits Times Forum page. One from a concerned mother, another of course, from Mediacorp:

Hot babe? Such a girl used to be called 'cheap'

I AGREE fully with Mr Kelvin Lau that 'TV show shouldn't plug premarital sex' (ST, Sept 13). It is confusing for teenagers when, on the one hand, their parents and teachers tell them not to engage in premarital sex or at least delay it till they are more mature and able to differentiate between love and lust, and, on the other hand, some TV programmes are conveying the message that it is 'fashionable' and 'cool' to lose one's virginity at an early age.

I remember watching a TV programme in which a high-school student went round bragging about her first sexual experience.

Some TV programmes and magazine articles seem to suggest that to be 'popular' with the opposite sex, one must have the reputation of being sexually experienced. So, to qualify as a hot babe, a girl is supposed to have many boyfriends and have had many sexual encounters.

In the past, we would call such a girl 'cheap' or 'promiscuous'.

I was shocked when my daughter told me that most of her friends think it is perfectly normal for young women to cohabit and change boyfriends. They also say that these women and their boyfriends do not necessarily plan to marry each other. It seems that cohabiting is just a convenient arrangement for them to meet their needs for companionship and sex.

I hope that such women are psychologically prepared to face the consequences of accidental pregnancy - either becoming single parents or having an abortion if their boyfriends don't love them enough to marry them or share the responsibility of bringing up their babies.

Parents naturally want to prevent their daughters from having to learn the lesson the hard way. That's why they object to premarital sex.

TV producers should be more sensitive to parents' concern. There is enough material elsewhere to corrupt young and impressionable minds.

Lim Choon Kheng (Mdm)
------------------------------------------

'Lust' episode a bid to give singles a hearing

I REFER to Mr Kelvin Lau Jit Hwee's letter, 'TV show shouldn't plug premarital sex' (ST, Sept 13).

Mr Lau rightly pointed out that the episode of What Women Want, Really that he saw was a tongue-in-cheek treatment of the topic of 'lust' (that is, lust for material comfort, lust for attention - rather than 'lust' in the sexual sense).

It was an attempt to give the topic a fresh look and to see how today's women define love and passion and how different it is from the conventional notion of lust as we know it.

From an editorial viewpoint, we would not have done justice to viewers if we did not try to provide a cross-section of profiles.

Having included one married couple's perspective on love and passion, it would be incomplete if we did not at least attempt to give the singles a hearing on this subject.

Mr Lau said he was worried the wrong message on sex was being sent to teenagers. We would like to assure him that they are not our target audience, as borne out by viewership surveys of our programmes.

The bulk of Channel NewsAsia's viewers are adult decision-makers and we have to pitch our topics accordingly so that they appeal to professionals, executives and businessmen who form two thirds of our viewers.

Still, we regret that this has caused concern to Mr Lau. Perhaps it was too bold a step to have a dating couple speak their mind on sex. We will be more mindful of such topics in future.

We thank Mr Lau for his feedback. If he or any reader is interested in more details about the editorial of our programmes, please e-mail us at programming@channelnewsasia.com

Han Chuan Quee (Ms)
Senior Assistant Vice-President Corporate Services
MediaCorp News Pte Ltd
------------------------------------------

Quite expected actually, because, as one of my students put it, most teenagers DO NOT follow the programmes on Channel NewsAsia.

I have started eating KFC again. I couldn't resist the KFC Original smells wafting from the KFC restaurant across Tampines bus interchange. Why must KFC be so expensive, bah! However, a note to self: NEVER EVER order KFC delivery again, as the chicken is not fit for human consumption after going through the delivery process to your doorstep. It's just not worth it. If you have a sudden craving for KFC, just get off your lazy butt and head for the nearest KFC restaurant rather than reach for the phone and dial 62353535.

So, Straits Times has published my letter (which I emailed yesterday) in the Forum page today.
Here it is, word for word:

TV show shouldn't plug premarital sex

ON SUNDAY I watched a telecast of What Women Want - Really, hosted by Diana Ser on Channel NewsAsia. Each episode of the tongue-in-cheek series focuses on one of the seven deadly sins and the one that I watched was on 'Lust'.

What I found objectionable was that the episode featured an attractive woman (Ginny) in her early 20s, who had taken the initiative to book a special hotel room for her boyfriend and herself.

The interview with Ms Ser, the 'sexy' decor of the hotel room, the lingerie that Ginny showed off, and the look of pleasant surprise on her boyfriend's face when he appeared were obvious signs that Ginny had prepared for a night of passion with her boyfriend.

In a society which the Government has deemed conservative time and again by way of censorship, how could the producers allow this young couple who clearly espouse premarital sex to be featured on national television? Couldn't they have featured a married couple instead?

I am dismayed that a contradictory message is being sent to teenagers, who would have undergone sexuality education in school which teaches that premarital sex is not to be condoned.

Kelvin Lau Jit Hwee

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What's ironic is that I actually knew Ginny a few years ago. She was in the same faculty (Science) as me during my time in NUS, and we were involved in a faculty project briefly once.

Members of Paneristi forum were asked to select one Panerai model that they nominate as their favourite for 2005, the votes have been counted and the winner with the most votes?
The PAM 210!! Hehehe.
But really, the result was no surprise.

I like this shot which Kiril posted on the forum. FYI, Kiril is ever watchful for celebs or people in the media who have a Panerai on their wrists...

And the latest addition to the list: Pakistani President Musharraf!



That is a 40mm diameter Radiomir by the way.

Saturday, 3 September

Q: What phrase comes to mind when I think of the Seventh Month?

A: 'it stinks to high heavens'

Which is quite appropriate actually, since the burnt offerings are supposed to carry the prayers of the aunties and uncles heavenward, together with those tiny tiny bits of ash that go into your living room and dirty your white day-curtains and floor.

Today is the last day of the Seventh Month, as the taxi-driver informs me. No wonder the burnt smells are everywhere with a vengeance. Those aunties and uncles are really having one last burst of fire (pun intended).

Wednesday evening, 31 August

Was on bus 27 to airport for Teachers' Day dinner at Swensons. Then before the bus could go into the underground of T1, it stopped suddenly! I thought 'since when did T1 have a bus-stop down there??'. I looked up, and I saw this policeman entering the bus and I thought 'Ohhhh, this policeman must have waved to the bus-uncle to stop cos he too lazy to walk and wants to take a lift, and the bus-uncle is kind enough'. But then, the policeman did not sit down! He just walked slowly to the back, looking left and right. And then... he got off the bus! Then it dawned on me -- SECURITY CHECK! Of course. If they are so careful with the MRT stations now, they will be even more careful with this big aeroplane station here!