Gintai_昇泰

Where is my Rolex!

Gintai_昇泰 — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 22:00:51 +0000

A very successful lawyer parked his brand new BMW in front of the office, ready to show it off to his colleagues.

As he got out, a truck came along, too close to the curb, and completely tore off the driver’s door of the BMW. The counsellor immediately grabbed his mobile phone, dialled 999, and it wasn’t more than 5 minutes before a policeman pulled up.

Before the cop had a chance to ask any questions, the lawyer started screaming hysterically. His BMW, which he had just picked up the day before, was now completely ruined and would never be the same, no matter how the body shop tried to make it new again.

After the lawyer finally wound down from his rant, the cop shook his head in disgust and disbelief.

“I can’t believe how materialistic you lawyers are,” he said. “You are so focused on your possessions that you neglect the most important things in life.”

“How can you say such a thing?” asked the lawyer.

The cop replied, “My God, don’t you even realise that your left arm is missing? It got ripped off when the truck hit you!!!”

“My God!” screamed the lawyer………

“Where’s my Rolex?”

Animal Farm – Critical Essay

Gintai_昇泰 — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 22:00:12 +0000

Animal Farm – Critical Essay

This article is reproduced from here.

Satire
Satire is loosely defined as art that ridicules a specific topic in order to provoke readers into changing their opinion of it. By attacking what they see as human folly, satirists usually imply their own opinions on how the thing being attacked can be remedied. Perhaps the most famous work of British satire is Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels (1726), where the inhabitants of the different lands Gulliver visits embody what Swift saw as the prominent vices and corruptions of his time. As a child, Orwell discovered and devoured Swift’s novel, which became one of his favorite books. Like Gulliver’s Travels, Animal Farm is a satirical novel in which Orwell, like Swift, attacks what he saw as some of the prominent follies of his time. These various satirical targets comprise the major themes of Orwell’s novel.

Tyrants
Broadly speaking, Animal Farm satirizes politicians, specifically their rhetoric, ability to manipulate others, and insatiable lust for power. Despite his seemingly altruistic motives, Napoleon is presented as the epitome of a power-hungry individual who masks all of his actions with the excuse that they are done for the betterment of the farm. His stealing the milk and apples, for example, is explained by the lie that these foods have nutrients essential to pigs, who need these nutrients to carry on their managerial work. His running Snowball off the farm is explained by the lie that Snowball was actually a traitor, working for Jones — and that the farm will fare better without him. Each time that Napoleon and the other pigs wish to break one of the Seven Commandments, they legitimize their transgressions by changing the Commandment’s original language. Whenever the farm suffers a setback, Napoleon blames Snowball’s treachery — which the reader, of course, knows is untrue. Napoleon’s walking on two legs, wearing a derby hat, and toasting Pilkington reflect the degree to which he (and the other pigs) completely disregard the plights of the other animals in favor of satisfying their own cravings for power. Thus, the dominant theme of Animal Farm is the tendency for those who espouse the most virtuous ideas to become the worst enemies of the people whose lives they are claiming to improve.

Role of the Populace
Orwell, however, does not imply that Napoleon is the only cause for Animal Farm’s decline. He also satirizes the different kinds of people whose attitudes allow rulers like Napoleon to succeed. Mollie, whose only concerns are materialistic, is like people who are so self-centered that they lack any political sense or understanding of what is happening around them. Apolitical people like Mollie — who care nothing for justice or equality — offer no resistance to tyrants like Napoleon. Boxer is likened to the kind of blindly devoted citizen whose reliance on slogans (“Napoleon is always right”) prevents him from examining in more detail his own situation: Although Boxer is a sympathetic character, his ignorance is almost infuriating, and Orwell suggests that this unquestioning ignorance allows rulers like Napoleon to grow stronger. Even Benjamin, the donkey, contributes to Napoleon’s rise, because his only stand on what is occurring is a cynical dismissal of the facts: Although he is correct in stating that “Life would go on as it had always gone on — that is, badly,” he, too, does nothing to stop the pigs’ ascension or even raise the other animals’ awareness of what is happening. His only action is to warn Boxer of his impending death at the knacker’s — but this is futile as it occurs too late to do Boxer any good.

Religion and Tyranny
Another theme of Orwell’s novel that also strikes a satiric note is the idea of religion being the “opium of the people” (as Karl Marx famously wrote). Moses the raven’s talk of Sugarcandy Mountain originally annoys many of the animals, since Moses, known as a “teller of tales,” seems an unreliable source. At this point, the animals are still hopeful for a better future and therefore dismiss Moses’ stories of a paradise elsewhere. As their lives worsen, however, the animals begin to believe him, because “Their lives now, they reasoned, were hungry and laborious; Was it not right and just that a better world should exist somewhere else?” Here, Orwell mocks the futile dreaming of a better place that clearly does not exist. The pigs allow Moses to stay on the farm — and even encourage his presence by rewarding him with beer — because they know that his stories of Sugarcandy Mountain will keep the animals docile: As long as there is some better world somewhere — even after death — the animals will trudge through this one. Thus Orwell implies that religious devotion — viewed by many as a noble character trait — can actually distort the ways in which one thinks of his or her life on earth.

False Allegience
A final noteworthy (and again, satiric) theme is the way in which people proclaim their allegiance to each other, only to betray their true intentions at a later time. Directly related to the idea that the rulers of the rebellion (the pigs) eventually betray the ideals for which they presumably fought, this theme is dramatized in a number of relationships involving the novel’s human characters. Pilkington and Frederick, for example, only listen to Jones in the Red Lion because they secretly hope to gain something from their neighbor’s misery. Similarly, Frederick’s buying the firewood from Napoleon seems to form an alliance that is shattered when the pig learns of Frederick’s forged banknotes. The novel’s final scene demonstrates that, despite all the friendly talk and flattery that passes between Pilkington and Napoleon, each is still trying to cheat the other (as seen when both play the ace of spades simultaneously). Of course, only one of the two is technically cheating, but Orwell does not indicate which one because such a fact is unimportant: The “friendly” game of cards is a facade that hides each ruler’s desire to destroy the other.

Thus, as Swift used fantastic places to explore the themes of political corruption in the eighteenth century, so Orwell does with his own fantastic setting to satirize the twentieth. According to Orwell, rulers such as Napoleon will continue to grow in number — and in power — unless people become more politically aware and more wary of these leader’s “noble” ideals.

The novel asks its readers to examine the ways in which political leaders with seemingly noble and altruistic motives can betray the very ideals in which they ostensibly believe, as well as the ways in which certain members of a nation can elect themselves to positions of great power and abuse their fellow citizens, all under the guise of assisting them.

Happy Birthday!

Gintai_昇泰 — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 22:00:28 +0000

Today is my good friend Dr Mike Loh’s birthday.

Dr Mike,
Happy Birthday To You!
Semoga Murah Rezeki & Sihat2 Selalub!
May You Be Blessed With Good Fortune and Luck!

愿你梦想成真，生日快乐！

Thank you for being my friend!

Same Sex Marriage

Gintai_昇泰 — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 22:00:26 +0000

Michael and Gary got married in California ….

They couldn’t afford a honeymoon so they go back to Michael’s Mom and Dad’s house in Corner Brook for their first married night together.

In the morning, Johnny, Michael’s little brother, gets up and has his breakfast. As he is going out of the door to go to school, he asks his mom if Michael and Gary are up yet.

She replies, ‘No’.

Johnny asks, ‘Do you know what I think?’

His mom replies, ‘I don’t want to hear what you think! Just go to school.’

Johnny comes home for lunch and asks his mom, ‘Are Michael and Gary up yet?’

She replies, ‘No.’

Johnny says, ‘Do you know what I think?’

His mom replies, ‘Never mind what you think! Eat your lunch and go back to school’

After school, Johnny comes home and asks again,

‘Are Michael and Gary up yet?’

