My Private Nation

Greatest Ever? Bollocks

2009-07-08T16:52:00.000+01:00

So Wimbledon has ended. I've been meaning to write about it but somehow have been distracted by all the reading and practising I've been doing. And oh yeah, there's work in between.

So Federer won his 15th Slam title and the whole world is saying how he's the greatest player ever. I'm shocked that no one bothered to look up achievements on the ladies' tour, or they'd have found that Margaret Court won 24 titles and Steffi Graf won 22. I still don't understand how he's the greatest. Maybe he's the player with the greatest ego, and biggest attitude, because he actually wore a jacket after he won. He shoulda trashed Andy Roddick in 3 straight sets but he didn't. So much for being the greatest player ever.

What a difference a downward dog makes

2009-07-03T15:54:00.000+01:00

I sneaked out during lunch to the gym for a one-hour yoga class, and boy, do I feel much better for it! I should do this more often. I probably need to work out more to feel energetic again. I hope the run tonight does me some good.

*****

Actually, it isn't true that I haven't done much in the past 2 and a half years. What's changed - I'm married to the love of my life, I moved to London (with him, of course), I bought (and sold) a house, I became a certified yoga instructor and I'm playing music again.

*****

Note to self: Do Not Smile At Strangers On The Tube. They Make Think You Want To Go Out With Them And Will Ask You For Your Number.

Juggling (tennis) balls

2009-06-29T15:32:00.000+01:00

I'm watching the Wimbledon tournament for the first time in years.

I already knew that I haven't had much of a life since Jan 2007 but I'm not sure what's to blame. I know the reason - my dwindling energy levels so I don't do as much as I used to - but I'm not exactly sure what's behind it. The job? Ageing? Both? Either way, I don't like it. I don't like feeling tired all the time. It's time I did something about it.

Happy New Blog. Sort of.

2009-06-26T08:49:00.000+01:00

current clothing: grey polo tee with pink flowers and black mini skirt with pockets. love pockets. black sequin ballet flats
current mood: a strange mix of excited and uninspired. restless, maybe
current taste: hazelnut cereal and milk
current hair: shoulder-length bob
current annoyance: work
current smell: jo malone nectarine blossom and honey
current thing you ought to be doing: working, probably
current jewelry: fake pearl earrings
current book: re-reading jitterbug perfume, tom robbins
current favourite refreshment: diet coke citrus twist
current worry: not knowing
current crush: johnny depp
current favorite celebrity: none
current longing: to go for a walk
current music: zero 7
current wish: to start all over again with no bad consequences
current lyric in your head: "Everyone's saying different things to me, different things to me..."
current makeup (if you're a girl!): benefit coralista, mac lipbalm, some japanese mascara
current undergarments: bra and thong
current regret: not doing enough outside work
current desktop picture: wallace and gromit - a matter of loaf and death
current plans for tonight/weekend: victoria & albert, wimbledon, cello, dumplings
current cuss word du jour: f**k off la
current disappointment: work. i sound like a broken record.
current amusement: finding a new camera
current IM/person: no one
current love: my life, my husband
current obsession: books on art
current avoidance: certain men. why now?
current favorite book: jitterbug perfume by tom robbins

Random snippets

2007-08-06T05:46:00.000+01:00

I've been thinking about talent. You know, as in, how some people seem to be really good at everything they do? They run marathons, create cool web-sites, play three musical instruments, bake cookies so yummy that people will pay money for them, look really well-put-together all the time, and ... you get the idea.

I don't do anything very well. I can do many things pretty decently, but there's no single activity that I am really good at. Does this make sense? I'm not even very good at my job, which is what I spend most time doing. So what's wrong?

***

I've been daydreaming about moving to an angmo country, or at least, spending some time back in Sydney, where complexions are rosy in winter, cab drivers discuss books with you, and coffee tastes just this much better. Any country where people don't hustle and push their way into buses/trains/shops/toilets/anything, don't slam the door on old ladies, and don't feel they have the right to make you work more than 50 hours a week. I want to move to a country where people can go to nature reserves and long drives through wine country during the weekends, where trees are more noticeable than malls, and it's not always about having the latest`it' handbag.

***

I've been reminiscing about a younger me.

I can't believe how uncivilized I've become.

If I were a Simpsons character

2007-07-29T08:44:00.000+01:00

Hmmmm, this does look a bit like me.

I'm back! ... sort of

2007-07-23T09:13:00.001+01:00

Wow! Hello, everyone! It's been a while. I survived the first six months of the job - thank god - sorted out the apartment we'll be moving into in a few weeks, and now, am just trying to keep it all together. It's a bit of a limbo period. Threw out half my clothes and bought a . Donated half my books to prepare for the joint library we'll be having...and just being happier with fewer possessions.

I do think 30 is a magical number...when you hit 30, a newfound sense of contentment sorta makes up for the decreasing energy level. Haha. Sure, I sometimes wish I were young and hot and serial-dating again, but at the end of the day, I really just wanna go home to somewhere safe, where I feel protected. A lot of things change when one gets older. You mind less how others view you and you spend more time with yourself. So you have to be happy in your own company. Nowadays, with a real job - and a mortage! - I hardly have energy for much else after work. I prefer to stay at home with the dog and a good book. In the mean time, there's the home to renovate/decorate and a wedding in 13 weeks to prepare for.

Between then and now, I also became an aunt for the first time! I don't have pictures to post yet, but her name is Sophia Chua and she's a tiny female version of my brother, which is freaky. But she's a good kid; I'm glad. She doesn't wail and she seems sensible. The type of kid I want for myself, should the day come.

Lemme know how everyone is.

To-do list

2007-03-04T02:00:00.000Z

Wow. Is it March already? Where did the time go? Hmm, I've been saying that a lot lately.

Yes, it's been two months since I last blogged. I am coping better at the new office (thank God!) and everything else I have to do this year (plan a wedding, buy an apartment) is slowing coming together. Since I last blogged, we

a. picked a date for the wedding.
b. picked a photographer.
c. picked the venues.
d. bought an apartment in an area we love.

There's not much else to do, rite?

Grumpers

2007-01-05T02:47:00.000Z

I haven't been sleeping well.

I sleep after midnight...which is late for me.

I wake up in the middle of the night and can't get back to sleep.

I get up at about 7 in the morning, even though I am not working and can sleep in the whole day if I wanted to.

I think it's stress.

Out with the shit...in with the new.

2007-01-01T14:40:00.000Z

Yes, it's 2007 now and I'm already feeling better about things. 2006 was one shit year. I wish I never have to live through something like that again. EVER.

Anyhoo, it's amazing that Angela has gotten engaged too. I'm excited (for her, and for me!) Now I know why people take up to a year to plan their weddings. It's been about a month since we got engaged and we haven't even decided on the date, dammit. It'll most likely be in October, so now we have started to, among other things, look at potential homes, venues and all the rest of that schstuff like the flowers and the dresses...in the midst of our both starting new jobs (soon) and his starting a part-time Master's degree at a university here (soon, too). I am also hoping to get certified as a yoga teacher in 2008 or 2009, so I have to practise more regularly starting now. Although it'll be a little overwhelming and our plates will be pretty full, we're both incredibly excited about sharing a home and our lives. :) It's gonna be awesome.

Here's to 2006

2006-12-27T09:58:00.000Z

It's started raining again. It's a great time to be indoors and curled up on the couch with a fat book and some tea. I'm listening to Louis Armstrong.

I bought myself a Moleskine 2007 diary and wrote down my contact details and transferred all the stuff from my 2006 diary to the new one. The process helps remind me of the things I didn't manage to do in 2006 that I had planned at the beginning of the year...but also of the things that I did do, without planning to. So I guess it evens out.

1. What did you do in 2006 that you’d never done before? There were quite a few 'first's'...where do I start? I moved to Shanghai (and back), and I got engaged. :)

2. Did you keep your new years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year? Yes to one, no to the other. And yes, I have to learn how to cook, spend more time at volunteer work and do something "creative".

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? Quite a few friends had babies.

4. Did anyone close to you die? No. Thank goodness.

5. What countries did you visit? Lemme think...United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, China, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand.

6. What would you like to have in 2007 that you lacked in 2006? I want to be fitter. And I want to go out more.

7. What date from 2006 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? Sigh. That was such a blah year. Nothing major happened, except that event on Dec 8.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Quitting Shanghai and getting my new job.

9. What was your biggest failure? Quitting Shanghai.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury? Sore muscles don't count, right?

11. What was the best thing you bought? I don't buy a lot of stuff and I don't get excited by stuff.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? His.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? Mine.

14. Where did most of your money go? Books and food. And bags. I don't know why I bought so many bags.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Coming home. I couldn't wait.

16. What song will always remind you of 2006? Anything by Jay Chou.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
happier or sadder? happier
thinner or fatter? thinner...or so everyone says.
richer or poorer? richer

18. What do you wish you’d done more of? Exercising. And spending time with family and friends.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of? Feeling depressed and hopeless.

