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YOG volunteers get free F1 tickets… after Sebastian Vettel went home

My friend on Facebook just told me, "In other news: YOG volunteers will also be given free tickets to NDP '10 & Chingay '83."

Excerpt:

Free F1 tickets arrive too late for YOG volunteers Wed, Sep 29, 2010 my paper By Sherilyn Lim

ABOUT two weeks ago on Sept 17, volunteers who had helped out at the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) last month queued up for free tickets to the Singapore Grand Prix during a volunteer-appreciation night at Universal Studios Singapore.

They queued up for over an hour at a station set up with several computers. They gave their names, IC numbers and addresses to verify that they had been YOG volunteers.

They were then told by those manning the desks that the tickets would be mailed to them within a week.

The 400 complimentary tickets had been promised to volunteers as a reward for their assistance during the YOG, which was held from Aug 14 to 26…

CNNGo column: mrbrown turns Formula 1 driver for a day (in a Mini Cooper)

Latest CNNGo.com "Say What? with mrbrown" column: mrbrown turns Formula 1 driver for a day (in a Mini Cooper)

Excerpt:

I realized that I missed Car Free Day on Wednesday. Some folks gave up their cars for that day and rode bicycles to work.

Me? I was driving a Mini Cooper S on the North-South Highway in Malaysia, woohoo-ing all the way.

Before you lash out in righteous indignation, I will have you know that I ride my bicycle almost every freaking day of the work week, so Car Free Day is pretty much every day for me.

So indulge my three days of driving a sports car.

Speaking of which, you can tell F1 is coming to town again. Yes, road closures and traffic jams have returned to Singapore for the next few days as we make way for those celebrity drivers of the Formula 1 world. Pffft.

Speedracer for a day
At least I can say I have driven on one of their race circuits (no, not Marina Bay), but Sepang in Malaysia.

Part of my drive in Malaysia was on the Sepang circuit and man, was that a blast.

You see, I was invited by MINI Singapore to try their MINI Driver Training in Sepang itself. (cont'd)

Tokyo Day 2: Walk walk walk

I spent the day walking a lot, taking the trains, walking again, eating, walk some more. In the course of it all, I enjoyed taking photos of faces and places the most. This lady was at a mall street near Nakano station, ready to push off in her bicycle. So elegant is she.

Cyclists, pedestrians and cars share the road so well in Japan. I was in Nakano looking for the famous Fujiya Camera shop.

Bicycle parking is generous here. I saw a supermarket that had nothing BUT bicycles parked out front.

This is Shinjuku by night. Bustling with people. I was at BIC Camera shop, a kind of Best Denki appliance superstore.

From Nakano and then Shinjuku, I finally reached the Yokohama Bay area in the evening. I love the ferris wheel there. There is even a roller coaster ride that goes around it.

When we finally got back to Shibuya station, our walk took us through a street lined with boxes and rubbish. It was unusual to see rubbish in clean Japan.

The homeless live here. Telltale signs of shoes, clothes and personal belongings were scattered throughout this street.

It was a grim reminder that not everyone has a good life here in metropolitan Japan. I wonder how the homeless cope in the winter. Those cardboard boxes can't be warm enough.

Tokyo Day 1: Raining raining raining

We landed in Tokyo in the wee hours of the morning. The flight on JAL was okay, except for the poor meal (porridge as the main course, no choices). The inflight movie system was fairly well-stocked with movies (though I had already seen most of them).

Because the wife has her work to do, I am on my own for the first few days of this trip so my very first stop after we checked into the hotel? Akihabara, of course.

I took the JR Yamamote line from Shibuya, where we are staying for now, and 30 minutes later, Electric Town!

The only downer is that it is raining a lot. All day I was togged in a Timberland raincoat (I am totally convinced now that it is the best jacket I have ever bought) and carrying a white Dove umbrella (came free when I bought some Dove liquid bath). I felt a little self-conscious carrying my little white feminine umbrella but it was either that or the cameras get wet. Besides, the wife was carrying the SIA umbrella and I'd rather be shot than be seen carrying a sarong-kerbaya-patterned brolly.

The train system here is extensive but I managed to get myself a SUICA (like an ez-link card) and figured it out. Got to check out the places I want to go (the kind that does not interest my wife) before she gets back from work.

I want to find some camera shops and buy film. And maybe a lens or two. Heheh.

the mrbrown show: Singapore goes to the Olympics

Singapore may have a fighting chance at another kind of Olympics! Find out how at mrbrownshow.com!

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CNNGo column: Why build a casino if you don't want people to gamble?

Latest CNNGo.com "Say What? with mrbrown" column: Why build a casino if you don't want people to gamble?

