The Telepathic Brinjalees

Auto Tuning!

2009-11-14T23:31:00.002+08:00

Moral of the story

2009-11-07T00:30:00.003+08:00

My bag was soaked. My sparkling new Lenovo Thinkpad was spoilt. I was drenched from neck to toe. I was $10 poorer, by choice. And I didn't even get a proper "thanks".

****

It was raining like crap, at about 11am. I boarded the bus from Bukit Merah Central to go home, which was about 3 bus stops away. I was carrying my bag, with my little, lovely Lenovo inside. I was also carrying lunch which I just bought.

The bus ride was perfectly normal for the first 32 seconds. At the 33rd second, I saw a middle-aged Indian woman (MIAW) having a heated conversation with the bus driver (BD). The conversation follows:

MIAW: Does this bus go to Tiong Bahru MRT?
BD: No... no, that one you must take bus number 5. Then stop after two stops.

MIAW: This doesn't go to Tiong Bahru MRT? I need to go there now! Where is this bus going? I want to -
BD: This bus no go to Tiong Bahru. You-

MIAW: I want a refund! I want a refund now. Does this bus go to Tiong Bahru? (exasperated and clearly panicking)
BD: I tell you oredi. This bus go to Bukit Merah. This no go to Tiong Bahru. You see outside?
You must get down and walk -

MIAW: I can't walk! I need to go there now! I need to go to WORK! Do you understand? I need to GO! How long does it take to go to Tiong Bahru?
BD: (pissed off) 24 hours.

MIAW: (very, very pissed off) Why aren't you helping! You're talking to me like this because you think I'm not a bloody Singaporean right? You think I'm a foreigner right? You Singaporeans are all like this. I'm a SINGAPOREAN TOO!
BD: Huh? I'm MALAYSIAN.

MIAW: What? OK. (cools down). Where is Tiong Bahru mrt?
BD: I tell you already: IT'S THAT SIDE ONE LAH! You take taxi and go. Can reach there.

MIAW: I don't have that kind of money.
BD: I give you the money.

MIAW: (Breaks down and cries)

At this point, my stop had arrived. I also couldn't bear to not guide the woman to Tiong Bahru mrt, which was near my home. As she cried, I asked her to come with me so that I could show her the way to the station.

It was pouring. You have no idea. I asked her to share the umbrella with me, but it was pointless. We were both drenched. This woman was from India (presumably a professional , looking at her contemporary dress-sense), and this was here 2nd day at her job. She'd taken time off from work to meet an agent for a rental flat, but she was lost and wanted to head back to work. But she got lost even more and was scared pissed that she'd lose her job for being late. So she took it out on the driver. And she started to take it out on me.

She asked angrily where I was taking her in the rain, and she whined that she wanted to go back to work, and that she wanted to find Tiong Bahru mrt. After speaking to her as one would with a lost 4-year-old, I found out that she really wanted to go to LAVENDER where her workplace was. To do so, she wanted to take the train from Tiong Bahru. Genius. I thought that if this continued, (1) I'd be soaked silly, (2) she'd be scolding me silly and commit suicide after that, and (3) I'd go crazy.

I told her to take a taxi and just go. She said she didn't have money. Fine - I gave her $10 and asked to find the next available taxi and just GO. She whined that she was all wet. I half expected her to ask me for a towel and fresh change of clothes. She asked for my handphone number to return me the $10 - I told her to forget it. I left her there and went home to a shocked wifey.

****

My bag was soaked. My sparkling new Lenovo Thinkpad was spoilt. I was drenched from neck to toe. I was $10 poorer, by choice. And I didn't even get a proper "thanks".

Moral of the story - SBS employs a fair number of Malaysians.

Missing you

2009-11-01T23:43:00.004+08:00

"This Is It" is a 2-hour insight into the workings of what was to be Michael Jackson's final set of concerts.