20. How did you spend Christmas? With friends and family.

21. Did you fall in love in 2006? I'm still in love. That counts.

22. How many one-night stands? Um.

23. What was your favorite TV program? Scrubs.

24. Do you dislike anyone now that you didn’t dislike this time last year? Yes.

25. What was the best book you read? Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell. It's about two magicians. I love fantasy.

26. What did you want and get? I came home.

27. What did you want and not get? Too personal.

28. What was your favorite film of this year? I watch too many movies to rem! But how about The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? A lovely dinner with the family. I was 30.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Too personal.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2006? I wore brighter colours, more prints. And I didn't wear heels as often.

32. What kept you sane? My family.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most? Johnny Depp. It's him every year.

34. What political issue stirred you the most? Violence against women.

35. Who did you miss? A couple of girlfriends I met in Shanghai.

36. Who was the best new person you met? See above.

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2006. Always, always, always follow your heart.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year. "Everybody's changing and I don't feel the same."

Xmas "hangover"

2006-12-26T01:17:00.000Z

I hope everyone had a great Xmas weekend. I did. Played games, ate a lot, didn't drink any alcohol (yay), saw friends, drove around a bit and saw bits of Singapore I never knew existed. It was really nice and easy, just the way I like it. I just wish it wasn't so wet.

Anyhoo, I am now between jobs, and I can't wait for the new year to begin. It's gonna be great. And I only have a couple of things I wanna do next year: learn to cook, brush up on my Japanese, and possibly, play the piano again. I have one at home that I never touch. That's a little sad.

So if I don't write again before that (oh but I'm sure I'll have an obligatory ""Here's what I learnt in 2006"" note...), here's a great 2007 to everyone. CHEERS!!

Celebrations

2006-12-15T04:51:00.000Z

Where it happened 12.06

It's hard not to be affected by the Xmas mood. Even our newsroom has an artificial tree decked out in red holly and lights.

Work has been a little manic this week so I haven't really been able to sit down and think about what all this means. A home, a fiance, a partner for life. Man, I have a friggin' fiance. It's overwhelming, innit? I mean, I've had some sort of fuzzy notion of our being together for a very long time, but tis' summink else altogether, rite?

In any case, we have decided that the wedding - or preparations for it - is not going to take over and become our lives. There's always a danger of that. We are not going to have a dinner banquet. All we want is a simple solemnisation party with friends and our immediate families, followed by a luncheon for relatives. I'm not one of them frazzled brides. I just don't understand it. I'm not even going to be wearing a fancy gown. I already know what I'll be wearing.

And that's just fine by me. :)

After one and a half years...

2006-12-11T09:50:00.000Z

Ok, I don't know quite how to put it (elegantly or romantically or calmly) so I'm going to come right out and say it.

Folks...

I'm getting married.

Yes, I'm getting married.

I'm friggin' getting married!!!!

I still cannot believe it, but it was a lovely, lovely ring (in the classic Tiffany setting) and I'm happy.

I would have said "Yes" without the ring. :)

Words to live by

2006-11-19T10:29:00.000Z

If I didn't care for fun and such
I'd probably amount to much
But I shall stay the way I am
Because I do not give a damn

Dorothy Parker ( 1893 - 1967)

Help end violence...just click on the door

2006-11-12T13:24:00.000Z

You always need another bag

2006-11-09T13:32:00.000Z

Wow...how cool is this. It's a bag made out of former movie posters.

That, by the way, is Keira Knightley's face in the promotional poster for Pride and Prejudice.

21 days

2006-11-07T09:31:00.000Z

Since the last posting three weeks ago, I have

had a major meltdown
gone to China for seven days and back
seen Lisa Ono in concert
passed the Basic Sailing Course
got a new job
bought a lot of cloth to tailor clothes so I have a new wardrobe for the new job
did the unthinkable
got my face ravaged by a facialist

I'm getting too lazy for this.

This is sorta fun. And funny

2006-10-18T09:06:00.000+01:00

HowManyOfMe.com

There are:
2
people with my name
in the U.S.A.

How many have your name?

Get out of my face

2006-10-17T14:32:00.000+01:00

You. Now.

Souvenir from sailing

2006-10-16T10:38:00.000+01:00

I cut a big, long cut down the left side of my right foot while I was in the water. I think it happened as my foot hit a sharp rock when I jumped out of the boat from the bow. What a brainaic I am. I wasn't wearing any footwear too. Simply genius.

It started stinging only after I got out of the water. And I wondered why I was hurting and I looked down and saw heaps of blood. grossssss.

Now I am hobbling and have to be bandaged up for at least a week. The upside is wearing Birkenstocks to the office.

It's all hazy to me

2006-10-14T05:26:00.000+01:00

Bow wow 10.06

It's been a long time since I stayed at home on a Saturday morning. I'm normally out getting brunch, or at a yoga class, or running errands.

So it's kinda nice to stay in and read a book. But look at how disgusting the air is. And it's been giving me migraines for the past three days. I NEVER get migraines.

Anyway, this week has been a bitch of a week. I had to go on auto-pilot just to survive. Cannot use brain anymore.

Ok, all, have a nice weekend, and I'm off to sailing lessons.

Conversations I

2006-10-10T05:57:00.000+01:00

Me: Hello! Can you help me take a new passport photo? I need to apply for some visa thing la.
Him: Wait a min.
Me: *waits*
Him: Use this la. *shows me a photo taken 2 years ago*
You look so young then.
Me: ....

Change is good

2006-10-09T05:06:00.000+01:00

I don't think I am the melancholy sort. Not usually, anyway. But I've been thinking a lot about my life lately. I think it has something to do with the birthday.

Most of the time though, I am just restless and can't stand being the same or doing the same things for a long time.

So now that I am 30, I've decided to STOP doing a bunch of stuff that hadn't really been good for me.

Wear heels. Damn those freaking blisters.
Read or buy fashion magazines.
Be bitchy about things, mostly people.
Listen to people bitch about other people.
Spend $5 on coffee.
Drink coffee.
Compare myself to that girl who works downstairs.
Not cut my hair.
Put up with crapshit behaviour, especially rudeness and childishness.
Do something just cos someone says I must try it.

I'm sure I'll come up with more, but this will do for now.

I also have a list of stuff that I'll start doing. Why? Because I say so.

Listen to more jazz. None of that Norah Jones crap.
Spend more time with the dog.
Own fewer things.
What I own, I must LOVE.
Live without clutter. Related to point 3 and 4.
Help animals and women.
Use my brain first.
Practise consistency.
Eat more.
Pray.

Bye, Bye, Review

2006-10-06T05:02:00.000+01:00

What a long week it has been.

New responsibilities, more work, but a challenge that I am really enjoying.

So, Far Eastern Economic Review has refused to say sorry or withdraw their remarks about Singapore. They are now banned from the country. I'll have to get my copy when I am at a foreign airport. Some of my colleagues feel that the Review had gone too far cos they did not come across as objective. It was too biased, they say. I think there is no such as objectivity in news but that's better left for another day. I think that by choosing to carry a particularly story on any topic (and not another), the editors are in fact deciding what is important for them. And they don't have to explain why. That is the purview - and privilege - as well as responsibility of the press. To have an agenda. To have an opinion. The best reporters are those who have a mind of their own and not afraid to use it.

I applaud the Review's decision. Rather than give in and apologise like many other magazines/papers/wires have, they choose to have their circulation rights here withdrawn. That speaks for something. Press freedom. We have been so brainwashed by the system that we think it's ok to stop people from writing anything on grounds such as "national security" and "economic progress". We are so tame that we feel offended when a reporter does not mince his words when criticising Singapore. After all, half the time, people don't criticise Singapore or do so with euphemisms or phrases that don't mean what they really intend to say.

So, the Review has written a long letter to its readers in its latest issue to explain why they can't get it anymore in Singapore and Mr Lee has come out to say that in Asia, "the countries which have been most successful at improving the lives of their people do not always have the most aggressive media... Each country will have to evolve its own model of the media that works for it."

And what do you get? A national paper that is ineffectual, a local press that bristles against the suggestion that it is part of the government, but which refuses to be anything more.

I don't know what Mr Lee means by "improving people's lives" but I think China has also used the same argument, about 30 years ago. Is that what we really want to be?

Cambodia, Aug '06

2006-10-04T05:36:00.000+01:00

Angkor 08.06

Finally!!! And apologies. I didn't know the stone temples would turn out to be grey in photos. But I assure you, they are very very pretty.

Moving back...

2006-10-01T09:19:00.000+01:00

Erm, ok, I'm back. Nevermind. I'll backdate some of my posts.

Paved with good intentions

2006-09-22T03:31:00.000+01:00

It's the end of another work week and for those of you who are feeling blue coz you've had a shitty work week and wonder why the hell you put up with it, here's something to remind you that life is DEFINITELY not about money, getting rich, getting a car, a condo, nice shoes, a great wardrobe, that Prada bag, etc (you fill in the blanks). It's an article I read, was it 5 years ago???, that was forwarded to me by a good friend.