Excerpt:

Looks like the free ride is over. The Marina Bay Sands (MBS) and Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) had to cancel their free shuttle bus services from the heartlands and the city area, after the government stepped in.

Some folks and members of Parliament complained that the buses were ferrying locals to the casinos, and The Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS) saw it as the Integrated Resorts promoting gambling among heartlanders.

Soon after the complaints from the anti-gambling lobby, Casino Regulatory Authority (CRA) stepped in and the buses stopped operating. It seems that a free bus service to the resorts will somehow lead more people to gamble. (cont'd)

CNNGo column: Singapore is a nation of complainers

Latest CNNGo.com "Say What? with mrbrown" column: Singapore is a nation of complainers

Excerpt:

As Singaporeans read about yet another strike by the London subway workers, we reflect on the fact that this would never happen in Singapore. Our media relishes showing the strikes and chaos in other countries to remind us how lucky we are.

Tripartite: A tricky term
In contrast, our public transport system runs like clockwork and our workers, well, we don't know the meaning of the word "strike" or for that matter, the meaning of the word "union."

Most unions in Singapore are in what the government calls a "tripartite" relationship with the government and the business owners. If you asked a Singaporean what "tripartite" means, they will mutter something about the unions being also a part of the government.

Regardless of whether you consider the union situation in Singapore "tripartite" or just "cozy buddies," it does create a strike-free system so that regular Joes can take the train every morning, knowing that it is unlikely to stop working just because subway workers are disgruntled yet again.

In fact, if our subway stops, it is likely due to things like upgrading. Some stations were closed over the weekend for upgrading and over the long term, our Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong tells us that upgrading the switching system will cost up to S$1 billion (US$715 million). The old switching system only allows trains to be, at most, two minutes apart, and the new one will let trains come one minute apart.

Then Mr Goh went on to say that the cost may not be passed down to commuters directly, but it has to be defrayed. At that point, every Singaporean gulped, and unconsciously touched their wallets and purses, because we know what that means.

The operative words were "MAY not be passed down" and "defrayed." In other words, somehow, some way, someone has to pay. (cont'd)

CSOs at Changi Airport

We are back at Changi Airport for a full day shoot. Novi, a really helpful Customer Service Officer (CSO) is helping this passenger and Ryan is filming the photo shoot itself (shooting the shooting) while I am conducting interviews.

The passengers Novi is interacting with are all for real, which makes documenting their experiences all the more authentic.

If you happen to be at T3 today, do say hi.

the mrbrown show: net happiness MUSIC VIDEO!

You can even sing along to the (almost totally) happy lyrics!

the mrbrown show: net happiness

Is there total happiness? Find out at mrbrownshow.com!

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Top 10 reasons why Singapore is the ideal replacement venue for The Commonwealth Games

In the light of all the uncertainty over the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, India, I thought I'd offer Singapore as an alternative venue for the Games. Here are the Top Ten reasons:

Why Singapore is ideal replacement venue for the Commonwealth Games #1: Our government is very good at evicting NTU students from their hostel fast. We can make it an instant village overnight.

Why Singapore is ideal replacement venue for the Commonwealth Games #2: We still have GIVE WAY to YOG road markings. Easy to change to GIVE WAY to CWG.

Why Singapore is ideal replacement venue for the Commonwealth Games #3: Our motorists are already used to road closures and traffic jams. Hey, what's a fourth one this year?

Why Singapore is ideal replacement venue for the Commonwealth Games #4: Our street names show a deep colonial hangup.

Why Singapore is ideal replacement venue for the Commonwealth Games #5: We have a road called Commonwealth Ave.

Why Singapore is ideal replacement venue for the Commonwealth Games #6: Your athletes will feast like kings and our volunteers… will be fed too.

Why Singapore is ideal replacement venue for the Commonwealth Games #7: We will only overrun our budget by 3 times. And our Minister will tell you it's worth it.

Why Singapore is ideal replacement venue for the Commonwealth Games #8: We have a great bulk discount on fireworks.

Why Singapore is ideal replacement venue for the Commonwealth Games #9: We don't mind if other countries pull out. More medal chances for us.

Why Singapore is ideal replacement venue for the Commonwealth Games #10: You will only see muddy brown shit-like water when we have freak floods. Which is once in 50 years.

National Family Council redefines success for youth: A Malaysian undersea tunnel

Youth of Singapore! Success is getting married and having children in a Malaysian undersea tunnel!

Or at least that's what I am gathering from this headline on TODAY's site. Or was it this link?

Excerpt:

The National Family Council (NFC) wants youth to start believing in getting married and having children early as part of their definition of success.

So, the council will be targeting students in secondary or tertiary institutions.

NFC chairman Soon Hock said: "We want them to believe in the family, we want them to want to start families early, we want them to have children early."

