First foreign dormitory in my estate: Serangoon Gardens

The first batch of residents have taken up residence in the dormitory. They seem to be mostly China migrant workers and this has set the fears of many of the local residents to rest. I think the initial fear was based on the ethnicity of the workers. They had been rumoured to be Indian construction workers. I mean no offence to them but they personally strike fear within me due to some black sheep who have lecherous eyes. I am merely of average looks but these black sheep cast their eyes on every single female that they see, and that poses a great sense of discomfort to me. I too, am glad that the dormitory residents are China migrant workers.

I agree with some of the feedback given by residents. We were rather biased out of fear upon hearing about the proposed dormitory and indeed, the workers are behaving themselves well. As a matter of fact, the Indian construction workers along my road have not given me any trouble in terms of behavioural issues as well. However, I feel that the resident who plans to move out because of the dormitory matter, is really overreacting and making herself look foolish. She is the only one interviewed, who is planning to moving out. Her reason is unjustifiable as there are no problems posed by the migrant workers. The prejudice she has towards them is unfounded. The ironies are that her house does not even face the dormitory and she has been staying there for but less than a year. The residents whose houses are facing it and who have been staying there for many years, are not even planning to move out.

In order to facilitate the concerns of the residents, a proposal whereby residents and dormitory dwellers team up to patrol the estate for safety purposes has been handed in. I feel that it is a very good idea as it will allay the fears of the residents and allow them to get to know the dwellers for who they are.

No compromise in parenting

A teenage girl who had contracted H1N1 was cruelly left alone to fend for herself at home while sick. Her parents moved out for fear of contracting it as well. That was a heartless act from the parents of a sick girl who clearly needed their help and care. They are not fit to be parents, I feel.

Their fear had irrationally escalated to the point where they didn't even dare to bring her food and their only contact with her was through a daily phone call. It does not matter that they had left her food to cook. How was she going to cook when she was sick with the virus?! She should have been resting. Were they even thinking then?!

I concur with the doctor who thought that they were overreacting. It was plain selfishness as well, I feel. His advice is definitely simple to carry out. The fact that they are in the glow of health shows that there was no excuse for their behaviour. It merely reflects very badly on them as parents. They should feel ashamed that their daughter still spoke up for them. Ironically, her love for them is stronger.

She also showed maturity and selflessness. She was worried about spreading her virus to others and causing trouble for her friends. Is she even their daughter? She is so much better than they are. She certainly does not deserve such parents. Another irony is that her friends offered to go over to her house to bring her food. They are outsiders and yet they treated her better than her own parents. What a joke! Her parents should really do some serious reflection.

Our service standards still need to be improved quite a bit

The mother of a young boy with alopecia was appalled at the insensitivity displayed by an Ikea staff member.I would be too but that would be the climax of what she had encountered so far. The audacity of strangers in the same lift commenting or 'giving advice' upon noticing her son's condition is too immense for me to behold. If they merely stare at the boy in comparison, it is not as bad. They really have no right to go beyond that.

The Ikea staff member could have at least asked those questions out of earshot of the boy, if he had needed to do so out of professional protocol. What is worse is that he pointed at the boy while doing so. What kind of training is Ikea providing pertaining to such cases?? The boy may be very young but he is still human. That means he has feelings. Being very young does not mean he cannot understand what is said about him. The staff member had clearly underestimated his language ability, since his facial expression and immediate reaction proved otherwise.

In both cases, negligence was evident. The boy was obviously aware of his condition, especially judging from the second case. Such adults just destroy his optimistic expectations of the world in terms of kindness, tact and understanding.

The reason for adultery despite being married

I was reading an article in this month's issue of LHJ about this elderly couple who was having marital problems. The husband perceived his flirtations with younger women as harmless and fun. He felt that they would not compromise on his enduring love for his wife. His wife, on the other hand, saw even one of these encounters as a taint in his love towards her.

I know of cases where there was regret that a wrong marital decision had been made and adultery was seen as merely a reaction to it in the absence of divorce. It is not so easy to convince the guilty parties that they are committing an immoral act. In fact, some of its supporters regard the adulterous affair as a more enjoyable 'relationship', since no legally binding commitment can be made towards such momentary pleasures. They tell themselves that they have chosen to remain married to their life partners and thus that is what really matters. They also attempt to downplay their affairs by claiming that they are not going to marry the person they are involved with, and that the affairs are just for fun.

Sadly, they ignore the reality that the other person may possess feelings which are based on genuine love and emotion, and they are being very unfair to him/her. Such people desecrate the sacred institution of marriage and also fail to realise that deep within themselves, they have a phobia towards it.

Indeed, as another article states, they are cowards who fear broaching the subject of the marital problems faced with their husbands/wives as well. If the courage is summoned to do so, then things can be worked out between them, bearing in mind that they must go back to the genuine love which propelled them towards marrying each other.

The same article reports that husbands see their adulterous wives as dirty while wives see their unfaithful husbands with more tolerant and even forgiving eyes. That is unfairly biased. The same act had been committed by both genders. It is probably the fact that their male egos that have taken a blow and this sorely inaccurate perception is the result of it. This perception can be held by wives too, for their information.

Two cases deserve my comment. Both husband and wife had affairs in the first one. The wife wanted to divorce her husband due to his adulterous affair but she conveniently downplayed her own one-night stand on an unconscious level. The length of time may differ between both their acts but the fact remains that both husband and wife were unfaithful to each other. It is merely language that segregate the type. She has no right to ask him for a divorce when she herself was unfaithful.

The husband justified his adultery as hereditary in nature and acceptable in a familial surrounding, in the second case. His own father had committed adultery and his mother, out of love for the family, I presume, had not reacted in an unhappy manner over it. Tragically, this had misled their son, this husband, into thinking that adultery was condoned and he could do the same when he was married. He expected his wife to react to his affairs in the same way his mum had done so to his dad's. His mother must now speak up and tell him that she had accepted his father's adultery out of love, but adultery injures the vow of trust mutually taken by a married couple.

Tiger's escalating scandal of sexual infidelity

A celebrity is still a human deep down and I sympathise with the resentment he possesses towards the media's constant exposure of this scandal he is involved in. Any human would want to have his personal space respected.

However, I also feel that he is rather foolish to continue being so hard-headed. Though he is now more than a millionaire with his past earnings from product endorsements, tournament winnings and even appearance fees, the money will run out sooner or later. Let us be practical here. No matter how excellent a golfer he is and how well-respected he WAS, the heroic status the world put on him has now definitely dwindled. As a celebrity, he is still expected to adhere to the expectations of the public on him, and this means that he cannot do much to determine the level of privacy he is privy to.

He seems rather proud too, in wanting to remain mum about these allegations upon him. Even if they are untrue, would it not be more advantageous to him to speak out about them? With this perpetual silence, he is merely keeping everyone guessing as to their credibility and he is providing more opportunities for new allegations to surface. If they are really true, on the other hand, his public acknowledgement of them will win him back his old fans and may even create new ones for him. This act of humility and courage is surely deemed to win him back his wife and family too.

His marriage seems to be flawed in the first place. I personally debunk pre-nuptial agreements, or are they mainly used by celebrities? Marriage should be based on sincere commitment and a strong desire to maintain it. Call me naive but it is probably the cynics who do so. Tiger has seemingly persuaded his wife to tell the media that she has forgiven him, and this really boosts his reputation. It tends to make me think that he is using her for his own ends.

At the same time, I do not blame her for changing the terms of their agreement. She is still a woman and has been terribly betrayed by her husband. She probably feels helpless and her loyalty towards him is now at stake. Hence she made the time frame shorter and the payment sum greater, which is somewhat of a material consolation for her.

Only time will tell if their marriage survives. I agree with the fact that celebrities are more vulnerable to temptations what with their fame and fortune, but it also requires self-discipline to resist these temptations. More is definitely expected of a married celebrity. Tiger's move of attempting to warn his mistress of his wife's knowledge that they had an affair already goes to show that his loyalty towards his wife is fading. He evidently cares more for his mistress than his legally married wife.

His confession somehow speaks of insincere repentance in my eyes. He states that he is "not without faults and am far short of perfect". He seems to be trying to give an excuse for his atrocious behaviour, that he is imperfect as a human and the affairs are due to this human weakness. Ironically, it was the matchmaker between Tiger and his wife that took the initiative to apologise for anything. In the first place, he has nothing to apologise for, as no one could predict Tiger's fall from grace, but the heartening thing is that the matchmaker is not siding with Tiger even though he is also a man.

Tiger has finally made a public apology and it seems that it is the right move. His words show that he is truly regretful. I am however, disgusted at some of the reactions to it. Donald Trump advised him to forget about his marriage and continue being a playboy. Excuse me?! Trump may be one but he cannot convert others into following in his footsteps. That is not only irresponsible but also malicious!

His Las Vegas dealer mistress was unhappy that he is doing the right thing of apologising to his children. Why should she or the rest of the mistresses deserve an apology as well? They almost broke his family up. I think she mistook their involvement for a real relationship. Being physically intimate does not equate to true love. Being someone's mistress and affair partner will not lead to an enduring relationship, even if it is real!