"However, invariably once people attain success, they start to canonize the steps they took to achievement. This is how Dreams become Plans, and how one hegemony replaces another: the search for peace and liberty becomes get into a good school, then a good university, then a stable job, then buy property and stock. The problem is, then what?" - Colin Goh

Click here for the original, extended version.

Well said.

Have a good weekend, everyone. Lots of love...

Don't label our girls "easy", say angry convent schools

2006-09-20T11:50:00.000+01:00

I was an IJ girl for 10 years, and so were some of you who read this blog. So let me know what you think.

**************************

Sunday Times article tarnished our image: CHIJ chairperson

Wednesday • September 20, 2006
Ansley Ng
ansley@newstoday.com.sg

ELEVEN convent schools in Singapore have threatened legal action against Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) for an article that allegedly defamed convent schoolgirls.

Today has learnt that a lawyer's letter has been sent to the media company on Monday, demanding an apology and costs and damages to be paid for a "defamatory" article that was published in last week's Sunday Times, which described convent girls as being "easy" with members of the opposite sex.

Three days ago, The Sunday Times, the weekend edition of The Straits Times, published a story titled "Singapore A-Z … once more, with feeling", a "tongue in cheek" look at Singapore icons and subjects which coincided with the recently-launched Singapore — the Encyclopaedia.

Under the alphabet "I", the newspaper ran a short description of "IJ girls", term for girls who study in CHIJ (Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus) Catholic mission schools.

"IJ girls" is a generalisation for girls who study in CHIJ schools and who like to hem their school uniforms real short, wear their belts real low on their hips, and are allegedly easy when it comes to the opposite sex," a paragraph read.

A cartoon above the paragraph also showed a girl in blue lighting up a cigarette.

"Singaporeans perusing our pages should note that this is done in tongue-in-cheek," one part of the article read.

According to sources, a letter of demand was sent to SPH on Monday, asking for an apology to be published in this weekend's edition of The Sunday Times.

It also demanded that costs and damages to be paid to the Infant Jesus Board of Management, which manages the 11 schools.

The board comprises 14 members, including two nuns, eight former students and four men, who are linked to the schools.

The story upset many alumni and parents and the board members were believed to have received more than 50 phone calls and email messages of complaint between them.

Yesterday, The Straits Times letters pages published a letter written by Donne Marie Aeria — the board's chairperson — rebutting the story.

Ms Aeria called the article "an ill-conceived idea and done in bad taste".

"Was there a need to tarnish the image of thousands of students, past, present and future, including girls as young as six years old in Primary 1, with an image that they are 'allegedly easy when it comes to the opposite sex'?" Ms Aeria wrote.

"It has caused much distress, pain and embarrassment to ladies of all ages, that hail from our CHIJ schools."

There are currently about 16,000 girls studying in the 11 primary and secondary CHIJ schools.

SPH declined to comment when contacted.

Aljunied GRC MP Cynthia Phua, who studied in CHIJ Secondary School (Toa Payoh), called the generalisation "insensitive".

"Eleven schools are all wearing the same uniform. It's too much if you see one case and generalise," said Mrs Phua, whose daughter is studying at CHIJ Primary School (Toa Payoh).

"If (The Sunday Times) wants to stick to its comment, they should clarify who their sources are."

Mmmm

2006-09-17T07:12:00.000+01:00

Hey ho, all! It's a Sunday afternoon and what am I doing in the office? I'm working, of course...covering the IMF-World Bank talks for the paper.

Yesterday we almost wanted to go down to the Speakers' Corner to "kaypoh" but decided against it. Why? I have no idea. But Dr Chee got his day in the sun as the BBC had parts of his speech in a story that was played on the world service's news bulletin.

As usual, we didn't cover the story properly. And both of us are getting rather demoralised and browbeaten, especially after the General Elections earlier this year.

A plan is brewing....;)

As good a time as any

2006-09-16T09:17:00.000+01:00

This morning I saw a counsellor. He works for the Prisons Service here.

Why am I seeing a counsellor, you ask? Coz I really want a change.

And it starts now.

P.S. I have nothing to say about the IMF-World Bank talks even though I am covering it for the paper and see first-hand the security surrounding the event.

I just think we really need to loosen up.

I need another holiday

2006-09-14T11:45:00.000+01:00

I just came back from Cambodia a month ago, but now, I need to do absolutely nothing for a while.

*tired*

Singapore Dreaming

2006-09-12T11:26:00.000+01:00

I'm doing my part to promote local film.

I must say I haven't watched that many local movies; I haven't seen a single Jack Neo work and the last local movie I saw was Eric Khoo's Be With Me. It wasn't that great, imho, despite the accolades and hype.

So I was pleasantly surprised by Singapore Dreaming, a very decent effort by the husband-and-wife team of Colin Goh and The Wife (Those of you who read his Sunday Times columns will get the reference. And sorry, Mrs Goh aka Woo Yen Yen!).

The plot is nothing new and there are no surprises, but you'll be touched by the heartfelt story-telling and just how sincere the whole movie came across. It wasn't artsy-pretentious. There was no Singaporean pretending that he/she has spoken American/British English all his/her life. There was a whole lotta Hokkien and Chinese thrown in. And yes, a lot of Singlish. (If you don't know yet, I l-o-v-e Singlish.)

Please go and watch it...to support local film. If not, just go and see a glimpse of yourself on the big screen.

I gotta re-register my IC now

2006-09-11T08:05:00.000+01:00

Ok, I've been so incredibly lazy but I don't know why. I guess it's coz I've been incredibly moody and lethargic and lackadasical too! Was just in a kind of rut and funk. But I think it's high time I got out of it. It's all in the bloody head.

And thanks, guys, for your messages. I'm still thinking about it, but I probably won't do it....

Today feels like any other day, mainly coz I've been angsty and "struggling" with it for so long!! I'll spare you guys the "what I have learnt and achieved in the past 30 years" sorta entry. heh. But I really think the next few years will be better than the past few years (and not because some fortune-teller told me so).

Here's to another 30 years.

To do or not...

2006-09-06T09:04:00.000+01:00

Hello!!!!! Yes I have been away for a while and I still haven't posted pictures from our Cambodia trip. I should just stop making promises, shouldn't I?!!?!?!?!?

Anyhoooo let's just say that it has been an emotional roller-coaster for the past couple of weeks. I'm too tired to elaborate. Right now, there's a big question for us to answer: to move in together or not?

I'm too tired to think or write. All I can say is: why do I sabotage the best thing I've got going?

Do you think it has got anything to do with my screwed-up childhood, or my supposed liberal upbringing, or inherent insecurity, or the need for attention, or my not wanting to get (too) hurt?

I need help. Or a beer.

Chee to hold demonstrations

2006-08-23T11:53:00.000+01:00

SINGAPORE (AP) --- An opposition party plans to hold daily rallies during next month's IMF and World Bank meetings despite Singapore's ban on demonstrations, the party chief said Wednesday.

Chee Soon Juan said his Singapore Democratic Party would aim to draw attention to the nation's poor and the government's tight controls.

Chee said the party had applied for a police permit but would hold the 'Empower Singaporeans' rally and march even if the application was denied.

"We're not very hopeful" of the permit being approved, Chee said. But we wanted to cover all our bases."

Under national law, permits are required for any outdoor gathering of more than four people, amounting to an effective ban on protests and demonstrations.

Singapore said last month that it would not allow outdoor demonstrations during the Sept. 11-20 International Monetary Fund-World Bank annual meetings but would set up an indoor venue for civil groups accredited by the World Bank. Police said they were prepared to arrest anyone who broke the law, be they Singaporeans or foreigners.

National television station Channel NewsAsia reported Tuesday evening that Singapore police were studying a World Bank suggestion to allow protests at alternate sites. The station quoted police as saying, however, that they could not waive the law against outdoor demonstrations.

Officials at the national police and the World Bank could not immediately be reached for comment.

Chee said the SDP demonstration, planned from Sept. 14-20 and including rallies at Parliament, the IMF meeting site and the presidential palace, would be peaceful but assertive.

"We are committed to what we are doing, to fighting for our country and our rights," he told The Associated Press. "It's important that ... We try to reclaim our democratic rights."

Chee, who is already fighting a defamation suit brought against him by Singapore's top leaders, was unconcerned about possible repercussions against him.

He said the SDP rally aimed to educate Singaporeans about their rights of free speech, association and peaceful assembly, as well as to highlight to the international community that Singapore has a large income disparity that is making the poor even poorer.

In a statement on Tuesday announcing the rally, Chee called it ironic that the World Bank meeting would be held in a country "whose authoritarian government does nothing to stop the poor from getting poorer".

The statement said Singapore's income gap is at a record high and lamented the plight of the homeless and the number of people who have been imprisoned because they cannot afford to pay their bills, while the ruling party officials continued to draw high salaries.

"Despite all these problems in Singapore, we have no voice," Chee said. "If the authorities let us go on with our rally, it will be a historic moment," he said.

Chee is currently fighting a defamation suit filed by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his father, former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew. The Lees filed the suit following Chee's refusal to apologize after alleging in an SDP newsletter that the ruling People's Action Party was linked to a scandal at the nation's largest charity.

