pseudophilosopher

Social taboos which are my pet peeves

2011-09-13T23:48:00.004+08:00

1. Ladies sitting like men in public, with one leg crossed over the other leg's thigh while shaking the crossed leg.

2. Digging one's eardrums in public and flicking the contents away with one's fingers.

3. Narcissistic snapping of oneself in photos.

4. Snapping photos of one's purchases in public.

5. Taking service crew for granted and not thinking of their interests; failing to show appreciation for their efforts in attending to one's needs; making their job difficult for them; being insensitive to them and loudly commenting on their products/efforts with negativity.

6. Taking friends' feelings for granted and thinking only of one's own convenience.

7. Always being late for appointments.

8. Being picky over outing details and failing to compromise to the majority's view.

9. Verbal diarrhoea in terms of vulgarities and mere complaints without appreciating true blessings.

SG's transport system

2011-05-18T17:08:00.003+08:00

There have been complaints and disgruntled remarks about our transport system. I have an opposing view towards some of them. I present my opinion in numerical points.

1) Overcrowding is something normal. So is switching transport modes.

2) We don't need to deal with strikes by the staff, dirty vehicles or the inadequacy of facilities for the disabled.

3) The government is doing all it can to address these grouses. Give it time.

The latest update is that the entire Circle Line will be opening in 2 months' time. I am happy that I have more places nearer to my doorstep. There are:

1) SAM via Bras Basah station
2) Island Creamery at Serene Centre via Botanic Gardens station
3) Holland Village via the station of the same name(in case my god-brother wants to go there)
4) Colonial bungalows at Portsdown Road via one-north station(to take photos of the vintage homes)

The ethics of teachers having their students as FB friends

2011-05-01T22:06:00.003+08:00

With the UK article where teachers were told not to accept their students' FB friend requests, and the local article where Spencer Ng, an election candidate, faced accusations of inappropriate behaviour towards his former students, this issue of teachers and students being connected to each other on FB is a current topic. I stand by my opinion that teachers should have nothing to hide on their profiles. What I mean is, they should maintain a clean character as associated with their vocation. Why have separate accounts or restrict profile features in order to appear clean, when one is clearly dubious in character? Why be afraid of accepting their students' friend requests if one's conscience is clear?

A teacher posted her student's essay on FB and made some disparaging remarks on it. I think that defies the trust put upon her by the student when he handed in his essay. If his essay is good, on the contrary, reading it out in class or giving copies of it out to the students is a better method of compliment on it. I would still not advocate the idea of posting it on FB. I am more appalled by a teacher who made a comment on NA students on the network. It may have been meant to be positive but it can mislead people into thinking that these students are seen by him in a negative light, especially with the use of "tumours". Both these teachers should have known better that FB is a place where many people can read their posts, especially if they have not adjusted their privacy settings. They should learn to be sensitive to the feelings of their students when posting anything about the latter.

I agree with a teacher who said that teachers are "role models" and can "understand (their) students better" through FB. It allows them to create a sense of rapport with their students and at the same time, they do need to maintain boundaries with the latter, according to a university lecturer.

Evident racism

2011-03-22T16:27:00.003+08:00

An American uni student had a racist attitude towards Asians on her selfmade video. She was unhappy that they invited their relatives to visit them over the weekend. I find nothing wrong with that. She claimed that they have "no manners" but doesn't she also lack them through this video?

What utterly disgusts me is when she showed disdain at their calls to check up on their family members during the recent Japanese disaster. It shows her lack of compassion and sympathy. I wonder whether she would still feel ashamed at these feelings if she were in their shoes and they showed understanding towards her, which I have no doubt they would. Her reason for such an attitude is that they disturbed her studying progress. How insignificant!

Thank goodness she has decided to leave the uni. She is a disgrace to it and society. However, in citing her reasons for her move, I detect a resentment in the tone she uses. Perhaps I am prejudiced against her. I hope that the consequences of her video have taught her to respect others and their feelings in times of crisis. It is unfortunate though that her family has to bear them as well. I feel that she deserves them but not her family.

Japanese tsunami disaster

2011-03-20T14:54:00.002+08:00

There is a reason why I am blogging about it only now. I found an article that touched me so much to do so.

Teachers are ensuring that 30 students in school are physically and emotionally taken care of, in the midst of finding their missing parents. These teachers have their own families too and willingly become surrogate parents to these kids. I guess being a teacher has had this article evoke much poignancy in me.

Then, my thoughts drift to the workers at the nuclear plant and the medical staff staying with their patients. They are making the same sacrifice to save others. This is true nobility; to place one's family below outsiders.

'Back to school'

2011-03-16T11:02:00.003+08:00

I realise that I have been manifesting my nostalgia in reality. First, I went back to reading Chinese prose articles which I used to read in preparations for my A'level Chinese examination paper. The same enjoyment and appreciation returned as I perused the short articles of expression.

Secondly, I have again taken up the habit of copying words and their meanings into a notebook. I did it in preparation for my O'level English examination paper. Even as a teacher, I never stop learning new things. Thus, I want to note them down for future use and reference :)

Answers to Writer's Block questions

2011-03-12T15:37:00.005+08:00

(This is based on Livejournal.)

1. If you could turn back time, how far back would you go?
Ans: I would go to either the 1960s of Singapore, when life was simpler and cheaper, or to the Regency era, when Jane Austen's characters were living and everything about their lifestyle seemed so appealing.

2. If you were a country, what would be your national anthem?
Ans: It would contain ideals of unity, harmony, peace and collective welfare.

3. If I were able to transform into any object while carrying conscious thoughts for only 24 hours, I think I would be...
Ans:...a dog. I would like to understand what it thinks and goes through, especially an abused one.

4. Was there ever a fictional character whom you admired so much that you strived to be like him or her?
Ans: Yes. The character is Elizabeth Bennet. I admire her wit and thought process in the novel, and how she ultimately learns more about herself and others, growing and maturing with time.

5. If you won a trip to anywhere, where would you go and why?
Ans: England. There are so many other parts that I want to go to, especially since it is the core centre of the literary journey I embarked on in my degree.

