National Day- The Pledge

Every year, the government tries very hard to drum up the patriotic factor around this period. When I start hearing 'national songs' on the radio, I know it's that time of the already. Somehow though, like Xmas celebrations, I get the impression that it seems to start earlier and earlier each year.

Don't get me wrong, I've got nothing against all these celebrations and I'm rather proud to be a Singaporean but errr... singing patriotic songs and putting on national color clothes like a bit much for me lor.

I did put up the flag on National Day though...at the insistence of my husband...who is not a Singaporean. But more of that later.

This year, the organisers had a brainwave-
Let's say the pledge together...where ever you may be, together with those thousands of people watching the parade. And say it at 8:22pm.

Hubby thought there was a significance to the time. Like maybe that's when MM Lee gave that momentous speech that Singapore was officially on it's own, or when Raffles stepped onto Singapore...anyway, something meaningful. He didn't believe me when I told he it's just to time it with the parade programme. Of course, the funny thing was, the pledge wasn't recited at 8:22pm at the parade. It's not just because my clock on my cable machine says so. The bells were chiming very loudly (signaling 8:22pm) but they were still singing away. Hmmm...maybe next year, if they want to do it properly, they should just give the cue for the bell to chime when the pledge reciting starts. Strange that nobody reported that the pledge did not start at exactly 8:22pm after all the hype.

Another curious fact.

They (ie, the government) want everyone to recite the pledge but hor...how many of us remember it? Let's face facts, most of us left school many light years ago and though I remember snippets of it, I honestly do not remember the whole thing. I'm getting old liao. Or maybe that shows I'm not very patriotic or Singaporean enough.

Oops!

Anyway, my point was, why didn't they print/ post / recite out on radio/ the pledge for all so that those who really, really want to say it, can do so. There are so many media nowadays to do so- post on internet (maybe the P65 blog?) Twitter? Youtube? They can even print it in the newspapers, after all SPH earns huge profit every year, taking out a one page ad to place the pledge shouldn't be too draining on them. Hubby also received an sms from his hp provider reminding him to say the pledge. But hor...how to say it if you don't know it?

I just had a brainwave- they can print out into small flyer and put into the postboxes. Then everyone will sure have a copy of the pledge and will not have the excuse that they don't remember how to say it.

Or is it illegal to print out the pledge? Hmm....

Anyway, one of the reason I noticed so much more about National Day this year is because of my girl. In previous years, there are times when I do not even watch the parade (alright, alright, don't throw stones at me). I have been involved in it before when I was a student and I really, truely appreciate all the efforts put in by the various participants. Really, but......

However this year was a little different- I had my little girl.

I was quite keen for her to get a feel of it..even though she's really more interested in nursery rhymes than the National Anthem at the moment. I guess one feels differently when one has family.

And she being the product of 2 different cultures and 2 different races, I...We want her to experience and appreciate both sides. It was the reason why my husband actually dug out the Singapore flag and asked me to put it up.

Which now leads me to the next question on my...our minds. Yeah, yeah... I very 'cheem' tonight.

Singapore doesn't allow dual passports at the moment...but hubby's country does. If this doesn't change by the time she's 18, she will be forced by the SG government to make a decision. Now I know the government's reasoning was one should make a clear stand so that in times of conflict, one will know what to do.

Besides the fact that this so-call logic doesn't hold any water, it's like asking a child to decide if she wants to be with the father or the mother even though both the parents are happily married and together. She is being forced to accept one and reject the other. With so many inter-marriages nowadays (especially with the government actively encouraging foreign talents here), it's a matter of time before they have to decide on this issue.

Will it be done before she's 18? Well, there's 17 more years to go.

Baby M waving her flag. She likes red. ^^

'Productive' emails

After not updating my blog for a such a long time, I was wondering what topic I should touch on. The easy one would of course be about 'her' (HRH, my girl), but I think I'd give it a break at the moment. So I thought I'd write something a little more interesting. The following subject may be a little 'R' rated, so read on with your own discretion.

My mailboxes (yes, I have several, as per the norm) are swamped with spam mails nowadays...I'm sure it's the same for everyone. You checked your emails in the morning after one night and they're flooded with all sorts of spam mails.

The spam mails ranged from trying to sell you some super cheap software to some hot-must-buy-now stocks from I-never-heard-before companies to some lunatics thousands of miles away trying to convince you that they would be most willing to share millions of dollars with you, with no or little strings attached. All you have to do is give them some money first. Yeah...right.

But the number one kind of spam mails are those professing to err... make one productive.

No, no, it's not work productivity related but I'm sure the government will be equally be pleased with this kind of productivity.

C'mon...you know what I'm referring to.

Those magical stuff that makes a man 'bigger' and will therefore make your girlfriend/ mistress/ wife happy. The best part of these mails are....they make it out that it's really us women who want it, and that's why the men had to have it. So, really it's not the men's fault.