Chee is barred from campaigning or standing in elections after being bankrupted in February for failing to pay 500,000 Singapore dollars (US$316,685; euro248,015) in libel damages in a different case to Lee Kuan Yew and former Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong.

He was jailed for eight days in March for contempt of court after criticizing the independence of the city-state's judges.

Ruling party leaders have successfully sued several journalists and opposition politicians, including Chee, for defamation over the years. They say they sue to protect their reputations.

But domestic and international critics, including the U.S. State Department and London-based human rights group Amnesty International, have accused Singapore's rulers of using defamation lawsuits to stifle opponents.

Singapore's authorities tightly restrict media and political speech, saying such controls have helped turn the city-state into one of Asia's economic powerhouses.

I like 1000-year-old temples

2006-08-20T11:43:00.000+01:00

In case anyone is wondering, I haven't disappeared. I was away in Cambodia, more specifically Angkor and Battambang, which involved a 7-hour boat ride to get to...don't even ask.

Pictures later!

Save the other JBJ

2006-08-11T04:21:00.000+01:00

My first play in a very, very long time...

It probably says something about Singapore's political situation that the play wasn't about some other "troublemaker". The arts is one of those areas with shifting OB markers, and I thought it was pretty tame.

Pam Oei was brilliant and Rodney Oliveiro, decent effort. Go catch it if you can - it's on till Sunday. But wait a sec, I think it's sold out.

I am Singaporean...

2006-08-09T02:32:00.000+01:00

Ok, this is in response to Mr Brown's call to post a video of about 2 to 3 minutes of yourself saying what you think makes you Singaporean. It's already a phenomenon on the Web, for you less happening people. :P

However, I am only less less happening than you so I will write my piece instead. Plus I am dem lazy, la. What to do?

I am Singaporean by me

I am Singaporean.

I was conceived in a HDB flat, born in a government-run hospital built especially for that purpose, grew up in a kampung with real attap houses, a private condominium and a three-storey house.

The government took away the kampung land to build more HDB flats.

I am the only person I know who has lived in EVERY form of housing Singapore has.

I wore a blue pinafore for 10 years, in primary school and secondary school.

I liked the blue pinafore.

I like uniforms.

I wanted to go to study theatre, but theatre cannot make money what, so my dad refused to pay.

I've been in girls' schools all my life - except for a brief year in Primary Six when the school sold out and became co-ed, and six months in JC, which I hated.

So I quit JC.

I quit JC and went to Perth, quit Perth and went to Sydney, quit Sydney and went to Singapore, quit Singapore and went to Hong Kong, quit Hong Kong and went back to Sydney, quit Sydney and came back to Singapore, then quit Singapore to go to Shanghai, and I quit Shanghai to come back.

I'll keep quitting.

I take the bus and the MRT everywhere. Sometimes the taxi. But I'll try to avoid peak-hour and midnight charges.

I don't believe in ERP.

I think there are too many inconsiderate drivers on the road.

They are the same people who don't keep to their lanes when walking at East Coast Park.

I am almost 30. I have never been to the ROM.

I would go for a 80-cent kopi-c from Leong Huat Eating House instead of a $6 Hazelnut skimmed latte from Starbucks any day.

My favourite dish in the entire world is bak chor mee, with lots of chilli. Don't care got bak kwa or not, I also eat.

I also like vegetarian beehoon, with lots of chilli.

Now that we're in the Seventh Lunar Month, I walk around telling invisible things to "siam".

But I don't like the getai.

I like the karaoke.

But karaokes can be expensive, with all the peanuts I don't eat and the wet tissue I don't use.

Everything is expensive. I think I make decent money for doing what I do but, like, everything still so expensive.

I think nurses and policemen should be paid more.

Soldiers also.

I believe in NS and if girls had to do NS, I would want to do combat.

But I don't believe in war. So if Singapore got war, I don't know if I'd stay and fight.

But I'd defend Singapore. In my own way.

My name is Jean Chua.

And I am Singaporean.

Playing house

2006-08-06T13:47:00.000+01:00

So what have I been doing the past week? Looking at apartments, mostly, and sifting the classified ads for things I can afford. It's quite an interesting - but exhausting and humbling - experience.

I'm tired.

She's in fashion...

2006-08-02T11:32:00.000+01:00

I normally really don't care much about fashion. I like simple, sensible stuff but I think this is sorta fun.

If you could only shop at one store, what would it be?
Regardless of budget? Harvey Nichols.

You wouldn't be caught dead wearing something from which store?
Hmmm...Hang Ten?

You're given a thousand dollars and can only spend it on ONE thing. What would it be?
A good leather bag.

You're given the opportunity to have a famous designer revamp your entire wardrobe. Who would you choose?
Zac Posen

Do you have a friend you'd gladly switch wardrobes with? Who is it? Why? Why not?
mmmmm not really...we have our own styles.

Name one store you want to win a $5000 shopping spree at.
Harvey Nichols lor.

Is there an actress/singer/famous person whose wardrobe you admire immensely? Who is it?
I really like what Mischa Barton is doing, though I don't like her at all. Weird, rite?

Name one article of clothing you'd do anything (or nearly anything) to own?
Hmm nothing, really. Does a bag count? I really really really really really wanted to Mulberry Roxanne bag.

Ever saved up several months' worth of allowance (or paychecks) for one thing? What was it?
No la. The only thing I have saved up (several months' worth of salary) for was my Master's education. I took a year off work and paid for it myself, something I am immensely proud of.

Ever had a friend comment on a fashion faux pas of yours? What was it?
Nope...

Nothing dampens my mood...

2006-07-30T05:04:00.000+01:00

...faster than having my day out botched by rain.

Sien.

Makes me wanna run a marathon

2006-07-28T05:09:00.000+01:00

If you're in Ang Mo Kio...

2006-07-27T07:55:00.000+01:00

...go check out this amazing American-food joint. It's f-a-n-t-a-s-t-i-c.

Take a stab...at your ex

2006-07-26T08:52:00.000+01:00

You can actually buy this.

And just like that...

2006-07-25T03:41:00.000+01:00

...I got a second wind.

Two-wheel phobia

2006-07-23T16:49:00.000+01:00

It's an odd thing to be afraid of, really, but I'm really scared of bicycles.

Or should I say, I was scared of bicycles. On Saturday evening, I cycled for the first time in a zillion years, since I was knocked down when I was like 10 by a car while I was cycling in the neighbourhood.

I was probably peddling like 5 km/hr and the car was probably doing only 30 km/hr, but that was enough to put me off getting on a bike for the next 20 years. Funny, rite?

Anyhooooo, it looks like I'm really getting over the fear and I have a feeling I'll be biking a lot more often!

You've created a (speed) monster.

P.S. Nacho Libre sucked.

Bring out the dancing shoooos

2006-07-21T12:12:00.000+01:00

Listening to: Some great music I don't know, playing on an editor's computer

It's Friday, and I am in a party-ing mood. I never get into a party-ing mood.

I. Must. Have. This.

2006-07-20T10:24:00.000+01:00

Ok, I don't know why, but I MUST HAVE THIS DOLL.

Click on the doll to order.

Downward....dog

2006-07-19T16:31:00.000+01:00

Hmm so I was told by a yoga teacher that running and yoga don't mix. Apparently it's got something to do with how running tightens the muscles, esp those around the knees - bad! - and yoga "loosens" them - good!. So if I run, I'm basically undoing all the good stuff that yoga does for my body.

Does that make sense?

While I was waiting

2006-07-18T04:33:00.000+01:00

I've checked it out and done the sums. I'm starting to believe this will soon be reality. It's within reach.

Stay tuned.

Grin and bare it

2006-07-16T16:38:00.000+01:00

So work has been a little bit blah. I guess we're just in a quiet period and I keep forgetting the fact that I've only been back here for 3 weeks! It sure feels longer than that. Why am I in a rush to do more, ASAP?

In any case, someone said I probably need to be psyched by my life outside the office, so that that enthusiasm would trickle to my work life. How true, and how no-brainer. I think I know it, it's just a bad case of inertia and a mild case of the moving-back blues. (If I keep talking about my mini mid-life crisis, I'm going to have a mini mid-life crisis, right? So I'll stop talking about it. Coz if I look at the facts coolly and take away my moodiness and the emotional shit, life IS pretty good!) Oh, and PMS too. boo.

So I've slowly made a list of things I'm going to do - egged on as well by the fact I'm turning 30 in less than 8 weeks - and I've started taking little steps, and I must say I am psyched!

It's going to be soooo awesome. :)

Wake up

2006-07-14T06:50:00.000+01:00

When you realise you're in a cycle of bad behaviour that sabotages something that could be potentially great, what do you do?

You do something about it. That's what.

If you're happy and you know it...

2006-07-12T03:51:00.000+01:00

You would be happy too, if you lived here

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - The tiny nation of Vanuatu, one of the "happy isles of Oceania," has topped a new index that measures quality of life against environmental impact, with industrial countries, perhaps unsurprisingly, faring badly.