A self-imposed increase in medical costs

2011-03-03T10:55:00.002+08:00

Dr Susan Lim has been under scrutiny by the media and the law for her exorbitant medical bills on the sick patient of a royal family. Doctors certainly have the right to charge patients for their services and medicine rendered, but they have to do so within reasonable boundaries. How does charging $400 000 for a $10 000 bill fall within the category?? To make things worse, another charge of $2 million was imposed for other services.

Granted, the royal family has money to pay those bills but the issue here is integrity and true concern for the sick, rather than the desire to make more money and in this case, to fleece rich patients of their money. Should a doctor's purpose not be to cure illness and heal the sick? Call me naive in this thinking, I am not bothered. If a doctor wants to earn more money, there are other jobs that allow these perverts to do so. It is so sad that these people are actually accepted in society, to the extent that medical school entry interviewers are nonchalant when this reason of earning money is given for the candidates' desire to be doctors. On the contrary, real and heartfelt reasons of wanting to heal the sick are seen as false and said just to impress them. What is the world coming to?!

I am not writing this entry without backup. My own doctor actually bothers to check with me if the cost of my medical bill is too high, even though my family can afford to pay it. Her tone is genuine and she does not ask me as a form of duty. She then explains to me the reason for the cost of the medicine.

I really hope Dr Lim is properly disciplined by the medical council and her medical licence be suspended for such unjustifiable costs on patients.

Degrading oneself for vanity

2011-02-27T21:20:00.003+08:00

A student has posted topless photos of herself on the Internet in order to win a photo shoot. What is also appalling is her responses and her parents' as well.

She claims her boyfriend supports her move and he is a long-term partner. What she needs to know is that he is being the devil's advocate, pushing her towards the path of superficiality. I don't know if he will still stand by her as she loses her physical assets with age. If he can support such a thing, it serves to prove my point.

To her, this focus on her body is fun and makes her happy. I am speechless with horror. Then she says she would not model full-time because she would get bored. Such a fleeting mindset.

Then her parents say it was up to her to do what she wanted. Such a statement should not come from parents! They have the responsibility to teach morality to their children. She is only 20 and so she is not yet an adult. She is still under their authority. Their concern is only whether this move would affect her future. Such a worldly worry.

The controversy of V's Day in Malaysia

2011-02-27T20:57:00.003+08:00

I read the article with a sense of unfairness, since I am a Christian. At the same time, some of the opinions expressed are understandable because there are Christian black sheep who spark them off.

Love is associated with lust because they give in to their passions against their conscience. Their actions have perverted the true meaning of love. Premarital sex and adultery permeate even the Christian community because they don't practise their faith. However, it is very unfair to label all Christians as participating in immoral activities, partying and implied pre-marital sex. Our church teachings certainly don't advocate them. Pre-marital sex is a sin and 'indecent partying' aka clubbing is frowned upon. Immorality is definitely against our tradition. Such unproven opinions are unwelcome. The TV personality has a narrow perspective. I really hope she feels compelled to apologise to us.

At the same time, V's Day does not corrupt people. It is the choices made by individuals that give this impression. This day may have its source in Christianity but the story behind it is not filled with debauchery. St. Valentine was a priest who held marriages in secret for soldiers. The emperor had banned marriage for them due to his fear of their reduced level of commitment towards war. Perhaps these critics don't read enough on the origin of the day and thus make such sweeping statements.

I am glad the churches in Malaysia clarified this point and said that it is a secular observance not carried out by churches in the world. Thank you for clearing our name! I hope those critics feel ashamed for making such untrue statements. Then again, will they?

Clubbing for kids?!

2011-02-19T13:21:00.002+08:00

What is the world coming to? So what if there is no cigarette smoke and softer music? How much softer can the music be? Fast beats are still needed for disco dancing. It can be softer in terms of volume, yes, but not in terms of tempo. Why expose kids to such activities? Is there any real benefit in doing so? I really don't know what the organizer, who is a mother, is thinking. "Innocent fun", my foot! There are other ways to achieve this.

These activities are for those 18 years old and above. Why make the kids grow up so fast? If indeed it is "good clean fun", why hold it in a night spot? This kind of defeats the meaning of the term? I think it is more of the selfish purpose of satisfy- ing parents' own whims for nostalgic clubbing. Some kids are really too young for this and though there are kid-related activities in the event, these activities can be held elsewhere. It is the venue that is a problem. Alcohol is still available for the parents. Paying extra for it will not diminish the chances of the negative consequences related to it from happening.

The ideal academic syllabus

2011-02-14T09:20:00.003+08:00

UK plans to make some much-needed changes to its learning syllabus for schools. I wonder why the deficiencies occurred in the first place and am glad that changes are to be made to restore the deficiencies.

The topics to be learnt by students are monarchy history, literary works in the Canon and mental sums. These should have never left the syllabus at all. Monarchy history is part of UK's nationalism, something every citizen should know, and the literary works serve only to reinforce UK's reputation as the country best known for what literature really is, which means the works are worth studying. Mental sums are really basic tools one should equip himself with.

It seems that for more than 10 years, primary and secondary students have been studying trendy and practical-based subjects. Should not such subjects be greatly included in the syllabus for older students, say at least pre-university ones? If they have to be included at such low levels of the academic syllabus, they should consist of only a small percentage. As a result of this unbalanced focus, the lower-level students have little understanding of basic school subjects. What a tragedy. Indeed, "the existing national curriculum embodies poverty of aspiration"!

How can the famous prime minister of UK Winston Churchill be removed from the school syllabus? It is such an insult to the efforts he made to secure the country during the war.The geography syllabus includes only UK itself. It may be patriotic in nature but is limiting in knowledge. Knowing about the geography of the world the students live in will be a tremendous benefit to them.

Yes, yes. Mr Gove's statement of granting the students access to great authors like Lord Byron and John Keats, and UK's history is well-said!

Subconscious xenophobia

2011-02-09T09:07:00.003+08:00

A letter from a youth implied some unhappiness with the presence of foreign students in his school. I do not attempt to understand the logic behind his arguments.

