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Date Night: An evening of good service

The duty of a husband on the last day of a shoe-and-bag sale: 1) hold the discount coupon while the wife tries on the shoes, 2) give your two cents worth of opinion, 3) pay for her haul, and 4) carry the shopping bags. Despite the crowd, service was prompt and polite at this Charles and Keith Suntec store (super-patient sales associate's feet seen here, left of the photo).

Dinner was at Swiss Culture, where the waiter was also helpful and polite ("Perhaps you might want to take the salad instead of the soup? Pumpkin I heard not good for pregnant women. But of course, it's your choice."). We got a nice "balcony" seat too, overlooking the mall below.

The wife had the tempura fish set and I had the Zurich chicken with rosti. Nice.

TODAY: Smoke gets in your eyes

Latest TODAY column: Smoke gets in your eyes

Excerpt:

THE National Environment Agency (NEA) is reminding the public that smoking is banned at more public places from next month.

Places where smoking is banned include bus interchanges, public toilets and public swimming complexes.

So remember, smokers: No smoking underwater when you are doing the breaststroke at public pools.

Lifelong Learning and employment in Singapore

Interesting thread at Sammyboy's Kopitiam, on the state of lifelong learning and employment, especially for those aged 40 and above, in Singapore. Perhaps we need to adopt the 7 Habits of Highly Successful People.


From Davidking:

Before the PAPPY govt launched the life long learning campagine, I have alread started my own life long learning since 1982. Till now. I am holding the following qualifications :-.

1. Diploma in Admin Management -UK. (IAM)
2. Diploma in Marketing -UK, (CIMUK).
3. City & Guild - Date Processing- UK.
4. MBA (Marketing)- UK.
5. MBA (Finance) -Aust.

Due to my age now, I can hardly find a decent job and one my friend, age 35, holding a ACCA, still jobless for 2 years.


From Garagoh:

Losers like you should wake up to the fact that having a string of letters after your name is no guarantee of career success...esp when such "qualifications" from from instititutions of no repute ! Take heart that for every one of you griping and blaming the PAP for their personal shortcomings, another 2-3 other Singaporeans are quietly doing well..getting promoted, buying cars and homes.

In a fast moving economic landscape, there will be winners and losers. The gahmen of the day can only show you where the water is..you have to learn how to drink. No doubt there is a high proportion of farking losers wasting their time complaining on this forum. The reality is out on the streets...winners are everywhere.

Instead of blaming the PAP and foreign workers, ask yourself honestly why you have not been able to get a job. Take a long close look in the mirror.


From LeongSam:

He's reached his use-by date. It's the same the world over.

When you reach 50, the 20+ years of experience is considered to be a hindrance rather than an asset to any potential employee. It like mileage on a second hand car.

Employees, especially those in middle management positions, should start planning to achieve financial independence while they're earning relatively good salaries in their late 20s and early 30s.

Who says Government agencies have no sense of humour?

From the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority press releases section:

Illegal Breast Enhancement Busted by ICA

It was not silicone, it was not saline. The implants came in the form of Dormicum and Domi.

2. The "D-cups" were detected on 28 September 2005 at around 3.40pm, when one of our officers noticed that a female traveller was behaving nervously at the Arrival Bus Hall of Woodlands Checkpoint. The traveller was then directed to the office for further checks...

Guess that operation went tits up. Remember kiddies, smoking is bad for your boobs.

Actually, if you look through the ICA press releases, there are quite a few gems in there. Here are a few more I found:

ICA Exposes the Seat of Deceit (Malaysian man caught smuggling in contraband cigarettes from Malaysia by hiding the cigarettes under the rear passenger seat of his son's car)

ICA Makes a Clean Sweep of an Illegal Employment Syndicate
(The 20 immigration offenders caught were all employed to work as cleaners and dishwashers at the food outlets)

Yucks! The Things People Keep in Their Undies!
("Probing further, two pieces of VCD and two pieces of DVD, suspected to be uncensored and obscene, were found stuffed in the subject's underwear, ensconced in the crevice of his butt cheek. Two 6-tablet slabs and one 4-tablet slab of Dormicum were also "fished" out from subject's groin area." Nuff said.)

History of Singapore in Wikipedia

Wikipedia, "the free encyclopedia that anyone can edit", has many interesting entries about Singapore and our history. There is a page for Goh Keng Swee, MM Lee Kuan Yew, and also the History of Singapore.