His mom says, ‘No.’

He asks, ‘Do you know what I think?’

His mom replies, ‘OK, now tell me what you think.’

He says: ‘Last night Michael came to my room for the Vaseline and I think….I gave him my airplane glue.’

Don’t discriminate or stereotype

Gintai_昇泰 — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 22:00:23 +0000

An Australian Supermarket

A Chinaman goes to Woolworth’s in Australia .

He finds cat food at special prices. He picks a dozen cans of cat food and goes to check out.

The Manager gets suspicious. He thinks that this guy might not have a cat and will probably feed cat food to his kids.

He asks the Chinaman to show him his cat before he could let him have cat food.

The Chinaman goes home and returns with a cat and gets to buy the cat food.

Next week the Chinaman finds dog food at special prices. He picks a dozen cans of dog food and goes to check out.

The Manager again gets suspicious. He thinks that this guy may have a cat but he cannot have a dog and he will probably feed dog food to his kids.

He asks the Chinaman to bring and show him the dog before he can let him have dog food.

The Chinaman goes home and returns with a dog. He gets to buy the dog food.

The following week the Chinaman comes to Woolworth’s with a bag.

He asks the manager to put his hand in the bag.

The Manager puts his hand in the bag, feels some thing slimy and immediately pulls it out.

He shouts at the Chinaman, “What the hell ! This is shit, you idiot !”

The Chinaman calmly replies, “Yes, now may I buy some toilet paper?”

MORAL OF THE STORY :
DON’T MESS AROUND WITH A MAD CHINAMAN!

Orchard Centre Point Starbucks’ Lousy Coffee

Gintai_昇泰 — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 22:00:29 +0000

Quoted from Starbucks website …

“It happens millions of times each week—a customer receives a drink from a Starbucks barista – but each interaction is unique.

It’s just a moment in time – just one hand reaching over the counter to present a cup to another outstretched hand.

But it’s a connection.

We make sure everything we do honors that connection—from our commitment to the highest quality coffee in the world, to the way we engage with our customers and communities to do business responsibly.

From our beginnings as a single store nearly forty years ago, in every place that we’ve been, and every place that we touch, we’ve tried to make it a little better than we found it.”

This Saturday(18/2/2012), we had our usual gathering of the Pipe Fellowship at Orchard Road. We usually order coffee or drinks from the nearby Starbucks either at Orchard Point or Centre Point.

Usually we get ourselves a drink from Starbucks and just join the gathering at our own time. Members start sauntering in from 9.30am onwards and we disperse around noon. We just chit chat, catch up on the latest happenings, enjoy our pipe and company.

When our veteran photographer Alec Ee appeared with his takeaway Starbucks coffee with milk, he looked flustered. He came to me and asked me what was he holding? Coffee or milk? I said it looked like milk to me. Exactly! But he said he actually ordered coffee with milk.

That’s the diluted “coffee“!

Alec Ee obviously wasn’t happy with his $4.20 coffee. It looked like milk with no coffee taste at all. We then advised him to go back to enquire.

After some time, Alec Ee came back with a replacement. He bought it from the Starbucks outlet at Centre Point. It looked only slightly better than the previous mug.

Alec said they had a clear jug filled with black coffee in the fridge but it looked diluted more like tea than black coffee. They use this to pour contents into customer’s cup which has an indicated line portion. If it is already diluted then it will definitely be diluted further when she follows the line. Alec told her that and she offered to make another fresh coffee jug which would take 3 minutes according to her. Before the three minutes was up she quickly poured it into the jug anyway. And viola! Another coffee jug which looks like tea.

With the milk added to the already bland coffee, it became worst! You can imagine how pissed off he is.

We then started to discuss about Starbucks. They have lost their standards in terms of quality control. Their staff are not properly trained etc

Another of our member Ignatius showed us his cup of iced Raspberry Blackcurrant Blended Juice from Starbucks. He distinctly told the staff “takeaway”, yet he was given a normal cup. What’s wrong with their staff. We felt that Starbucks fell short of our expectation. They are not giving us our money’s worth!

They suggested that I blog this incident and feedback to Starbucks for necessary action. Let’s hope that they will show some improvements the next time round.

PS: Starbucks does not provide email address. I submitted this feedback on their website.

The Four Cats

Gintai_昇泰 — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 22:00:18 +0000

Four men were bragging about how smart their cats were.

They were the Engineer, Accountant, Chemist, and Government Employee.

To show off, the Engineer called his cat, “T-square, do your stuff.” T-square pranced over to the desk, took out some paper and pen and promptly drew a circle, a square, and a triangle.

Everyone agreed that was pretty smart.

But the Accountant said his cat could do better. He called his cat and said, “Spreadsheet, do your stuff.” Spreadsheet went out to the kitchen and returned with a dozen cookies. He divided them into 4 equal piles of 3 cookies.

Everyone agreed that was good.

But the Chemist said his cat could do better. He called his cat and said, “Measure, do your stuff.”
Measure got up, walked to the fridge, took out a quart of milk, got a 10 ounce glass from the cupboard and poured exactly 8 ounces without spilling a drop into the glass.

Everyone agreed that was pretty good.

Then the three men turned to the Government Employee and said, “What can your cat do?”

The Government Employee called his cat and said, “CoffeeBreak, do your stuff.” CoffeeBreak jumped to his feet…….

Ate the cookies…….
Drank the milk…..
Shit on the paper……

Screwed the other three cats……..
Claimed he injured his back while doing so.

Filed a grievance report for unsafe working conditions…….

Put in for Workers Compensation ………. and went home for the rest of the day on sick leave ……..

AND THAT, MY FRIENDs IS WHY EVERYONE WANTS TO WORK FOR THE GOVERNMENT!

From : Goh KK

Beijing University Professor Kong Qingdong – 孔庆东

Gintai_昇泰 — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 22:00:14 +0000

A Beijing University Professor has come under fire for an expletive-laden rebuke of Hong Kong natives which he described as “dogs”.

In a talk show on Internet news site V1.cn last week, Chinese-language professor Kong Qingdong, who was a guest commentator, was asked to discuss a recent heated exchange involving some Hong Kong locals and a mainland Chinese family.

According to news reports, a man had chastised a mainland family for allowing their child to snack in a Hong Kong subway train carriage when the act is prohibited under the territory’s laws. It escalated into a heated argument and a video of the incident was uploaded on the Internet.

Commenting on this, the professor took issue with how the incident was handled, saying during the show that the man ought to have advised the child in a polite manner although the boy had broken the rules by eating in the subway train.

He also noted how Hong Kong citizens sought to differentiate themselves from their mainland counterparts.

“You [Hongkongers] are Chinese, right? But as I know, many Hongkongers don’t think they are Chinese. They claim that we are Hongkongers, you are Chinese. They are bastards,” Kong was quoted by the South China Morning Post (SCMP) as saying. “Those kinds of people used to be running dogs for the British colonialists. And until now, you [Hongkongers] are still dogs. You aren’t human.”

The professor also took a pot-shot at both Hong Kong and Singapore, saying that both countries depend heavily on the rule of law as part of its governance, and that Singapore people have to abide by regulations in order to act appropriately in public.

A report in The Straits Times quoted Kong as saying, “If a society had to maintain its order through strict laws such as hefty fines for littering, as happened in Singapore, its ‘law-abiding’ look does not reflect the true nature of its people,” he said. “Instead, it shows they are a servile bunch who can be whipped into line.”

Kong’s remarks on the show sparked the ire of both natives in Hong Kong and China, with many viewers criticising the professor’s remarks for being insensitive. Hong Kong’s Oriental Daily reported that angry Hong Kongers protested against those comments and demanded an apology from the professor.

Political figures also entered the fray, with Hong Kong’s former chief secretary Henry Tang quoted by the Ming Pao Daily News as defending the state’s rule of law as one of its core values, and something which locals should be proud of.