Hmm.....good marketing tactic right?

The men could justify it by saying ..."but darling...I did it all for you...I did it to make you happy"

Really? I think I'd probably be happier with a 5 carat diamond ring.

To be fair to the men, there are lots of adverts everywhere touting the miracle 'it' for a huge 'bust up', so to speak for the women.

The strange thing is...whereas the adverts to bust up the bust are blatantly in the open for women...it isn't the case for men. And yet...judging by all these spam mails...there must be enough demand. I mean it's like those hundreds of irritating flyers one gets thrusted in face everywhere...it works...that's why they continue doing it. At least I'm assuming that's why I keep getting so many of these spam mails.

Now, I see a business demand here...would one of those beauty palour (that's doing good business servicing women now) open up such a service for men one of these days?

And if they do, I wonder...would men walk in to receive these beauty enhancements?

^^

Food for thought.

Mabel

It has been almost a year since my last entry. I guess many would have known the reason for my absence. Yes, it's due to the arrival of HRH above.

It has been one huge, fast learning curve, on-the-job training. And there's more to come. For the rest of my life, I will be learning how to be a good mother. The thought itself is scary. Guess best not to think about it too much and just take things as they come. Actually, I don't really have enough time to think too much. I'm racing against time all the time.

Really wish I have 三头六臂 (3 heads and 6 arms).

Of course, winning the lottery would be just as good coz then I won't have to work. haha!

Total bliss

DH says there are 2 types of holiday.

The first type is where you go to a place and 'see' it. So if you are going to Egypt, then of course you have to see the pyramids or if you are in Paris, then you must visit the Eiffel Tower or if you visit Beijing, then the Great Wall of China should be on the must see list.

Most Singaporeans are very likely to have this type of holiday. I guess with our fast pace living, and the government constantly drumming into us that we must be productive and learn as long as we live...we all feel the need to tick off those 'must see/ must do' places/things when we go on holiday. No doubt, our 'kiasu' nature reinforces this urge as well, otherwise we would feel that we haven't spend the money well.

There is a second type of holiday when you do absolutely nothing. And I mean really nothing...except maybe read or listen to you music on your ipod.

Many people can do this for a day or two but most would think you're mad if you 'do' this continously for 4 to 5 days.

Indeed, if you are on this type of holiday for the first time, it can be rather hard on your system. You may actually have to fight the urge to go into town, visit that famous restaurant, check out that theme park etc.

But believe me, once you have conquered that and tell yourself that chilling out is just as rewarding and refreshing....you will be surprised how quickly time passes.

Eat...sleep...read...eat...chat....sleep....

We don't have to behave like a frenzied rat when we are on holiday.


I'll have a beer please

Spring cleaning spring love

After so many months, I thought it was time to shake the dust off this blog and start writing again.

And coincidentally, I was also doing some spring cleaning a couple of weeks back...you know...Chinese New Year. Yes, that once a year where you feel compelled to give your house a thorough cleaning, chucking out all the mess that you've accumulated for the past 360 days, though why one should suddenly feel they are junk just 5 days before Chinese New Year after having lived with them in close comfort for the past 360 days before is a puzzle to me.

Back to my story, my aunt was clearing out the cupboards and took out a couple of boxes and dumped them infront of me....telling me in no uncertain terms that I was to go through them and preferably throw them out.

I took a peek....and found that one of them contained the many letters and cards that I've kept since I was young.

If you're around my age, you would remember that once upon a time, people send out cards for all occassions and no occassions. Internet and handphone were non-existent then. Of course, in the last few years, less and less people (me included) send out cards because well....choosing, buying, writing and sending out cards take time....something which we tend to have less of nowadays (though my excuse is that I'm saving the tress ^^). But I must say cards are still special..unless they are cards from your insurance agents.

Anyway, whilst going through the box of cards and letters...I came across a very nice Valentine's Day card. Opening the card, I saw the short message written in it, telling me how it was love at first sight for him, how pretty I was and ended with a wish from him that I would be his valentine. I found a couple more cards from him...all very big, nice and mushy and all probably costing a bomb.

The cards brought a puzzled smile to my face.

A smile because it was nice to remember the days of young - of being wooed and 'chased' and 'desired'.

Puzzled because I have absolutely no recollection who 'Ian' was, which was this said admirer's name.

Now before you start thinking I had a whole army of suitors in my days of young, I assured you I didn't..though I did have a few 'ahem!' admirers (hubby..are you reading this?). But I do remember all the guys I went out with..at least their names anyway...even if I can't really remember their faces now.

But the name 'Ian' drew a blank. Zilch. Zero.

After thinking long and hard, I think I can hazard a guess who he might be, but I'm still not absolutely sure. And yet, he must have made an impact on me or I wouldn't have kept his cards all these years right? So why don't I remember him? And did I even ever go out on a date with him? If it's who I think he was, I think we had a couple of dinners or lunches or teas...