The UK-based New Economics Foundation (NEF) aimed to measure the environmental efficiency of global progress with its "Happy Planet Index" report, which it said painted a different order of world wealth but showed all countries could do better.

"The Happy Planet Index strips the view of the economy back to its absolute basics: what we put in (resources), and what comes out (human lives of different length and happiness)," the NEF said.
The Group of Eight (G8), an unofficial forum of the heads of leading industrialized nations meeting on July 15-17, failed to make the top 50. Host Russia came in at 172 in the 178-nation survey, with the United States at 150 and the UK at number 108.

The NEF, an independent group that did the index jointly with UK-based green campaign group Friends of the Earth, said the report showed high levels of resource consumption do not reliably produce high levels of well-being.

"The order of nations that emerges may seem counter-intuitive. But this is because policy makers have been led astray by abstract mathematical models of the economy that bear little relation to the real world," said NEF's policy director Andrew Simms.

NEF said Central America was the region with the highest average score, combining good life expectancy of 70 years with an ecological footprint below its globally fair share, while island nations scored above average and Switzerland came top in Europe.

Out of Asian nations Vietnam came highest at number 12 and Singapore was ranked lowest at 131.

African countries made up seven of the bottom 10, with Zimbabwe coming last.

Vanuatu is part of a vast sprawling Pacific archipelago described as "the happy isles of Oceania" by author Paul Theroux.

The full Happy Planet Index is available at www.happyplanetindex.org.

mrbrown lives on

2006-07-07T09:43:00.000+01:00

Check this out. It's hilarious.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQxU3K-w0bU

mrbrown canned

2006-07-06T07:51:00.000+01:00

This has gotta be a new low.

P.S. Please continue to read him online.

Published in TODAY on June 30, 2006

mr brown

S'poreans are fed, up with progress!

THINGS are certainly looking up for Singapore again. Up, up, and away.

Household incomes are up, I read.

Sure, the bottom third of our country is actually seeing their incomes (or as one newspaper called it, "wages") shrink, but the rest of us purportedly are making more money.

Okay, if you say so.

As sure as Superman Returns, our cost of living is also on the up. Except we are not able to leap over high costs in a single bound.

Cost of watching World Cup is up. Price of electricity is up. Comfort's taxi fares are going up. Oh, sorry, it was called "being revised". Even the prata man at my coffeeshop just raised the price of his prata by 10 cents. He was also revising his prata prices.

So Singaporeans need to try to "up" their incomes, I am sure, in the light of our rising costs. Have you upped yours?

We are very thankful for the timing of all this good news, of course. Just after the elections, for instance. By that I mean that getting the important event out of the way means we can now concentrate on trying to pay our bills. It would have been too taxing on the brain if those price increases were announced during the election period, thereby affecting our ability to choose wisely.

The other reason I am glad with the timing of the cost of living increases and wages going down, is that we can now deploy our Progress Package to pay for some of these bills. Wait, what? You spent it all on that fancy pair of shoes on the day you saw your money in your account? Too bad for you then.

As I break into my Progress Package reserves to see if it is enough to pay the bills, I feel an overwhelming sense of progress. I feel like I am really staying together with my fellow Singaporeans and moving forward. There is even talk of future roads like underground expressways being outsourced to private sector companies to build, so that they, in turn, levy a toll on those of us who use these roads. I understand the cost of building these roads is high, and the Government is relooking the financing of these big road projects.

Silly me, I thought my road tax and COE was enough to pay for public roads.

Maybe we can start financing all kinds of expensive projects this way in future. We could build upgraded lifts for older HDB blocks, and charge tolls on a per use basis. You walk into your new lift on the first floor, and the scanner reads the contactless cashcard chip embedded in your forehead.

This chip would be part of the recently-announced Intelligent Nation 2015 plan, you know, that initiative to make us a smart nation? So you, the smart contactless-cashcard-chip-enhanced Singaporean would go into your lift, and when you get off at your floor, the lift would deduct the toll from your chip, and you would hear a beep. The higher you live, the more expensive the lift toll.

Now you know why I started climbing stairs for exercise, as I mentioned in my last column. I plan to prepare for that day when I have to pay to use my lift. God help you if some kid presses all the lift buttons in the lift, as kids are wont to do. You will be beeping all the way to your flat.

The same chip could be used to pay for supermarket items. You just carry your bags of rice and groceries past the cashierless cashier counter, and the total will be deducted from your contactless cashcard automatically. You will not even know you just got poorer. And if your contactless cashcard runs out of funds (making it a contactless CASHLESS cashcard), you just cannot use paid services. The door of the lift won't close, the bus won't stop for you, taxis will automatically display "On Call" when their chip scanners detect you're broke.

Sure, paying bills that only seem to go up is painful, but by Jove, we are going to make sure it is at least convenient. No more opening your wallet and fiddling with dirty notes and coins. Just stand there and hear your income beeped away. No fuss, no muss! I cannot wait to be a Smart e-Singaporean. I also found out recently that my first-born daughter's special school fees were going up. This is because of this thing called "Means Testing", where they test your means, then if you are not poor enough, you lose some or all of the subsidy you've been getting for your special child's therapy. I think I am looking at about a $100 increase, which is a more than a 100 per cent increase, but who's counting, right? We can afford it, but we do know many families who cannot, even those that are making more money than we are, on paper.

But don't worry. Most of you don't have this problem. Your normal kids can go to regular school for very low fees, and I am sure they will not introduce means testing for your cases. We need your gifted and talented kids to help our country do well economically, so that our kids with special needs can get a little more therapy to help them to walk and talk. And hey, maybe if the country does really well, the special-needs kids will get a little more subsidy.

Like I said, progress. High-definition televisions, a high-speed broadband wireless network, underground expressways, and contactless cashcard system — all our signs of progress. I am happy for progress, of course but I would be just as happy to make ends meet and to see my autistic first-born grow up able to talk and fend for herself in this society when I am gone.

That is something my wife and I will pay all we can pay to see in our lifetimes.

*******************

Printed in Today on 3 July 2006

Letter from K BHAVANI

Press Secretary to the Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts

Your mr brown column, "S'poreans are fed, up with progress!" (June 30) poured sarcasm on many issues, including the recent General Household Survey, price increases in electricity tariffs and taxi fares, our IT plans, the Progress Package and means testing for special school fees. The results of the General Household Survey were only available after the General Election. But similar data from the Household Expenditure Survey had been published last year before the election. There was no reason to suppress the information. It confirmed what we had told Singaporeans all along, that globalisation would stretch out incomes.

mr brown must also know that price increases in electricity tariffs and taxi fares are the inevitable result of higher oil prices. These were precisely the reasons for the Progress Package — to help lower income Singaporeans cope with higher costs of living. Our IT plans are critical to Singapore's competitive position and will improve the job chances of individual Singaporeans. It is wrong of mr brown to make light of them.

As for means testing for special school fees, we understand mr brown's disappointment as the father of an autistic child. However, with means testing, we can devote more resources to families who need more help. mr brown's views on all these issues distort the truth. They are polemics dressed up as analysis, blaming the Government for all that he is unhappy with. He offers no alternatives or solutions. His piece is calculated to encourage cynicism and despondency, which can only make things worse, not better, for those he professes to sympathise with.

mr brown is entitled to his views. But opinions which are widely circulated in a regular column in a serious newspaper should meet higher standards. Instead of a diatribe mr brown should offer constructive criticism and alternatives. And he should come out from behind his pseudonym to defend his views openly.

It is not the role of journalists or newspapers in Singapore to champion issues, or campaign for or against the Government. If a columnist presents himself as a non-political observer, while exploiting his access to the mass media to undermine the Government's standing with the electorate, then he is no longer a constructive critic, but a partisan player in politics.

Moving on

2006-07-04T07:06:00.000+01:00

For the first time in 7 months, we were able to enjoy a weekend doing things leisurely together. I mean, after 7 months of failing miserably at this long-distance thing, we are finally physically together. Last weekend, we whiled away the time doing nothing (but it still felt like a lot). There was no sense of urgency, no need to try to pack everything into a few days - most of our visits over the past 7 months were only a few days long - and no "end" in sight.

We took the dog out to the Botanic Gardens, shared some fries, played Scrabble, spent a few hours at Zouk, watched (both) quarter-finals of the World Cup, had yummy prawn noodle at East Coast Road, checked out sailing schools, went to buy books at Borders and called it a weekend.

And it was really nice. :)

Donno much about football...

2006-07-02T08:49:00.000+01:00

...but I am sad Brazil lost.

A new place, a new beginning

2006-06-21T03:28:00.000+01:00

So I've been back for 4ish days and things still feel a little weird.

I rearranged the furniture in my room to make it look more spacious. I threw out a lot of junk (it's great to know how little I actually NEED to get by) and now there's a tiny nook where I can put a teevee/dvd player/ps2/xbox thing/fish tank.

I still have a week off from work and will be starting at the old place next Wednesday. I'll probably ease into it in 3 seconds coz the people are the same and the work will be pretty much the same.