Rules that spoil the atmosphere of dining

I understand the rationale behind certain rules, since Singaporeans are typically known to be uncouth and discourteous patrons. Some rules that have been implemented by certain eateries however, seem rather unreasonable and ludicrous. A case in point was a customer being asked by the staff at Cheesecake Cafe to either have her bottle of juice which was bought from another place, thrown away, or to have it kept by the cafe till she left. This occurred even though she had ordered drinks from the cafe's menu and had only intended to leave her bottle on the table.

Another case was the ban on taking photographs of the same cafe even as a customer. They were allowed to do so only if they were in the photograph. The reason given seems to be an unjustifiable one. There is a fear of other competitors wanting to duplicate the cafe's layout design.

The fact that there was a refusal to comment on the other rules laid down by the cafe seems to indicate the knowledge that they are unreasonable, and that the owner is adamant about retaining them. I reckon that the cafe will have fewer customers in time to come, due to such rigid and self-centred laws.

Heaven's Loft seems to be more reasonable in its rules. They are based on its customers' feedback. There is a rule though, that seems to stir up controversy: the age limit of customers going to its balcony in the evening. One of the views mentioned seems illogical: younger customers may feel discriminated against. I am confused here. The rationale behind the rule is sensible. The balcony becomes a bar loft that serves alcohol in the evening. Such a rule shows the social responsibility of the restaurant. It is not doing anything wrong and the customer who gave that view is probably one who falls below that age limit, or knows someone who does.

Times have changed and have been harsher on we teachers

A parent wrote in to complain about an English paper taken by his child. It had many mistakes in the set question, and they were only discovered and corrected on the actual day the paper was taken. He was unhappy that the teachers had not corrected them before giving it out to the students.

I find this a little hard to read and then turn the page. When I was a student, this happened as well. The invigilators would correct any mistakes in the paper before we started doing it. There were a few of them but there were no complaints made against the school.

Sometimes, they can be overlooked before printing the paper out. It is not so fair to just lambast the teachers for making an error any human can make. We may be teachers but we are not deities. Some parents just fail to realise that.

Annoying English words

Fiona Chan mentioned a few terms that irritate her to no end. This is such an interesting article that I have to blog about it.

I am guilty of having used the word "whatever" many times in the past. That caused my best friend to verbally express his strong dislike of it in our interaction. It was valid because I would utter it whenever I disagreed with his views but did not want to blatantly show that. Now I barely utter it, not just with him but with others too. The only time I do is when I am irritated. Oops, I am also guilty of using "k" to mean "ok".

How can "literally" be substituted for "really"? Their meanings are different. It is the same case for "whereby" and "where". I will not explain the variations here though. The dictionary clearly does it.

"chillaxing"?! What kind of word is that? I know it is a combination of "chill" and "relaxing", but this is yet another attempt to maul the English language.

Teachers with Facebook profiles

A male primary school teacher was exposed for posting sexually graphic videos on his Facebook profile when his student's relative caught her viewing them. I am ashamed to have been associated with such a teacher since I am in the teaching line too, but I am glad he has resigned from the force.

A teacher is a moral example to his/her students and this man had failed terribly at it. As a professional with the duty to educate the future generations, he should have been more selective with the posts on his profile, especially when he had given his students access to his profile. In fact, he should have edited his profile before giving his username to them. It is one thing to post videos for one's personal enjoyment but it is another thing to enable extremely young viewers to gain access to them. This is worse than just posting them and restricting the students' access to them.

Some parents have implemented measures to prevent their children from logging onto unsavoury websites or videos. The idea of placing the home computer in the living room so that they can monitor their children's internet activity is a good one. Another suggestion by an internet security agent is to install parental control software. This is an effective measure as it blocks access to websites that may be unsuitable for children.

Inaccuracy over popularity?

A reader wrote in to comment about Mr Devan's column on the English language. His focus was on the words "enormousness" and "enormity". Both mean very big in a noun form but the correct term is the latter. The reader argues that since they have the same meaning and both are accepted in society, there should be no difference in the term used. I beg to differ. If we use a certain ungrammatical/improper/inaccurate term or slang just because everyone else uses it, we are mauling the English language and depriving it of its true beauty.

A grammatical review of a service provider's gripes

His comparison of the review written about his menu items and his own review on other places is ironic without his knowledge. In fact, his own is harsher in the choice of words, and his opinion of the review written about his own food shows some arrogance. "Pathetic" possesses more subjective emotion than "sickeningly". It smacks of feelings of condescension on the food, since he himself owns a restaurant.

Excessive sugar can cause the tongue to feel a sharp taste, so that can somehow explain the usage of "sickeningly" in the review. If that is so, people will not order those particular menu items, yes, but it is the truth, isn't it? He seems to be unable to take constructive criticism.

As food bloggers, we present our opinions after having tried the food, or at least come across it. They may be subjective but they are factual. The terms in the review by the food blogger are merely common ones used when giving an opinion on menu items. There is no intent of malice when using such terms.

The macaroons' taste was compared to eating jam on its own, and it is merely an allusion used to ensure the readers comprehend the extent of their sweetness. The owner completely misunderstood this allusion. The blogger was not implying that jam is used in the making of the macaroons.

It is obvious that I am referring to a certain newspaper article in this entry, but I will not spell the name of the owner out lest I get threatened or sued by him. My intention here is to point out his terribly inaccurate misinterpretation of the review about his food, from an English tutor's perspective.

Technology on real-life

Tan Shzr Ee explores the effect of the Internet on our lives and it is an unhealthy result. She is on the Internet while she waits for her instant noodles to be cooked. What if she gets so focused on her surfing that she allows her noodles to burn? It has happened to me before. I was on the phone and totally forgot about my noodles. :S Also, the virtual conversation she is having with her friend who is overseas has sadly encroached on her real-life conversation with her husband. It is rather hurtful to do that to the one you love, to not give your full attention to him.

In terms of linguistic ability, Internet language aka acronyms or instant messaging, has tainted our proper usuage of English. What a sad state of affairs to behold. The rationale behind it is to obtain instant comprehension from others but the language I love most has been mauled and brutalized in the process :S

Technology may be very advanced with the various choices we have but the new knowledge we are introduced to is also one that is temporal. It is quickly replaced by another that is better and more up-to-date. A case in point is the games I play on Facebook. I used to love Farmville but now I have given up on it, as I discover new games like Roller Coaster Kingdom and Home Inn.

Though the human brain is capable of absorbing and applying vast amounts of information, technology moves too quickly for the brain to catch up, I feel. Sometimes it is better to be involved in singular activities so that full understanding of each is obtained. Having too many choices on one's plate can cause greed. Though more time is spent on singular activities, it is well worth it, I feel. Saving time compromises on the quality of the activities. I have always been a serialistic person rather than a holistic person.

Technology is also used by some to build a wall against others, for fear of revealing their inner insecurities. They bury themselves in surfing the Internet to look busy in public places. It becomes a source of protection and refuge for them. I myself am guilty of using short message service to communicate and interact with people, instead of a telephone conversation. I feel more comfortable revealing my deeper feelings in a written form.

The effect of the Internet on humans is frightening. A mother went online to ask for advice instead of calling for medical help or at least a friend, when there was a suicide attempt in her family. The first thing that she should have done is to get professional medics to attend to the person. That applies to anyone. There is also a higher chance of getting opinions from more laymen which may not be correct, as a result. Then again, did she feel ashamed to reveal such a matter to people she knew? Her choice of action was based on emotion and not instinct/rationale. Alas.

The new dormitory residents at Gardens

I was a little disturbed by the fact that fences will be built around the dormitory to prevent any access to the local residents. Though I am a local resident, I feel sympathetic towards the foreign residents. The fences will make them feel as if they are outcasts stricken with a contagious disease and thus cannot have any contact with others. It is a terrible feeling to have.

Now that it has been ascertained that the foreign workers are those in the manufacturing and service industries, any xenophobia should be considerably reduced. Some of the reasons for such a restriction are valid, like traffic congestion, but a loss of privacy is not really as valid, I feel. I think it works both ways, actually.

The Miss Singapore World organizer's true colours.

There is a contradiction between what ERM World Marketing did and what it told the papers. It had clearly written a letter to Ris's probation officer to gain permission for her to travel for the Miss World Pageant before the report of her crime but the event director claimed that she knew about the fraud only when the papers reported it.

The director even influenced Ris to agree that she had informed the organization of the fraud only after the report when in actual fact Ris could have told the organization after her crowning.

Obviously, the director did not dare to say anything about these discoveries when she knew that her deviousness had been uncovered. What I wonder is whether Ris is sworn to say only what makes the organization and its director looks good, since she is on a year's contract with it.

The organizer is in hot soup again. A local jewellery designer has revealed that she had failed to keep her side of the contract between them. The crown the designer had designed for the winner of the Ms Singapore World competition was to have been used from 2008 to 2012 but it had been done so only in 2008. They had exchanged emails and the organizer had assured the designer that the crown would be used this year, but this did not take place at the competition. It seems that the organizer had asked her lawyer to send another email after the one assuring the designer, which stated that the crown would only be used if the designer booked places for the competition. The designer declined to do so and this explains why the crown was not used at all.