But you know what would be really interesting?

Would he remember me? Maybe not (X.. who? Never heard of her).

Many people talk about their puppy love or first love with mucht nostalgic warmth. But in reality, many do not really remember much about it. The other day, the DJs on this morning show was asking if listeners remembered their firt kiss...and guess what, most could not remember where or when (well, they have a rough time frame but no exact date).

Me? I can't even remember how it felt. Oops.

It's not that all those past relationships weren't important...they were..at that point in my life...from the first time I went out with a guy...to the first time when I fell in love...to the first time a guy broke my heart into a thousand pieces. They were all part of my life and helped to make my life interesting and what I am today BUT I am more happy and concerned about the present and now.

Sometime last year, I met up with a Korean and she told me something rather interesting. For those of you who watch Korean dramas, you would know that they are mostly filled with themes of finding first love or still being in love with the first love or something like that. Very romantic (which of course is a huge reason for it's popularity amongst women, the fact that the leading men are droolicious is a plus point of course). Anyway, I asked her out of curiousity if first love is really that important to the Koreans (since dramas tend to mirror life) and she said yes...and in fact she herself would like to find/ know about her first love. Hmmm...

I told her I have absolutely no desire to find my first love, or my second love...in fact any of my past love. Of course, if any of my past loves had looked like Bae Yong Joon or Takeshi Kaneshiro or Daniel Craig, I would be be dying to find them. But then if any of my past loves looked like any of the 3 above guys above, I would still be hanging on to them now. Wahahaha!

I prefer the present and the future...the past, whether good or bad, are great memories but I don't dwell too much on them. Because the now will become past one day and I want to enjoy it now. The fact that I can't even remember who this great admirer, Ian is, despite keeping his cards all these years is a good case in point.

Should I keep Ian's cards?

Perhaps I will keep just one...just for memories' sake....or until I can solve the mystery of just who this Ian is. ^^

Are you keeping your spring love?

Changing jobs

Recently, I received an email from an old classmate. In it, she said : "Have been bored > 50% of the time the past 7 years"...so she's quit and going to start a new job soon where she hope the word 'bored' wouldn't be part of her vocab.

2 thoughts came into me mind when I received this...

- Wow! She can quit and just pick up another job at her age? Now I'm not saying she's old (well, she's the same age as me...and I'm NOT OLD). But you read in the newspapers all these stories about 'ex' managers, executives and directors (ok, maybe not directors) who find it hard to get a 'new' job when they hit '40' (which seems to be a magical number...hmm...maybe it is...since the number '4' means die in Chinese). I mean, it's totally, totally demoralising. Doesn't help with all the government hype about 'retraining', reeducation', 're-entering'...and all the 're's you can think. In my university days, a 're' means a resit for an exams...which really isn't too good.

So, of course, most people hang to their job for their dear life. And even if you do get a job offer, you hesitate to take it up because you're not sure if it's worthwhile taking the risk. What if the company shuts down? Or you get retrenched? Or you find out that your new boss is even worse than the previous one? Better to stick with the devil you know right?

Which then leads to another question or problem...however way you look at it.

If the 'oldies' don't move out, then how are the 'newbies' going to move up?

I remember KC complaining to me years ago (when he was about 30) and had just joined a local bank. He reckoned he was never going to be able to move up the ladder becasue they were all occupied by long timers.

Now that he's in the 40's and belong to those old timers...I wonder.... will he moving out? hehe! I must check with him...or if he is reading this...(he did used to, before all the distraction came along)...give me a call and let me know. ^^

- and the 2nd point? She was bored with her previous job.

Now that again...is something quite unusual. Because most people are really probably quite bored with their job. I mean, how many people really want to 七早八早 wake up, compete with about 2 million people on the road, so that you can reach the office in time for endless meetings, answering meaningless questions. Repeat this 5 times a week and even remotely 'ok' jobs become boring. Not many people have really, really 'interesting' jobs anyway. And if they do, they probably don't get paid well...not unless you're Mr Lee Ang or Mr Dennis Foo.

So most of do not quite because a job is boring...Most of us work...so that we can have the means to do interesting stuff.

Even for me, with my flexi hours....I'm frustated at times....

That's why we all dream of winning the lottery big time. (hubby dear, if you're reading this...and I know you do...can you please work a little harder on those winning tickets? Pleazzze?)

Actually, I do want to change job too...well...not so much change job as to expand on what I'm already doing based on my interest.....

I'm seriously exploring the opportunities to do some tie-ups on my kimchiblog or even this blog...so...people....if you people have any ideas or leads...drop me a note hor.

In the meantime, it's back to the reality of selling ad space.....just in case my editor checks out this site and finds me writing when I should be selling.

Arctic Tale

Artic Tales
Directed by: Adam Ravetch, Sarah Robertson
Narrated by: Queen Latifah

How many of you watched 'March of the Penguins' and was overwhelmed by their spectacular journey through blizzard cold...to find a mate and start a family? The image of the penguins, marching in a single file, bracing themsevles against the antartic wind to protect their young, will probably stay forever in our minds.

