Sunday, November 16, 2008

12:16 AM

One Year - 3 Nov 08


All's well :) Have not had great arguments, have not converted to Catholicism, have not spent any money on heart shaped neoprints.... but also have not had a lot of time together :| Divine persons and US embassy willing, that will shortly change.

0 collected:

5 cents a hug

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

4:05 PM

I'm now in the Cyberarts Lab crunching data and there's this strange unkempt guy who came and plonked himself down at the terminal beside me, and hasn't stop frantically typing and sniggering and panting to himself for the past half an hour.

I am so irritated.

0 collected:

5 cents a hug

Thursday, October 23, 2008

10:51 PM

Christian the Lion

"He travelled by Bentley, ate in fine London restaurants and spent his days lounging in a furniture shop. The story of Christian the pet lion - and his eventual release into the wild..."

taken from DailyMail.co.uk

Christian was bought from Harrods, the British departmental store, in the 60's by two friends John Rendall and Ace Berg. Christian spent his first two years lounging in the window display of a furniture shop, being driven around town and playing ball on weekends in the church's yard. But feeding it cost 30 pounds per week, and the two friends eventually decided to contact a conservationist in Africa, to plan for its relocation to Kenyan wilderness. Their efforts succeeded, and Rendall and Berg returned to London, keeping track of Christian's progress from afar.

A year later, after hearing news that Christian had settled down with his pride and borne a litter of cubs, the two decided to visit him for one last time. Christian, who had not been sighted near the conservationist's camp for 9 months, was waiting for Rendall and Berg when they arrived, somehow.



Bawled my eyes out.

Go here for a documentary version.

Go here for a very in-depth and entertaining article about Christian (and very, very precious pictures).

0 collected:

5 cents a hug

Saturday, September 20, 2008

4:35 PM

Ownership and Grassroots and National Identity

I did a policy paper a while ago that proposed the reason behind the demographic problems in Singapore (low birth rate, high outgoing workforce, high emigration, immigration quality) is the lack of ownership that the people (whether citizens or not) have with the country. That is due to a myriad of reasons, some are policy driven, some are indirectly policy driven, all are arguable depending on which set of dubious statistics you're talking about, but I am quite sure that:

1. A Singaporean's lack of pride in his own country and people adversely affects other Singaporeans' perception of Singapore, and also foreigners' perception
2. Cultural and national icons must come about with history and reason and pride attached. They are strengthened by the people's participation in their formation.

This is why I think that, feminist protests aside, the Singapore Girl is a better marketing icon for Singapore tourism than the Merlion (wait- the Mer-what?). Although it is a corporate creation - and hence carries a little obligatory tacky factor - and it is entirely not a desirable description of Singaporean women, it markets pride in the country's hospitality and service quality. Backed by the high international regard Singapore Airlines has managed to achieve, it is something Singaporeans can be proud of, especially when they take, say, North American airlines.

I have this theory that in general, in an authoritarian country, the patriotic actions of these agents inspire national pride in decreasing order:

People (common man, artists, celebrity, freedom fighter, culture) > Corporations > Government-linked entities and politicians

That's why I like this canadian beer commercial very much:

1 collected:

you pointed out a good observation there. well i guess there is also the effect of Singaporeans trying to carve out their own national pride by going against the ones carved for them. look at Talkingcock and Hossan Leong...

By  Chris, at 1:57 AM  

5 cents a hug

Sunday, August 17, 2008

10:42 PM

Have finally managed to clock in my miles from my Boston trip. Had a lot of wrangling and debate with self as to whether I should clock Krisflyer (SIA) or Mileage Plus (United) because, well, one gave me a kookaburra colouring book when I was a young passenger of 4, and one gave me a 24 hour flight delay when I was old enough to be pissed off at them. Ended up with United for expediency's sake.

Sigh. I regret the very posh membership card that could have been.

Now I periodically log in to my mileage account just to admire the many (it seems) miles that I have accumulated, and plot ways to gather more. Capitalism is insidious because it's so natural.

0 collected:

5 cents a hug

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

1:08 PM

I am seized with a sudden lust to play FF Crisis Core. I try to tell myself I should just complete my damned FFIX, X, X-2, and XII first, but they all just don't compare to VII.

Oh Cloud, Sephiroth, Zack, my first love...s.

Does anybody have a PSP to lend for 1 month?

0 collected:

5 cents a hug

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

1:22 AM

Went to Ubin

Freshly squeezed orange juice!

Went ubin with Alex to show UNC summer programme students around and felt like absolute expert. Luckily none of the quarries have been drained yet - as was rumoured last year when oac went over - cos would have been quite embarrassing. "And Behold! - waters of the deepest blue ensconced in a cradle of natural granite! -- Right, where is the water?"

Also, note the slim arms I sport in the picture. Also also, take no notice of the sagging white thighs, they are quite a trick of the light.

Am dying to start work next week. Incidentally, because sharp stabs of pain persist in plaguing me whenever friends mention the L-word (6 letters, capital of a European country, not misspelt Love, can be found in a post within this page), I am no longer going to the L-place due to sexist society. Assure friends that is no fault of personality of yours truly. Feels extreme animosity towards a certain company now RAWR.

So instead am on a local stint with Allianz - will last 2 months unless I can find another company willing to send me to the L-place. This teaches you not to count your chickens until they're cooked. Pah. Am now extremely embarrassed and swear will not post glorious travel plans on blog until the entire trip is over and done with, and has pinched self liberally to ensure is not fantasy-induced dream.

0 collected:

5 cents a hug

Friday, June 06, 2008

11:52 PM

I found out recently that both my mother's attitude towards sex and her perception of her first eldest daughter (ie. me) in the same regard has all this while, without my knowledge, been rather appalling. I attribute her liberal world views to her nasty friends, and henceforth will run away very swiftly should she try to strike up those horrifying conversations again.

0 collected:

5 cents a hug

Wednesday, June 04, 2008

7:10 PM

Picked!! Hired!! Going to LONDON!!!


Rejoice! For finally I am yet again a gainfully employed and useful and contributing member of the society back in the queue for becoming rich and successful. After 2 months of cover letter constructions, internship cold calls, lack of response, rejections from companies, rejections of companies, boxes of en-virused tissue paper, and grappling with self-worth, I have finally found work with Benfield Group, which is a reinsurer based in London. London!! London, land of knights on white chargers, land of Harry Potter, and land of the British Accent!! I might meet the QUEEN.

Behold, good friends, London!

Castles with round tables and butlers and British Accent!

Bridges with clocks, missile shaped offices and British Accent!

Distorted looking aged building, where I most probably will be working, amongst people of British Accent!

So after all the excitement, the truth is that I will only be there for a short period of two weeks starting from 12 July, and thereafter returning to Singapore to complete the rest of the internship. But then again, I am still interviewing for a second company to fill up the June period. Cecilia from the General Insurance Association of Singapore, the most beautiful lady in the world right now, is scheduling me with AIG, which means I might get to go New York as well.

Life is suddenly 52x brighter than this morning.

2 collected:

meis! thats awesome laaa! CONGRATS! =D

-kim-

By  Kim, at 10:05 PM  

wowwee! congratulations! how cool is that?! london! i love the british accent.. :P

By  Chris, at 1:18 AM  

5 cents a hug

Sunday, May 25, 2008

12:54 AM

Could've Been...




Favourite performance from Carrie Underwood, singing Could've Been by Tiffany.

0 collected:

5 cents a hug

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