He feels that having them in our schools places we local students at a disadvantage. I beg to differ. I feel that their studious attitude and their unwavering determination; quest for learning actually drives us to be on par with them, if not better. They are a motivating force, if we but see.

He points out their age as a factor when it comes to the threat they pose to us. Being older does not mean being smarter. The fact that they are put in the same standard as we are, despite being older, means they are unable to cope with the actual standard their age equates to. His assumption that they have studied the syllabus of the standard they are in, just because they are older, is definitely groundless. Admitting the foreigners to their actual standards just to ensure equality for we local students seems rather self-centred, I feel. The fact is that they will not be able to cope with their real standards as a result.

Also, their age may make them more mature but it does not relate to their academic abilities as a result. I believe it is their character and background that cause them to be studious. They know that their families have paid a huge sum of money for them to study here and so they study hard as a form of repayment. Also, their lives back in their countries may not as smooth as ours are in our country. Their attitude is a result of having survived a harsher reality.

It may seem as if I doubt the abilities of foreign students but I really am not. After all, I have tutored them. I admire them for their attitudes and I know our local students can learn from them in this area. It sure beats lamenting their presence and feeling unfair as a result. Why not also try to understand where they are coming from instead of judging them for the benefit of self?

This state of mind is also present in older Singaporeans towards Filipino maids. The latter has been in the news for blocking the pavement in front of Ion. Upon reading the article, this perception floods my mind.

The management of Lucky Plaza chased the latter off the place because it felt that they were overcrowding the place and thus being a safety hazard. Somehow I feel this reason is not good enough. They had to scout around for other places to gather at. Poor them. I abhor Kelly Chen's remark about the fact that they "downgrade the image of Ion." Ion may look exclusive with its branded shopping outlets but its management still allows locals dressed in sloppy attire to walk on its grounds. These locals also "downgrade the image of Ion", right?

I am definitely on the side of Janice Goh who cited Hongkong's similar phenomenon as evidence for her view. She even used the word "discriminate" in her statement. Way to go, girl! Also, Eileen's view is very objective. She mentioned that as long as they don't litter or block the way, they pose no problem since it's only once a week. This is the best perspective of all.

Complacency can cause stagnancy

2011-01-27T10:16:00.002+08:00

A scholar and an academic have warned against the dangers of national complacency. In thinking that Singapore has arrived, as a first-world country, and feeling a patriotic pride that is beyond normality, Singapore may unconsciously become inert in her development, thus allowing less developed countries to catch up with her and even surpass her.

Humility is sorely needed in order to prevent such a phenomenon. I am not being protective over my nation's developed status however. Other countries have the prerogative to improve their developed levels too and there are other countries which are more developed than Singapore. Another reason is that if the quest for improvement and the bettering of oneself fades, it would be as if failure has replaced it, not just inertia.

In the last line of our pledge, it states that we aim "to achieve happiness, prosperity and PROGRESS for our nation." Progress comes with the desire to improve oneself and prosperity will follow, which can be linked to peace and stability. Happiness is then the eventual result. With the aim unrealized, we would have failed ourselves and our hopes for this nation, the hopes of the future generations in this nation and the hopes of our forefathers in this nation when they left their own homelands to come seek better lives here.

Uni life

2011-01-23T14:26:00.004+08:00

It was my dream to get into NUS to obtain a degree in English Language and Literature after my A'levels. Sometimes dreams are not fulfilled and I instead lived it in a vicarious sense through Frivolous Days, a Chinese biography of Ng King Kang's university days. Though I did obtain a degree in English Literature, it was studied for in a private school, Stansfield.

The essential difference of such a school is that its students go for purely lessons and there is no student life. Absent are the CCAs and groups that allow us to pursue our interests, the more evident comaraderie amongst one another, the post-A'level lifestyle, if you can give a name to it. The students are really focused on their studies and work towards getting good grades. Some are also concerned with the fact that they are getting their money's worth. The age range of the students varies. There are fresh A'level graduates all the way to older adults in their 50s.

The sad thing is that I do not have a graduation photo. I did not go to my university in London to take part in the ceremony for two reasons. Firstly, none of my friends were going and I would be the only B.A English graduate there. Secondly, I was so caught up in my job that I missed the deadline for registration. I did go to visit my university and even took a photo of it. Thus, it is not so bad.

Such reflections are assailing my mind because of an article on enjoying university life in the newspapers.Eisen Teo has been receiving grouses from university students over their school life. However, as I read the complaints, I am filled with a wave of poignancy. Classes starting at 8am is something I hanker after, since I miss studying and going to school. The need to zap notes for the subject brings back memories of how my classmates in Stansfield used to do so. One of them would do it for the whole class and we would pay her for the cost. I still have my photocopied books of reference. I do agree though, that many of them were barely used as there was always insufficient time to go through them :S Money and paper were wasted.

We did not have project-based work and at that time, there were no laptops at use during lessons. Ours was a tutorial- and essay-based system. There were no exchange programmes too. We did not even do a thesis for our final year! We had different lecturers and I was exposed to the different accents of English in this way. I learnt how to understand the Irish, American, English, Indian and Singaporean accents. I must add that the lecturers' grammar was not compromised in the process. The most difficult accent to understand was Indian and the easiest was of course Singaporean.

These are the little nuggets of my university life that I still hold within. :)

Profits at the expense of integrity

2011-01-18T23:32:00.003+08:00

A certain hair salon owner misused his knowledge of technology in order to give a false impression of his clientale to the public. His intention was to enhance his portfolio and so gain more customers for his business. He did this by editing some photographs of celebrities such that they were seen together with him. This act would imply that he was their hairstylist.

The photos in the newspaper article seemed so real upon first glance. I actually fell for his trick and felt no surprise at his reputation. When the truth was exposed, I was chagrined that he had thought up such a thing. Money is apparently more important to him than a clear conscience.

I am glad though that he has been shamed by CASE in the exposure through the revelation of his profile picture in the newspapers. He should have thought of this before he actually did it. The truth will always come to light. I have a feeling that ironically, his number of customers have dropped because of this incident. His desperation in wanting to get more customers may have been the reason for this sham but it does not justify the wrongness of the act.