The story:
Arctic Tale is a movie by the same people (different directors though) about those who inhabit on the opposite side of the pole- The Arctic.

And the centre of the story is the polar bears...to be specific....one particular polar bear, Nanu and Cela, the walrus. In between, you have a few other characters, like the arctic fox and the seals who inhabit the same place as these two and are dependant on each other for survival.

The story starts off with a mother bear, who is just emerging from her 6 months of hibernation after giving birth to 2 little bear cubs (those 2 bear cibs are really cute!). Normally, polar bear cubs stay with their mother for 3 years...where they will be taught all that is necessary to stay alive in the harsh environment. And each of the baby walrus have an extra guardian (besides their mother), in the form of auntie to protect them. And boy, these lady warulses can be really fierce....even full grown polar bears can find their weight and sharp tusks a little intimidating.

For the next 90 minutes or so, we see how each of these animals try to survive, not just their natural enemies, but also the changing environment due to the warming of the climate. For these animals, the melting of the ice world can be disasterous. When any part of nature is unbalance, their basic survival is affected.

Hence we see the walruses swimming far out to sea, away from their home, to another island when the ice melted too early and could not hold them anymore. We see the polar bears, at the risk of facing starvation, following them and hunting far from their natural habitat. And a couple of times, I did have my heart in my mouth, wondering if Nanu is going to survive this exhuasting trip, for polar bears are not meant to swim for long distances.

It is truely a survival of the fittest. Only in this case, even the the fittest may not survive if there's no food.



Thoughts on movie:
As with any National Geographic documentaries, this is an excellent production. There is no doubt about it. Some of the images are simply spectacular and breathtaking. I take my hat off to the people who braved the cold and harsh weather by patiently capturing scenes that are simply worth a thousand words.

The bear cubs were really, really cute (makes me want to get one) and they have even managed to inject some humour into the movie.

Perhaps that is where the one flaw may lie....

The underlying message is a serious one but the movie is just a little too warm and fuzzy to convey that properly. I like watching cute animals and often the sight of these warm, cuddley animals may be effective in giving that tug-in-the-heart feeling. In this case, perhaps they should have been a little more cruel...so that they can be kind. Plus I find the music a little too distracting as well.

Despite the above, it's still worth a watch.

If only to educate the young ones about the seriousness of climate change and that each and everyone of us can make a difference.

The ice kingdom is being threatened...and it is getting increasingly difficult for these animals to stay alive with the climate change. Their ancient ways of living, hunting and mating are being threatened slowly.

One day, one day...these animals may disappear ...like the dinosaurs. No more cute polar bears.

If you really want to bring a direct benefit by watching the movie, the following activities are being planned:

- The ZOO is holding an outdoor fundraising screening on Saturday, 8th September at 7.30pm in favor of Wildlife Conservation Singapore Fund - Go here for more info.

- Nature Society /Acres is also holding a fundraising screening.
Date: 11th September, Tuesday
Time: 7pm
Venue: GV VivoCity, Hall 5
Go here for more infor.

Incidentally, SPH foundation sponsored the Gala Premiere and S$120,000 to the Zoo for the Polar Bear conservation.

For more information about the movie, go to:
Festive Films
Official site

Arctic Tale opens on 13th September with sneak previews this week. Please support hor...

Facelift

I've just given a facelift to this blog.

I think it looks nicer, don't you? Apparently, editing of the template is also easier though I've not really explore it. But it warned me before I click on the 'change' button that the layout may be a little 'out' for some posts. I was hesitatting for that couple of seconds before I 'hit' it. hehe!

I've already adjusted some of them but don't have the time to go through all of it yet. So if you spot anything that looks strange, do tell me.

Hmmm...

I must say I like this new look alot. ^^

I'm a WAG

I just realised that I'ma WAG. No, not a dog. WAG stands for Wives and Girlfriends...to be specific..those wives and girlfriends of the fabulously rich English League football players. These ladies are normally decked out in designer wear, with perfectly manicured hands and look ultra cool even if they have about 3 children in tow. They normally appear at important football matches to support their husbands/ boyfriends. More often than not, they draw much media attention as well. Of course, the most famous WAG would be Victoria Beckham.

Well, I'm a WAG too...only I'm not the wife of an ultra rich Engish soccer player but the wife of a excercise-mad Englishman.

This WAG here doesn't have any designer wear...(unless you count Giordano) and cuts her own nails at home. I think I look pretty cool sometimes- when my hair behaves. But one thing I do have in common with the other WAGS- I appear at the events that my husband participates in. Though I must admit, I normally only go to those important ones too because this husband of mine probably participates in more events than the number of matches that David Beckham plays in.