I enjoyed every second of it. By the end of the two hours of dance rehearsals, sound checks, prop preparations, special effects preparations and so on, I had a somewhat clearer picture of MJ - a perfectionist, very eccentric, prone to possible tantrums, a genius in presenting entertainment, an idol to all the supporting cast and crew, a developer of talent, and quite simply, a very feeling person. I swear I would have cried if they had shown his memorial right after the movie.

For everyone in my generation who grew up listening and watching him, there can be no one else like MJ.

A Civic Space

2009-10-30T12:08:00.004+08:00

Too often, we have read that Singaporeans are apathetic, that Singapore has no soul, and foreigners treat Singapore as a hotel.

The issue is that every country needs a "soul" - that is, a set of stories that glorify the country, as a force to reckon with. These stories or myths must include great role models to follow, upon whom legends are created, to motivate future generations, to help them navigate through tough times by recalling the valour and spirit of their predecessors. The "American Dream" and "Long March" are some examples - they were forged during times of great crisis, and as they say, character is usually formed in times of great pain.

We do have have our own stories - the separation from Malaysia from which we emerged nimble and hardworking; the great economic downturns of 1984, 1997, 2001 where we emerged ready for more challenges and better equipped for a new economy; the race riots of the 1960s from which we learnt the importance of religious and racial tolerance.

Unfortunately, these stories are generated by leaders of our times. They've had to do it in order to rally the nation together to a common purpose - to recharge and forge forward. It is also no coincidence that in each of these crises, the Government played a major role in saving the day. The creation of public institutions such as HDB to build cheap housing, the formation of People's Association and grassroots networks to create an active ground, the drive to retrain workers via WDA are all major efforts of the Government to save the economy or foster social cohesion.

However, the catch is. to create a soul of the nation, it is the work of all actors, not just the Government. The people who are undergoing crisis must create their own stories. They must form an active civic space to come to their own conclusions, think about their own heroes, and create an identity which they feel is worth fighting for. There is a danger now that people don't feel anything or care about anything because it seems the Government seems to be doing it all for them.

If that's the case, we are in trouble. If we don't create a vibrant civic space, then all we'll be worried about is about jobs, incomes, security and less about community, friendships, the "big picture" of what Singapore means to us. Some may argue that the Government itself has caused such a mood, by clamping down on free speech and alternate views. But if you look closely, the Government is only hypersensitive about political freedom - everything else is not out-of-bounds, provided it does not harm others.

What I'm saying is not to push to envelope - what I'm saying is that there is a lot of space in Singapore to create a civic space. This simply means bringing together small groups of people and making an identity for the group, to give it a meaning and purpose. This is why RCs and CCs are so important - they are meant to cultivate social networks, which should have led to an active civic society. But the Government-led notion of grassroots has made the grassroots synonymous with "gah-men" and has put off huge chunks of Gex Xers and Yers.

But how do we wean off this feeling that because the Government is doing everything for us, we don't have to do anything? Should the Goverment do less? But will that not create a backlash? It will. How the Government, in wanting to promote a civic space, should calibrate its pulling back of some issues, is something it really needs to think about. If need be, it would require a fair amount of Government-bashing and political unpopularity (nothing Singaporeans aren't familiar with!) to push it through.

Finally

2009-10-30T10:41:00.003+08:00

This one's been "cooking" since before I started working.

Parents of persons with disabilities, or folks who have siblings with disabilities, need not worry anymore on what'll happen to their cares when they pass on - introducing the Special Needs Trust Company.

Usually people are worried how their disabled children can get a monthly allowance/funds for subsistence after they pass on - they also don't trust the money with relatives as relatives may just decide to forget about the disabled folks and makan the money.

Under the Special Needs Trust Company, people can put in a minimum of $5000 to open an account for their disabled cares, for it to be disbursed after they pass on. It's a Government-backed trust, so returns are guaranteed, and a trustee will disburse the funds according to a pre-determined, agreed schedule.

Special school teachers - do spread the word.

Read more here and here.

