Maria Arredondo - That Day

Editing: the egg yolk sunset

Editing

Yesterday in Pictures

[e63] Sarong Aunties

I do not know whether this counts as an encounter with a SPG(sarong party girls).

To be fair, I have to credit the two women who don't know each other for helping the caucasian guy with the directions to Hort park. But I do not recall that set of demographics offering equally enthusiasm to help fellow country mates or non caucasians. One of the sarong party auntie even wanted to rush onto the road to help him tell the cab driver the directions, as if that was needed.

Watch your steps, watch your age.

Face it

Again today, I heard the discrimination of youth by the adults today. The background is about a boy who, years back when he was schooling, demanded his teacher, who wronged him, to apologise. This became a subject of discussion on 95.8FM's call in show.

As usual, many callers expressed that it is not appropriate for the youth to demand apology from someone who is more superior and elder. "Should give the teacher some face", "Should respect elders" are some of the repetitive phrases heard.

Now, I am quite ashamed of those expressing their ideas along that line. Firstly, the direction of debate is somewhat flawed. Why question whether it is right for a student to demand apology from a teacher who erred? At one look, all the adults will zoom in on the words "students", "demand" amd "teacher", when it should be "apology from a teacher who erred". Face, why should people debate whether someone who erred needs to be given face? When Mr Koizumi apologised while he was the Premier, did all people spare a face for him? And to think he has not even erred. Finally, the concept of "elders" needs some repositioning in the adults. They should be educated that being an elder does not automatically entitles them to immunity from apologising when they does something wrong. An adult who murders a child is equally guilty as an adult who murders an elder. One caller has the shame to call in with a rhetoric, "When a mother spank a child, does she has to apologise?" Someone tell her please, she is out of point. She was already blinded by "students", "demand" amd "teacher"

NDP 2009

I waited for Tiko, who said he wanted to meet me at Jurong because he was suppose to be playing a game of football in the vicinity. The call never come and I had to move out myself at 1pm. I needed to buy some gifts for Basket who will be returning to India. The Concourse was my destination, but when I reached there, I could not find any shops, any more. Only the office tower remain. Disappointed, I made my way to Marina Square to met up with Kam and Wilson.

Chun entered the floating platform first. I thought he will be waiting for me to enter together. The whole night, I did not see him, even till the parade ended.

The parade was quite enjoyable, even in the merciless heat. I really do not mind if it rains. Fireworks were disappointingly acute, though I manage to capture some photos if them. The marching troops were nothing impressive in terms of cadence. My MP was the contingent leader for the PAP. He must be thinking why he was there while the rest of his counterparts were enjoying the parade in the stand.

One thing about the setting. I wonder what would happen if there is a fire breakout at the floating platform. The exits seems inadequate and I reckon not all would be brave enough to plunge into the Singapore river and those brave enough will be hindered by the former. Sad, we might all turn into roasted pigs.

In closing, let me salute the Redlions. Airborne all the way. Warrant Yoko, this one goes out to you too.

Double standards

My country is a city of double standards - one standard for the elites and one for the peasants. Maybe this is a much debated, or rather, discussed topic, and I am not here to offer any arguments, but rather examples.

A few weeks ago, I booked the linkhall at my estate with the Town Council for a ritual to commemorate my late relatives. When the supplier erected the tents, the Town Council send its foreign talented minions to stop us, saying that it was not allowed. Which puzzles me till today because the residents committee built a tent bigger than mine at the exactly same spot years ago. And I also mentioned to the Town Council when I made the booking, I was even prepared to pay for it.

You can never win the ".gov". Had I insisted on it, the sore losers will probably call in the minions of the police force. I rather spend time typing this sentence than capitalise the phrase "police force". Next, I was directed to the HDB so that I could book the field opposite my block, which has no electricity and most certainly, no water, and I was not to 'kill' the grass or use any incense burning pit. On top of that, I need to write to the MP to, get this, "seek his support". Which I again do not understand why I do not need to do it when applying for the linkhall at the Town Council? Probably because only organisation with big time relations with the MPs or the PBMs and BBMs uses the field. However, to be fair, the MP did grant me 'support' to go ahead with the ritual, which is under a could-help-it circumstance. The ".gov" did wronged me afterall at Town Council.

For the record, on the dismantling day of my booking, which essentially meant that that piece of land is still my charge till 23 59 hrs. The funeral being held below my block had their burning pit smacked in the centre of my plot of land. I was not about to complain because the grieving family had their fair share of work already. But I needed to protect myself because I did not want to be accused of murdering their grasses. So, I called up the HDB and told them I had evacuated the land and that there was a pit placed there, and they should not blame me of grass-slaughter. I even took a picture of that place.

Today, in fact, for the past few days, several pits were again placed there. The temple is celebrating some festivals.

Obviously, they had their MP support documents and all.

Genting July 2009

Interior walls of FW Hotel



Spy-vs-spy action at Dinoland



My absolute favourite at the Themepark



Themepark








Caught a ghost



Dinoland



Apple, did you enjoy the trip?

Who killed Mr Rat?

I remembered seeing him stealing food from Nini-the-Cat's food dish 2 days ago. Who would have known that that was to be the last time I am seeing of Mr Rat. Rest in peace. Do not come here again.