How many languages do you speak?

2011-01-16T11:08:00.001+08:00

Ask me anything

It goes both ways

2010-12-28T10:14:00.002+08:00

A passenger was unhappy with the way an airline crew member had treated him when he had to use the restroom of the first-class section, due to overcrowded restrooms in his own Economy class section and a really urgent stomachache problem. He ran to the first-class section and on the way, the crew member did not say anything. It was only when he had finished using it that the crew member chided him and then stared after him, as he went back to his section.

Indeed, the crew member could have spoken to him more politely and not been so indiscreet towards him. I believe the crew member knew he was not feeling well as he had let the passenger use the restroom. At the same time, the passenger cannot really place the entire blame on the crew member as he had failed to explain his situation to the crew member at all.

Economic poverty versus wrong arrest

2010-12-19T10:56:00.003+08:00

A Caucasian who had been probably driven to crime by financial deprivation(not that I am advocating it), decided to carry out his plan with ingenuous creativity. He put on a mask that made him look like a black man, so that he could escape arrest.

The public did fall for it. A man who matched the features of the mask was arrested at first and the mother of another black man thought at first that her son was the criminal, when she saw the mask on television. Thankfully, the Caucasian could not get away from his double crime: robbery and attempting to frame another for his own crime.

It is quite sad how poverty and perhaps greed too can drive people to more than crime. They have no qualms about making others their scapegoat as well. Sigh.

Butter Factory's promotional gimmick

2010-12-13T10:59:00.003+08:00

This popular nightspot came up with a marketing strategy whereby patrons with condoms were granted free entry to a party. I do not condone the nature of it. The organiser claims it promotes safe sex and not pre-marital sex.

There is a deep flaw in this argument. It may promote safe sex and diminish the occurrence of Aids, but it does lead to more people having the opinion that there is no harm in having sex since they have condoms which advocate safe sex. This is the key. Thus, pre-marital sex is advocated, whether the organiser is sharp enough to realise this or not.

The manager of St James Holdings supports this gimmick with a similarly flawed opinion. He feels that the presence of a condom on a person is not equal to the person's desire for sex. It is certainly not true in usual circumstances but may be in this case, for the sake of gaining free entry. However, with the atmosphere of drinks, dancing and lights, people may fall prey to the seductive effect and engage in unconscious intimacy. Having a willing partner is not applicable here. It would be too late for regrets by the time they regain their wits the next morning.

Testimonial writing

2010-12-12T17:56:00.005+08:00

This year-end task of schools has been highlighted in the news since an MOE scholar was convicted of downloading child pornography. It has been the usual perception that teachers write out the students' testimonials in their report books but it is true that students have the opportunity to contribute to their own testimonials too. One of my ex-students asked me how to go about doing his. However, I believe that the students' drafts are edited by the teachers before being entered into the school's database. Thus, the students are not the sole and final creators of their testimonials.

The content of the testimonials is a debatable issue. Should it exude objectivity in containing both the achievements and the offences of the students? The accepted notion is for only the former to be included. I personally feel both should be part of the testimonials, though the latter can be accompanied by the fact that conversion has occurred. The problem with the present notion is that lists of affirming phrases are given to the teachers as they edit the students' drafts and some teachers even attempt to give false impressions of delinquent students. I am not condemning the intention to give our youth a chance to go further in life. This must be done with truth and a clear conscience.

Chewing gum is a nuisance

2010-12-12T13:44:00.003+08:00

Singapore is known for its ban on chewing gum. It is prohibited everywhere in the country. This is to reinforce the country's reputation for cleanliness. It is indeed an irritation to find that you have touched sticky chewing gum with your fingers or your shoe. It makes it even more repulsive to know that sticky gum means that it has been consumed and saliva is on it.

Spain is also facing the same problem. It had previously implemented fines on those who litter with used gum but this method did not reap the desired result. The latest idea is to make a change to the manufacturing process of chewing gum and to substitute some of the ingredients in it with less sticky substances. This however, may affect the authenticity of chewing gum.

Perhaps Spain should take its cue from us and impose a complete ban on chewing gum as well.

SG's IRs get blamed by JB

2010-12-04T13:28:00.002+08:00

Our IRs have been accused of being the cause for his state's dire family situation. This is unjustified. The free daily packages promoted by our IRs may be a form of gaining more patrons but they aren't a form of coercion on anyone. People are free to sign up for them or otherwise.

If in signing up for them, other consequences occur, they are not due to the fact that our IRs came out with the packages. There is no logic in making such an assumption. How can the suggestion for our IRs to withdraw the packages be even thought of? It may be deemed as self-protection but it can border on egotism too.

Drinking water on the horse's behalf

2010-11-07T12:42:00.000+08:00

There is a saying whereby we cannot force a horse to drink water but we can lead it to the water to drink on its own. I am improvising this via the title of this entry. This improvization is referring to advertisers on the Internet selling essays written in English to desperate students who have problems writing them for assignments. The advertisers are local graduates while the buyers are China-born students studying here.

To me, this seemingly helpful gesture belies immorality. It is unfair to claim credit for an essay that is not written by oneself; unfair to both the student submitting it and its writer. Despite the fact that the latter may be way past this issue of recognition, this idea is wrong. Earning money in the process of advocating dishonest learning is more than wrong, really. Materialism at the expense of morals is repulsive! It does not matter how tempting the money is.

It is shocking how interested sellers do not care at all for the academic welfare of the buyers, but instead worry about their payment after having written the essays. Thank goodness the intern reporting on this phenomenon views it as immoral.

The selling of fake degrees is also a related phenomenon. It does not matter how far the money can bring you in life. However, the consolation for Literature majors like me is that it is very difficult to sell fake degrees for this. We work very very hard to get our degrees, and there is so much reading and analysis involved in the process of it. There would be an outcry should a market for it be started.