There is also an entry for Chin Peng and The Emergency.

Go have a read, compelling stuff.


Excerpt:

Self-government (1955 – 1963)

The leader of the Labour Front, David Marshall, became the first Chief Minister of Singapore. He presided over a shaky government, receiving little cooperation from either the colonial government or the other local parties. In May 1955, however, the Hock Lee Bus Riots broke out, killing four people, and consequently would later seriously discredit Marshall's government. In April 1956, he led a delegation to London to negotiate for complete self-rule, but the talks fell through due to British concerns about labour unrest and communist influence. Marshall continued to pressure the British, before declaring that if the British did not give Singapore self-rule, he would resign. However, the British were not concerned about his resignation, and because he did not want to back out on his word, Marshall eventually resigned. His successor as Chief Minister, Lim Yew Hock, launched a crackdown on communist and leftist groups, imprisoning many trade union leaders and several pro-communist members of the PAP under the Internal Security Act.

The British government approved of Lim's tough stance against communist agitators, and when a new round of talks was held beginning in 1957, they were amenable to granting almost complete self-government. A State of Singapore would be created, with its own citizenship, consisting of persons born in Singapore or the Federation of Malaya, British citizens of two years' residence, and others of ten years' residence. The Legislative Assembly would be expanded to fifty-one members, entirely chosen by popular election, and the Prime Minister and cabinet would control all aspects of government except defence and foreign affairs. The British-appointed Governor was replaced by a Yang di-Pertuan Negara or head of state.

芙蓉姐夫 Flash MTV

A Flash music video featuring 芙蓉姐夫 (Furong Jiefu), the "husband" of 芙蓉姐姐 (Furong Jiejie, fake English spoof here). MTV is in Chinese.

Bad Logo Choices

Found this via Frederik Samuel's Advertising blog.

Bad logo choices made by a DVD rental shop, a dentist (seen here), a German port-a-potty company and pharmacy in Japan.

I also like these series of pics of an ad on a bendy bus.

Bloggers are all evil one, better catch them

More blogger news, front page too.

Five junior college students got into trouble for flaming two teachers and a vice-principal on their blogs.

The five girls were made to remove the remarks and got themselves suspended for three days last month. And of course, the kicker, "Their parents were also informed".

Aiyah, liddat how to be a Champion Blogger and win Interschool Blogging Championship?

In the old days, all we students had to flame teachers with were the backs of our desks. It is much harder to carve "Mrs Lim sucks" on wood than to post something on a blog, ok? Probably explained the shorter posts on said desks. You also have a smaller global reach.

Maybe teachers should start their own blogs and flame their students back. Better yet, have a yearly Interschool Teacher-Student Flamewar Blogging Championship. Like a WWE of blogging.

Perhaps you young 'uns need to work on the style. Don't just say "Miss Ng is a fashion disaster", that is just opinion. DESCRIBE what Miss Ng wears to work (the plaid pants with the white socks matched with the striped blouse, egads!). That is stating the facts.

But if you get caught by your school for your unflattering descriptions, don't say mr brown teach you one ah. I'd hate to be caught up in the next witch hunt.

mr brown does not endorse flaming of teachers by students on their blogs. mr brown thinks there are more interesting things to write about. Go start a blog on policy and politics in Singapore, that kind of blog very fun to do, can?

From Beach Centre underground carpark

Found on every door, from B2 to B1. That's why they don't use this place for the Vertical Marathon.

Stumped

Update: Daryl has the female version.


Daryl and I spotted this toilet sign at Ngee Ann Poly that made us pause. What kind of male handicap were they refering to? Perhaps the urinals are positioned higher.

TODAY: The New Singapore Criminal

Latest TODAY column: The New Singapore Criminal

Excerpt:

THERE is a new Bill being looked at that proposes jailing commuters who cheat on their bus and taxi fares. Yes, if this bill passes, you could see the birth of a new Criminal Mastermind: The Bus Fare Cheat.

(Insert ominous "dang dang dang" music here.)

My immediate reaction to this announcement was: You. Have. Got. To. Be. Kidding. Me.

mrbrown in Primary 2A ACPS

Update: The kid with glasses seated in front, second from right, is me. The other kid with glasses, standing back row second from right, is Hossan.


Thought I'd dig up this old photo that I mentioned in this older post. Yes, that's me in there (see if you can find me). A local celeb is there too, see if you can spot him as well. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Glasses were still not common then, so you can see most of the kids in my class had no myopia.