Last month, before our holiday, he went for the OSIM Triathlon. Of course, it beats me why anyone would want to pay and torture themselves with such grueling sporting events...but looking at the crowd there that day, I guess those 3,900 participants don't agree with me.

These events start really early, so that means leaving the house at about 6.30am in the morning, when I'm barely awake.

It had been raining a couple of days before the event...so the place was really, really, really muddy...


If you want to go to the toilet...you have to queue in the mud. Lovely, isn't it?


Designer wear definitely not suiitable here.

Ok, just in case, you don't know...triathlon consists of 3 segments- swimming, cycling and running. The distance varies depending on the organiser but I think the official Olympic distance is...

Swim- 1,500m
Cycle- 40km
Run- 10km

A triathlon normally starts with the swim. Here's the starting point.



Lots of half naked men. Haha!

And they're off!!!!!


He had to swim 2 laps in the open sea. Unfortunately, the rain that had been threatening the whole morning, started to drizzle. And by the time he came in after the 1st lap, the storm was upon us.



Because of safety reasons, they stopped the other batches from starting and pulled in those that were still swimming. Tim and a few others were already half way through the 2nd lap. Frankly, I was really worried because even those rescue crew were having trouble controlling the boats in the rough sea. I was straining my eyes and crossing my toes and feet at the same time. He actaully told me later that he was swimming well and couldn't understand why they were stopped and pulled in. Humph! So much for my worry!

The rough sea


And then it rained and poured and stormed...for more than an hour.

And yes, I was totally wet...and cold. Can you imagine Victoria Beckham looking like a wet chicken? No? me either. But I wasn't as bad as the participants, who mostly dressed in shorts and t-shirts.

Everyone was frustrated and had to just stand around to wait for the rain to stop. They had to stop the whole event because it got too dangerous even to cycle. And then thankfully, the downpour came to a stop finally. But there just wasn't enough time to restart the whole thing, so the swimming was modifed to a short run and then they could start with the cycling.

They had cycle 4 times round the route. Avtually, I like this the segment the best as most of them looks really cool in their cycling gear and racing down the track. It often seems effortless...at least it does to me.

At the end of the cycling segment


This was followed by the run. I think any participants will tell you that this is the worse part. After all the swimming and cycling, it takes tremendous effort to run that 10km.

As a supporter, I also agree that this is the worse segment...as it's less exciting and by that time, it's also boiling hot. And that's anotehr difference between those famous WAGs and this WAG. They get to sit comfortably in the shade, served with beer and food, whereas I'm either being cooked in the hot sun or drowned in the rain.

BUT...

It does mean that he will be reaching the finishing line any minute and looking out for him, trying to catch him when he crosses over is always one that fills me with joy and anticipation (yes, despite all my grumblings ^^)



And the reward?
another medal...hehe!

Btw, the elites (those professional participants who race for money) start off really early in the morning before everyone else and of course, finish before everyone else too.

The winner for 'Men Elite Open' was Courtney Atkinson, an Australian. He did it in 1h 50m 16s. The 'Women Elite Open's winner was a Japanese. Shizuka Kutsuna did it in 2h 6m 43s. For more infor on the results, you can go here

So does this inspire anyone of you to try it next year?

Hehe!

The true Singapore song and pledge

The alternative version to Kit Chan's 'There's no place I'd rather be'.



我的家就在这里
This is my home

改编词:周崇庆/萧嘉蕙
原词/曲: 叶良俊

你说要去PARIS 我听成PASIR RIS
You said you want to go Paris, I heard it as Pasair Ris

长城有魅力 也很吃力
The Great wall is charming but it's also tiring

要爬上铁塔 非常EXPENSIVE
To climb up the Eiffel Tower is very expensive

其实SENTOSA 会更便宜
Actually Sentosa will be cheaper

这是美丽的天地 我的家就在这里
This is a beautiful place, this is my home

去到外地 我才发现
When I go abroad, I realised

原来这里最干净
It is cleanest here

这里也有PULAU UBIN 要骑脚车也可以
There is Pulau Ubin here and you can ride bicycle

你要很小心 别像周崇庆
You have to be careful and don't be like Zhou Zhong Qing

不然少了四颗TEETH
Otherwsie you will loose 4 teeth

这是美丽的天地 我的家就在这里
This is a beautiful place, this is my home

从JURONG EAST 到 PASIR RIS
From Jurong East to Pasir Ris

TAXI BUS 和 MRT
Taxi Bus and MRT

这是美食的天地 有很多好吃东西
This is a food paradise, there are many delicious food

LAKSA CHAR KWAY TEOW 和那 LOR MEE
Laksa Char Kway Teow and that Lor Mee

不满意有云吞MEE
If not satisfied there's wan ton mee

还有SATAY 和福建MEE…
And satay and Hokkien mee


And the true Singapore pleadge:
I the citizen of Singapore, pledge myself to strike on
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, regardless of
toto, 4-D and big sweep to buy hope and earn extra money
base on quick pick system, 7_12 and big sweep with 4-d bonus
so as to achieve car, cash and condo.