During the interview with a peddler, some things he said deserve protesting. He said the fake degrees are meant for foreign students who have failed to attain degrees the honest way but need to show them to their parents. Is this not encouraging them to continue "not tak(ing) their studies seriously"? After all, they can just buy these fake degrees should they fail to get them the real way. It is ironic how he warns his buyers not to apply for jobs with them so as not to "harm themselves". By buying them, the students are already doing that. Besides, he knows that the fake degrees can fool the illiterate parents, so this shows that he is despicable in causing the students to deceive their parents.

Doing the wrong others are doing too, does not make the wrong become right. So what if "he is not the only one" doing this? He again contradicts himself by saying that he is "not...do(ing) anything illegal but (is) just trying to make a living". Making a living can be done in legal ways. Though the money does not come in so quickly, they at least do not cause him to betray his morals and conscience.

Qualified and called

2010-08-30T20:39:00.011+08:00

"You ownself do this question." This was uttered by an English tutor to her student. I condone the act of the parent in terminating her services after having heard that statement. It is flabbergasting to read this statement uttered by a fellow tutor to her student. I can now understand why the parent sat in for the first lesson of the new tutor. It can be a discomfort to be scrutinized while teaching but I guess parents want to ensure they have employed the right tutor, especially since there have been reports on tutors not being entirely truthful about their qualifications or carrying out immoral acts with their students. I am thankful however, that almost all of the parents I have worked with have trust in me and don't scrutinise me during lessons. :) I am aware though, that they get feedback about me from their children.

To deviate a little, I was terribly disturbed when I heard a mother reading aloud to her child, presumably from a book, "Where is the mouse? Under the stair? No." I was so tempted to correct her mispronunciation. It should be read as "stairs", not "stair". My gosh! I am not viewing her with condescension but her child will definitely need a proper English teacher when he is older.

Tutoring is a calling for me and of course, I must have the qualifications to prove I am able to teach my subjects. However, the former is more important to me, and to cheat my clients and sexually abuse my students are things that are truly unbecoming. They insult the meaning behind the concept of being called to this vocation. In fact, I feel I am more of a big sister or even a mother, than a tutor to some of my students :P I have been gifted with the ability to create a rapport with them, as if I have been sent to them as God's instrument. The review of secondary school education last month has suggested a focus on stronger student-teacher bonds, and I am glad I am ahead of the trends in this aspect.

I must say however, that some parents fail to understand the different teaching know-hows behind different subjects. It takes a rather short time for Mathematics grades to improve rather drastically once the student fully understands how to apply the formulae to questions. It is vastly different for English grades to have the same result. The student's foundation in English should be laid when he is very young, or once he starts primary school, at the latest. He should be exposed to all kinds of books and given the opportunity to read a lot. Only then can his grammatical and vocabulary skills be established and then developed with time. It is a challenge trying to do all these when the student is in his secondary school years. I have to go back to basics with the student because his foundation in the language is weak. This results in the student's English grade taking a longer time to improve.

In the same way, English incorporates oral skills as well, which means the student needs to be accustomed to carrying a conversation with someone. That was included in my lessons with one of my students and so we sometimes "chatted" about her experiences in school.

It is also good for people to realise that there are different areas of specialization in the subjects I teach. I may not be able to be as confident in some areas because I did not specialise in them, though that does not mean I can't teach them :P

Some tutors reject certain students out of fear for their reputation should they fail in their jobs to help the students. I too, have a certain criteria towards selecting my students but for different reasons. I don't take students who live outside a specific distance from where I live because I can't travel too far. I am also particular about the work attitudes of students. If they are weak in the subject but are willing to work at it to improve their grades, I will take them in. I am not open to those who don't put in any effort at all and make me feel as if I have wasted my time and energy on them.

Parents are also concerned about the rapport created between the tutor and their children. If there isn't any, it would be akin to the parents having employed a robot to teach their children. A friendship formed between the two parties would be beneficial to the teamwork between them but of course, there must still be a line drawn so that respect and discipline are still maintained. Woe to tutors who go beyond friendship! I have definitely been blessed with this gift of rapport with the young. :)

Therefore, one may be qualified but not called to teach, based on the attitudes towards students. One may also be called to teach but not qualified to, as we can see from those who don't present their true academia to potential clients.

Inflexible marking of English assignments

2010-08-28T00:11:00.003+08:00

"Rushed" and "Ran" is the same as "In a quick way". Just because the given answer is the latter, the former is immediately ruled out. English is supposed to encourage creative expression and yet the markers themselves exhibit the opposite. How ironic. As an English teacher, I believe there is room for the rephrasing of the answers. I usually try to think from the point of view of my students when I see a different answer from what is given. I attempt to analyse the reason behind their answers and at times, this results in discussions between my students and I on the questions, which I rather enjoy.

It is not so easy to read the mind of the teachers who set the questions and attempt to give the exact words of the answers. Each time I try to explain to my students to make an attempt to read the teachers' minds, I am given confused looks in return. I don't blame them. Telepathy is something beyond natural.

If the answer is rephrased in a different way but has the exact meaning as the given answer, it is acceptable. This is especially applicable to Science questions. Kettle A being against a bigger surface is the same as Kettle B being against a smaller surface. These two perspectives are referring to the same answer.

Advancement in technology

2010-07-16T09:58:00.004+08:00

It was quite disturbing reading this article on the ideas scientists have, pertaining to technology as a form of aiding our lives. Advances have been made very rapidly but the hidden significance is that there is the possibility of humans becoming obsolete. That is a frightening thought to behold and I hope I am merely being paranoid. The reason for this possibility to come to birth is because computers can now do originally human abilities like think, listen, speak, see, reason and learn. The only consolation that I cling to is that humans are still needed to programme the computers to do these things.

The even more frightening thing to note is that our younger generations find it natural to communicate with machines that understand them. Our communication with technology should be limited to giving out commands, and I don't mean it in terms of programming. True communication and understanding should be mutually exclusive between two humans, where each person communicates sincere feelings to and understands the true inner state of the other. I realise that I sound rather idealistic here and courage plus humility is needed to make this happen, but this is what makes a real relationship. The understanding of machines towards humans should thus also be limited to the academic aspect.