Tang also reportedly highlighted the need for Hong Kong natives and mainland Chinese to understand the culture of living of both sides.

However, according to a SCMP report on Sunday, the professor had denied calling Hong Kong citizens “running dogs for the British government”, adding that both mainland and Hong Kong media outlets had “maliciously twisted his speech”.

“Did I say Hongkongers are dogs? I didn’t,” he was quoted by SCMP as saying. “I request all media outlets which have twisted my speech to apologise.

That obnoxious controversial Chinese professor maintains a blog. There are nearly 67,000,000 hits!

Kong Qingdong is a Chinese professor of Chinese studies at Beijing University, whose Chinese nationalist views and frequent use of profanity in public have been the focus of various controversies.

The 73rd descendant of the great Chinese philosopher Confucius, Kong has been a vocal supporter of Communist Party of China orthodoxy, and he has expressed anti-America and anti-Western sentiments, calling the U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton “a bitch”.

A critic of the free press, Kong has famously lashed out at Southern Weekly and its related newspapers, often regarded as some of the more liberal media outlets in China, as well as suggesting that if China’s “journalists were all lined up and shot, I would feel heartache for not a single one of them”.

Imagine that joker was conferred the “Confucius Award” – created by the Chinese government similar in status to the world renowned Nobel Peace prize.

Since he has an addiction to use profanity in public I will follow suit and give him a dosage.

How can that motherfucker bastard KNLBCCB be on the payroll of the most prestigious learning institution, BeiDa of a huge country? How could he teach Chinese studies and Chinese civilization when that motherfucker behaves like an uncouth barbarian?

That fucking bastard not only is a national disgrace to the Chinese people but also to the sage’s great reputation and those of his 72 generations of ancestors!

Is it just because he is the direct descendent of Confucius and carries the same surname as Confucius, he is being tolerated by the Chinese government?

If you were to dig further on this madman, more shit would surface. How can an intellectual claim that North Korea is “three times” better than China? He even denied that the North Koreans are starving – when the whole civilized world know that it’s a fact. I guess he is the only retard in the civilized world to admire North Korea and its dictator Kim’s dynasty. Really langgar! KNN!

SMC Hougang By-Election?

Gintai_昇泰 — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 22:00:57 +0000

The Workers’ Party has expelled Yaw Shin Leong from the party with immediate effect.

After nearly 3 weeks of infidelity and scandalous rumors swirling around their Hougang MP Yaw Shin Leong online and offline, WP has decided to act by doing the right thing. They have sacked him from the party with immediate effect.

Why it took such a long time? Surely such an important matter needed thorough investigation and careful consideration. Since those rumors surfaced, both WP and Yaw kept quiet refusing to comment.

The cyber world kept speculating on those rumours with comments for or against them. Even one prominent blogger nearly got into trouble when he sidetracked.

Out of a sudden, WP called for a press conference presumably to clarify or answer to those rumours. Never did we expect that it’s an abrupt tersely worded statement announcing the sacking of its MP from the party. It certainly created an effect of shock and awe.

The whole cyber world in Sg was caught by surprise. Tweets and FB posts flew and spread with lightning speed.

Brilliant masterstroke !

Actually WP’s image and standing was at all time low. With that one fell stroke, it upped its ante and salvaged its flagging image. It has recovered lost ground and soared like the proverbial Phoenix to its high moral ground of accountability and transparency. They believe in setting high standards for themselves as role models.

“A shrewd political move.” Link

That was the response by Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP) Eugene Tan on the Workers’ Party’s (WP) call for a by-election at Hougang SMC.

“WP has taken, boldly, the moral high ground,” he said of the party expelling Hougang MP Yaw Shin Leong who served in the party leadership for close to ten years.

“The party will reap dividends from this first-mover advantage action – in the short-term and in the long-term. They are setting high standards for themselves, and the move will go down well with the ground, and with Hougang voters,” added Tan, who is an assistant law professor at Singapore Management University.

By sacrificing a loyal long time protege of Sec Gen Low TK, WP aims to be THE opposition party or alternative party in the long term.

Excellent Tour De Force !

WP says let the citizens of Hougang decide if they still want them. The residents will be given a choice in a by election. Yaw can’t be an MP if he is expelled from the WP.

The ball is now in the PAP’s court. They will or will not call for a by election is anybody’s guess. Maybe they were also caught by this surprise move. They did not expect WP could just chop Yaw off to cut losses and boost their aura.

The question on everyone’s mind is whether it’s free for all? Since this will be a by election, will the other parties join in the fray instead of waiting till 2016? Every aspiring politician certainly will want to give it a shot. Can the WP claim exclusiveness? Can WP deny others a shot at MPship?

Next question. Is the PAP prepared for this by election? It’s so sudden and unexpected. They must be thinking down the road in 4 to 5 yrs’ time. Who would have expected such a sudden change? What if they field our popular scholarly gentleman George Yeo? What if Yaw decides to stand as an independent? After all, he is a veteran having served and worked the ground in Hougang for nearly 10 yrs.

We know George Yeo is still quite popular with the citizens. When he was defeated in Aljunied GRC, there were calls for him to stand as a presidential candidate. He still has got a big following on Facebook including me. He is admired for his intellectual prowess and contributions to Singapore including me. Hougang voters will be in a dilemma!

I lived in Hougang from 1998 to 2008. My family and I voted WP’s Low TK on 2 elections. If I were to choose between George Yeo and another WP candidate now, it’s going to be headache for me. Difficult decision indeed.

If the PAP counters by sending George Yeo over to Hougang, it may be WP’s “Waterloo” especially if those opposition figures behave like those stupid crabs trying to outdo each other!

One thing for sure, over the next few weeks or months, there will be lots of speculation, analysis and comments on this hot topic. Until a by election is called by the PM, we will have to contend with the never ending buzz generated.

The waiting game has just begun. The excitement and buzz will build up to a crescendo and climax on the by election day. It’s looking like the mother of all elections even though it’s only a by election in Hougang. It surely going to look like more than a three-cornered fight. In the end, PAP will just pick up the pieces.

We will just wait and see.

Read Running out of Patience here.

Read related article here.

Sex or Six in Hole?

Gintai_昇泰 — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 22:00:07 +0000

Pic for illustration purposes only.

Recent investigations have shed more light into the online vice syndication case involving a number of high officials who had patronised these services.

It was said that at least two prostitutes were involved in the recent expose. They started soliciting online two years ago and they both look sexy, have large breasts and long hair. At least six suspects including high-ranking civil servants from various government departments and businessmen were said to have patronised the same prostitute. One of them is a former principal from a well-known school.

These high-ranking civil servants, bank executives, senior vice president of a private company and the principal, have since resigned from their jobs after the incident was exposed in December.

After further investigations, a Shin Min Daily News reporter also discovered that there was more than one prostitute involved in this case. It was also found that more than one online prostitution website have been busted.

Source: Shin Min Daily News, 11 February 2012

Interesting revelations here. Better than Edison Chen’s wongal exploits! It seems that our top echelon elite of society have a penchant for sexy young females with “large breasts and long hair!”

No wonder that guy made millions from boobs jobs before he exited to enter the “holy order.” Presumably, their spouses do not have those attributes, so those “chiko pek” got to source online.

When I joined SPF in Mar 1983, I was reminded countless times by my experienced instructors who were seasoned law enforcement officers never to get involved with women or gambling. Those two vices often led to their downfall. They have seen it countless times.

The pay is quite comfortable if one leads a simple life. If one gets into gambling such as horses (no casinos then) or the stock market, that is the end of the road. He will be forced into corruption to settle his mounting gambling debts.

That very senior officer who “borrowed” from the Boys’ club funds to speculate on shares was dishonorably discharged with rank demotion.

What about women? It comes in many forms. If you are a married man getting entangled with your woman colleague or subordinate, it becomes misconduct. If she is an accused person or a complainant, it’s a clear cut case of corruption.