The organizer seems to me, to be a person who is materialistic and disregards contract terms in order to attain that goal. She is also contradictory in her dealings with others.

Changes in the way English is taught.

MOE is planning to bring back the systematic way of teaching grammatical skills in schools. I definitely condone that. The students I interact with lack such basic linguistics in their work. They are heavily influenced by the media which may not be proper channels of language usage.

When this method was removed from the teaching syllabus, that was very much a mistake, I feel. Using a more subtle method to teach grammar, in terms of contextual setting, does not make it as clear and easy to understand.

I have heard of trainee teachers majoring in the English language using improper English and speaking worse English than those who choose to major in other subjects. How ironic and sad. I disagree with a tuition centre director who feels that such mangled English learnt from the media and technological communication is really an evolution of the language rather than a deterioration.

A retired English teacher does not have any qualms about code-switching from English to Singlish at appropriate times. I am glad to know that. I am a code-switcher but I know that I must not deviate more towards the latter in general. Another teacher recommends reading and listening to the BBC channel as tools towards speaking good English. I do read but must strive to listen to more narration from documentaries on television. I use the Internet far too much and it does not have such natural narration. It is mostly made up of written linguistics, and the music and videos on it have verbal language which may not be grammatically correct.

Compromise in service standards just to please celebrities?

David Gan, celebrity hairstylist, complained about the fact that a high-end boutique had turned away movie star Zhang Ziyi, as it was going to close for the day. What did the boutique do wrong? It was merely maintaining its regulation and service standard. Does being a celebrity entitle one to such unnecessary privilege? A celebrity is still a human being. I feel that he is being overprotective of her and letting fame get to his head, since he himself is famous.

He contradicts himself too when he said that he did not want the shop to let her enter it due to her status, but that the act made it give our country a bad name. He suggested that the shop should go for retraining. Does doing what it should be doing to any customer warrant such a effect? I am sure that it turned her away in a polite manner. That should be the real issue here.

Apparently, his outspoken view has had an effect on a retail outlet chain. Club 21 has agreed to ensure its stores allow customers to enter past the opening hours.

Former AWARE President's career move

Josie Lau has changed jobs and is now working under OUE. Coincidentally or not, the Chief Executive is the husband of the lawyer who had been part of her committee in taking over AWARE for a short time.

There is a contradiction too. He noted her trauma experienced due to the AWARE saga, in conjunction with his mention of her merits as being criteria for her employment. It seems that pity is another reason for her employment with his organization. Why the sudden mention of the saga when it has been resolved?

In her email to the Straits Times, she avoided answering the question of whether DBS's unhappiness over her presidential post in AWARE caused this career move. Does it mean that she has a guilty conscience and that this is true after all? If it is untrue, she should have replied to it right?

Ms Singapore World's shameful past

Her criminal record is much more serious than her inability to speak proper English. There is no way I can see any good in this instance, as compared to the latter case. I have naught to defend her with. She did wrong, period.

She had hoped that her secret would never be revealed, so was it not better to have avoided doing the misdeed altogether? The light will reveal what the darkness tries to hide. This is how the world evolves into. What is there to feel "sad or disappointed" about? The person who reported her secret to the media did the right thing. It is not a matter of "dig(ging) up" a hidden secret, especially when it involves our country's reputation. She has ultimately disgraced herself by committing the crime. The disappointment should rightly be felt by her former employer, and not by her.

I would not want such a person to represent Singapore. It is not a matter of withdrawing my support for our local representative, but it shows how immature she was not to have considered the dire consequences of her actions. 17 years of age is not actually a young age. She was not 7 years old when she did that. She may have had other redeeming qualities that allowed her to win the pageant, according to another pageant winner, but this is a criminal conviction. What other redeeming qualities can remove this permanent blemish on her life and name? This is a betrayal of the morals and values society attempts to teach its youths. What a role model she is for them. As a working employee, she should have had the sense to know that she was doing something terribly wrong with the credit cards she used for her spending sprees. Where was her conscience then? Her age does not excuse her misdeed.

Her parents play a significant part in this affair as well. They failed to bring her up in the full knowledge of what is right and wrong. This is the result of their failure. Perhaps this is a hard lesson they must learn, notwithstanding her need to learn one too. I am glad to know that they do not condone her recent behaviour, as is reported in the current issue of 8 Days. They make her out to be a stubborn child who does not listen to their advice and abuses their trust in her. Yes, she has expressed regret for her misdeed but it may have come too late, now that she has been placed in the spotlight. The irony is that she loves to gain attention from others and hence she joined the competition. Well, now she has gained it but for more than the wrong reasons.

A reader felt that this secret should not affect her role as our local representative in the competition. Is that not rather naive? It is a necessity for the local representative to have no criminal record. She HAS to be removed from her position and allow the first runner-up to replace her. Even though this is a beauty contest, beauty also includes purity of character. She is probably "our best hope" only in terms of external appearance, I feel.

Again responding to Yeoh Wee Teck's commentary on this issue, I can testify that I was squeaky clean at 17 years old. My only flaws were not studying hard enough, and disrespecting and disobeying my parents. Perhaps this does make me justified enough to criticise Ms Singapore World? Haha.

"Our Singapore representatives need not be squeaky clean"?? As a reporter, it is rather impertinent to say that. He is one of the voices of the media, a medium that is a major source of influence on our youths. What underlying message is he giving them? Hardcore criminals can represent the country? She may not be a hardcore criminal who committed violent acts on others, but she still committed a crime. As the secretary-general of her school remarked, the Yellow Ribbon Project is catered towards second chances in the career industry. Her role as a local representative defies that. I completely agree with the secretary-general. The reporter is also ironical in mocking her for her bad verbal skills rather than her criminal misdeed.

A second newspaper article mentioned that good character is part of the criteria for beauty pageant contestants. I'm heartened to note that there are fellow supporters towards my stand. They include former local beauty queens. Indeed, it was not appropriate of her to inform the panel only after her win. It does not matter that she had not expected to win. Her mere participation in the pageant already required her to do so. Now, it seems that she has not told them about this revelation, because the staff of the organization are unaware of her conviction. Is there anything else she is misleading us in?

She opened up in a third article about this incident. Her thoughts have somehow incited a crack in my harsh assessment of her. She actually shows gratitude to the victim who reported her to the police, and has an unwavering faith in hard work and perseverance, that these qualities will bring about the achievement of dreams. I guess she is someone after my own heart, in this aspect.

Now, it seems that she had been playing with the public. She claimed to have informed the organizers of the pageant on different occasions, but it turns out that she had not. Her lies have escalated from a hidden criminal conviction to an attempt in obtaining support from the public by falsely claiming she had admitted it to the organizers. It is no wonder that she did not dare to pick up calls from the media about this false misleading. I am so glad she has agreed to give her crown back.

During the selection process for a new local representative, the second runner-up who was to eventually represent our country, did not pick up her phone when she was called. She may have been busy then but if it was a deliberate attempt to ignore the media, then I must say that she was smart enough to do so.

According to Ris Low, she is not interested in Claire Lee's decision to withdraw from the representation process. However, what she said after that pipes my interest in a negative way. She hopes for us to forget her fiasco after 2 years as she enjoys life. Firstly, even if 2 years have passed, seeing her will provoke ugly feelings within us. What she did is no small matter. Secondly, how can she even think of enjoying life with such a betrayal of conscience that she has done? Also, she still has the cheek to want to compete in local competitions? She will find it difficult to attain that desire. Since she so wants to be the centre of attraction, doesn't she realise she already is, in the way she is handling this whole issue? Apparently, this desire is so strong that she has done so many negative things to get to that. She does not bother about the nature of being in the limelight, but just that she is basking in it.

Ikea showroom horribly abused

I was wondering how Ikea could allow people to misuse its furniture products, and even condone their proud attitudes in the mist of their abuse, when this was reported in the newspapers. People treat the showroom as their homes or offices; doing work, eating, sleeping and even relieving themselves. The anti-climax is that they don't buy anything in the end.

Ikea explains that this is its family-friendly policy. I blatantly disagree with it. It is more concerned with the customers' welfare and places utmost trust in its customers' responsible nature towards its products. Its hope that the customers will purchase its products never fails to waver. This ever-optimistic perception should change with this latest report.

The impact of tragic history over time

It has been 8 years since the 911 Twin Towers tragedy in America. When that day came, I remembered that incident, and I'm not an American. However, when I read in the newspapers that the American students merely treat it as a part of their country's history and seem to be apathetic towards something so close to their doors, I was speechless.

Singapore went through a harrowing time during the Japanese Occupation, and that was about 65 years ago. I still remember that. 65 years is much longer than 8 years. What is it with those students?

They find the lesson on this tragedy boring, tedious and dreary, and treat it as a time for relaxation. When asked to write on the tragedy, they give apathetic statements that show their distant feelings. What more is there to say?

Laughter has become punishment instead of relaxation

A student was forced to laugh continuously for an hour. His offence was to point out the truth of his teacher's infidelity. He had witnessed his teacher's quarrel over it.