The chances of computers teaching students in school was mentioned. I am not worried about my rice bowl here, since I don't teach in schools. I am of the opinion that teachers should be humans because only they can truly minister to students under them. It takes a heart to know another heart. Computers are merely machines. The day no more human teachers are needed is one I would not want to live to see. At the most, the role of computers is to challenge the students' potential and help them learn to the fullest.

A disadvantage was thought of though, that of isolation. It was related to the area of authority however. I have a different interpretation of this. Should machines dominate the world, humans will live in their own bubbles and merely communicate with machines. There will be no more social interaction between their own kind. Yes, some may say that humans will still be able to communicate while using machines, but I am referring to that of personal contact. Machines will be third parties and get in the way of human relationships.

A robot that does housework has been developed by local scientists too. It will make our lives easier but if it is also able to cook, there is a fear that the food will be bland due to lack of love. It may follow the recipes and the steps needed, but with no love, the food will not be the same as those cooked by a human.

Manners

2010-06-29T11:28:00.003+08:00

Fiona Chan wrote an article on how parents are sending their children to etiquette classes. She dwelt on the horror of society becoming too polite, like the Stepford Wives; unnaturally courteous. She brought up a very interesting point of how present society should be trained in this area, instead of the future generation.

I watched the movie and it was blood-curdling to see the wives become so accommodating because they had been fixed in that way. To have a human be made into a robot, is creepy. Ms Chan is probably being cynically realistic in saying that dominant courtesy is rather bizarre. I feel the same way but at the same time, it will make a positive difference in the world if only people get past the consciousness of it. It is like going back to the Regency era :) However, it is rather daunting to reeducate the present generation as it is difficult to teach an old dog new tricks. With the young, it is much easier to mold them while they are still able to absorb knowledge with open minds.

Foreign teachers aren't all that incomprehensible

2010-04-28T09:23:00.002+08:00

A local expressed dismay at how some students had problems understanding the verbal accents of foreign teachers. They just need more time, as the Minister replied. Some Singaporeans can be too impatient at times. Technology may be rampant but effectiveness comes with time. Instant gratification is not parallel to humanity. We will only know whether someone makes a good friend after we have known him for some time.

I was exposed to lecturers of different nationalities in my university. I had lecturers from England, Ireland, America and India. I found the Irish and the Indian accents most difficult to understand, but after some time, I could catch on to them and had no problems understanding my lecturers.

Mr Lui, the Minister, also spoke about grooming truly bilingual locals. I am blessed to realise that I am bilingual, as I can understand newspaper articles in English and Chinese.

Appalling male encounters in the UAE

2010-04-06T22:22:00.007+08:00

My dad and I were in the same lift as a male Saudi Arabian. He looked well-educated but his form of education was deviant from what I have learnt. He asked my dad if I was his daughter in this way. "This is your...?" What had he intended to say? Wife? Then he asked, "So do you...?" I had a feeling he was implying incestous behaviour between us. To males in Saudi Arabia, that is common. In my country, it is illegal. A daughter had recently been charged for having physical relations with her father. I answered him very loudly, saying, "Huh?!" He kept quiet after that.

At the airport, my dad was ordering ice-cream from the parlour counter and the staff member, seeing that he was a tourist, wanted to entertain him by serving it in the Turkish manner. My dad was impressed and applauded his stunts. A refined-looking male Saudi Arabian who was reading a book at the table next to mine, went up to the counter and asked the staff member to reduce the noise level. He probably saw the staff member as the cause of my dad's applause and also did not dare to ask my dad to keep quiet.

The little group was shocked and not even a squeak came out of their mouths after that. I, on the other hand, was raging within. How preposterous! So what if he was reading a literature text? I am a Literature major too. That is still no excuse to be such an insufferable and rude creature!! Yes, I am quoting from Lizzy Bennet's opinion of Mr Darcy after reading his letter to her, but I will never fall for that idiotic Arabian. I was so mad that I quickly finished up my ice-cream and remarked very loudly that I did not want to be in the parlour any longer. After we left, I let loose a torrent of negative but civilized adjectives about the man. Even my dad could not help doing the same. It is people like that whose obsessive pride in their academia causes them to be such peacocks, who irritate me to no end.

Dismaying exploitation of charity

2010-01-11T16:53:00.004+08:00

The Boys' Brigade has a yearly Sharity Gift Box programme for the needy. A used black bra was among the 'donated' items. I am immune to it and yet flabbergasted at it. This is a paradox, yes.

I have read about locals doing this more than once but my shock is due to the fact that this is the first time I had bought new items for the Gift Box recipients, and this act just undermines mine. There were expired food and second-hand clothes as well, but this blew my breath away. It is a personal lingerie item which should not be given as a present. This just adds to other similar items like broken toys, dirty clothes and rotten rice. All are astoundingly repulsive.

The recipients are just like the people we give presents to: family, friends and colleagues. They don't deserve such items. Besides, this only serves to give the volunteers more work in picking them out before wrapping the rest of the items. Such selfishness is too terrible to behold.

A letter was written in response to the trash donated to the Salvation Army. Even typing this sentence out appalls me. Those that equally repulse me are: dead plants, chairs without legs, television sets with cracked screens, couches with dubious stains and stuffing protruding, one shoe and a bicycle with no wheels. What callousness on the donors' part! These are meant to be sold to customers! They may be less financially able as the donors are, but they certainly deserve to have products that are sold to them in good condition!

The irony is that the writer witnessed donors dumping a cracked plantpot into the donation bin while acting guiltily about it. If they knew it was wrong, why did they still do it? Senseless people! I like the way the writer ended his letter though. He brought up the possibility of their need to patronise the Salvation Army in future. That would be a moment I look forward to.

Twitter's outreach

2010-01-07T00:26:00.002+08:00

This is not about the benefits or effects of Twitter, but rather about an article pertaining to a mother using it while her son was being saved from drowning. This particular phrase has already warranted protests by now, I am sure. However, while I was reading the article, I actually found nothing wrong with her act.