Definition of Corruption -
The Prevention of Corruption Act
Section 5 Chapter 241

“Any person who shall by himself or in conjunction with any other person -
(a) corruptly solicit or receive or agree to receive for himself or for any other person; or
(b) corruptly give, promise or offer to any person whether for the benefit of that person or of another person any gratification as an inducement to or reward for, or otherwise on account of -
( i ) any person doing or forbearing to do anything in respect of any matter or transaction whatsoever, actual or proposed; or
( ii ) any member, officer or servant of a public body doing or forbearing to do anything whatsoever, actual or proposed in which such public body is concerned,
shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 5 yrs or to both.”

Let me recollect some interesting cases in the eighties in SPF. Those old timers will know who I am referring to. There was this Bayi senior officer caught half naked with his dick exposed dog style in the middle of the night in the conference room of a police station when his team of junior officers barged in with spare key.

That WPC immediately cried rape and proceeded to lodge a report. It was subsequently revealed that she was promised Sgt rank if she were to oblige him. That talented veteran DSP was later dismissed.

Another dramatic case happened years ago in an NPP. Husband (also in SPF) ambushed and caught a senior Staff Sgt in a compromising position with his WPC wife. Both ran for their life and abandoned the NPP with the irate husband chasing after them whom were in messy attire.

The senior Staff Sgt was dismissed but the WPC was demoted of her rank.

There was also a brilliant very senior president scholar officer whose looks similar to 猪八戒 got infatuated with a young sexy WPC. That smart WPC “tangkap kahwin” when she was his official chauffeur. She offered and he couldn’t resist. They wongal in the official car. He had to marry her to avoid misconduct. Years later, they divorced.

The joke was that he spent all his time studying for perfect scores and never never savor the forbidden nectar. When he chanced upon, he jumped on it to devour at his own perils. Langgar!

What about the few POs on patrol who gang rape a Thai prostitute from Red Lantern in Clifford Pier. They were subsequently arrested and charged in court. They were jailed and lost their pension.

Women will get you into trouble is proven throughout the ages since time immemorial. When you thought you could get away with it but then unexpectedly got caught with your pants down.

In ancient China, warlords and emperors fought over Chinese beauties. Just like animals in the savage world fought tooth and nails over the right to mate. Remember the face that launched a thousand ships in ancient Greece?

Even Clinton succumbed to this favourite pastime and entertainment in the White House by using his cigar to probe about. There are many more unreported cases in our midst. If you are not caught it’s no offence. But when you are caught it’s a lifetime regret.

Our scholars i.e. the recent two itchy monkeys are not immuned to the lure of sweet honey pot. They are not the first and they won’t be the last. History will repeat itself. Mark my words.

早知今日，何必当初？

Read preachers, teachers and principals here.

Read Sin City here.

Read related article.

“HARD TRUTHS” AND “HARD MYTHS”

Gintai_昇泰 — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 22:00:57 +0000

This article is reproduced from here. It was written on 2 May 2011.

Read related article here.

“HARD TRUTHS” AND “HARD MYTHS” FOR ALL SINGAPOREANS TO THINK ABOUT BEFORE THEY CAST THEIR VOTE ON 7 MAY 2011.

Fellow Singaporeans, regardless of what constituency we live in, apart from Tanjong Pagar GRC, this is our opportunity to vote, perhaps for many of us the first time in our lives, or for the first time in decades.

Many issues have been raised, and exchanges of opinions made for and against the opposition parties and the ruling party.

This paper is from a concerned citizen, a “baby‐boomer”, who has been fortunate to have lived and worked not only in Singapore but in other countries. It comes from the heart, but is based on the mind and hard facts. (To call them “hard truths” may be somewhat supercilious and condescending, but the phrase has recently been given much play in the media. For me, I will endeavour to present “truth” as facts, not opinions).

Hard truth #1: The founding fathers of the PAP have done very well for Singapore. They have governed with steely determination, bold courage and with the people’s best interests at heart. Above all, they governed with righteousness and selflessness. Tough policies and decisions had to be made, mostly correctly. But some policies were flawed, such as the “Stop at Two” campaign.

Hard truth #2: The pioneers made many sacrifices to serve the country. Apart from Lee Kuan Yew, early ministers and decision‐makers such as Goh Keng Swee, S Rajaratnam, Hon Sui Sen, Lim Kin San, EW Barker, Devan Nair and David Marshall served with great distinction. Their contributions will not be forgotten.

Hard truth #3: Singapore today has many firsts and won many accolades. We have the best airport according to many international benchmarks. We were once the busiest port in the world, but still among the busiest. We probably have the healthiest per capita reserves of any country.

Hard truth #4: We have beautiful parks, greenery, and an environment that is clean, secure, and relatively crime‐free. Education standards are high, and infant mortality among the lowest. Unemployment is low and we probably have the highest proportion of citizens who own their own homes.

Hard truth #5: We have in our government ‐ Cabinet ministers, junior ministers and Members of Parliament – who have brilliant academic records. We also have quite a few from the Ministry of Defence. A high weighting appears to be placed on academic brilliance in the selection process of potential Members of Parliament.

Let us now examine some possible “Hard Myths” that seem to be suggested today by the ruling party, and then ask ourselves such questions as: How many of these myths are truly defensible? How many serve the best interests of the people of Singapore? How many are designed to perpetuate power in the hands of the ruling party?

Hard Myth #1: We know what’s best for you, so we have to select people whom we believe can serve you best, but we must still maintain absolute power, simply because we have the best people.

Really?

Time and again, especially in the recent past, we have seen mistakes made for which no apologies are made (at best, just a bland statement “It is regretted…”). We have seen possibly “wrong” people being selected to high office (including cabinet ministers), and policies introduced that have compromised the righteous values held dearly in the early days.

Examples? Firstly, the casinos. Didn’t an illustrious founding father say that “over my dead body” will Singapore have casinos?

The rationale now given is that “We have to have them (couched in the euphemistic term of ‘Integrated Resorts’) in order for Singapore to continue to grow and prosper. If we don’t, our neighbours will soon have them and we will lose out even more at that time. We have no choice”.

Really?

The question: at what social cost? What are the figures for broken homes, relationships, increase in organized crime, money laundering, prostitution, and so on? How effective have been the counter‐measures to ameliorate the negative impact? Should not the public be given facts and figures on such matters?

Secondly, the naming of public hospitals – to what lengths are we going to heap praise for possibly the wrong reasons? How are far are we prepared to go to “worship” the spirit of MONEY? What signals are likely to send?

The Khoo Teck Puat hospital was named to recognize the donation of this man’s family. Yet, there appears to be a widespread opinion that the contribution was a way to perhaps make amends for lapses in income tax returns? The most recent naming of the Ng Teng Fong hospital raises another basic issue – how can a 10% plus contribution be justified for having the naming rights for the entire hospital? Where did the 90% come from? Surely, the tax‐payers’ pockets.

I fully agree with former MP Dr Tan Cheng Bock for immediately resigning from board membership because he disagreed with the naming rationale of this hospital. Not to agree and still remain on the board would have been unconscionable.

Yet, did any of the cabinet ministers who disagreed with the allowing of casinos resign? None. What happened to their sense of conviction, their sense of values? Curiously, one of them was even recently quoted as saying that Catholics believe that a little gambling is no sin!

Hard Myth #2: Following from HM#1, the ruling party must then do everything possible to attract the best people for the job, and that money is the KEY factor in overcoming obstacles preventing good people from entering politics and to serve the people.

Really?

How can we ever justifiably (and in all clear conscience) accept the ruling party’s rationale for paying astronomical salaries for cabinet ministers, pegged to a certain percentile of the CEOs in the top 6 industries in Singapore?

CEOs in the corporate world who make big mistakes are removed promptly from office. Does this apply to cabinet ministers and others in government?