Despite the hazardous impact of the punishment on the boy's body, the teacher did not seem to be remorseful when he was confronted. He claimed that the punishment did not actually last for an hour. He did not say anything about its adverse effect on the boy.

The teacher was obviously trying to conceal his mistake. He had let his embarrassment at being exposed for his adultery overwhelm him to the extent that he disregarded the student's welfare. He caused the student to be in that situation when he insisted that the student continue to laugh, even though the student could not. How dreadful!

A teacher's moral downfall

A US teacher has not been able to get another teaching job ever since she was dismissed from her previous one. Her claim that it was due to her indecent photos shows that she is blaming the school for using this poor reason as a justification for its actions. What is there to blame? She seems to think that the photos are nothing immoral. As she was a teacher, they were going against the moral values she should be advocating to the youths out there. A teacher's identity is not separate from her personal life, contrary to what she may think. She is a figure of authority in society. Her students will still recognise her outside their classes.

She attributes her present pornographic job to the school's decision. If she had not taken on the hostess job while she was a teacher, it would not have landed her in this present situation. She caused herself all this pain. If she had needed another job then, she could have taken on a better one. Money shouldn't cause one to compromise on one's values, and in this case, employment. It is ironic how she told a news outlet that "(she was) an educated woman but (had) never thought it would come to (that)". She did not use her level of education well enough then. She had failed to consider the repercussions of her initial choice beforehand. She should have known better than to choose that particular job while still being in the teaching industry.

Apathy in Singaporeans

Mrs X's case did ingnite some arrogant thoughts in me, that I wouldn't be like the people around her who did nothing to help. However, M Lukshumayeh's letter exactly expressed what the truth of matter is. Would I really spring into action if I were there? The answer is that I wouldn't and this is my justification.

I could have helped two tourists who were confused as to where to order their drinks at, when we were at Vivocity's Food Republic. I did not. I let my shyness overwhelm their need for help. They would have appreciated my help just as I did when I was in London. I could have been a Singaporean that was out of the ordinary, and I felt ashamed to note that another tourist helped them instead.

At the same time, Robert's comments were unjustified. He claimed Mrs X did not approach people for help. She screamed. That would have attracted at least looks from them. It was unfortunate that they did not act after looking. It was not her fault in any way. She tried to attract attention from others.

Lifestyle ran an experiment on the level of indifference in Singaporeans and true enough, only one Singaporean tried to stop a couple from further aggression in their quarrel. The majority stood and gawked at the scenario. I think I would be like the person who called the security officers to intervene when he/she saw it, afraid of my personal safety and preferring to remain anonymous in looking for help.

Local perceptions towards beauty pageants

Our country seems to place little emphasis on international beauty pageants, other than selecting and sending the local winners to them. Ms Singapore Universe 2007 revealed that she had no wardrobe sponsors provided for her as she prepared to leave for Mexico. This probably affected her full focus on the competition per se, as she had to look for her own and even pay for some of her own accessories. On the contrary, other Asian countries like Japan and India employ professionals to prepare their local winners for the international platforms.

To be objective, it is understandable why little emphasis is placed on them. They place more importance on external beauty and the only exceptions are personality, confidence and eloquence, which are hidden beneath the surface. It is no wonder that the public, including I, sees them as frivolous.

Venezuela is famous for preparing its girls to become future beauty queens. There is a beauty boot camp where the selected girls are taught how to speak properly and do well in interviews, amongst other areas. Singapore definitely needs this faculty with regards to the latest beauty queen in the news. The camp gets back 20% of the winners' earnings in exchange for being in charge of their expenses. It sounds like a fair deal. Maybe Singapore should consider it?

However, girls from Venezuela are so obsessed with doing well in international pageants that they resort to plastic surgery to increase their chances. They become more beautiful, yes, but their beauty has as a result become more artificial and not completely natural, which had already been "artificialized" through makeup and undergarments. Their beauty has become fake and unreal, as surgery has tainted their natural physicality in the name of making right the distortions on their body.

At the same time, the founder of a grooming and modelling school claims that his/her school is preparing the students for life. What will last through life is a person's character and not external skills, which the school is honing. An irony!

Miss Singapore World's journey of public criticism

When I heard about the controversy surrounding her language skills, I was harshly critical on her like most people. After having read the feature on her, I am more sympathetic and less subjective.

She is pretty and sweet-looking, with the help of expertly applied makeup, and this is most apparent at the moment she was crowned. Her smile lighted up her face and complemented her makeup. Her pronunciation leaves much to be desired when one views the videos on her interviews, but to be fair, I doubt I can accurately answer the question on South African influence too.

She is a first-year student in the fields of hospitality, travel and tourism. With that level of English, she definitely won't get anywhere far, but according to her, she is aware of her low standards and is trying to improve on them. Her methods are realistic as she prepares to represent our country. I suggest though that she can also watch more documentaries and listen to the narrators. Perhaps this pageant was a first step to her realization, albeit a hard one.

Ms Carter gave a good refute to all the criticism surrounding this issue. Vocal trainers can volunteer their services for free, or generous members of the public can sponsor her for such training. After all, she is representing our country. Instead of merely criticising her and expecting her to find her own resources, they can help and support her in this area. This may increase her placing in the competition. You just never know. Singapore has never done very well in international competitions, except for our Miss Universe representatives in the top 15: Kathie Lee in 1983 and Marion Teo in 1987. If we do this, she and our future representatives may prove us wrong.

Ms Carter also gave a very good suggestion of speaking in Mandarin, if Ris felt more comfortable conversing in it. English may be our first language but some people are more conversant in our second language. That does not make them any less Singaporean or a disgrace to our country.

According to the organizer now, the Youtube video showcasing her bad spoken English was based on a one-off incident, and that should not have made our judgement of her permanent, as it had. The organizer felt that the owner of the video was being malicious towards her reputation. Ironically, she had spoken perfect English during the pageant. Why did the newspaper put quotation marks outside this phrase then? Was it trying to show blatant disagreement with this viewpoint? The pageant organizer had no reason to lie for her.

Social manners

Ms Esther Lim was wondering whether it is polite to clear our trays after we eat. I think it's a innately compulsory act when we eat at fast food restaurants. It is not so pertinent in food courts where the cleaners do so for us. At the same time, it would relieve their load if we do it ourselves. Take Ion's Food Opera for instance. Customers merely take it for granted that they will clear the trays, but due to the immense publicity of the shopping mall and its food tenants, resulting in a surge in the number of customers, the cleaners have problems coping with this task.

I remember observing the American culture when I ate at a fast food restaurant in the US. The customers take the initiative to clear their trays and if someone does not, he will get disapproving vibes from the others. Of course, my parents and I realised that we have to follow suit. This observation stayed with me when I returned to Singapore, and is still part of my value system till today. I try to clear my trays when I eat at fast food restaurants and thank the cleaners at food courts who clear my trays. It may be part of their job but it does not hurt to show them appreciation for it. :)

Mr Soh Teow Kwee was lamenting the rudeness of a lady who had blown her nose in front of him, as they were sharing a table in a food centre. He had asked her to stop blowing her nose when people around her were eating. I feel that she did not do anything very wrong by doing that. He was just being too picky. By writing to the authorities about this triviality, and posing those questions in his letter, he seems to be an uppity elitist where social behaviour is concerned. Of course, the lady was wrong as well. She should have apologised and not been so rude to him. She even challenged him and blew her nose more intensely.

A particular opinion on our National Day Rally

An undergraduate gave her view on the Rally. She lamented the fact that the issues raised were not anything new. Sometimes they are purposely done because people still do not see their importance.

Race and religion are issues which are still not fully understood by Singaporeans. The AWARE saga is a huge piece of evidence. She may have understood them but what about others? Does she know that the webchat on the Rally was mainly on religion? Also, it may have been only one incident, but it could have had far more dire consequences to our nation's security and harmony, if the church leaders had not stepped in with official documents, to quell any misassumption that it was a denomination rather than overenthusiastic individual Christians, who were the masterminds. Moreover, she herself admitted that we merely "theoretically" know what multi-racialism is. The contrasting pictures of our past and present are very meaningful for younger students, so that they do not take our nation for granted. Not everyone is "grateful for what has been done" for her.

The topic on foreign talent had already been spoken on by his father and birthrates is a topic that has been discussed in the newspapers. By asking for these to be mentioned at the Rally, is she not contradicting herself in requesting old issues to be reiterated? Looking at our past achievements is a reminder that we can continue to overcome the various challenges we are facing as well. Call it human psychology but we do need to be brought back to the past so as to allow it to aid us in our future. This form of encouragement is really not as belittling in nature as she perceives it to be.

One united people, even when abroad?

Maria Siow, a reporter stationed in China for CNA, gave two examples on how Chinese Singaporeans can be too exclusive in their group and are thus unaware of Singaporeans of other races. Being the majority race does not mean that they are exempted from instilling unity.

Imagine a Town Council chairman ignoring the needs of an Indian reporter during a press briefing. He spoke throughout the event in Mandarin and eventually embarrassed himself when she had to remind him of the Indian reporter.