Now who says Singaporeans have no sense of humour.

Happy National Day/ Month everyone. ^^

Chinatown- Singapore

A big thank you to all my friends who sent me birthday wishes...thanks for remembering...^^

I took the day off last week and went down to Chinatown, a place I normally go only during Chinese New Year. There are quite a few changes and it's more touristy now. At the same time, I must admit that the whole place is alot livelier...

Chinatown Heritage Centre

I've actually passed by this place numerous time but have always given it a miss as I thought it was just another one of those place meant for tourists.

But my good friend, YL, actually recommend it so despite my reservations, we decided to visit it.

Somehow this made me think of the famous TCS drama- 雾锁南洋 (starring 黄文永 & 向云)。

The Chinese Heritage Centre records the history and lives of those who used to live in Chinatown. Most of them would be migrants, who came seeking for a better life. It was actually quite fascinating to read about the hardship and vices of these early migrants. But I think it could have done with a little more actual display. The more interesting sections would be the video clips of interviews with various types of people who used to live or continue to live in Chinatown (including a samsui woman and a hawker) and the recreation of living quarters in the shophouse.

I have these bowls too..^^

The recreation and restoration of the cramped, dark and unhygenic living quarters of a typical shophouse was the highlight of the whole museum. I'm totally amazed (and shock) how 12 to 15 familes could live together in such tiny area. I'm not sure how they survived. But then my grandparennts and their children lived in similar quarters too though my aunt told me that theirs was slightly better and it wasn't in Chinatown.

The musuem shop was so-so. Entrance fees is $10 (which is way too expensive) but if you flash your POSB/ DBS card, you get 50% discount. Not sure if this promotion is permanent though. Here's the website for you to check out- Chinatown Heritage Centre. There are some more information and pictures on the site. Ok lah, I think well worth my time spent there.

We had tea and coffee in this coffeeshop, just opposite the heritage centre and I had a heart attack when I paid for the drinks.

$1.50 per cup!!!!
This is daylight robbery...just because there were lots of tourists sitting in the coffeeshop. This was just your regular tei or kopi, served in your regular kopitiam cups. Of course, to the tourists...$1.50 probably is nothing. I'm definitely not stepping into this coffeeshop again.

Expensive kopitiam

We continued on our journey of Chinatown. I didn't know that the street stalls have become permanent. I thought they were only there during the festive season. So 'sua koo' right? But the stalls are really targted at the tourists lor..nothing very interesting. At least not to a local like me.

Street stalls....beginning to look like 'Ladies Street' in Hong Kong



Hehe! Someone told me that this shop is special....



Toys for the living....



Toys for the dead....



What's Chinatown without dimsum right?

One thing I did like about Chinatown is the restoration of many of the shophouses. The architect is really beautiful.

I Like Holidays ^^

I like holidays...^^

Bintan, July 07

Old and attractive

It's that time of the year again when I have to add another candle on my cake, a wrinkle to my face and an inch to my waist. In other words....I am expanding in every which way except financially.

I'm not complaining....life has its sweet moments at all stages...even if you're over 40.

Sometimes, expecially if you are over 40.

Recently, there was a huge furore when a woman, who was deemed err....too 'matured' by a club. She was denied her complimentary drinks coupons given out for Ladies Night.

Naturally, she was furious since the promotional terms did not state any age restrictions. So was I, and from the feedback...so did general public.

Anyway, 2 thoughts came to mind when I read about this.

1) Firstly, if they go by the age criteria (which I think is below 35), the following ladies would be considered too 'old' and hence not a good enough 'bait' to lure the men in. Now, I'm not sure about the people over at that club, but I do believe quite a few of them has been voted as the world's most beautiful people at some point and they are all above 35 years old. Who are they?

Halle Berry, Catherine Zeta Jones, Carol Cheng, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Lopez, Uma Thurman, Helen Mirren, Gong Li, Maggie Cheung etc..

You could say that they are artistes and therefore look better...but if the said establishment went by age strictly...none of them would have qualified. Of course, I'm not saying these women need the free drinks coupon or the complimentary entry to the club. They could probably afford to buy drinks for eveyone at the club.

So is age really a big factor in attracting men to these places? I guess only men can answer this question.

But I was thinking, if the club really wanted to attract the men, they could probably have played a football match or maybe one of the Victoria Secret's fashion show. Sure can get them to come in droves.

2) Secondly, it suddenly strike me that clubs never organise a Gentlemen's Night. Strange isn't it?

I'm not sure how to intepret this..

Either:
a) Young ladies are cheapskate and want their free drinks and the men are foolish enough to be lured by the promise of seeing more young, pretty girls on such nights.

b) Women are smarter and refused to fall for such marketing tricks.