What it is going to do this year is to create more opportunities for youth to be inspired and to be educated on the need to have families.

Speaking at a luncheon organised by the NFC yesterday, Mr Lim said: "We don't want youth to look at success purely in terms of having a great education and getting a good job and making good money. I think the young should also embrace the notion of having a good family as part of their definition of success."

The view from our hotel…

Ryan and I are in KL today, after driving a MINI Cooper S from Singapore. The open road, the wind in our hair and the bugs on our windscreen, all a welcome change from driving in jammed Singapore. Of course, who can forget the bad NS Highway rest stop food too. Ahhh, memories.

Tomorrow, we will be heading to Sepang for a MINI driver training course, but for now, we are content to admire the view of the Petronas Towers from the Sky Lounge of our hotel.

Pat Law is with us too, and we are happy to have her on the trip with us. She drove a Cabrio which we threatened to throw rubbish and ciggie butts into when we smoked her with our Cooper S. Hehe.

I have to say, the Petronas Towers really look very pretty at night.

Workin' till the day that we Die

This is a Singapore entry for this year's Bitfilm Festival, produced by Florence, Rex and their friends, entitled Moneybird, Fly!

I helped them to sing their funny song and they animated it into this cool short film which is now up for voting on Bitfilm's site. The theme this year for Bitfilm is "Money & Me".

Go and register to vote if you like it. I think it's a Five Star effort but then I am in kinda in it and may be a tad biased. Heheh.

SPH senior exec sacked

When they called it The Straits Times Pocket Money Fund, they didn't know who would pocket the money.

Excerpt:

A SENIOR executive with Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) has been sacked after admitting that he received illegal payments and misappropriated shopping vouchers.

Mr Peter Khoo Chong Meng, 47, who spent 22 years at The Straits Times, first as a sports journalist and then as its chief of branding and promotions, was a senior vice-president in the English and Malay Newspapers Division (EMND).

He came forward early this week and told his editors what he had done. He has also repaid $196,500.

A police report has been made and investigations are ongoing, the company said last night.

The news shocked everyone who knew Mr Khoo as the public face of The Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund (STPMF), the newspaper's 10-year-old charity which provides financial assistance to disadvantaged children. He was its organising chairman.

In its statement, SPH said: 'To the best of the company's knowledge, none of the donations made to the STPMF has been misappropriated.'

Cyclist thought Las Vegas was dangerous for cycling… until he came to Singapore

Scott Nowicki worked in UNLV's Harrah College of Hotel Administration's Singapore satellite campus and he apologises to Las Vegas for saying the LV had poor cycling infrastructure. He found a worse place, Singapore.

Excerpt:

The conditions in Singapore were almost as bad as crossing the Strip on a bike. But rather than being a confined region of bicycle hell, it was like that for every mile of every major street. I would get passed by hundreds if not a thousand cabs per mile. The speed alone was harrowing.

It also seems that Singapore made a conscious decision to not include bikes in the road system. Therefore, not only were there no bike lanes, but the traffic was routed like a freeway on all arterial streets, where cars are expected to make turns at speed. For the majority of the roadways, if I made a mistake or if a car made a mistake or if anything else unexpected occurred, I’d be squished dead.

Only slightly less ridiculous was the off-street path network. The city boasted more than a hundred miles of park connector paths that criss-cross the city in family-friendly routes suitable for bicycles and baby strollers.

My few attempts to navigate this system resulted in my carrying my bike more than on any mountain bike trail in Bootleg Canyon. It is as though the city planners simply superimposed paths on top of the existing street network, and any time the path crossed a street, the street won.

I’d be riding along a nice paved path, only to dead-end at the bottom of a flight of stairs. At the top of the stairs would be a 4-lane road with no crossing. So, I’d play Frogger through to the traffic, carry my bike back down the flight of stairs and continue on the route for less than a half a mile before having to do it again. Needless to say, nobody was out on these paths.

This experience changed my perspective. Singapore is what a modern city looks like if bikes and pedestrians are not included in the transportation mix. The transit system is spectacular, and cabs are everywhere, but if you want to propel yourself, you are taking your life into your own hands.

The truth about home ownership in Singapore

Reader sent me this poster. I thought Mah Bow Tan looked rather dashing in that red tie.

Me? Join Opposition?

Update: I thought this was a funny comment left by a reader:

Darth Meng Seng (darth@deathstarIII.com) has left you a comment:

Mr Brown, you do not yet realize your importance. You have only begun to discover your power. Join me, and I will complete your training. With our combined strength, we can end this destructive conflict and bring order to the galaxy.

Mr Brown, you can destroy the Emperor. He has foreseen this. It is your destiny. Join me, and together we can rule the galaxy as father and son.