Transition

2009-10-15T21:20:00.002+08:00

Yesterday I bade farewell to my old colleagues, and packed my bags to face a new future today. I've always thought that I was quite reserved at my old office - but apparently people thought otherwise. It was good to have known them as colleagues - and it's great to have them as friends now.

Unfortunately, I came down with diarrhoea today, so my first day at the new place starts tomorrow. Great to start on a Friday.

I pray that Allah makes the path smooth for me, and makes me shine as brightly as ever in anything I do in this life.

Scenarios

2009-10-02T23:24:00.003+08:00

“…combinations and permutations of fact and related social changes are called "scenarios." The scenarios usually include plausible, but unexpectedly important situations and problems that exist in some small form in the present day. Any particular scenario is unlikely. However, future studies analysts select scenario features so they are both possible and uncomfortable. Scenario planning helps policy-makers to anticipate hidden weaknesses and inflexibilities in organizations and methods.

In the past, strategic plans have often considered only the "official future," which was usually a straight-line graph of current trends carried into the future. Often the trend lines were generated by the accounting department, and lacked discussions of demographics, or qualitative differences in social conditions.

These simplistic guesses are surprisingly good most of the time, but fail to consider qualitative social changes that can affect a business or government. Scenarios focus on the joint effect of many factors. Scenario planning helps us understand how the various strands of a complex tapestry move if one or more threads are pulled. When you just list possible causes, as for instance in fault tree analysis, you may tend to discount any one factor in isolation. But when you explore the factors together, you realize that certain combinations could magnify each other’s impact or likelihood. For instance, an increased trade deficit may trigger an economic recession, which in turn creates unemployment and reduces domestic production.”

From Wikipedia.

Dedicated to some folks I know

2009-10-01T23:53:00.004+08:00

"But what gave the idea to these young people that Indian stars sang while running around coconut trees? Old Bollywood and Kollywood movies?

For Bollywood and Kollywood, stars do not run around trees while they sing in the new movies. Movies like Unnaipol Oruvan, a Kamal Hassan-Mohanlal starrer, does not even have songs, and are so professionally produced that it looks like a Hollywood movie. Was the idea that Indian stars sang while running around trees communicated to these young ones by their elders and they bought the stereotype wholesale without even bothering to get their facts straight?"

More.

Kidney, liver, heart, cornea

2009-10-01T14:57:00.004+08:00

I was rummaging through my old files when I came across a government booklet on organ transplanting. Whether we like it or not, all Singaporeans and PRs are included in the Human Organ Transplant Act (HOTA). Of course, you can opt out but you will end up lower in the priority register if you end up needing a transplant.

So it will be very wise for all involved parties to read the facts about HOTA and get ready for all possible scenarios. I know... it's a real pain in the liver to read a government website, but just try can? A few minutes only...

Inglourious

2009-09-28T23:12:00.004+08:00

It's strange how Quentin Tarantino has succeeded in making people say "bastards" more often than usual.

At the cinema:
Me : Can I have, er, 2 tickets to, er, Inglourious Basterds at 6.30pm?
Ticketing Guy: (professional voice) Two tickets to Inglorious Basterds coming up!

At my father-in-law's:
Father-in-law: What movie did you watch today?
Me: Er... English movie. Nice.
Father-in-law: What movie did you watch today?
My wife: (without flinching an eyelid) Inglourious Basterds.
Father-in-law: ...

Anyway -

The movie's fantastic. It works on the premise that you needn't belabour telling every frame of a revenge story set in Nazi era France - just pick 5 suitable "plots" within the whole revenge universe, delve deeply into each plot, make good connections between plots and you have a masterpiece.

The black humour is darker than usual, as the very serious topic of anti-semitism is given a sarcastic twist. Tarantino's mastered the art of carefully building up a scene from its initial premise, and adding in all the right elements of suspense which makes for some very uncomfortable and unforgettable anxiety-building scenes. Awesome!

