Category: Identity

Identity

Diamonds, Gold and War: The British, the Boers, and the Making of South Africa

I’ve just finished this excellent book by Martin Meredith, and thought I might record some choice quotes and passages. For future reference. “It often strikes a man to inquire what is the chief good in life; to one the thought comes that it is a happy marriage, to another great wealth, and as each seizes on his idea, for that he more or less works … Continue reading Diamonds, Gold and War: The British, the Boers, and the Making of South Africa

Sudhir Thomas VadakethLeave a comment
Cycling, FOMB Book Blog, Identity, Indian, Malaysia, Singapore

Extract from Floating on a Malayan Breeze: The Straits Times, Oct 13th 2012

Dear friends, for those who missed the extract in The Straits Times this past weekend, click on the image below. Or, if you’d rather just read the extract right here, here it is. From pages 173-76 of the book: Your first instinct, when approaching the back of a truck while riding downhill, is to slam on the brakes, ratchet down the speed, and play it … Continue reading Extract from Floating on a Malayan Breeze: The Straits Times, Oct 13th 2012

Sudhir Thomas Vadaketh1 Comment
Democracy, Economist Group, EIU, Freedom, Identity, PAP, Singapore

The problem with the national conversation: information asymmetries

Dear friends, as long as there are significant information asymmetries in the government-citizen relationship, Singapore will never be able to have a completely fair and open national conversation. What information asymmetries exist? Simply, the government has all the data and information, and we, the people, are given only selective access to it. Whenever people talk about the “lack of information” or the need for a … Continue reading The problem with the national conversation: information asymmetries

Sudhir Thomas Vadaketh13 Comments
Food, Identity, Singapore

National identity vs Global City identity: Diner en Blanc

Thanks very much for all the comments and feedback you all have sent over the past week. As the very notion of identity–let alone Singaporean identity–is so nebulous, my thoughts are still forming as to what exactly a global city identity in Singapore will look like. It is easier, I suppose, to depict this tension with real-world examples, and what better than the recent Diner … Continue reading National identity vs Global City identity: Diner en Blanc

Sudhir Thomas Vadaketh3 Comments