-----

Mr Goh Meng Seng of the opposition just left a comment on my blog, calling me an armchair critic.

I protest. I love armchairs.

Besides, methinks you mistake the jester for the politician.

While I have every respect for anyone stepping up to the "tougher route but more rewarding" life of an opposition politician, I am perfectly happy pursuing my current career of making silly videos and writing funny songs.

And if you think an opposition politician's life is tough, wait till you try to making a living as a comedian in Singapore.

More #smgohsaysdontcomplaintoomuch

Continuing the fun little hashtag meme I started on Twitter, more #smgohsaysdontcomplaintoomuch tweets have come from the Singapore twitterverse:

1. @k0pio Why is there no hum in my mee siam. #smgohsaysdontcomplaintoomuch


2. @dk I want to complaint! The #smgohsaysdontcomplaintoomuch hashtag is too long.


3. @Fake_PMLee Speak Good English Movement complains abt #SG grammatically incorrect English. But… #smgohsaysdontcomplaintoomuch


4. @dk Before you complain about #sgflood, think about those country having drought #smgohsaysdontcomplaintoomuch


5. @acemask Lyo fell down, but #smgohsaysdontcomplaintoomuch http://yfrog.com/ncqmzrj


6. @_randName_ #smgohsaysdontcomplaintoomuch is damn long and takes up valuable space usually reserved for wittier things but #smgohsaysdontcomplaintoomuch


7. @suqi Omg this hash tag is way too looooong! #smgohsaysdontcomplaintoomuch


8. @dejiki http://bit.ly/9AY0XT UK Ministers told to ditch limos, travel by tube. In Singapore, #smgohsaysdontcomplaintoomuch


9. @litford Stuck in traffic jam even though COE so high. But #smgohsaysdontcomplaintoomuch


10. @davidchua the aircon on double decker bus 70 was not working during the peak hour rush, but there's nothing i can do cos #smgohsaysdontcomplaintoomuch


11. @makedonosweat Fined so much for lousy underwear but #smgohsaysdontcomplaintoomuch RT @singpore_news Lingerie thief fined $500 http://bit.ly/bjFEcl


12. @melanderings to the screaming, reckless, honking middle-aged woman driver who wanted to fight with me today, remember #smgohsaysdontcomplaintoomuch


13. @aromacookery By adding a few meat cubes, my fav economic rice stall has "upgraded" a veg dish to meat. So sneaky! But #smgohsaysdontcomplaintoomuch


14. @jellowello Reading all the #smgohsaysdontcomplaintoomuch tweets. Cracking me up. Big time. Well played by smgoh. Suck it up sgreans.

#smgohsaysdontcomplaintoomuch

SM Goh said in this speech that "it is important that we do not complain too much" and to think of the poor.

Excerpt:

Singaporeans who complain about crowded trains, the lack of carpark spaces and public housing should think of the poor who struggle to make a living, said Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong yesterday.

Urging Singaporeans to put these challenges 'into perspective with the overall needs of our society', he noted that there are still the poor and disabled who need help.

He said: 'It is important that we do not complain too much when we can't get the house that we want, we can't get the carpark that we want, when the MRT trains are a little crowded.

'We are in fact quite fortunate. These are problems created by our own success. There are many people who are not able to benefit from our overall success. Just remember them as we also try to solve our problems at the top end.'

Inspired by his wisdom, I went forth to look for tweets that needed to be reminded of this fact and tagged the tweets with #smgohsaysdontcomplaintoomuch.

Feel free to join in the fun.

1. #smgohsaysdontcomplaintoomuch RT @tengkuzahirah SBS should do something about the frequency of feeder buses in the am. 2 have come and gone; both packed like sardines. \=
2. #smgohsaysdontcomplaintoomuch RT @Cherubie It's only Tuesday! Argh!
3. #smgohsaysdontcomplaintoomuch RT @graceyeoo Wahlao just wait for the next train lah, only 3 more mins. Don't need to shove right wahlao >:@ overpopulation leads to frustration!!!
4. #smgohsaysdontcomplaintoomuch RT @vincentliu_bear Seems to me that the garmen is the one doing a lot of compraining lately.
5. #smgohsaysdontcomplaintoomuch RT
6. #smgohsaysdontcomplaintoomuch RT @kixes When you have to French-kiss a stranger on the MRT, think of the rich and their chauffeurs. Like SM Goh.
7. #smgohsaysdontcomplaintoomuch RT @donaldsng Im so gonna be late if the bus doesnt come any sooner...
8. #smgohsaysdontcomplaintoomuch RT @allonlim Left house early for exam at 9. But the SMRT bus got delayed. Now I'm late. So whose fault now? TELL ME.