It appears not. It seems that we are “Uniquely Singapore” by having a system where monetary rewards are not tied to accountability. Why the double standards? What happens when the most wanted (and dangerous?) person escapes from the much guarded detention centre? The lowly supervisor gets sacked and another given a warning. What of those at the director level, or the ministerial level? Was this regarded as just an honest mistake, and no further action and no apology is necessary? Or perhaps it’s because the escapee wasn’t that dangerous after all? What is the public expected to believe?

Undoubtedly, there are many sensitivities and complexities in governing Singapore. We are a multi‐cultural, multi‐religious and multi‐racial society, existing amidst a sea of nations with their own challenges, agendas and problems. So we must have leaders who are politically savvy, bright, forward‐ looking, culturally sensitive, measured, and above all, have the passion and commitment to serve the best interests of the citizens of Singapore.

The question is this: Can we truly attract such people assuming that money is the primary motivator?

Have we, deliberately or unconsciously, developed a Money‐above‐all‐else in our Singapore worldview? What happened to our values of righteousness, justice, equality, and compassion?

How can we justify paying our Prime Minister six times what the President of the United States is paid? But there is more – we also have two Senior Ministers plus one Minster Mentor whose salaries are just slightly below the PM’s salary! Thus we have in fact FOUR persons being paid 5 to 6 times more than the President of the Unite States, still the most powerful nation in the world. One may argue that the US President has other perks and can make millions after retirement from speaking tours, etc. This can be countered quite easily by asking how many months’ “performance bonus” is being paid to ministers and others? It is believed that this “performance bonus” can be up to 8 months’ salary.

There is still more – not only do we have the highest paid Prime Minister in the world, we also have the highest paid Head of State of any republic in the world – our President. He is paid more than S$4.2million per annum. This is 8.5 times the salary of President Barack Obama.

Interestingly, the Prime Minister in Parliament has declined to divulge the salaries of individual ministers, saying they were placed in different grades.

Why? What happened to transparency? Does not the tax‐payer have a right to know? If not the precise numbers, surely a range, the median and average salary could at least be provided? Could it be political embarrassment?

Many may have forgotten that our first Executive President Mr Ong Teng Cheong, was paid, from recollection, around $700,000 per annum. He was humiliated in Parliament for asking a simple but important question – the total financial reserves of the country. He was told that it would take many, many man‐years for the answer. He was later given a shortened answer. It was a good question, our late President was merely doing his job, and yet this shabby treatment. Why?

Many Singaporeans have asked ‐ was he subsequently “punished” by not being accorded a state funeral? Yet his salary was only 16% of his successor’s annual renumeration. Why the need to raise it to such heights over the past few years? Our president’s role is mainly titular in nature. Could this be a way to “reward” a loyal supporter of the government? Or a preparation for the next incumbent?

So is there any wonder why there appears to be a growing disenchantment among Singaporeans with the ruling party’s leadership and its policies? Is there any wonder why Singaporeans are wondering whether self‐interests and protection of interests for the select few have replaced the best interests of the citizens at large?

Going back to HRM #2 – it is highly questionable that the myth has produced effective results. It also appears that cabinet ministers and MPs are out of touch with the ground.

In the current slate of candidates for the General Election of May 7, 2011, only a handful from the ruling party are from the private sector, the very sector from which they want to attract talent.

Perhaps many have joined the party for the “wrong” reasons? It has even been suggested that some in high governmental positions today would not be earning any where close to the salaries they are earning if they were to leave. Of course, there may be a few doctors or lawyers who may have made more money in the private sector. It is uncomfortable to read that a minister should even make a comment that the government “got him for cheap”. Did he lack political acumen or was it just plain arrogance? Perhaps he should have remained where he was?

We even have a minister who thinks nothing of saying “Let’s move on. Nobody is interested in the YOG anymore”, or words to that effect.

Really? Whose money paid for the YOG? The tax‐payers. Yet, this issue was brushed aside at a time when the electorate is voting in their new Parliament. Political naiveness?

The foundational question is ‐ Did our pioneering fathers join politics for monetary rewards? What has changed so much that the ruling party leaders now have to pay top dollars in order to attract the “right people” to join them?

Indeed Sylvia Lim has a point in voicing her opinion that with the wide divide in salary levels, how can the ministers be expected to share the same dreams as the ordinary people?

Hard Myth #3: Since Singapore is very small, and we have such a small pool of talent to pick from, it is not feasible to have two A teams. So stick with the ruling party as we have picked the best. And therefore, we don’t really need an opposition. (As a way of making sure many citizens agree with this viewpoint, the ruling party increased the number of NCMPs, as a way to debunk the need to have elected MPs from the opposition).

Yet the quality of candidates from the various parties has improved significantly, and many have sacrificed much in contesting the elections. And they have offered themselves to the Singaporean electorate.

And isn’t this what is necessary in Singapore? Why the need to assume that “right” talent must come from the army, scholars, CEOs and bright doctors, lawyers and professionals, selected only by the ruling party?

What happened to compassion, commitment, character, capability and calling? Did our first generation of leaders expect or demand astronomical salaries before they came forward to serve?

Thus, HM#3 indeed a myth.

Hard myth #4: In keeping with the myth that the ruling party has the lion’s share of talent, they therefore have the right to do everything possible to maintain in power. Any other group will bring Singapore down.

Of course, this means that the ruling party will do whatever is not illegal to remain in absolute power. The best example is gerrymandering after every election.

How does this serve the best interest of the people? Citizens are indeed treated like digits who can be literally kicked around to ensure that the ruling party wins at the polls again. There are countless examples of Singaporeans who are befuddled, bemused and even angry for this blatant use of power to ensure power is maintained.

So, whose interest is paramount – ordinary Singaporeans or the ruling party?

Conclusion:
Fellow Singaporeans, this is indeed a watershed election. If you believe the myths above are just myths, then the conclusion is clear.

Exercise your unalienable right to vote wisely, courageously and righteously.

Exercise your right to say, “You guys have done a good job, by and large, but you do NOT have a monopoly of good ideas and policies for the good of Singapore, now and in the future.

Exercise your right to get the message that across all ages and walks of life, ordinary citizens have feelings, they like to feel they can express alternative opinions. They genuinely want to be heard but not in a condescending manner.

Exercise your right to say, “Please be more accountable. Please stop paying yourselves salaries that just cannot be defended by any rational, common sense standards”.

Exercise your right in saying, “Please stop being so arrogant, and taking me for a person who can’t think. Please be gracious to at least genuinely apologise when mistakes are made. It’s all right, we do recognize you are human”.

Exercise your right to get the message, “Yes, economic growth and prosperity are important, but not at the expense of righteousness, justice, equality and compassion. Values remain critical for the soul of the nation”.

Think of the future, of the next generation and beyond. If power continues to remain in the hands of a selected few, absolute power can indeed corrupt, as observed by one philosopher centuries ago.

Do not be intimidated by veiled threats. This has happened before and has not worked. Ask yourselves ‐ can the ruling party really going to carry out its threat to “punish” those who vote against them? Are they going to penalize 40, 50 or more percent of our voting citizens? If they do, it merely confirms that change is even more imperative in Singapore. Bullying tactics may have worked in the past, but today, things are different.

Singapore really needs to have a strong alternative voice in Parliament. If the ruling party begins to believe it has a God‐given right to rule, and rule with absolute power, without checks and balances, without a true heart for the people, Singapore is heading for major storms.

And remember, your vote is indeed secret. The ruling party has so much more to lose if ever there is the smallest hint or truth that it voting is not secret. The opposition parties are there to ensure that this is maintained. It has been for decades; it won’t be changed on May 7, 2011.