Nope, no racist bloggers here

I know, I know. The original caption read: "SEARCHING FOR THAT PEST: PM Lee checks out a possible mosquito breeding site in an Ang Mo Kio Ave 1 drain."

But I just couldn't get that line out of my head when I first saw the photo on the front page of the ST, Monday, 19 Sept 2005.

Live from Ngee Ann Blogging Seminar

Update: A few more shots from Flickr set of the event. Brennan blogged the event as it happened. Adri has a few more shots, and so do Ngee Ann blog and our moderator, Murray.


Daryl and I taking photo while Adri and Wendy are speaking. Blogging at a blogging seminar we are speaking at. We are beyond help.

Running Day: finished before lightning came

One overseas, one lau sai, one sick, one still on MC from operation. But the run must go on.

I am that guy

A literary meme inspired by MercerMachine and his post that started it all (trackbacks can be seen via Tomorrow.sg).


I am the baby who was placed in front of the gate of his parents' three-room HDB flat so that the neighbours' kids walking by along the corridor could play with him while his mother juggled teaching and being a new mother.

I am the toddler who spent many days playing in his maternal grandparents' retail store in North Bridge Road and enjoying the grass at Katong Park.

I am the kid who took the school bus to Primary 1 without his parents, because they had to work, and wondering why the other kids were crying when their parents were there.

I am the boy who spent many happy weekends waking up to knocks at the window at 6am to play badminton, One Leg, and Dua Bei Long ("big balloon") with his friends, the neighbourhood children, at the playground downstairs.

I am the boy who came back from the school field every recess, every PE, and after school, with muddy shoes and sweaty shirt, after a game of soccer.

I am the boy who cannot do that anymore, because the playground and the school field have become multi-storey carparks.

I am the brother who fought with you all the time when we were kids.

I am the brother who got beaten for not getting full marks at school, and who got you beaten by mom too, because you happened to be in her line of sight.

I am the brother who is different from you, and yet the same as you in so many ways.

I am the son who cried beneath the living room table, when he saw you two fight and did not know why.

I am the son who made you cry for not choosing the path you wanted for me.

I am the son who now knows how hard it is to be a parent and how much a parent is willing to do for his children.

I am the boyfriend who called you every night from camp after booking in, to talk with you for hours, lining up for the pay phone or calling from the company line and risking the wrath of the Duty Officer.

I am the boyfriend who stayed as late at your place as he possibly could, and ran after the very last Number 8 bus, so that he could take the very last Number 51, so that he did not have to take a cab or pay the midnight surcharge.

I am the boyfriend you chose to be your partner for life.

I am the husband who lost the two teddy bears used to decorate our wedding car.

I am the husband who woke up at 3am one night, after you told him it was time, and rushed you down to the hospital with his dad.

I am the husband who almost lost you when you could not stop bleeding after giving birth to our firstborn.

I am the father who did not understand why his firstborn daughter did not call him papa, or play with other children, or look him in the eye, but who knows she loves him anyway, from behind the wall that covers her mind but not her heart.

I am the father who sees himself in his son's laughter and eyes, a child born of faith.

I am the father who awaits his third child, a girl, to arrive, and who knows he is going to fall in love at first sight for the third time.

I am that man. I am that boy. I am that child.

Blogopoly: The Sedition Edition

In the light of the current Blogger Troubles, Merv made his version of Blogopoly, the board game.

via tomorrow.sg

Weekend quips

My missus, when I told her how level 60 World of Warcraft vets James and his wife helped me, a low level newbie, in one of my quests by healing me with their healing powers, while I fought my way to the level boss: "Eeyur, so even though you won, you didn't win it honorably."

The missus, when we walked past the Triumph Maximiser bra display at Metro: "So where's the Minimiser?"

Me, waiting with the missus for the lift, after just missing the one the kids took down with the maid, and hearing the lift bell ring: "Ah, and that would be Isaac."

When you love your Nokia phone so much...

That you get a PC casing that looks like it. I wonder what happens when you change phones.

Date Night: Sun with Moon

Waiting for our Yakiniki hotpot rice to cook, hence the hourglass. In the background, the Kani Tomago Toji is simmering, and the wife ordered some Avocado Soft Shell Crab Roll. We wanted a window seat but we were told the tables there were "under reserve".

Ah well. We enjoyed the food and ambience anyway. Thanks to food guru Tym for the long list of recommendations via sms, after we told her where we were near.