In the meantime, there are errands to run and stuff to do. Guess there is no better way to adjust than by plunging right in, right?

Right now, part...III?

2006-06-18T15:19:00.000+01:00

current clothing: pink shirt and jeans
current mood: happy. very happy
current taste: pepper crab
current hair: ponytail
current annoyance: none. can you believe it? none
current smell: mango
current thing you ought to be doing: jackall
current jewelry: none
current book: the economist magazine
current refreshment: 100plus
current worry: work-related
current crush: some hot actor
current favorite celebrity: larry king. is that weird?
current longing: to be at a beach resort
current music: simple things, zero 7
current wish: to be fitter
current lyric in your head: "everyone's saying different things to me, different things to me..."
current makeup (if you're a girl!): none
current undergarments: bra and girl boxers
current regret: not having been more frugal this year
current desktop picture: sandy beach
current plans for tonight/weekend: sleep
current cuss word du jour: fuck
current disappointment: that I ate too much today
current amusement: making up lists
current IM/person: carrie
current love: music
current obsession: music
current avoidance: bad thoughts
current poster: must love dogs
current favorite book: one hundred years of solitude, gabriel garcia marquez
current favorite movie: crash

Finally...

2006-06-15T14:07:00.000+01:00

When I was deciding whether to go back a couple of months ago, the only thought stopping me was actually this: "what would people think of me?"

I didn't want people to think I am a quitter.

I don't want to think I am a quitter.

Then I remembered this. I don't live my life to please people. I don't wanna care what you think coz it is my life. It's simple but sometimes it's easier said than done, no?

I do what makes me happy.

So see you guys in a couple of days, where the sun shines every day, every year.

New haircut

2006-06-06T09:06:00.000+01:00

I'm so sick of my long hair, I went out and got myself a bob.

Now, I look even younger.

Listening to: Buddha Bar IV

My latest addiction

2006-06-02T09:11:00.000+01:00

So I am S-L-O-W to catch on, what with the show having been nominated for Emmys and Golden Globes and stuff, and being in its 5th season in the US...but I always say, "Better late than ER!"

huk huk huk.

I'm talking about Scrubs.

It's hilarious, off-beat, smart, makes you look at life in a totally new way, and full of characters just like you and me..."completely the same, yet totally different."

Enjoy!

Too much time

2006-05-24T13:56:00.000+01:00

Ok, the upside of having too much time and too little to do is that I can now do a shoulder stand pretty effortlessly and with all the running and swimming I've been doing, I'm the strongest (physically...and consequently, mentally) I've been in weeks...I feel awesome.

I really feel things will be great again after I get out of this country. But like I say to people, "don't try, don't know". I don't regret moving here but now, I can't wait to get out.

See you guys soon.

The YES/NO meme

2006-05-16T02:27:00.000+01:00

Do this if you feel like it, but you can only say 'yes' or 'no'. You are not allowed to explain or comment on anything unless someone asks!

1. Taken a picture naked? NO
2. Painted your room? NO
3. Made out with a member of the same sex? NO
4. Drove a car? YES
5. Danced in front of your mirror? YES
6. Had a crush? YES
7. Been dumped? YES
8. Stole money from friend? NO
9. Gotten in a car with people you just met? YES
10. Been in a fist fight? NO
11. Snuck out of your house? YES
12. Had feelings for someone who didn’t have them back? YES
13. Been arrested? NO
14. Made out with a stranger? NO
15. Met up with a member of the opposite sex somewhere? YES
16. Left your house without telling your parents? YES
17. Had a crush on your neighbour? NO
18. Ditched school to do something more fun? YES
19. Slept in a bed with a member of the same sex? YES
20. Seen someone die? NO
21. Been on a plane? YES
22. Kissed a picture? YES
23. Slept in until 3PM? YES
24. Love or miss someone right now? YES
25. Laid on your back and watched cloud shapes go by? YES
26. Made a snow angel? NO
27. Played dress up? YES
28. Cheated while playing a game? YES
29. Been lonely? YES
30. Fallen asleep at school? YES
31. Been to a club? YES
32. Felt an earthquake? YES
33. Touched a snake? YES
34. Ran a red light? NO
35. Been suspended from school? NO
36. Had detention? NO
37. Been in a car accident? YES
38. Hated the way you look? YES
39. Witnessed a crime? NO
40. Pole danced? YES
41. Been lost? YES
42. Been to the opposite side of the country? YES
43. Felt like dying? YES
44. Cried yourself to sleep? YES
45. Sang karaoke? YES
46. Sucked your thumb? YES
47. Done something you told yourself you wouldn’t do? YES
48. Laughed till some kind of beverage came out of your nose? YES
49. Caught a snowflake on your tongue? YES
50. Kissed in the rain? YES
51. Sing in the shower? YES
52. Made love in a park? NO
53. Had a dream that you married someone? NO
54. Glued your hand to something? NO
55. Got your tongue stuck to a flag pole? NO
56. Ever gone to school partially naked? NO
57. Been a cheerleader? NO
58. Sat on a roof top? YES
59. Didn’t take a shower for a week? NO
60. Ever too scared to watch scary movies alone? YES
61. Played chicken? NO
62. Been pushed into a pool with all your clothes on? YES
63. Been told you’re hot by a complete stranger? YES
64. Broken a bone? NO
65. Been easily amused? YES
66. Laugh so hard you cry? YES
67. Mooned/flashed someone? NO
68. Cheated on a test? NO
69. Forgotten someone’s name? YES
70. Slept naked? YES
71. Gone skinny dipping in a pool? NO
72. Performed on stage? YES
73. Blacked out from drinking? YES
74. Played a prank on someone? YES
75. Gone to a late night movie? YES
76. Made love to anything not human? NO
77. Failed a class? YES
78. Choked on something you’re not supposed to eat? NO
79. Played an instrument for more than 10 hours? NO
80. Cheated on a girl/boyfriend? NO
81. Did you celebrate the 4th of July? NO
82. Thrown strange objects? YES
83. Felt like killing someone? NO
84. Thought about running away? YES
85. Ran away? YES
86. Did drugs? YES
87. Had detention and not attend it? NO
88. Dumped anyone? YES
89. Made a parent cry? YES
90. Cried over someone? YES
91. Owned more than 5 sharpies? NO
92. Dated someone more than once? YES
93. Have/had a dog? YES
94. Own an instrument? YES
95. Been in a band? YES
96. Drank 25 sodas in a day? NO
97. Broken a cd? YES
98. Shot a gun? NO
99. Dated a married person of the opposite sex? YES
100. Written a love letter? YES

Bite me

2006-05-10T06:59:00.000+01:00

I should learn to moderate my comments.

Women/men - fruit

2006-05-05T04:00:00.000+01:00

Women are like apples on trees.

The best ones are at the top of the tree. Most men don’t want to reach for the good ones because they are afraid of falling and getting hurt. So, instead, they sometimes take the apples from the ground that aren’t as good, but easy to reach. The apples at the top think something must be wrong with them, when in reality, they’re amazing. They just have to wait for the right man to come along, the one who is brave enough to climb all the way to the top of the tree.

Now men — Men are like a fine wine. They begin as grapes, and it’s up to women to stomp the shit out of them until they turn into something acceptable to have dinner with.

Journalism: best job in the world?

2006-05-03T09:50:00.000+01:00

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia -- From impoverished Nepal to ultramodern Singapore, Asian governments have shackled media by arresting journalists, censoring news and stifling independent opinion, a media watchdog says.

Asia is still "struggling with the old demons of totalitarianism," Paris-based media watchdog Reporters Without Borders said in releasing its latest World Press Freedom Index.

"Big gaps have opened up in Asia when it comes to press freedom," RSF's head of Asia Vincent Brossel said in the report, released Wednesday.

Asian nations dominated the bottom of the Reporters Without Borders index. A higher number denotes less freedom.

North Korea was last at 167, while Iran was three rungs higher at 164. Myanmar was ranked 163rd, behind Nepal (160), China (159) and Vietnam (158).

"China, a burgeoning power, keeps its journalists in a state of servitude to bias," Brossel added. "Despite promises to the contrary, foreign correspondents are still tightly controlled when they raise sensitive issues. Police have manhandled at least 16 of them."

The 16 were investigating issues deemed sensitive to the Communist government, RSF said, adding there were at least 32 journalists imprisoned by Beijing at the start of 2006.

Two of them -- New York Times contributor Zhao Yan and Singapore Straits Times correspondent Ching Cheong -- face charges of divulging state secrets and espionage respectively, RSF said.

There were numerous examples of a lack of press freedom elsewhere in Asia, RSF said.
• In Nepal, RSF counted 567 instances in which independent reports were censored, while 145 journalists were physically attacked or harassed following King Gyanendra's seizure of power in February last year.
• In Pakistan, journalists have to deal with threats from tribal warlords while undergoing intense scrutiny from the military. Two reporters have died, while another is still missing after he reported on the death of an alleged al-Qaida leader that contradicted the official government version.
• In neighboring Afghanistan, Ali Mohaqiq Nasab, the editor of the "Women's Rights" magazine, was sentenced to two years in jail after a series of articles that slammed archaic practices still common in the country, such as stoning. The articles were deemed blasphemous toward Islam.
Post-Taliban Afghanistan was ranked 125th on the RSF index -- which was ahead of Singapore, by far the lowest-ranked developed country on the index at 140, slightly better than its 147th place last year.