The paramedics were trying to revive her son and she went on Twitter only to ask for prayers for him. There is nothing wrong with this. When he passed on, she went on the website to announce it. Again, it can be a form of asking for prayers for his soul and of trying to gain emotional support. It can also be an update to her previous post.

I cannot fathom why there is outrage at her acts. One of the reasons is because she shared something very personal on Twitter. Some of the statuses on Facebook are even more personal! There is no justification, really. I feel that there was no need for her to remove the posts due to unfounded social pressure.

KPO's hopeless at providing basic customer service

2010-01-04T23:07:00.002+08:00

The fact that its name was blatantly mentioned in this letter shows the anger the customer felt towards the owner. I don't blame her. The owner may have been unhappy at the police's arrival which disrupted his business operations, but there was no need to raise his voice at a customer who was feeling anxious over her lost handphone. How insensitive is that? He gave her no 'face' by doing so in front of the people in the restaurant. The police's act was hidden from plain sight and so his fuss was unnecessary. It was good that she stood up to him and asked him if she was a customer too. With that question, he knew that he had lost the battle and left the scene.

She brought up a good point by citing the service charge each table of guests must pay as part of the total bill. Such a charge is presently made compulsory but the owner had acted in a way that made it only right for her service charge to be waived.

Ris Low's new venture

2010-01-03T07:35:00.002+08:00

I have always been innately critical of her even though I try to be objective in sizing her up. Her latest plan is holding her own version of a beauty pageant. The three awards given out during the pageant are already being done so in legitimate settings. Isn't she not adhering to copyright issues here? She may just get sued for it. Also, she seems strangely proud of it when she labels her pageant as "grand" and "national". Hers is not the only one like that, if it is even legitimate in the first place.

Confusion ensues too when she uses award titles like Gorgeous Young Lady, Hulky Dashing Man and Beautiful Married Woman to describe Miss Singapore, Mr Singapore and Mrs Singapore. Why not just use these self-made labels? At least she won't have to contend with copyright issues. She claims that the three winners can go on to compete on the international platforms. Will it seriously happen? She will have to liaise with the international organizers about her "legitimate" pageant and its winners. Will they even approve of it, much less agree to it?

She seems too coy when asked to reveal more details and the number of sponsors pertaining to her pageant. It shows that her venture may just fall through, perhaps due to the lack of adequate preparation or the lack of sponsors who have seen through its inconcrete nature.

It is one thing to bounce back from adversity with the lessons learnt from prior experiences, but it is another thing to do it in such a dubious manner which will only lead to a greater fall. She has advertised her own grooming classes for women who are thinking of making it big in beauty pageants but seriously, a person who plans to hold such things should not only be adept in language skills but also have a moral character.

Ingratitude personified at its greatest

2010-01-01T11:11:00.003+08:00

A Chinese national minimart owner donated $20 000 worth of groceries to the needy out of the kindness of his own heart, but his gesture was not appreciated and was even complained about. Such ungrateful locals! He took the trouble to do it even though he could have been like any other minimart owner. Is it so hard to say even a word of thanks?! Some even lament the insufficiency of the goods and the fact that he did not open his minimart early in the morning. The audacity and greed of such people stun me. Some others take advantage of him by hoping to get a salary through working for him or by attempting to get free goods in pretending to be blind.

At the same time, I feel a comment was misinterpreted by him and his wife. The lady who explained why they should not have given free groceries is not wrong. The recipients will just use those goods to earn a profit for themselves.

After such ingratitude and unscrupulous reactions to his good deed, he has learnt his lesson and limited his donations to once per month. :) Still, his aspirations have soared to the skies. He wants to host a free clinic for old people at his minimart. These 2 businesses don't complement each other though. The free delivery service sounds feasible but the free set of cheap toothpaste and toothbrush to those aged over 50 will probably cause complaints again, knowing how materialistic most locals are.

His plans are noble but I hope such goodwill will survive this cynical society around him.

An update on him was reported some time later. He started a free breakfast service and again, people started to complain. They chose to see the flaws in his project instead of appreciating his compassionate heart. Granted, he had chosen the wrong setting to carry it out, but the criticism smacks of insensible ingratitude. He has now planned to change the setting to a stall.

He is unbelievably understanding towards his critics and feels that the reason for their criticism is due to the fact that he had not met their expectations. What expectations? The people who complain are the financially stable ones. His compassion was not originally extended to them.

First foreign dormitory in my estate: Serangoon Gardens

2009-12-28T11:04:00.005+08:00

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

2009-12-28T01:51:00.003+08:00

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

2009-12-27T16:34:00.004+08:00

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

2009-12-23T15:06:00.003+08:00

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

2009-12-19T09:36:00.004+08:00

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

2009-12-16T17:22:00.004+08:00

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

2009-12-02T21:57:00.003+08:00

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

2009-11-29T17:31:00.002+08:00

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

2009-11-22T09:43:00.005+08:00

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?

2009-11-08T15:31:00.002+08:00

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

2009-11-07T00:06:00.004+08:00

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

2009-11-03T10:23:00.004+08:00

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

2009-10-31T09:43:00.003+08:00

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.

2009-10-26T23:00:00.007+08:00

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.

2009-10-18T13:20:00.002+08:00

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?

2009-10-18T12:29:00.002+08:00

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

2009-09-28T15:18:00.003+08:00

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

2009-09-28T10:39:00.013+08:00

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

2009-09-16T19:35:00.002+08:00

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

2009-09-15T11:07:00.003+08:00

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

2009-09-13T13:12:00.002+08:00

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

2009-09-12T15:24:00.002+08:00

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

2009-09-08T17:29:00.003+08:00

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

2009-09-07T10:30:00.003+08:00

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

2009-09-07T09:48:00.005+08:00

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

2009-09-03T22:07:00.002+08:00

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

2009-08-27T22:50:00.002+08:00

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?

2009-08-27T22:33:00.003+08:00

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

2009-08-23T15:40:00.005+08:00

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

2009-08-20T21:38:00.002+08:00

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

2009-08-20T09:57:00.007+08:00

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

2009-08-15T11:05:00.002+08:00

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.