The National Day celebrations held in Beijing for the Singaporeans there, also brought out Chinese Singaporeans' ugly side. They said the Pledge in Mandarin even though their Malay friend was with them. She felt so left out that she walked away from them at that moment. They are Chinese Singaporeans and this means that they are fluent in English. English is our first language after all, the first language of all Singaporeans. That was really insensitive of them. So what if they were in China? It was Singapore's birthday, not China's. This only serves to justify the protection Singapore's constitution offers Malays. It may contradict the notion of race equality we advocate, but it is obvious that if the government does not protect them, the other races are not.

My humble thoughts on PM Lee's review of the Aware saga

He labelled it as "an attempt by a religiously motivated group, who shared a strong religious fervour, to enter civil space, take over an NGO(non-governmental organization) it disapproved of, and impose their agenda." That makes the group led by Josie Lau, a deficiently intelligent group. Yes, I am being polite here. What makes them think they can impose their biasedly religious views on a secular group? It may be their attempt to evangelise and to spread God's teachings to others, but this method of doing it is too extreme. Yes, I am a Christian too, in case you are wondering. However, I think they are a disgrace to we Christians. One of the rules set by PM Lee to counter this extremity in religious fervour, so as to prevent it from affecting the overall harmony of the nation is "Rules which apply only to one group cannot be made into laws that apply to everyone." It is a clear message to the group, that frowns upon what they did. Another one is "religion must stay separate from politics." It is probably an instruction to the group not to try that stunt again.

It was definitely "hardly the way to conduct a mature discussion of a sensitive matter where views are deeply divided." They are adults and surely know that it was a sensitive matter. Sexual education usually is. After all, parents try to avoid talking to their children about it. The irony is that most of them are mothers. As adults, they should have known too that their method was immature and unbecoming. It was practically a usurpation of power. Do they think they are in one of the Dynasties of China? They are in Singapore, unfortunately for them. "not whether we can express and propagate those beliefs and values". Isn't it rather subjective to focus on evangelization at the expense of respect to others? "Respect and recognition for others who do not share the same set of ideals are absolutely vital". "Norms of tolerance are(sic) necessary if we are to co-exist even with people with very different values. It requires deliberate, cultivated restraint". Sometimes it is more right not to fight for our rights.

"an attitude of 'live and let live' has to prevail, actions flowing from religious beliefs and faith practices must not offend against the imperative of maintaining and enhancing the precious mores of multi-racialism in our society". They are not children and so they should know that "Stronger religious fervour can have side effects which must be managed carefully, particularly in a multi-religious society." This is self-explanatory. "faith communities continue to recognise and respect the virtues and imperatives of diversity, respect and tolerance".

Thank goodness, there were "many Christians" who were worried about the further implications this would cause. They were at least more rational. To add to it, the National Council of Churches and our Archbishop issued official statements to quell the gradually erosive wave on our unity.

Editor's note: It seems as if I'm regurgitating the quotes from the PM's speech but I selected these particular ones, because I feel they are outstanding on their own and can immediately explain my view on the Aware saga. Of course, I have included my own thoughts in this entry too.

A journalistic venture into another job industry

A reporter was given the assignment of using her resume to apply for a hypothetical job in a totally different industry. Ground rules were issued: she could not accept any job offers and could not apply for jobs requiring professional qualifications. She has an Honours degree in English Literature, as I have. As a result, graduates like us have problems applying for jobs with specific qualifications, because we have a general degree. At the same time, it enables us to work only in the Arts sector, if we want to make complete use of it.

She applied for almost every job in the market. She found out in the process that good communication skills, which our degree equips us with, is a skill that is sought after. She made up for her lack of work experience in the stipulated areas with a willing attitude to learn the ropes of the jobs. I remember that this same attitude helped me land a job completely unrelated to my degree. My reason for changing industries was to take a break from the one I was in.

She also learnt that the job offers she had received were mostly on sales of insurance policies and real estate. Perhaps her communication skills stood her in good stead. She had to do profiling tests as part of the selection process. I remember having to do one too, when I was applying for a job to do with managerial duties. Of course, I later discovered that it was an insurance company I was applying to. Insurance companies are the majority of potential employers who peruse my online resume. What is it with their fascination with someone who holds a Literature degree and has been teaching for most of her working life? Perhaps it is also my communication skills that attract them. Unfortunately for them, I am not someone who enjoys working in the sales industry. It was while I was doing the test, that I realised that my calling was to go back to teaching. Every answer I put pointed the way to that.

She had applied to a company that sells lavatory products and the comment she received over her status as a mother seems rather discriminatory. She had been told that maternity leave represented "a disturbance in the workplace". Employers nowadays are supposed to be more pro-family. This company seems to be the exception. Productivity and work efficiency are what matters to it.

The result of her venture was that she had received only four offers out of a hundred applications. It is also a cold, hard truth for me to learn. :S

Xenophobia in some Singaporeans

I've heard of Singaporeans being unhappy over foreigners competing with them in school and at work. In school, locals see them as strong rivals where examination grades are concerned. They claim that teachers show favouritism towards the foreign students. I believe there is a reason for that. Foreigners have a better studying attitude as they are aware of the amount of funds used in their move to study here. Locals tend to take their education for granted. If the tables were turned, locals would exhibit the same characteristics in a foreign country. Locals should instead use their presence as motivation to do better, shouldn't they?

At work, foreigners have been accused of snatching the rice bowls of local workers. Is that a fact, or did it stem from insecurity? This attitude can cost locals their jobs, in their refusal to co-operate with their foreign colleagues. Such is the perception towards foreigners, who aim to earn a living as we do. Truly, this is a narrow-minded mindset. It also indicates distrust towards our government's concern for our welfare, doubting its desire to provide for its people.

Many privileges have been granted to the locals and some are even at the expense of the foreigners. Should we not be grateful?! They have borne the brunt of things. Our minister mentor brought out a very harsh truth, that if our own standard of English is not high enough, we cannot expect the foreigners to have a high level of English as well. First look at the plank in your own eye before the speck of dust in your brother's eye.

Speech sound

The controversy over a deejay being asked to leave due to her oral skills, causes me to recall the way I speak and the views of others on it. Over the course of my degree, I had been exposed to lecturers of different nationalities. They ranged from Irish, British and American, to Indian. As a result, I unconsciously lapse into a tinge of the Western accents when I speak. This is not a deliberate adoption of the accents, by the way.

Whenever I take cabs, the drivers seem to think I am not Singaporean as a result. I assume they encounter most who do not speak as good English? Yes, I am rather good at English, thanks to my passion for the language. When I speak Mandarin, they seem to think I am from China. I believe it is because I interact with students from China and use Mandarin to translate certain English terms, for their comprehension. In the process of teaching them, I learn new Chinese words from them.

Travelling on the MRT just gets worse.

Actually witnessing able-bodied ladies who sit in the reserved seats, where the only baggage(pun) they carry is a shopping bag or their handbag, is really irritating. They try to cover up their misdeed by either using their handphone, sleeping or talking to their companion. This detestable behaviour simply cynicises my desire to ask for a seat. I cannot stand too long due to my leg condition. I feel tempted to take a picture of such outrageous behaviour but I don't want to taint my camera with their images. Can you blame me for loudly remarking on these idiotic people?!

The horrid manners of MRT commuters has taken a new turn, with people turning a blind eye to the sight of a girl being molested. I would have been incensed if I had been there. The sole person who tried to prevent the crime had no backup from the rest of the people present! Can you imagine how selfish Singaporeans have become?!

Teaching methods

2 NIE researchers are experimenting with a way to teach Math to primary school students. Instead of using Mathematical methods and steps to solve problem sums, which is incidentally the nemesis of most students, the suggested way is to underline the requirements of the question through discussions, before attempting to solve the problem sums. This will be especially useful for students who are weak in English. Once they understand what they have to do through the question, it will be easier to get the Mathematical answer. Speaking their thought processes aloud will be a tremendous help to their journey towards getting the answer. This is somewhat like literary analysis.

The strange thing is that I've been doing that with my tuition students. Hmm. No one told me to do that. It is my instinct as a teacher. It is true that this additional step will take up time, especially when teachers in school have lesson schedules to meet. It is probably better to do this for tuition. Then again, in order to help the weak students, it can be done during remedial lessons.

A reader wrote in to comment on an article on how a teacher had insulted her student. The letter exudes hurt and bitter anger over his own personal experience. The last part reveals his inability to get over his primary school experience. He requested the teacher to be removed from her job, rather than just given a warning.

I too, had similar experiences in school. It was only when I had kind teachers during my A'level days, that I finally managed to attain a pass for my Math and Accounting. As a teacher now, I ensure that I am as kind to my students as those teachers were to me. Perhaps the reader did not have the opportunity to get such kind teachers to heal his hurt.

Jakarta blast has not affected SG very much

It's "interesting " to read that Singapore's major hotels have not increased their security levels after this tragedy, even though Singapore has Marriot and Ritz-Carlton hotels. The marketing director of Marriot and the public relations director may have said otherwise but I'm not surprised if they did it just to dispel fears from the public and for public relations purposes. After all, there are no visible signs that security measures have been implemented. Perhaps the reason is to give potential terrorists a false impression, but is it not better to deter them from committing any audacious attacks and to assure the public of their safety? I believe that this applies to Tanglin Club too.