In closing, those who believe in God, pray. Pray for discernment, wisdom, courage, justice, righteousness to prevail for the nation on May 7, 2011. Those who believe in other religions, philosophies or in themselves, spare a thought for the same virtues. Those who do not believe in any god, just think what is fair, just and reasonable – for yourself, family, neighbours and fellow citizens – today and in the future. And then vote. Do not spoil your vote. It will be a wasted opportunity if you did.

May 2, 2011

The Bundle of Sticks

Gintai_昇泰 — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 22:00:48 +0000

There lived in a village a wise old man and his three sons. The old man had lived a happy and content life and had saved enough money to give his three sons. “With the money I give them, they will be able to live a happy and comfortable life,” he thought.

Alas ! It was not to be. The three sons were always quarreling with each other. This made the old man very sad.

One day the old man fell very sick and felt that his end was near. “Please come and sit beside me,” he called out to his three sons. “I want you to do something for me.”

“What is it?” they asked him in unison.

He then took out a bundle if sticks tied tightly in the middle and gave it tili then. “Now, break this bundle for me.” he told them.

First the eldest brother tried with all his might but he couldn’t succeed. Then the other two brothers also tried and failed.

He then called them to his side. He took the bundle and untied the rope that bound them.

“I can now easily break the sticks one by one,” he told them. “Even though the sticks are of different lengths and thickness, when they were together they were unbreakable.”

“When the three if you leave your differences aside and stand together as one, then you will be much stronger and happier than you are now.”

The three sons learnt their lesson and from that day lived and worked with each other to live a happy life.

“Unity gives strength!”

The Clever Crow

Gintai_昇泰 — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 22:00:51 +0000

The summer sun was blazing above. The earth was parched and water was scarce. The ponds and lakes were drying up. The animals and birds could find very little water to drink.

There was a thirsty crow, looking for water everywhere. Not a single drop of water could he find. After a long search, he found a pot with a little water in it.

Unfortunately, the pot was huge and the water was deep down. There was no way the crow could reach the water. His throat was dry and he had to find a way to get to the water. The unfortunate crow felt as if he was going to die of thirst.

“There must be some way that I can reach the water,” he thought. “I have to find it.”

As he was desperately looking around, he saw pebbles on the ground.

An idea struck him. He started picking up the pebbles one by one. Then he dropped them into the pot. With each pebble that he dropped, the water rose a little higher.

After some time, he found that the water had risen enough for him to put his beak inside. He drank the water to his heart’s content. His thirst quenched, he flew away satisfied.

“Good use of our wits may help us out in our time of need

The Crows and The Snake

Gintai_昇泰 — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 22:00:46 +0000

Once upon a time there lived a pair of crows on a huge mango tree. They lived happily till a big snake made its home at the bottom of the tree.

One morning, when the crows went in search of food, the snake crawled up the tree and ate some of the eggs. When the crows came back, they were shocked to find some eggs missing.

As the days passed, the snake grew greedy and ate up all the eggs whenever the crow laid them. The helpless crows had to watch from a distance as they dared not attack the snake.

The female crow cried her heart out when she saw the empty egg shells. They decided that they couldn’t take this any more and decided to ask their friend, the wise fox for advice.

The fox came up with a plan. “In the morning, go to the river bank,” he said. “When the ladies from the royal family come to bathe, just pick up a necklace and drop it into the snake’s hole. Then watch what happens.”

Next morning, the female crow did exactly what the fox had told. Seeing this, the royal guards chased the crow. When the crow dropped the necklace into the snake’s hole, it came slithering out. Immediately one of the guards took out his spear and killed the snake.

The crows were happy to get rid of their enemy and lived happily on the same tree.

“If you are wise, you can overcome the greatest hurdle”

Curry Chicken Feast at TNM Crew Station

Gintai_昇泰 — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 22:00:46 +0000

On 9/02/2012 @12 noon at Tanah Merah Crew Station, we had a big curry chicken feast with tons of french loaf bread. This time round, it’s courtesy from Train Officers Raymee B Puteh and Ibrahim B Idris. TO Raymee paid for the costs on behalf of TO Ibrahim on the occasion of the birth of his first child.

TO Raymee is on the left with red shirt and TO Ibrahim with the yellow shirt. They seem just like brothers right?

This is not the first time nor the last we are having such big makan session at TNM. It is an established tradition since I first joined SMRT more than 16 yrs ago.

For every foreseeable reason or pretext, we would throw in a makan session for all staff once a while. I have lost count of the number of times I benefited from their generosity. Some from the Jurong Crew Station happen to take a driving break here also join us. All are welcomed. Just help yourself to the food freshly cooked steaming hot aromatic curry chicken placed on the table.

The last makan session was held sometime last month when our talented song lyrics and music score composer TO Zainol Ali threw a “Tulang” soup feast party. He just happened to reap in huge royalties for his music and he decided to share his dividends with us in the form of a makan session celebration. We congratulated his success. He is known to all the Malay stars here and across the causeway. He is a celebrity of sort in the Malay entertainment circuit so to speak.

TO Zainol Ali was an accomplished musician playing the guitar and piano before he joined SMRT as a Train Officer. He has created and composed a total of 58 Malay songs and an English song. Most his Malay songs are still popularly sung by Malaysian artistes and play over the Malay radio stations in Malaysia and Singapore. He ever composed musical tunes for Tracy Hung! He receives accumulated royalties for his songs each time they are played over the air.

The most memorable makan session was by Train Officer Peter Doc. When his train got problem and stalled, he bought the EMU consists numbers. He struck 4-D first prize winning thousands of dollars. He then threw a mother of all feasts lasting two full days! That was many years ago. Hope he strikes again so we can get free makan!

Yesterday’s blog post, I mentioned our indispensable Train Officer Steroid whose handyman’s expertise is always called upon whenever we need to fix something in the premises.

In fact, there are more hidden and undiscovered gems amongst Train Officers other than those varied interest groups amongst them. We have a group of fishing enthusiasts who regularly organize fishing trip to the seas or kelong, bicycle group that goes on annual ride to Pengerang in Johore, Karaoke group, wongal group, photography, Arabic language and of course soccer group who organizes teams for regular football matches just to name only a few. If you are looking for common interests, you will surely find them here.

As for bloggers only myself and Train Officer Naga. We are trying to recruit more members to join our bloggers’ group!

Even when I got promoted to Train Officer Grade 4 (highest grade) about 6 years ago, organized a makan session for all.

Whenever such makan session is planned, we always look for Train Officer Aziz Hedzir. He is always the official resident caterer for all our makan sessions or events in TNM.

The organizer of the makan session will usually get in touch with TO Aziz. They shall discuss the budget, menu, date and timing etc taking into account of his off days and calendar. TO Aziz will do the cooking, set up, putting up notices etc.

We have tested TO Aziz’s competence and it is proven over the years esp his curry chicken and “Tulang” soup which even taste better than the best in Singapore Makansutra’s list. He goes personally to Geylang Serai market to source for the fresh ingredients esp chicken and cook them himself! If you need an efficient reliable food caterer, you may engage him by leaving a message here.

Like I say earlier, there are many more talented traits amongst the 140 Train Officers in TNM capable of anything. Some of them are reservists in the Civil Defence and Special Ops Forces! As such, the younger ones could just change uniforms and go to war if necessary!

Train Officer Peter Doc – below pic enjoying his meal.

That was the most satisfying makan session in recent memory cuz it was commissioned by a Train Officer for another Train Officer. It’s unprecedented in the history of our Train Crew stations!

We are already looking forward for the next feast esp. during the Haji season when someone goes on a Haj, a smaller scale treat is usually given.

Tanah Merah Crew Station

Gintai_昇泰 — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 22:00:27 +0000

Yesterday (7/2/2012) at Tanah Merah Crew Station was considered a big event. We got ourselves a brand new state of the art 40 inches LED wall mounted Toshiba TV. We paid $999 after discount. Original price was $1,299.

Every year in December after we got our 13th month, each of us contributes $10 to the tea fund. It is kept with our Tea Fund committee. Same as in July another $10 from each of us to the fund.