2009-08-11T18:35:00.002+08:00

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

2009-07-22T15:19:00.004+08:00

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

2009-07-22T10:30:00.006+08:00

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

2009-07-16T14:40:00.002+08:00

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

2009-06-30T15:12:00.002+08:00

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

2009-06-29T16:38:00.003+08:00

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

2009-06-29T10:51:00.004+08:00

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

2009-06-24T22:57:00.008+08:00

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.

2009-06-23T14:33:00.002+08:00

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)

2009-06-21T23:01:00.004+08:00

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.

2009-06-19T19:46:00.003+08:00

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

2009-06-17T15:32:00.004+08:00

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

2009-06-17T15:15:00.003+08:00

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

2009-06-16T14:54:00.005+08:00

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

2009-06-16T14:00:00.002+08:00

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

2009-06-10T21:34:00.002+08:00

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

2009-06-04T13:41:00.011+08:00

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

2009-06-03T16:45:00.002+08:00

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

2009-05-19T17:36:00.005+08:00

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

2009-05-08T19:15:00.002+08:00

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

2009-05-04T18:24:00.017+08:00

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

2009-04-23T17:54:00.002+08:00

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?

2009-04-23T17:14:00.005+08:00

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

2009-04-23T15:37:00.003+08:00

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?

2009-04-23T14:52:00.003+08:00

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!

2009-03-26T00:03:00.003+08:00

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'

2009-03-24T10:49:00.002+08:00

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

2009-03-22T16:08:00.002+08:00

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.

"Incredible" service

2009-03-20T20:41:00.002+08:00

The editor of Digital Life wrote about how a bank's staff member misinterpreted her handwriting and subsequently blotched her cheque transaction, causing her to pay out 10 times the actual amount. I agree with the editor that the staff member should have fallen back on the other details in the cheque if she was unsure about a particular detail. Her explanation seems to reflect a lack of thoroughness and professionalism, and I get the feeling that the staff member was not completely apologetic about her mistake.

I was rather appalled at this incident when reading about it.

Interviewing potentials

2009-03-17T10:21:00.002+08:00

Virdi Bhupinder wrote a letter to question the manner in which job interviewers conduct their sourcing for applicants. He feels that some questions they ask are absurd: Please send us your photo, What is your race and Can you speak Mandarin for a front-line job?

I partially agree with his opinion. Asking for his photo is a natural part of the selection process. First impressions through a person's features and physical appearance can tell others more about him. The question about his race is redundant though. His name already gives an indication of it. His ability to speak Mandarin is also evident from his name, but it is not necessarily accurate. Some non-Chinese have learnt to speak it. It may be an intrinsic part of the job to have this ability. I feel he has not thoroughly examined the rationale behind the questions.

Cheating by society's role models!

2009-03-05T15:02:00.003+08:00

Stomp featured the photograph of this pair of parents colouring a picture on their son's behalf in an art competition. The boy was playing at a playground. The father even took photographs when the boy received a prize for their work.

This is preposterous! If the boy is not ready to take part in such a contest, they should not have entered his name in the first place. They are being cheating embodiments here. If this is their way of loving him, it is a dishonest way and they are teaching him the wrong values. Being there for their son does not mean doing everything for him, and breaking rules in the process. He will never learn what personal responsibility and independence are in this case. What is more, announcements had been made for parents not to help their children in the contest but this pair of parents audaciously disregarded them.

My mother did sew a pencil case and a skirt on my behalf for my school assignments, because I am hopeless at art. That is bad enough, I admit but this is worse. It is a competition with prizes awarded. Thank goodness future entries done by the children's parents will be disqualified to maintain fairness.

Disability discrimination

2009-03-02T10:49:00.003+08:00

Cerrie Burnell has been accused of scaring kids with her one-armed body. What an argument! Is it her fault that she was born with just one arm? Do her critics regard her feelings when they accuse her?

I think it is a form of exposure for the kids, to know that there are such unfortunate people who do not let their disabilities hinder their desires to live life. I do not think her critics have any justification in their arguments. The father who was worried that his daughter may get nightmares is paranoid, I feel. His daughter is merely learning about the reality out there, and even if she does not see it now, she will see it sooner or later. I think parents like him should have used the opportunity to field her queries and to teach her to sympathise with Cerrie. Two years old is the age when children start learning about things around them.

I agree with some viewers who applaud her for her courage. She is really using her own disability to show that it does not make her any different from the other hosts on the programme. I am also heartened that BBC does not discriminate her as a result. Indeed, as she says, these parents are just frightened of her lack of features but as parents, they should be mature enough to deny their fears in order to educate their children on her disability. They can even confess that they are afraid of the sight, but that requires humility and courage. I'm proud of her for choosing to see good in the controversy surrounding her and for seeing the importance of being a good role model. She willingly accepts her difference from others too, to the extent that she would not change it even if she had the chance to. She is actually a better role model than these parents, if I may say so!

It is so sad to note that disabled parts go to able-bodied actors instead in stage productions. Society should be made more aware of the fact that disabled actors are just as good at acting and hosting than able-bodied ones. Even the programme controller advocates her warm and natural characteristics as the criteria for having employed her. Why can't these parents look beyond her disability, at her beauty within? Sir Bert Massie hit the nail on its head when he labelled the parents as "ignorant and prejudiced" and expressed that they lack responsibility in making their children the scapegoats for their biases. It is bad enough that they do not want to educate their children on what is natural. What kind of parents are they?

Riding the MRT

2009-02-28T10:34:00.005+08:00

After having read Tan Boon Leng's letter on taking the MRT, I feel that she should be the one laughed at, and not Kam Choo Choo. Yes, she may be dwelling on the realism involved in taking the MRT but I think it reflects an inability to dwell on the blessings in life, and a lack of travel on train systems in other countries. Dorian Axel Manrique Teo is a contrasting testimony to this.

Kam Choo Choo, on the other hand, has learnt to appreciate the fortunes Singapore has when compared with other countries. She has also shown optimism in seeing good amidst the bad around. Tan Boon Leng, there is a fine line between being realistic and being pessimistic.