It's not a Brad vehicle - although he did a wonderful job as what one might call a "hardcore yankee". Melanie Laurent is stunning and her acting's brilliant. Christoph Waltz is the star of the show, completely into the skin of the character he plays.

The movie might be considered a tad too long, but I see it as being worth my $8.

Congratulations to a brother

2009-09-28T17:40:00.003+08:00

A very dear friend became a father last night. May his journey into fatherhood be as blessed and fulfilling as it has been for me...

Someone Like You

2009-09-26T22:08:00.005+08:00

"Unnaipol Oruvan", when translated to English, sounds like a Hollywood romanticomedy. But this remake of Neeraj Pandey's "A Wednesday!" in Hindi last year is anything but a romanticomedy. Kamal once again proves that he is more than just about making good movies - he is into making exceptional movies.

No need to go into the technicalities of the show- it was a superb movie, tightly shot, excellent acting by most cast members, especially Kamal and Mohanlal, and a nice background score to go with the whole "rebel" mood of the show.

What I want to ask, without giving away too much of the plot, is how much the Muslim world has acted to condemn terrorist attacks committed in the name of Islam. Frankly, it hasn't done as much as it should.

If we believe that Muslims are a people of peace, non-violence and submission to the One God, then why are we not more vocal against those who slaughter people in His name? The refusal of Indian Muslims in India to give a Muslim burial to the 9 terrorists who killed 183 people (including a Singaporean) last year in Mumbai was one of the most open condemnations against terror. (To not give a Muslim his proper burial is tantamount to labelling him a non-Muslim)

I thought "Unnaipol Oruvan" came close to doing this, but the filmmakers had other ideas - more on a nationalistic scale than anything else.

The beginning of break

2009-09-21T22:39:00.002+08:00

Tomorrow I begin a long vacation, when most folks will be summoning up the last remaining bit of their strength to prepare for work tomorrow after the long weekend.

This vacation has been long in the making. I'm between jobs now, so it's a perfect "intermission" to take stock of my life, my values, my priorities, my everything. (I was on a 2-week, all-expense paid capacity-building course before this, that was really another eye-opener.)

There are so many things to do, people to meet, food to eat, things to play, books to read. Hope each day is spent... well :)

Grand(parents)

2009-09-17T23:56:00.002+08:00

How good are grandparents as parents? Quite frankly, they can suck. They tend to spoil the living daylights out of your kids, teach them all kinds of rubbish habits, undo weeks of careful disciplining and training, and don't give a crap about the "holistic upbringing framework" that parents brainstorm and try to implement on their kids.

Basically, grandparents try to correct all their cock-ups when they tried bringing up their own kids when they babysit their grandkids. In doing so, they make worse cock-ups.

But what will we do without grandparents? They are the force of love and goodness in a world that can be quite restrictive with parents' ridiculous and elaborate "holistic upbringing frameworks". They are the perpetual "good cops" and angels. Grandparents are meant to spoil, and that's how most of us remember our grandparents to be.

You can bet I will pamper my own grandkids if I have a chance to see them :)

The days seem so different

2009-08-30T13:30:00.000+08:00

The mornings feel different the past two weeks. No reluctance, no sleepiness. Instead, there's some kind of eagerness to meet the world, finish up things and move on.

I think it's related to my impending work posting. Somehow, the last 3.5 years have muted something in me... and I pray that it reawakens.

Zayed just slept after his bath, mouth open, "thoppai" out and "pesi" (the pacifier) by his side. Adorable.

The staircase is a witness

2009-08-13T00:03:00.000+08:00

Lovers from the office making out.

A taxi-driver in his 50s feeding his disabled son, who works at the building.

A busy executive offering his zuhr prayers and supplicating for his family.

Art designers chilling out and smoking, contravening building safety rules.

The amah mopping everyday.

Hopes, fears, joys, sadness, love, mndane.