The rose among the thorns is American Club which has always upheld a strict security level ever since the 911 incident. Kudos to it!

An army major wrote a letter to critique these hotels. I applaud his gutsy response. That should 'wake' the management up. The hotels are certainly lapsed in their security. At the same time, he is objective enough to suggest measures for them to implement.

A Malay reader wrote in too and suggested some good ways to improve our security levels. He feels that schools should include anti-terrorism as part of the curriculum, and security should be increased at public buildings and our transport system.

I am glad to note that hotels are now involved in enhancing security levels. Lee Kwee Swung is a good example of being viligant towards guests who enter his hotel. He secured a man who had a dangerous weapon on him. At the Hotel Security Awards, a new campaign was launched to ensure higher levels, through the increase in drills for the staff and the greater sense of knowledge pertaining to times of evacuation.

Learning safety the hard way

The police in UK are trying to teach residents a lesson in protecting their homes from burglars. They furtively enter the homes, posing as burglars, and surprise the residents to prove their point that the homes are vulnerable to criminals. Then they give a lecture to the residents.

I support this idea. I feel that it will better retain its ultimate message in the residents' minds. The shock effect caused by these "break-ins" will be strong enough to imbue in the residents, the need to lock the doors and windows of their homes. It may be invasive to their privacy but it is for their own good. Merely distributing leaflets on crime prevention in homes is not as effective. After all, how many residents will read them from start to finish? Besides catching criminals, the police have a duty to protect the safety of the residents too. Anyway, burglars are also criminals.

Intellectual Snob's comments

She is lucky enough to have the means and opportunity to study abroad. However, that does not give her the perogative to condescend the local students here. Education and knowledge are not granted to cause arrogance, but to be used for the patient welfare of others. Let us give her the benefit of the doubt. There could be local graduates who fit her portrayal, but not every one does.

I have a friend who was educated in top schools in Singapore as well. However, she chose to study here even though she could go abroad. She has turned out to be nothing like how Intellectual Snob portrays the locals as. She is extremely smart, civilized, stylish, cultured, artistic, intelligent, well-travelled, knowledgeable, educated and well-liked. Hah, beat that, Intellectual Snob!

It is not wrong to be opinionated about the world we live in, but we must respect people's feelings in the process of doing so!

Wash and Win Promotion

This campaign was implemented by Tan Tock Seng Hospital. There are prizes offered in this promotion, including a car and a TV.

Though it is a good incentive to encourage Singaporeans to practise more stringent personal hygiene in this time of the H1N1 virus, I wonder if it is because Singaporeans are naturally nonchalant and too relaxed even in time of crises, such that they are not bothered to take precautions in this time. Charity shows also offered prizes as incentives to encourage Singaporeans to donate money. It seems such a sad state of affairs that Singaporeans need motivation to do what is right and good.

My student feels that Singaporeans are aware of the importance of taking up preventive meaures in this time. She gave an example where they actually wore masks during the flight she was on.

Family tragedy

A 7-year-old boy was killed by his dad on Father's Day, the climax to 2 months of abuse. He lay brain dead and eventually, he was taken off life support. What a summer for the boy! Instead of having a fun holiday, he was subjected to repeated abuse and then killed.

The father's girlfriend too, just stood by, and did nothing to stop the abuse and murder. Obviously, she does not love children. The mother of the boy was terribly upset and angry with the father. She is divorced from her husband. He had been given custody of the boy for the summer and instead, he became a monster to the boy. What kind of a father is he?

Students sporting tattoos

Reading some of the thoughts on this subject in the New Paper causes me to lament the perceptions of teenage girls towards love. Dion thinks that "boys like girls with tattoos". Those who do judge by appearance but it is the character that will determine a person's worth and that will last. She feels more sexy and attractive due to her tattoo. True sexiness and attraction are not based on your appearance.

A 15-year-old is of the opinion that tattoos reflect strength. He may be using them to counter his insecurities, as a 30-year-old secondary school teacher and a tertiary level teacher in her 40s imply. Thomas feels that they help him look tough. He is probably trying to evade potential bullies but it just shows that he is using tattoos to conceal his inner fear. Sometimes, facing problems head-on permanently eradicates them. Dylan Nah thinks that getting one will not kill him.

Really, to be a strong person is to believe in yourself, to have courage to face life's challenges and to come out of them a better person. A tattoo is a mere decoration on your skin. It would only offer superficial strength at the most. A person needs lasting strength to live. At the same time, its impression of strength may deter people from getting to know you, as they may become afraid of you. Also, when such teenagers like Thomas and Dylan go out into the working force in future, they may be shunned or avoided due to some others' pre-determined assumptions of such people, that they are ex-offenders. Their intentions will then have back-- fired and their spirits will be killed, that is, if they cannot get on with life as result.

Brendan Chia got one out of peer pressure and also to feel belonged to his clique of friends. Now they do not keep in contact with him. What is the point of ruining your body just to keep your friends? Should true friendship not be based on appearance but on bonding and genuine feelings?

Another Thomas now regrets that he had considered getting a tattoo as it did not turn out to his expectations. After all, his friend was the one who did it for him. Who else can he blame? Amateurs do not always produce consistent results. He also fears his parents finding it. Then why did he even consider it in the first place? It is too late for regrets.

This is my personal opinion. I feel that tattoos taint the body; God's temple. However, I am not surprised if these teenagers have been influenced by the programmes Miami Ink or LA Ink, which portray tattoos as artistic , meaningful and trendy.

My student feels that having a tattoo is not necessary and not 'cool'. The pain at erasing it should the decision arise will be intense, and this is what she will use to dissuade her friends from getting one. She feels that it is not good for the skin too.

Random observations.

I was waiting for a friend at the bus stop when I saw this irritating couple deliberately delay traffic. One of them was alighting from a cab and the other was bidding him farewell. They kissed as a gesture of farewell. As they were obstructing the traffic flow, drivers started blasting their car horns. They retaliated by extending the duration of their kiss without bothering about the reactions of people around them. That was clearly an act of pettiness and revenge. It was so immature. The people around me were commenting on their selfish act and now that I think about it, I should have snapped a photograph of them. *evil laughter*

I used to think that Singaporeans are generally self-absorbed but this lady proved my assumption wrong. My dad and I were trying to look for a place and she heard us as we spoke. She clarified our doubt without any qualms. This is what initiative is about. It can be shown in the simple things around us; by making a person's day.

The Hot Index(June 19th 2009)

A property agent sending rude messages to clients only goes to show how unprofessional and immature he is. Even if they opted out of doing business with him, it is their right and he should respect it. Instead, he shows how petty he is by this gesture. His firm has issued him warnings but he is continuing to send them. Sooner or later, he will be sacked and have no customers due to his attitude.

A cosplay event requires people to dress up in costumes of various characters. An example is females dressing like Lolitas, ie. making themselves up to look like little girls. A man wore a military uniform for this purpose. It is an inappropriate choice of dressing because it belittles the actual definition of an army personnel: integrity, loyalty to the country and bravery. To wear an army unform is to insinuate that the army is insignificant enough to be used for such an event, making fun of it in the process. A girl wore the top half of an army uniform, which is worse. Was she using it to pose in a provocative manner? That is such an insult to the army!

Residents were irate at a wedding held on early Sunday morning, as the blasting of the car's horn had disrupted their sleep. I suspect one of the families involved in the celebration was Teochew. Teochews have to wake up at the crack of dawn as part of the wedding customs. It may have been disruptive for the residents but at the same time, they could have realised that this was the reason for it, and tried to practise some forebearance.

A pet as an unjust scapegoat.

I was heartbroken to read about this family who alienated their pet dog just because a doctor identified it as the cause of the grandchild's allergy. They used to love it before the incident. Now they don't even bathe it, walk it, carry it or even pat it! They leave it confined in a corner. Re-reading the article really breaks my heart, even as I type about it now.

As a dog-lover, it deeply affects me. This is pure selfishness on the part of the family. Just because a doctor identified the dog as the cause of the allergy, the dog is now relegated to a non-existent nature. What about all the love and joy it had given to the family before that?? The irony is that the dog doesn't stop yearning for affection and love. It still gets excited when there are visitors. I would have given up on humanity long ago, if I were the dog. The family seems to be no better than beasts, in the way they treat the dog. Even this doctor who wrote the letter states that it should not be treated as such, being the cause of the allergy. He labels the treatment as inhumane and says that it is innocent. The dog did not purposely cause the allergy on the child. Why should it be punished in the first place?!

Also, when asked to give it up for adoption, they claim that they can't bear to let it go. If they really love the dog, they should at least take care of it, or let someone more deserving do so. Can someone please do something before the dog suffers any further?! The family should be fined or imprisoned, like how America does to owners who neglect their animals.

MOH hygiene poster

I first saw it at Serangoon MRT station(Circle line entrance) and was intrigued by how it effectively brought the message of washing our hands to people. It may look repulsive with the hand depicted in a horrifying way, but fear can be a source of motivation to do what should be done.