The fund is used to purchase some useful items in the crew room such as cups, glasses, utensils, bread toaster or ironing board etc. Some of electrical appliances such as Home Theatre, DVD player were also purchased from the fund.

The company gives a monthly subsidy for tea, coffee, sugar and other beverages. There is a hot water dispenser installed in the pantry also. Two micro ovens for Muslim and Non Muslim foods were also indented by the company. A smaller 32 inches TV was also given by the company.

We decided to pamper ourselves using our own funds for the 40 inches TV. The smaller TV is routed to Changi depot since that TV is spoilt. Nothing is wasted here.

When the new TV was delivered here, we had to dismantle the old TV and assemble the new set. It’s a lot of work. As usual, we get Train Officer “Steroid” to do the work. He is an expert craftsman on TV antenna, electrical wiring, plumbing, computer DIY etc. He will settle any DIY issues. We just back him up and follow his orders.

From the above picture, you can see handyman Steroid at work. He is fixing the brackets onto the wall for the new TV. He has got his range of professional tools and powerful Hilti drill. He is an expert on customizing tv antenna too.

After a while with everyone’s help, it was finally done. Very professionally done and the new tv nicely mounted.

We are expecting another round of overdue renovation in our crew room. In the meantime we could just enjoy the tv on our in between breaks!

Retard at Nanyang Polytechnic

Gintai_昇泰 — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 22:00:54 +0000

I just happened to found this piece of document. It may be rubbish to others but I’m sure it meant a lot to the owner. It was with me for about a week. The owner stays in Tebans Gardens. It’s quite far away from my place in Pasir Ris.

Of course, I could just take the easy way out by mailing it to the address. But then what if it is lost in the mail? Or that it could be crumbled about?

I have since lost faith on our commercialized postal services where they are more concerned in making profits by selling all kinds of unrelated items other than stick with providing efficient basic postal services.

I happen to visit someone weekly at AMK Ave 6 and Nanyang Polytechnic is nearby. The piece of document (diploma) is issued by NYP. Since it is such an important document, I decided to personally hand deliver it to NYP.

On 5/2/2012 (Sun), I put that document in an envelope and drove to NYP on my way home after that AMK Ave 6 visit. It was 9.30pm when I told the security guard at the entrance of NYP that I found this original diploma issued by NYP and I was handing it to him. Hopefully he could pass it to the NYP Admin Office the next morning for necessary action.

That security guard dressed in a smart uniform with long sleeve shirt and tie stopped me when I was about to go off. He called on the telephone – presumably his office or superior and spoke for about 5 mins.

I didn’t want any recognition. I just wanted to hand over this piece of NYP diploma and then go back home. At least, I have done my part. No need letter of appreciation or commendation.

To my horror, the said security guard refused to accept the NYP diploma. He handed it back to me. He smugly told me to come back in the morning during office hours and bring it to the admin office of NYP!

I retorted that he could easily do that. He could have passed it to the staff since they work in NYP. It’s so easy for him to do it rather than me staying in Pasir Ris. I also had to work the next day.

That retard refused to budge. He refused to listen to my plea for reason. I told him to be reasonable. He said “we are only in charge of security matters. It is not within our area of responsibility!” Sorry Sir, you got to do it yourself. We can’t help you!

In my line of work, if a passenger hands over any found item, sometimes even rubbish, we as train officers, still have to accept it thanking the finder. We will then hand over to our station staff and try our best to locate the owner of the item.

Could we just tell the passenger whom hands over an item that it is not within my job scope or responsibility? Can I tell the public that my job is ONLY to drive the train. It is not in my job description to receive any found item? If that passenger were to lodge a complaint, I assure you that the train officer will get the sack!

What if that diploma belongs to your daughter and is treated in such a manner by that retard in NYP? How would you feel? Just because it is of no concern to you or your job scope, you don’t bother about it even though you are getting paid indirectly by NYP? Even by this blatant idiotic act, that retard still keeps his job. He still thinks that it is business as usual. Unlike us train officers there is no question of getting the sack if we were to adopt the same attitude as him!

When I related this incident to some of my colleagues all kinds of expletives you can imagine flew from them. They felt that retard is being selfish. How could such a person be in their employ?

No amount of logic or reasoning could get into his idiotic head! Exasperated, I told him that I would lodge a complaint against him. He was looking pleased with my intention and encouraged me to proceed with it. KNN! Really Langgar Terus!

This is the typical mindset of our present selfish “Bo Chap” generation lacking in EQ and having serious attitude problem. Just follow by the rule book and nothing or nobody can touch me. If it is unrelated to my job scope or area of responsibility, it is none of my business. To them – It is just as simple that. Is it really so?

The above true incident clearly reflects our failure as a society. What is happening to our society? Our work culture and work attitudes? Where is the warmth and helpfulness of our people?

I left Nanyang Polytechnic with the undelivered diploma on my slow drive home listening to my favourite chanting in the background and wondering why NYP entrusted such an idiot in guarding their premises?

I left with a sad heavy heart. That was the most shocking encounter I ever had.

PS: This article was emailed to nyp_registry@nyp.gov.sg

This is the official reply from NYP which I received a week later via email.

Dear Sir,

We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused over this matter.

NYP has conducted an investigation concerning this matter. We have warned the security company concerned about the service lapse and to improve their service to prevent a recurrence. Our security service provider has been constantly instructed to be courteous to and render assistance as and when needed.

We are grateful for your kind gesture and effort in returning the document. We can collect this document from you at your convenience. Please feel free to contact Tan Wah Long @ Tel: 65500310 or via email for any enquiry or clarification.

Thank you for your feedback and understanding.

With best regards,

for Estates Management Dept
Nanyang Polytechnic

Golden Beach Seafood Paradise Restaurant – Changi Golf Club

Gintai_昇泰 — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 22:00:56 +0000

Today is the last day of CNY. The year of the Dragon will be with us for the rest of the year. Chinese celebrate CNY for 15 days. After the 15th day, it is back to normal. Business as usual.

Instead of today, we decided to celebrate the 15th day of CNY earlier. We celebrated yesterday (6/2/2012). The reason being that yesterday was a Sunday. Today is Monday which is a working day.

As usual, I requested my good friend Freddie Tan to book a table for us at Golden Beach Restaurant in Changi Golf Club. He is usually there over the weekend for golf and gathering with his friends.

We opted for the CNY package at $248. We ended up paying $300 with all the taxes and three glasses of beer. There are eight dishes comprising Raw Salman Yusheng, Sharks’ Fin, Steamed Prawns, Steamed Garlic Fish, Pig Trotters German style, Cabbage With Ham, Lotus Leaf Rice and Dessert. We wanted to add their famous Peking Duck but was not available during this CNY period.

The service was mediocre and the food unspectacular. Partly due to the almost full capacity, service standard was not up to the mark. For example, the lime water used to wash our hands arrived after we have finished eating our prawns.

The fish was the worst. It’s definitely a frozen fish with much blood inside. It was not properly thawed before cooking. The flesh was in bits and pieces showing signs of cold storage. I think the seagulls will also not touch it.

The pig trotter German style was soft and not crispy at all. The ham for the cabbage was extremely salty just like eating salted fish!

Only the Sharks’ Fin and the dessert were consumable! Before this current management, the place was run by Ban Heng which was so much better. It was a branch of Ban Heng – an established Teochew Restaurant HQ at Towner / Bendemeer Rd opposite the Sikh temple.

The above feedback was promptly conveyed to the manager. He appeared apologetic but non committal. He didn’t offer any manner of assuaging our unhappiness. Well this is free market right. We are free to choose the best in terms of service and value.

The last time we had our dinner at a restaurant in Changi Beach Club. That was an awesome experience with the same pricing. The service standards and food quality were impeccable until my brother who is ever so frugal decided to offer $20 tip on top of the usual taxes and service charges.

