I saw the Cure two weeks ago, at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. We had managed to get fantastic seats, front row of our section, a mere six feet from the poor sods in front who had paid $50 more. They started playing at about 8.30, and we were in heaven, dancing and yelling and having a ball and a blast and the time of our … Continue reading wednesday i’m no love
I’m getting a little bit tired of Indians saying how much they like my country, Singapore. The gushing never stops. Towering buildings; glitzy shopping malls; roads without potholes; clean, drinking water; spotless streets; safe neighbourhoods; efficient administration; incorruptible government; gateway to the world; ….they could go on forever. (Every now and then, one of them questions the lack of genuine democracy here, while yearning for … Continue reading a migration of poor standards
I quite enjoyed this musical. So must our government. One of the underlying themes of the show is how an unregulated, untrammelled, free-wheeling media can distort the truth, and the chaos that distortion can cause. Basically, English painter forms a close relationship with Empress Cixi. Empress opens up to her, sharing her life story. English painter relates all this to a sly English journalist who … Continue reading The Forbidden City
“an insane asylum has lots of creative ideas, but you have to have management discipline to have a meritocracy of ideas” Continue reading random quote
In an article in The Straits Times Review today, Senior Writer Ong Soh Chin, gushing about Singapore, writes, “There are few places in the world where the things that matter – transport, education, housing, health care – work as efficiently without having to pay an arm and a leg.” She is correct that we do provide those things cheaply. My question is – how did … Continue reading The things that matter
“I said that we will look at how we can have a lighter touch in regulating the internet during the elections. Er… Mr Brown‘s comment was not posted on his blog. If he had posted the same comment on his blog, we would treat it as part of the internet chatter and we will have just let it be. But he posted it — he … Continue reading Singapore Government’s take on old vs. new media
is an article in this month’s Mother Jones magazine about a Christian heavy metal band, Iron Cross, subtly screaming for liberty in Burma. I reproduce one interesting passage about the Orwellian culture of fear in this country: ‘Even other Western tourists spoke in whispers, turning both directions to see if anyone was listening. This syndrome has a name among some NGO workers – “Burma Head.” … Continue reading "Rock the Junta"
let me preface my World Cup Final observations by admitting how much I admire Zidane. His swansong I awaited like a numbed coke head, yearning for the highs of yesteryear, yet never truly expecting much more. that it ended bittersweet was very French, very fitting and very forgettable, the effects of whisky having a far more brutal effect on my memory than age did on … Continue reading human frailty as told by Zinedine
like most of you, i have been glued to the world cup. following it here, in the US, has been a particularly fascinating experience. Speaking to Americans and listening to American commentators has given me some insights into their thoughts on football, and maybe, life. americans have an obsessions with stats. at many inopportune moments during a game, ESPN will indulge in a computer graphic … Continue reading football in america
I have spent the last few weeks in Malaysia doing research, so I suppose it’s only apt that I write a bit about this wonderful country. I am now certain that food in Malaysia is better than in Singapore. I used to always tell people that the food is the same in both countries. But now my mind is made up. And it’s not simply … Continue reading Malaysia