ND TV

2009-08-10T11:30:00.000+08:00

I'm not really a fan of NDP. But I spent some time watching it for the sake of my dear wife who was all alone in the living room and folding clothes. This year's NDP impressed and bewildered me. Impressed with the grand/spectacular set design, bewildered at the pole dancers performing for the audience (which included the Cabinet). Hmm.

I also enjoyed Koh Chieng Mun's "I will survive" (I loved the Military Police guys swinging their rifles) and the pastiche of images from Singapore's past, and the big brother snippets from MM ("Never fear!"), SM and PM, combined with the 70s, 80s-themed songs and performances.

A bit of Singapore Idol was good - Gurmit's impersonation of Ken Lim was excellent. But it's turning out to be a quite a tiring franchise now. The same routine, the same sort of jokers - you feel for Ken when he says they're wasting his time. Another related show with less jokers and more ego to go around for several seasons is Vasantham Star. Some talented folks don't perform well, some untalented fools perform too loudly. Maybe it's a lack of talent - the community is quite small to start with, and of these not everyone would want to take part to get their ass whipped by the judges.

Kowloon

2009-05-23T07:36:00.003+08:00

For me, the distinguishing traits about Kowloon are the constantly dripping water from the aircon overhanging us in the crowded streets, the flashing neon lights that completely covered the street lamps, and the large, looming hills that no one really talks about. And the amazing number of buildings they've built on those slopes.

We stayed at what I think is quite a happening part of Kowloon, a road known as Hart Ave in Tsim Sha Tsui. Surrounded by a strange mix of mom-and-pop shops, nightclubs and 7-Elevens, the area was fantastically warm and welcoming.

We had planned to see a lot of things in HK, but managed to see most and leave out some because our son had to have his afternoon nap ;) Poor guy, didn't know what hit him, from the plane ride to until the ride back. But I think he thought it was all worth it when he took a photo with dad-sized Mickey at Disneyland.

My wife's conclusion was similar to mine, at the end of the four days - we're going back there again, insha Allah, some time in the future. It's too lively to stay away from.

Sweat it

2009-04-29T17:24:00.002+08:00

Physical activity (which is broader than "exercise") is proven to give powerful and effective health benefits. Read all about it here. It's a bit wordy, but the gist is that regular physical activity will make you stronger, more mentally active, protect you from chronic illnesses and make you feel good.

Now we come to the older women in my community. In the Indian Muslim community, a lot of ladies don't do regular physical activity. It's a non-starter. So after years of inactivity, they give a whole new meaning to the term "late bloomers" - they become obese, and develop knee aches and don't move about, complaining that they have knee aches. (Curiously, they (some, not all) are able to move with lightning swiftness when it comes to briyani collection at mosques after religious talks.)

This is not good - unhealthy womenfolk means setting bad examples to their children and family. Generations of sedentary Indian Muslim ladies and gentlemen fed on a diet of weekly briyani, coconut milk-laden chicken curry, murtabak, mee goreng and rojak (not from Geylang). So a group of us decided to change this sedentary thinking.

It began as a simple chat over some fattening coffee and cakes at Coffeebean, near Bencoolen Street on a Saturday evening. The plan was to combine some physical activity and a religious talk to make it a worthwhile event for older Indian Muslim ladies to attend and gain something. They could bring their kids and husbands for moral support. They would get to listen to a Ustaz say a few words about the duty of humans to take care of their bodies in this world. At the end of the day, they might even get some healthy snack or drink to take home.

So a pilot briskwalking project is in the pipeline - to get sedentary housewives to learn about the fantastic results of even a little bit of physical activity, and to do it with their loved ones and to do it with the knowledge that it's encouraged by religious beliefs. Let's hope it works out well, insha Allah...

The Four Star that wasn't

2009-04-29T17:15:00.004+08:00

The bathroom sink was decomposing (if it can happen). The room was stuffy, stinky/musty and had 2 or 3 mosquitoes thrown in which were irritating Yashila. In all, the whole place looked dead.