But..if...if...there is a Gentlemen's Night, would I really want to go to a place where young boys in their twenties drink themselves silly with the free drinks? C'mon...what kind of thrill would that be? Would that be exciting for me?

Give me men like Colin Firth, Pierece Brosnan, Sean Connery, Harrison Ford, Brad Pitt, Tony Leong, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Jacky Cheung, Lee Jung Jae.

They have that charisma and confidence that come with age. Not to mention that I find them incredibly sexy.

Maybe I tend to favour the older men at my age but I think if you check with the young ladies who frequent the clubs, you will probably find them more attracted to older men as well.

Anyway, I believe the older-woman-younger-men relationships are on the rise... judging from the spate Korean dramas with this theme. hehe!

Hey, I suddenly remembered I blogged about older women here last year too.

Hmmm...I still want to have bigger eyes and a better figure.

I'm Back.........I think.....

Looking at the date of my last post...it's been a month.

This past one month has been quite trying for me as I was embarking on something important. I didn't have the time, energy nor the mood to write. Even though I was tempted to write about this very important event in my life but I felt it was too early. So for now, I'll keep quiet about it though I'm sure I will write about it later.

To those who knows what was going on...thanks for your concern and support. Don't worry---I'm not being called a chilli padi for nothing. I will do it again soon. Just cross your fingers for me.

In the meantime, I'll start to blog here again in the next few days. But if you're impatient, you can always check out my kimchiland blog.

Did I hear some of you say: "Over my dead body?"

hehehe!

Have a good weekend everyone.

What do we want?

Human beings are contradictory creatures.

When we are busy running around, we longed for peace and rest.

When we are just lazing with nothing to do, we want to be active.

When life is just cruising along sedately, we crave for excitment.

When things are happenning one after another, we wish for moments to catch our breath.

I guess we don't really know what we want, do we?

Or perhaps, it's a case of we want it all?

Singapore- Island-City-State

Many, many years ago, there was a book called "Singapore-Island-City-State". It's one of the those coffee table book, with nice photos of Singapore and it's people. Think it was published for National Day- you know, one of those feel-good, propaganda book.

As I get older, I tend to feel more and more appreciative of what Singapore has and what it offers. Of course, that is not to say that I agree with all the policies implemented by the powers that be. And there are some issues which I'm really, totally unhappy about (they are getting how much pay rise????). However, the country is relatively stable, most of us do have a job and a roof over our heads (in fact, many have quite a few roofs over their heads, judging from the spate of condominiums on sale recently). Crime rate isn't too bad and things actually work (though some say, they work too well- like clockwork with no room for flexibility).

Many of the expats that I meet have often told me that they like Hong Kong if they are single but once they have families, they prefer Singapore for its stability and safety- 2 key words if you have children.

Of course, things can always be better and hopefully they will become better progressively. But you know, there's no Shangri-la on earth and I think for what we;ve achieved so far, we can give ourselves a little pat on the back...(if there's any government officials reading this... a few more monetary package would be most welcomed. ^^ )



P/S- I do not belong to any PAP group....grassroots or otherwise.

Cross cultural differences?

Last weekend, the writer of the regular Sunday column, 'Hubby Tubby' in The New Paper was writing about cross cultural marriages. Like me, she had married an 'ang mo'- an Englishman. She was asked if there was any cultural differences (ie, difficulties) in her marriages. It got me thinking....did I ever have any cultural differences with my hubby?

I thought long and hard about it and like her, I honestly can't think of any. What we do have are individual differences. Of course, I can't discount the fact that these individual differences could be due to cultural differences. Afterall, we are who we are because of the way we were brought up. But they are no different from a normal couple from the same race/ culture.

So he prefers proper English tea to the regular 'tei' in the coffeeshop. And I'm not too keen on soup and crackers for lunch. He can't really bring himself to call my father 'dad'. I find it impossible (not to say totally rude) to call his dad by his name. They are not major issues.

What keeps a relationship going, in any relationship, whether is is an inter-racial one or not, is an open mind and an open heart. Plus the ability to know when to shut up and just listen. ^^

However, there is one thing that I've picked up from hubby (as part of the cultural difference), it's saying these four phrases often in our everyday life:

Please
Sorry
Thank you
I love you

Just because he's my husband and we've each other for 10 years does not mean I have to be rude to him.

If I can say 'please' to the hawker when I'm ordering that plate of char kway teow, then all the more I should say 'please' when I ask him to do something for me.

If I can say 'sorry' to a stranger for blocking his way, then all the more I should say 'sorry' when I make him wait for me.

If I can say 'thank you' to my friends, then all the more I should say 'thank you' to the person who's done so much for me.

And as for the 3 words, 'I Love You'. Well...I don't only love him on birthdays, Christmas and Valentine's Day, so why should I limit myself to saying those words only on those occassions?

In this aspect, I do believe that the Westerners are on the whole, better in this. Asians will generally feel that there is no need to say them out loud. We think it's enough to let our actions show if we're grateful or sorry.