A reader wrote in to question the fact that it had been placed near a primary school, and that it would be too frightening for the children who see it. I beg to differ. The visual would make them afraid of what would happen to them, should they refrain from washing their hands. It is an effective and excellent way to educate them, with the H1N1 virus so dominant. The present generation of children learn better with visuals. Then again, the advertisement may not appeal to all youths. My student feels that it will not make a difference to her hygiene practices.

Imposed blindness, we Singaporeans

Upon reading "A Pitiful Passerby", whose headline was obviously laced with approved sarcasm, I must say that the lady who asked for directions to the mosque was too engrossed in her own affairs. Where is the community spirit? Would it have hurt to ask if an ambulance had been called, at the very least? She may have been late for her appointment but if so, then it would have been for a good reason. I am reminded of the story of the Good Samaritan.

If there was already a crowd helping the injured man, then by not helping, she would be refraining from adding to the chaos already caused. However, with just 2 helpers, another would not hurt.

Recycling in SIngapore

I recycle things on a regular basis and am so committed to it that when I did not receive a plastic bag for this purpose, I actually wrote to the organization about it. Thus, when I read an article on the type of things found for recycling purposes, I was repulsed at what people threw into the bins.

Decomposed and leftover food is definitely NOT meant to be recycled. Do the culprits know the meaning of "recycled" in the first place?! It also contaminates the other things that CAN be recycled, thus making them useless. They are another type of environmentally destructive citizens.

At the same time, Britain had sent its recycled rubbish to Brazil and some of the things that were discovered were used condoms, syringes and diapers. Obviously, Brazil sent them back to Britain. What does this show about Britain? It is supposed to be civilized, and in the early 20th Century, it sought to civilise its colonies too. Its elitism has definitely deteriorated with such an act! How can it expect to gain respect in this way? It is also insulting Brazil by assuming that Brazil does not know the meaning of 'recycled plastic", besides showing that about itself.

No photography allowed

It does get annoying when I, a photography fanatic, am barred from taking pictures of window displays. It is purely for aesthetic value that I snap a picture of something that catches my attention. However, it is perhaps due to security issues that this is imposed, which is understandable, since terrorism is a prevalent problem in the world. It is ironic though, that I was able to do so in London.

Then I came across this article in New Paper, where shopkeepers explain that they are afraid of trade competitors planning to plagiarise their ideas, but allow tourists to take pictures. This explains why I was able to do so in London.

Never look down on manual jobs

A managing director of a firm wrote about how he became a gravedigger to fund his education. Though it may be a literally dirty and tiring, mundane job, it brought him to where he is now. In the process, he learnt to treasure humanity, even though he was dealing with corpses. He would safeguard the bodies from prying and leering eyes of the opposite sex, and those of children were especially poignant for him. Such a job taught him about life and death. It is the simple things that are the most profound.

A survey showed that Singaporeans shun manual and mundane jobs such as this. However, the fact remains that if every Singaporean were to have this attitude, life would not be so smooth for us. So kudos to the road sweepers, toilet cleaners and bus drivers, among other such people who make life so easy for us!

Horrible manners of MRT commuters

The newspaper articles that carry incidents on able-bodied commuters not giving up these reserved seats to those who really need them, ignites a sense of injustice and yet resignation within me. I may not be pregnant, elderly or disabled, but I have psoriatic arthritis in my knees, which causes me not to be able to stand or walk for too long a time. My youthful looks conceals this condition, I am aware, and seriously, I cannot be bothered to fight for these seats with such selfish commuters who do not bother about other needy people around them. With such attitudes, they will probably think I am lying, knowing the extremity of their attitudes, which cannot be eradicated by any methods the government may come up with.

When I was in London, the commuters readily gave up their seats to my father who is a senior citizen. The priority seats have actually been left empty, with the commuters preferring to stand! This is a practically non-existent occurrence in Singapore. We may think that people in the West lack basic manners and values, which include respecting one's elders, due to their liberal mindset. Well, this proves our assumption wrong!

I was appalled to read about this youth who told an elderly lady off for having asked him to give up his seat to her. What kind of education is he receiving? Aren't his parents and teachers doing their jobs? When a youth goes this awry in his mindset and attitudes, we can only blame the people in authority in his life. This is why Singapore has a long way to go in this area, as compared to even London.

Yet another youth, this time a girl, was reported to have snubbed this idea of giving seats up to the elderly. She blatantly ignored an old man's need to have her seat. She was sitting in a a seat meant for the needy. What is there left to say? I hope I don't have the misfortune to encounter such people when I am on the train, for I don't know how I will react to such inconsiderate and idiotic people.

There is a line between being protective towards your girlfriend and obeying the rules set by the government, as a citizen. A man was doing the right thing by telling a girl not to eat on the train, by pointing to a sign that emphasises it. Her stupid boyfriend challenged him to a fight as a result. What kind of citizen is he? I have so much to say about him but I shall control myself. If he really cares for his girlfriend, he would have stopped her instead of having to see her embarrassed. These type of guys are not fictional, mind you. I know people who would tell their friends their flaws with the very best of intentions. Unfortunately, they are not appreciated. The couple is obviously uncouth, uneducated, uncivilized and uncultured.

I note too that there was no mention of the other commuters stepping in to side with the man. Hmm. I am very sure though that he reacted to this challenge in a calm, civilized, cultured and collected manner(alliteration!)

I also feel repulsed at reading an article about this father who refused to give up his seat to someone who needed it more, despite being asked to by a fellow commuter other than the person in need. His son was next to him and that is indeed being a bad role model for his son. It is no wonder that Singapore has a long way to go in being a gracious society, with such parents who teach their children the wrong behaviour and values! Before deciding to be a parent, one must first be aware of his actions and behaviour towards others, so that he can inculcate the right values in his children! If he has to change himself as a result, then that is only necessary for the ultimate goal of being a good role model!

Now even just a simple gesture like moving farther into the cabin is scorned. Someone had done the socially responsible thing by asking the commuters blocking the entrance to move in, but his request was ignored. What is happening to society?! It has become so selfish!

Father protests against his son's exclusion from AYG

A father wrote to MCDYS about nominating another youth over his son for the 400m race. I wonder if his son knows about this move. It is rather embarrassing for his son. It may stem from love and belief, but is a unnecessary move, I feel. This is really the last resort but I have a feeling that the father did it out of impulse.

There are unseen reasons as to why MCDYS chose someone else. It may not be because his son was not as good as the other youth, but perhaps because MCDYS wanted to give him a chance, for example. The man's son is not the only runner that can meet the criteria for the selection. As a mature adult, the man should be able to understand this and counsel his son should the latter regard this news as a mark of his failure in life.

Singaporean accent, not Singlish

I am aware that we are known to be able to adapt to different ways of speaking according to our different audiences. That means we can revert to Mandarin whenever we speak to mainland Chinese who work here, or even Singlish whenever we speak to people who are not so good at speaking proper English. However, this compromises my ability to speak proper English. Now that I am going to London, I am an ambassador of my country and must project a positive image. This to me, means that I must brush up even more on my oral English skills. Sometimes, I do get irritated when I hear improper English being spoken by teachers and journalists.

I am not referring to our local accent but to our lack of speaking grammatically correct English. We can speak proper English in our local accent, as Lee Kwan Yew does in England. Singlish is a unique dialect of ours but its little expressions can render our oral English improper in its sounding. Ironically, I used to be ashamed of our accent and had tried to pick up the accents of the people in UK and US. However, London just had Singapore Day almost a month ago and somehow it made me develop a sense of pride in our local accent. The strange thing is that foreigners actually find our accent intriguing. Thus, as I leave for London tomorrow, I go with the thought that it is our accent that makes us Singaporeans but it is my proper English that should show how proud I am to have it as my first language.

Then again, the environment I am in has a great influence on the way I speak English. Once I came back to Singapore, I reverted to Singlish. When I am with Singaporeans, in another country, I do the same. It takes effort to speak proper English all the time, but for the sake of my students, I will try! I've taken the first step by watching more documentaries, so that I can listen to the narrators speak in their impeccable English :)

My student asked me how I feel when I hear Singaporeans speak Singlish. I feel as if I am with familiar people in a foreign country but at the same time, I feel ashamed of the improper way English is spoken.

Criticism about SG

Some of the comments featured in Sunday's Lifestyle have caused me to be indignant. They came from two foreign ministers, referring to our size. It is extremely unfair to have said what they said, but look how we have proven ourselves to them. Our port, airport and quality of life is world-class! They can't beat that. Hah!

Aware saga

At first, I didn't feel anything worth writing about with reference to this controversy but as the chronology of events was traced, I question the fact that the ousted committee headed by Josie Lau did not bring up their misgivings at the meetings, but rashly staged a coup. I am a Christian, and am against pre-marital sex and homosexuality too, but I feel they were ruled by their emotions, which caused them to do such an uncalled thing like this. Even Irene Ang, who is a member, told them that she was Christian but also opposed their move.

Aware is after all, a secular organization and Singapore, being a multi-racial society with high tolerance for its different cultures and set of beliefs, has alas such overenthusiastic people who were not rational and objective enough to realise the consequences of their action, though well-intentioned. They collaborated as fellow church-goers to overthrow the ruling committee because they strongly disagreed with the sexual education programme implemented for schools. Even their pastor attempted to garner support for them in his congregation. They overlooked the fact that they should not have imposed their religious views on a secular group, despite being members of it.