This is the Pulai Desaru Beach Resort (a very snazzy-looking website), where the website looks better than the real thing. It's allegedly a four-star hotel. It seems like they froze in time since when it was first built. Absolutely horrendous maintenance. And they don't provide toothpaste or toothbrushes!

The beach was very nice, this I will say. But nothing more than 2 days and 1 night to get away from it all.

Reflections

2009-04-24T23:03:00.002+08:00

We had a good meeting today - setting the stage for future meetings. I look forward to a fabulous term.

****

I took a cab to Malabar Mosque to hear Habib Umar bin Hafiz give the Friday sermon (khutbah). Habib Umar is a prominent Islamic scholar who hails from Yemen. In such khaatib (plural of khutbah), many things are mentioned and I won't pretend that I absorb everything. From today's sermon, I learnt that certainty in Allah is a blessing given to the most fortunate of believers. I also learnt that to hurt another Muslim (by words or deeds) is worse than dismantling the Ka'bah brick by brick. A million meanings conveyed in such one-liners.

****

Looking forward to Desaru with my wife. As always, Zayed will be missed, but some time away would do us good. I love you always.

Tortured by torture

2009-04-17T15:42:00.003+08:00

Some torture techniques I would like to share with you. These had been sanctioned for use by the CIA on terrorism suspects under the Bush administration, but outlawed now under President Obama.

Waterboarding: Aimed at simulating sensation of drowning. Used on alleged 9/11 planner Khalid Sheikh Mohammed

Insect: Harmless insect to be placed with suspect in 'confinement box', suspect to be told the insect would sting. Approved for terrorist suspect Abu Zubaydah, but not used

Walling: Detainee slammed repeatedly into false wall to create sound and shock

Sleep deprivation: Detainee shackled stading up. Used often, once for 180 hours

Read more.

I really don't know how someone can be deprived of sleep for a week and still survive. Moving on - torture is an act that destroys every iota of humanity in both the person being tortured, and the person doing the torturing, and anyone who sanctioned the torture. Even animals don't torture each other.

Signing ceremony - not the end

2009-04-16T15:41:00.003+08:00

Yesterday, we went to the lawyer's office to get some papers signed. We wish to sell off my late dad's house and land in India, so there was some documentation involved to prove that his remaining kin all agreed to sell it off. So all four of us had to sign the papers yesterday in front of the lawyer and get it signed, before posting them to India.

One year later and the paperwork hasn't finished. There's still more to go...

Afterward, we had lunch at Taj Restaurant, next to Jamae Chulia mosque at South Bridge Road. It's run by Burmese Muslims, and the briyani there has a special flavour to it.

Easy to be lazy

2009-04-16T15:34:00.002+08:00

It's amazing how easy it is to do nothing. You don't feel like doing anything, and you think it makes you feel good, so you continue doing nothing. The cycle continues, like a moron. There is no external pressure or force to do anything otherwise. You are too happy to stay the course and not rock the boat. It becomes too risky.

It takes considerable time, a lot of effort and willpower to stay "I can't stand this any longer!" and do something about it, without external forces acting or forcing you to do so. And after you do something about it, you wonder whether you rocked the boat or not.

That's when you realise that there is no boat.

Gran Torino

2009-04-02T18:17:00.002+08:00

Gran Torino the movie is a metaphor for Gran Torino the car – each part created with love and care, put together with heart and soul, and destined to live on as a legend for years to come.

Clint Eastwood’s slightly rajnikanth-ish portrayal of a Korean War veteran living in an ethnic Vietnamese neighborhood and hating it, is solid. He wants you to think that it’s going to be a good ol’ shoot ‘em up, with Clinty coming out winner. He does come out the winner, but in his own way.

The rest of the cast is uninspiring, except for 16-year-old Ahney Her. She’s cute and funny.

The movie tackles a lot of issues close to my heart – inter-generational bonding and communication, intercultural communication, ageing issues, and racism. It’s not a pop-filled, wham-bam technicolour musical – it’s a story that highlights human relationships, both the good and the horrible.