The report says there is a "complete absence" of an independent local media in Singapore, the most developed and richest nation in Southeast Asia.

"The government threatens journalists, foreign media and opposition with defamation suits seeking dizzying amounts in damages," RSF's report said of Singapore. "Despite statements in support of an 'open' society, the ruling party still does not brook any criticism."

Foreign news organizations including The Economist, The International Herald Tribune, Bloomberg, The Far Eastern Economic Review and The Asian Wall Street Journal have paid large fines or had their circulation restricted in lawsuits brought by Singapore's ruling party stalwarts.

Singapore's leaders did not immediately respond to the RSF report, but have said they sue to defend their reputations. Information Minister Lee Boon Yang has said there were "special circumstances" surrounding press freedom in the city-state, with local media more focused on nation-building.

RSF said the Philippines, despite having a freewheeling press, remained -- after Iraq -- the most dangerous place for journalists to work. Seven were killed there last year.

Things don't have to be complicated

2006-05-01T03:12:00.000+01:00

1. figure out what you want
2. go for it
3. the rest will just have to follow if they have the balls

Scary heat

2006-04-27T07:35:00.000+01:00

When it's cold, it's cold.

When it's hot, it's a bitch.

Anyway, we are getting a taste of summer now. Do I sound like I'm complaining? I'm not. I'd rather have this than 2 degrees.

The reverse gear has its uses

2006-04-23T13:58:00.001+01:00

Hello all, I miss ya'all and I must say the past 5 months have NOT been pleasant.

Anyhow, the process has been set in motion and we'll see what happens next.

Stay tuned...

Finish me

2006-04-18T11:26:00.000+01:00

1. My ex is: nice but so wrong
2. Maybe I should: quit my job
3. I love: being with my friends and family
4. I don't understand: why people are so mean sometimes
5. I lose: my patience too often
6. People say I'm: flaky
7. Love is: too far away
8. Somewhere, someone is: making a difficult choice
9. I will always: be myself
10. Forever is: right here, right now
11. I never want to: be bitter
12. I think the current US President: don't think much about him
13. When I wake up in the morning: I want to smile
14. My past was: interesting, but over
15. I get annoyed when: people are rude
16. Parties are for: having fun!
17. My dog is: at home and missed terribly
18. My cat is: waiting to happen
19. Kisses are the best when: they are heartfelt
20. Tomorrow: will be a better day
21. I really want: to feel safe
22. I have low tolerance for people who: are obnoxious and rude

Have I found my match?

2006-04-15T10:40:00.000+01:00

You scored as Good Boy.

Good Boy

75%

Quiet sweetie

63%

Skater Boy

54%

Bad Boy

38%

Jock

25%

What kinda guy are u into???
created with QuizFarm.com

Not another beach resort

2006-04-12T09:52:00.000+01:00

I am not big on tourist-trap-style beach resorts, but this one looks gooooood (at my most bourgeoisie moments). It was featured in Conde Nast Traveller, so hey, it has got to be classy, rite?

Better Together

2006-04-10T05:27:00.000+01:00

There is no combination of words I could put on the back of a postcard
And no song that I could sing, but I can try for your heart
Our dreams, and they are made out of real things
Like a shoebox of photographs with sepia tone loving

Love is the answer
At least for most of the questions in my heart
Why are we here and where do we go
And how come it's so hard
It's not always easy and sometimes life can be deceiving
I'll tell you one thing

It's always better when we're together
Mmm, it's always better when we're together
Yeah, we'll look at the stars when we're together
Well, it's always better when we're together
Yeah, it's always better when we're together

And all of these moments just might find a way into my dreams tonight
But I know that they'll be gone when the morning light sings
Or brings new things for tomorrow night you see
That they'll be gone too, too many things I have to do

But if all of these dreams might find their way into my day to day scene
I'd be under the impression I was somewhere in between
With only two, just me and you, not so many things we got to do
Or places we got to be, we'll sit beneath the mango tree now

Yeah, it's always better when we're together
Mmm, we're somewhere in between together
Well, it's always better when we're together
Yeah, it's always better when we're together (mmm)

I believe in memories, they look so, so pretty when I sleep
And when I wake up, you look so pretty sleeping next to me
But there is not enough time
And there is no, no song I could sing
And there is no combination of words I could say
But I will still tell you one thing
We're better together

What a mix

2006-04-07T05:10:00.000+01:00

Listening to: U2

One moment I'm writing about divorce; another, recycling.

Can't say there's no variety in this job.

Loop. Loooopey.

2006-04-03T08:43:00.000+01:00

Ok. I realised how incredibly mopey and boring I've been in the past few months, so I'm gonna snap out of it, as of NOW. I am also incredibly flattered - really, I am! - that my former classmate Andrea has my site linked on hers. Coz she has such a cool site and she's an amazing, funny writer. So, yeah.

I'm also realising that I'm actually in a fascinating - albeit completely loooooopey - country with crazy people, so I'm gonna start taking advantage of it. The problem is, however, I am not funny and I can't write like funny people do. When I find something interesting, I can't really tell you why, though I ought to be able to do it coz it's what I do for a living, right? I just go "That's kinda interesting." So that's kinda loserly.

I may also have to start looking for another host for this site, coz I still cannot read anything that's hosted on blogspot. That means I may have to get all my friends to convert to the other host, coz that's the only way I can read their sites. I feel out of the loop, man. Any advice, anyone??

It's spring!!!

2006-03-29T05:37:00.000+01:00

Listening to: Stefanie Sun's A Perfect Day

It's spring!!!!

Yes, we're finally out of that sucky, blowy four months of the year when it's so cold you feel it in your bones despite wearing warmers and jeans and gloves and a beanie and you're so wrapped up you can't feel your own body.

Did I mention I hate winter? Gimme 40 degrees any day, man! Dammit!

Anyway, yes it's a glorious glorious spring morning and I am happy. I've got the sun beating down on the balcony floor, I can finally open the fucking windows and I am singing along Stefanie Sun who's on the stereo.

This is me. I know it.

What's which?

2006-03-24T10:58:00.000Z

When is stopping giving up and when is it knowing it's not worth it?

I am actually ok

2006-03-16T11:34:00.000Z

First of all, let me just say that I still cannot assess blogspot in China, which means that when you post comments, I cannot reply, coz I can't even read my own site!!!! So please pardon me, it's not coz I am unfriendly or too busy or what. I am never too busy to read my friends' blogs, or reply...if only I could read them!!!!

So anyway, how am I? I am ok.

I am actually ok. Not like ecstastic...but I think the 2-week trip to Beijing really helped. Oh yes, I was in Beijing for 2 weeks covering some Communist Party meeting. But more on that later...maybe.

Anyway, I am slowing finding my own groove in this mad city of 17.8 million people. I think the idea is just to pace myself and not feel like I have to do everything and see everything and meet everyone immediately. When I feel tired, I go home. When I feel like reading a book at home, I read a book at home, even when there are like three parties to which yours truly have been invited.

So the idea is just learning to say no....simple right?

The stress over the past couple of months has also meant that the boyfriend and I have been fighting a lot...yes, we've been fighting those big fights that I don't think we would fight, so that has shaken me up quite a bit. I don't think anything fundamental has changed...if you look at the facts, but somehow, everything becomes a bit psycho when it involves a long-distance relationship. (okok, I'm the one who goes psycho.)

So what do we do? We hang on, we keep at it, and we hope for the best...I'm not just talking about my circumstances. I'm talking about life in general.

And when it becomes too hard or not worth it, you let go.

That's the key to happiness.

I am back, folks

2006-03-10T13:13:00.000Z

There are two reasons I have been away.

Actually, it hasn't been that long, has it?

One is I can't access blogspot in China and another is I haven't really been feeling the best. Work is not great and I miss my boyfriend. So all in all, life hasn't been going according to plan.

So now, I am thinking of going home.

Gong Xi Fa Cai

2006-01-29T09:32:00.000Z

Is China the only place in the world where the people can buy their own fireworks off street vendors and have their own fireworks party in their backyards?

Shanghai is gripped by fireworks fever, caused by the Chinese New Year and it's noisy, pretty and happy...

Happy Dog Year, everyone.

I wanna keep receiving angbaos.

Have you ever written a personal ad?