My further thoughts on the pastor are that his request for prayers for Josie Lau and her husband was a warm gesture but it could have been tweaked towards asking for strength for them to do the right thing. This would have made things more objective.

This move almost further tainted the seemingly negative impression people have of some Christians, as aggressive in converting people to be believers of Christ. However, the stands made by Christan churches of how religion should be kept out of secular affairs, reflect the fact that the ousted committee, made up of a majority of members from the same church, has drawn flak for its move to impose its dogma on a secular organization's dealings. It should have known better than to be such crusaders, which is an unnecessary decision in the first place. Even the other churches are not on its side, even though they are of the same faith. I hope it now understands that it was doing the wrong thing. Obviously, it did this on impulse, since its members weren't adequately prepared to answer questions thrown at them, and had to consult the legal advisers hired. Thank goodness the overwhelming cohort of members stepped in to set things right, and thus the ousted committee agreed to step down for the sake of much needed harmony in our civil society.

I don't know if my timid and passive nature has caused this relief towards this positive turn of events, as some people feel that their courage is to be lauded. The end doesn't actually justify the means though. Was the programme so unethical that a takeover was imminent, without first bringing their views up? The media's presentation of some clauses in the programme that the "feminist mentor" found extremely disturbing, enlightened my mind with the result that there was no such need to conduct such a violent move. It seems that the ousted committee did not trust the ruling committee enough to listen to their misgivings, and decided to immediately stage a coup as well as recruit new members for Aware instead.

Also, being a "feminist mentor" seems to undermine the Biblical teaching of how women should behave. As she is a Christian, she should know what it consists. Eve was to be a helper of Adam, not equal to him. This implies that feminism, which essentially fights for the equal rights of women, is against the teaching. To call herself that, even if it was to cater to the secular world's perception of women, is inappropriate, isn't it? This is my two cents' worth pertaining to such a terminology employed by Dr Thio.

I also deplore the fact that Josie Lau blatantly disregarded DBS's warning not to run for President. Now that she has been ousted, she can finally set out to concentrate on her Vice-president post in the bank, as she should have done instead of accepting the election as AWARE President. She did not want to comment on this public rebuke by her employer, perhaps nursing a guilty conscience? Now that she has been given a new post by DBS, is this the consequence of her earlier stubborn wilfulness?

The fact that she could not fathom why people are against a group of Christians from the same church taking over a secular organization to cause it to have the same belief as their church's, shows her lack of depth in understanding the full consequences of her action. She wanted to see only the result she aimed to achieve, which stemmed from her own set of beliefs, but not the other results like the move incurring the wrath of people and her disrespect for the secular nature of the organization, by imposing her faith's teachings on its agenda.

As AWARE strives to move on, via the leadership of Dana Lam, her committee has decided not to press charges against the ousted committee for spending $80K more than the amount the constitution allows them to. This is an act of graciousness and humility to the ousted committee. She gives them the benefit of the doubt by attributing their total expenses to the lack of experience and stress in running the group. Her committee has also managed to recover the expenses through donations, membership fees and discounts off the bills, earning a profit in the process. They can definitely run AWARE better and the ousted committee knows this. They have not offered to help in its programmes.

The present committee has also submitted some new rules for their constitution, so as to prevent another irreverent tussle of leadership. One of them is that members must have been in the organization for at least two years before running for election. It makes perfect sense.

Unprofessional operators

The operators who laughed at David for seeking help to be saved from his bushland surroundings have a lot to answer for. They caused his death as they did not take his pleas seriously enough. He had no way of telling them his exact location due to his condition, and they thought that he was playing a trick on them. It is understandable if they had previously encountered such incidents but the way the organization dealt with his death makes me gnash my teeth. A mere apology is barely enough for someone who lost his life. Granted, a statement to avoid similar responses to future calls was issued, but this, coupled with the apology, is not a proper response towards the death. They should offer some form of compensation or donation to the family too.

What is our country becoming?

The couple who walked down Holland Village without any clothes were obviously disregarding the laws governing our country. It disgusts me to know that the lady is a Singaporean. She may have been influenced by the liberal attitudes towards sexuality in Sweden where she studies, but being back in her homeland means that she should be aware of its laws unlike the man.

The teen who posted bedroom videos online was clearly obsessed with Pet Society. To flaunt her body for virtual gifts to be given to her virtual pet is appalling.It does not justify the end goal. She does not know how to respect and love her God-given body. The men who actually take on this exchange are also people who do not know how to respect women as they should be.

The group of students who irked Xu Huifong on the bus irk me too. She had "gently" reminded them to dispose of their bags but their response is truly unbecoming. The girl's chant especially, irks me to no end. She is daring enough to mock the civic-conscious commuter in an outright manner. I hope CCSS identifies her and she is severely dealt with. Counselling is not enough.

This is a clear disregard of fellow citizens. I'm heartened to know though that the boy retrieved his rubbish and disposed some of it, and that the commuter was eagle-eyed enough to note the school initials. It is so very ironic that the girls did not do anything about it. Girls are supposed to be more considerate. What nature is our society hurling towards?

The NS man who ranted against the army for ruining his future when he was discovered smuggling a drug into the camp is ridiculously unrepentant. He had already ruined it by committing this act, in case he did not know.
Probably if it had been undiscovered, he would have been smug about it. If that were the case, his character would have still remained tainted, which is the more important thing.

Miss USA finalist being mocked

She was asked a question on whether all the states should legalise gay marriages. She made a stand and said that marriage should be between a man and a woman. I sure hope that she was not labelled as stupid for this reason. I myself, believe in the same concept of marriage.

Her only fault was that she failed to answer the question. Besides stating her belief of what a marriage constitutes, she repeated the question via the options pertaining to marriage which are available for Americans. The suggested answer though, as given by the judge who asked her the question, smacks of political correctness. It is an evasion of the question for this ultimate goal. It implies that winning a pageant is dependent on diplomatic opinion, instead of sincere and convicted personal belief.

A successful school?

Zaveed Husref wrote on how Victorians are unjustly criticized for their failure to clear trays in public eating areas. I somewhat disagree with his points. Ms Tan is not narrow-minded in making that assumption. Students, especially in their school uniforms, are judged in society for their ability to uphold their school values through their behaviour. Those students have caused their school to fail in its mission. They are not gentlemen, which does include the act of clearing trays. Such an elite school is bound to be judged through its students. Does this writer seem a little naive in presuming otherwise?

It would do the staff crew a good turn if trays were cleared by the customers, as people in the West do. It is not a matter of disrupting the job scope of the staff. This is referring more to fast-food restaurants. Why conform to the majority of people who neglect to clear trays? To clear them only based on one's own convenience speaks of a selfish mindset.

The numerous medals and rankings won by the school is not something to be excessively proud of though. This cannot replace nobility of character and civic-consciousness in its students. Is the criticism on the students truly harsh? The writer seems to wallow in the elitism that being a Victorian brings, and think that academic excellence and achievements are everything in a person's life. "Victorians...should be allowed the occasional lack of perfection..."? It seems to imply that Victorians are flawless except in certain incidents like this. Smacks of arrogance, I feel. A person is truly successful when he is noble in character and does good to people, not when he is academically and professionally excellent. It is even worse to behold a person who thinks he is superior because he holds a degree and works for a well-recognized company, but in actual fact, his degree is not as good as others' and his character/treatment of others need to be tweaked.

At the same time, I do agree that their conversation replaced their awareness of carrying out a civic-minded act. I certainly do hope that this was an isolated incident.

In broad daylight? How daring!

The couple at East Coast Park having oral sex repulses me to no end. If they really can't keep their mouths off each other, they can do it at home or in a hotel room. By doing it in the open at a place where families usually gather at, they are really advocating that their act is a good thing and may cause children to follow suit. Obviously, they don't bother about this hidden message they are conveying and are merely giving in to their selfish, fleshly desires after having been sexually and emotionally aroused. What an odious pair!

This also pertains to the two naked men committing a sex act in the lift and void deck of a HDB block.

Singapore's 'Edison Chen'

Gary Ng is a man who films his sexual partners and posts the video of their sexual act online. When questioned on criticism towards his deed, he attributes it to jealousy of him. What a naive thought! He does not seem to realise that it is nothing to be proud of and that he is being immoral. This pride is further manifested by the usage of his real name.

He even films them without their knowledge even when they disallow him from doing so. That's sheer betrayal of trust! Women usually agree to have sex with men they trust. He claims he cares for their future by editing away their faces in the videos but that is an audacious lie! If he really does, he would have respected their decision not to be filmed.

Criticism against condoms to counter Aids

Aids campaigners have spoken out against the Pope for staunchly expressing that condoms merely worsen the surge of Aids. I strongly disagree with their opinion. It is not because I am a Roman Catholic but that I see the truth in his stand. Condoms are not 100% effective in preventing the ejaculation of sperms into the vagina and there are other forms of sex such as oral sex to indulge in, which can cause Aids. The best method is really sexual abstinence unless procreation comes into play, or sexual monogamy.