Luh Luh wrote about 'expressing gratitude' recently on her blog. The Chinese is normally incapable at expressing gratitude. Actually, I think it's not just the Chinese who are bad at expressing themselves, but Asians in general.

As the Chinese saying goes- 礼多人不怪。(Nobody will mind if you are more polite than usual). But often, we think this phrase only apply to the friends, strangers but not family.

Perhaps if we are a little less reserved.
Perhaps if we start with family first.

The Handphone

I noticed a strange phenonmenon on 2 occasions very recently....how people behave in a restricted area with strangers. Both involved the 'indispensible' accessory- the handphone.

I attended a briefing yesterday. The room was small and there were about 11 of us. Except for 2 girls who knew each other and were chatting away merrily, the rest of us were strangers to each other. So what happened?

1 of them read a magazine
3 of them just sort if starred into space
The remaining 5 were on their handphones. Now I'm not sure if they were reading /sending smses or just starring blankly into the phone (it's better than starring into space right? At least, you would seemed to be busy and don't have to make eye contact)

Today, in the crowded train, I noticed a similar trend. Though this time, they weren't 'using' their handphone so to speak... Out of my carriage of about 21 people, 7 of the passengers had their headphones. That's about 33%.

I asked hubby:
'What did people used to do before the invention and easy availability of handphone in a room of strangers?'

He said:
'They talked to each other.'

Hmm... it's probably true, isn't it?

So is the handphone making us closer or further apart?

What do you think?

Me? I'm not sure..let me know think about is whilst I listen to the music on my handphone. ^^

Driving hazard

I heard this news over the radio yesterday..that a 105 years old lady become the oldest driver in the world. She's been driving for over 70 years and she doesn't have a driving license as such thing didn't exist then. They just buy a car and start driving. But she does not have a single accident in her driving record.

Sigh...

And me? I just had my first driving lessons last week and probably became the latest hazard on the circuit.

I'm not sure if I can live to 105 and even if I did, I'm not sure if I can still drive at that age.

Heck...I'm not even sure if I can pass my test.

I'm certain I'm going to have an accident within the circuit whilst I'm learning driving. My driving instructor kept asking me if I was very nervous...which I was.

I mean...all these cars on my left and right...not to mention all those motorcyclists as well. If only they can get out of my way, I wouldn't be so nervous. As it was, I gripped the steering wheel tightly everytime I see a car either on my left or right.

And don't even ask me the number of times I stopped suddenly and threw my instructor off.. He kept saying 'brake slowly, apply the brakes gently'. BUT that's what I did!!!! Well, I thought that's what I was doing, anyway.

And how on earth do you co-ordinate all those movements between the legs, the hands and the eyes???? I'm forty, my refelxes aren't that good anymore...I can only do one thing at a time.

Sheeshh....

Well..I'm having more lessons next week, and the week after that, and the week after that. Actually I'm having lessons for many weeks to come. And I'm convinced that either I or my driving instructor will have a heart attack before the end of my lessons.

Wish me luck people!

Give me the Simple Life

And on with the continuation of food.

What would you do if you could pay for your food as you wish? No GST, no service charge, no fixed menu price...

And what if this is in a proper restaurant with nice cutlery, nice ambience, and good food?

Would you

1) Pay a little more than usual because you would rather err on generosity?

or

2) Pay as little as possible because this is a rare chance to get cheap food?

I wonder..

The Annalakshmi restaurant has been in operation since 1986 and this always been their mode of payment...Their motto?

'Eat what you like
Give as you feel
We believe in you
and trust you'
In other words, they believe in the goodness of man.

That people will be fair.

Makes quite a statement in today's highly competitive and fast world, doesn't it?

I've been to the restaurant quite a few times. Often, I've observed that people actually do pay a decent amount for their meals. I try to pay the amount that any decent restaurant would charge...I know my friends have done the same thing too. Of course, there are the exceptional few who seems to think it's ok to take advantage of such a situation. But I think it's not very often.

Strange isn't it?

When you leave it up to people, they tend to be more generous.

Imagine if this method of payment was carried out in the rest of the world. All of us would be happier and rich as well.

Consumers pay more than enough to retailers for the products
Retailers pay their suppliers more
Suppliers pay the manufacturers more
Manufacturers pay the workers the right amount of wages

There would be no more poverty in the world.

And because we trust each other to be fair, we would be happier and lead a simpler life too.

Give me the Simple Life

A cottage small is all I'm after,
Not one that's spacious and wide.
A house that rings with joy and laughter
And the ones you love inside.

Some like the high road, I like the low road,
Free from the care and strife.
Sounds corny and seedy, but yes, indeed-y;
Give me the simple life.

In case you would like to try out the food at Annalakshmi restaurant, (which is pretty good) it's at Chinatown Point. You can go to their website here for more information.

Just remember that they trust you.