2006-01-27T12:21:00.000Z

I am a woman
age 29 and counting
location Shanghai
country China
occupation word hack
education Master's degree
star sign Virgo
relationship status single but not available
have children no
want children don't know, but don't think so
height 162cm
weight 47kg
hair colour dark
eye colour dark
cigarettes no
booze just occasionally
drugs have tried but don't do it regularly
last great book I read all the trouble in the world, pj o'rourke
most humbling moment oh there were too many
favourite on-screen sex scene how about...the many scenes of jane march and tong leung in the lover
celebrity I resemble most who knows
best/worst lie I've ever told I'm sick and can't go out
if I could be anywhere at the moment the beach at krabi, thailand
the five items I can't live without my music, my notebook, my big pillow, my family and my man
fill in the blanks broad shoulders are sexy, but a sense of humour is sexier
in my bedroom, you'll find books, CDs, photos, me
why you should get to know me see above
what I am looking for love, affinity, respect, lust

One thing's for sure

2006-01-25T14:58:00.002Z

A long-distance relationship is tough.

When you look around you and see options and people you could be going out with, you may start wondering why you're hanging on to something so...uncertain and which makes you feel insecure.

That's when you decide tt's too tough, you want someone to be there physically for you so you get distracted, date, move on...

It's not easy. I'm not a saint. And sometimes, you feel so distant from him you can't find things to say. But other times, you talk and talk and can't stop and you remember how you fell in love in the first place. And people ask me out and what do I say? I say no, thanks. Maybe a coffee, but I'm not interested.

So what's the verdict? Two months into this, and I'm still pretty damned certain about this. I think this may be the difference between a good thing and a sure thing.

And I've got both.

More wedding bells

2006-01-23T14:47:00.000Z

Here comes the bride

Wendy, my dear cousin who lives in Japan, is getting married to a nice American boy from New Jersey. It's New Jersey, I think. Oh wow. In a way, I'm sorta glad that I'm not spending Chinese New Year with the extended family this weekend who will, no doubt, ask "When are YOU getting hitched?" All, and I mean ALL, my female cousins have young children!

Blah. I get shudders when I think about it. I think I'm missing a bride gene. I'm definitely missing a mum gene.

The domestication of Reverend Sugartastic

2006-01-21T15:42:00.000Z

Hello...it's been a while. First of all, let me just say that I'm still bummed out that I can't read my friends' blogspot sites in China. I'm......lost! In any case...thanks for the note, Judy. Nothing I can do about it, though. sigh.

I've never been so domesticated (is that even a word?) in my life. I find myself wondering how to make my apartment here less, what's the word, Chinese. I'm going to start decorating...oh my god. I'm grateful for the chance, though. It's going to be fun! I need new curtains, pictures, throws, vases. I'm getting to be a bit of a neat freak...I use to leave my clothes lying around but as I grow older, I get more organised. I think it's got something to do with the fact that I'm making simplicity my motto. It's like ok, I know where things are...I can't live in clutter; I think the conditions you live in reflect your state of mind, don't you?

The only thing I can't stand is ironing. Lord help me.

Also, I find myself cooking more and more...and studying cookbooks more and more. Well, it's the really simple stuff for now and mostly vegetable-based coz I eat too much meat when I'm out (which is happening more and more often) and when you live alone, it's tough to cook a rack of lamb and roast potatoes?

Booze is so cheap here it's tempting to start drinking much more. A bottle of Malibu rum is S$18 at Carrefour and so vodka. How's this for a winter drink...scotch whiskey, double cream and honey mixed and served over ice...yummm.

Pitter patter

2006-01-18T14:10:00.000Z

The weather here has taken a turn for the wetter.

It's been raining pretty much non-stop since Sunday afternoon and the winds have gathered strength and I can't help wanting to hole up in the apartment. In fact, I've taken to working from home, sitting in front of the TV watching CCTV news on the hour - as part of work, I swear.

The past two months have been a test of endurance, for which I am grateful. I have also learned a bit more about myself, at a time when I thought I knew myself thoroughly. When you're back home, surrounded by people who can help you, you don't have to resort to your own resources...you didn't even know you had those resources or the ability to use them. Here, you constantly have to be on your toes. It's like you're bracing yourself for a fight each time you step out of the door.

*Deep breath*

What a bloody pain...

2006-01-16T10:52:00.000Z

...in the arse.

Even after asking my tech guru of a research assistant to meddle around with the servers and proxies and shit, I still can't any blogspot sites in Shanghai, including, of course, my own.

This sucks big time.

Help, anyone?

Working weekends are no fun

2006-01-16T02:31:00.000Z

Shanghai Museum 01.06

What a weekend.

After having to wake up at 7.30 on both Saturday and Sunday, I decided to work from home today. I am tired because I had a total of less than 10 hours of sleep on both nights, what with David being in town and my having to file stories for the paper.

No complaints though...I'm happy to be given an assignment where I can work at my own pace...to a certain extent, at least. Back to work!

How true

2006-01-14T06:38:00.000Z

The Picto-Personality Test

You are a person who likes to have fun all the time.

When alone, you appreciate being able to do nothing if you want to, and setting your own pace for things.

You are romantic, and when you are with your partner you like to woo them with your imagination.

In the future you will have a good family life and lots of friends.

Grateful

2006-01-13T02:40:00.000Z

Oh wow.

Let me just say that I'm incredibly touched by all the messages that people have left on this site after my previous (rather tragic) posting. I'm grateful that people are so concerned and cannot be more thankful. Like I said, I never get depressed like this. These are extraordinary circumstances, though. I cannot wait to be with my baby again.

I'm also aware that I can't allow my mind to take me to unhealthy, irrational places. So I'm ok again. =)

Thanks, everyone.

A fork

2006-01-10T11:28:00.000Z

When it's cold, dark, wet outside and you're essentially alone in a strange new city, it's easy to start thinking funny thoughts and get paranoid. That's what's happening to me now.

It's easy to forget the good things you had, the sweet wonderful things he said and all the great times you spent together.

It's easy to pick a fight just because you want attention, you want to know he remembers you and you end up creating a crack for no good reason other than insecurity. It's stupid yes and irrational, but oh so real.

And that, my dear friends, is suicide.

I know this but I can't help it. I am feeling lost and although it's getting better, there's nothing I want more than to be back home with him. It's probably politically incorrect to say this but why lie to myself? I don't wanna look "successful and all together" for the world to see yet be sad inside...coz no one else is going to be there when I miss him.

So what do I do? Do I go home? Do I wait?

I have no idea.

Brownies and winter

2006-01-09T12:16:00.000Z

Generally it doesn't take very much to make me happy. And I'm happy that I've got a decent European oven in my Shanghai apartment. It really makes a difference, ya know. And so I'm going to start baking. No more faffing around.

I know that my last three postings have sounded...contemplative. I realise that. That's the me when it's cold and wet outside. I won't do it again.

What I learned in 2005

2006-01-08T12:03:00.000Z

That my instincts are generally correct and I should listen to them more often
That I always underestimate myself and undershoot
That it's ok to be alone sometimes
That it's fine not to see people you don't wanna see
That I usually make a bigger deal about things than necessary
That things are usually not as bad as I make them out to be
That the ideas about how I wanna live my life has changed and I can create new things for myself
That this year shall be a year of discovery and change
That it's going to be fine

Just do it

2006-01-07T07:43:00.000Z

The best way to handle things that you dread is to throw yourself into it and JUST FREAKING DO IT.

The hardest lessons to learn...

2006-01-05T17:37:00.000Z

...are those that we need the most.

And the things that we do not want to see are those that we must.

...

What a difference a meal makes

2006-01-05T15:51:00.000Z

I was feeling seriously seriously depressed on Wednesday AND a good half of today. I'm generally a cheerful person, but you know how sometimes you can feel irrationally sad and hopeless even when all signs and evidence say that things are going really swimmingly??? I was feeling that everything was to shiiiiiiiiiiiiiit and that Daryl is cheating on me and that I'm going to lose my job when my editors discover how I am actually a fraud and I'm going to lose EVERYTHING DAMNED THING.

I just couldn't snap out of it...

...until now.

The cure? A pitcher of sangria, BBQ prawns, mozzarella and tomato salad, garlic sauteed mushrooms and chorizo.

I'm going to a tapas bar when I next feel blue.

Good news

2006-01-03T10:04:00.000Z

The first day of work in the new year brought some good news: a promotion and a raise.

More coins for the penthouse fund!

Happy 2006

2006-01-01T03:07:00.000Z

Singapore ain't that bad, dammmmit 01.06

I stole this from Bryan.

But I did manage to catch the fireworks from the rooftop garden of a four-storey shophouse near Chinatown.

Pretty awesome, huh?

What I am trying to do with my life in 2006

2005-12-31T10:14:00.000Z

A few weeks ago I posted a note which seemed to suggest that I don't believe in goals/resolutions. I don't, really. But I do believe in making one's life better every year, every month, every week, every day. What's the difference, you ask? If you choose the former, your life becomes a series of goalposts, a list of to-dos for the sake of it, you get stressed out to complete that list and the ends become the means (If you don't get that, you won't ever, so don't bother asking again).

So in 2006, instead of making resolutions, I'm going to have a mantra.

In 2006, I'll accept myself (even more).
I'll be more optimistic...for me and my loved ones.
I'll be fitter, stronger, happier, healthier, prettier and kinder.
I'll be more grateful for the things I have and be more content.
I won't take things for granted.

In 2006, I'll get my wardrobe into shape (the token to-do).

Have the best year ever, everyone.