This time he refused to offer any tip to the staff at Golden Beach Restaurant in Changi Golf Club. But I gave a red packet to a young Chinaman waiter who was running up and down like an blue arse fly.

Nigel was discussing his CNY trip to Perth in Western Australia. If I were to know earlier, I would have asked him to visit my friend Nik there.

James was looking forward to his family flying over from Vancouver, Canada during the March holidays. He was planning a dinner for them at the other restaurant in Changi Beach Club.

The highlight of the evening was that my 13 yr old son blurted out aloud that he loved Sharks’ Fin but “I pity the sharks!”. I then asked him if I were to throw him into sharks infested water, would the sharks pity him? Why don’t you pity the pigs, chickens, goats and fish since you also like to eat them? Now we have learnt the effects of propaganda at work by those civic interest groups. They are really langgar!

My brother Nigel was impressed by our descriptions of our recent dinning experience at the other restaurant in the nearby Changi Beach Club. He would drop by with his family soon to see for himself.

It was another CNY and another long year before the next CNY. Hopefully we will have another CNY dinner. My wish is to have more such CNY dinners in future.

I wish everyone here all the best in the Year of the Dragon! May The God Of Fortune Be With You! Huat Ah!

PS: This article was emailed to goldenbeachrest@yahoo.com

Appearances are deceptive

Gintai_昇泰 — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 22:00:51 +0000

There once lived a busy little ant in a garden. One day he came across a chrysalis that was hanging from the leaf of a plant.

Going closer, he saw the creature unable to do anything but move its tail. “You poor creature. What a sad fate you have. While I can run about everywhere, you lie here imprisoned in your cocoon.”

A few days later when the ant passed by, he peered into the cocoon but saw only an empty shell.

“Behold in me,” said the chrysalis, which had changed into a most beautiful butterfly. “I can go to places where your legs can never reach and see things you can only dream of.” So saying the butterfly rose in the air and flew away.

“Appearances are deceptive”

The Wicked Fox And The Wise Crane

Gintai_昇泰 — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 22:00:14 +0000

In a certain forest lived a smart crane and a wicked fox.The fox was jealous of the crane’s wisdom and always thought of ways to put him down.

One day, he went to the crane and said, “I am making some special food. Why don’t you join me for dinner?”

The crane gladly accepted the invitation. The sly fox served the food in a shallow dish.

The crane found it difficult to eat out of a shallow bowl and couldn’t get any of the food into his mouth.

The fox slurped the food, without bothering to ask the crane how he was doing. The crane now understood his prank. As he was leaving, he told the fox, “I had a delicious dinner at your place. Now it is your turn to join me for dinner tomorrow night.”

The fox happily agreed. The next night, the wicked fox arrived sharp on time. He was awaiting a sumptuous dinner at the crane’s house.

The crane served a fish dinner that had a very mouth-watering smell. He served the food on a tall jar with a very narrow neck. The fox was irritated. He just couldn’t reach the food. He could only lick the brim of the jar and sniff the tempting aroma. He was very angry and he knew he couldn’t do anything about it.

The fox realized his mistake and went away hungry.

“Do not play tricks on anybody unless you can stand the same treatment yourself.”

My mistake, My apology! 对不起！抱歉 !

Gintai_昇泰 — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 22:00:43 +0000

Reactions from different women in different places when their miniskirt’s accidentally torn.

Japan, Tokyo
A man accidently tore a girl’s short miniskirt in Tokyo. Before the guy had a chance to apologize, the single lady took a 90 degree bow, then said: “I am sorry to give you trouble! The quality of the skirt is not all that good.” Then she took out a pin, put the skirt back together and left.

各國女人裙子破了的反應~~~

日本東京
在川流不息的銀座廣場，一日本男子不小心刮開了一日本單身女人的超短裙。日本男人還沒有開口，那日本單身女人一個90度的大鞠躬︰不好意思，給您添麻煩了！都怪裙子的品質不好……說完，取出一個別針別好，又匆匆走掉。

Times Square, New York
A man accidently tore a girl’s miniskirt. Before the guy had a chance to react, the single lady pull out a name card, gave it to him and said: “This is my lawyer’s business card. He will contact you about this sexual harassment. It is better that you prepare yourself, then we will see you in court.”

美國紐約
在人來人往的時代廣場，一美國男子不小心刮開了一美國單身女人的超短裙。美國男人還沒開口，那美國單身女人立刻從身上摸出一張名片來︰這是我律師的電話，他會找你細談關于你性騷擾我的事情，你可以做好準備，我們法庭上見. .. . 說完記下美國男子的姓名電話，揚頭走掉。

Paris, France
A French man accidently tore a girls’ miniskirt. Before the man opened his mouth, the young single lady said with a smile: “If you do not mind, a red rose can represent your apology.” The French man bought her a rose, then they went to a bar, and lastly, they went to a small hotel discussing what was in the miniskirt.

法國巴黎
在聞名于世的凱旋門廣場上，一法國男子不小心刮開了一法國單身女人的超短裙。法國男人還沒開口，那法國單身女人咯咯一笑，然後細手搭肩的說道︰如果你不介意的話，送我一枝玫瑰來向我道歉…….說完。法國男人從花店買了一枝玫瑰，還請她去酒吧喝上一杯，然後兩人一起去一家小旅館再研究一下超短裙以內的事情了……

Thymes, England
In the Church Square by Thymes, an English man accidently tore the mini skirt of a young single lady. Before the English man opened up his mouth, the young lady covered her tore spot, then said with a blush on her face: “Do you mind take me home sir? I live very close…” The English man took his jacket off, put on her shoulders, call a cab, then took her home safely.

英國倫敦
在泰晤士河邊的教堂廣場上，一英國男子不小心刮開了一英國單身女人的超短裙。英國男人還沒開口，那英國單身女人忙用手裡的報紙遮住裙子開了的部分，紅著臉說︰先生，可以先送我回家嗎？我家就在前面不遠. .. . . .. 說完。英國男人把自己的上衣脫下來，披在她身上。叫了一輛Taxi，安全的把她送到家，又換了一件裙子。

Chong Qing, China
A man accidently cut open the miniskirt of a young lady. Before the man said anything, the young lady slapped the guy, then: “You, the sex maniac. Dare to take advantage of me, I will send you to the labor camp…”

中國重慶
在人頭簇動的解放碑前，一重慶男子不小心刮開了一重慶單身女人的超短裙。重慶男人還沒開口，那重慶單身女人揚手一記響亮的耳光，還抓住重慶男人的脖領子不放︰你這個不要臉的傢伙！敢吃老娘豆腐，送你去勞改…

Taiwan, Shimending
A man accidently tore a girl’s short miniskirt. Before the guy started to speak, the girl smiled and said: “We have not come up with a price yet, and are you going to inspect the merchandise?”

台灣西門町
在台灣的西門町裡，一台客不小心刮開了一女學生的超短學生裙。台客還沒開口，那個女學生咯咯一笑，對著你說：價錢還沒談攏就要先看貨了啊！

Hong Kong
In the Times Square of Hong Kong, a man accidently tore a girl’s miniskirt. She was only 18 years old. Before the man opened his mouth, the girl screamed: “#%^€£ your €£¥£€, you think I am the cheap close out item on the street? Watch out, I will find someone to peel your skin.”

香港銅鑼灣
在人山人海的時代廣場，一中年男子不小心刮開了一年約! 18女生的超短裙。中年男人還沒有開口，那女生就大聲:我操你老母！你當我是站路邊的便宜貨啊. 小心我去找人來收你的皮….

Korea
On the street of Yinchong, a man accidently tore a girl’s miniskirt. Before the man could speak, the girl gave him a round kick, then said: “Don’t you know that I am a second degree black belt in Tai Kwan Dao.”

韓國斧山
在斧山的街上，一中年男子不小心刮開了一年約18女生的超短裙。中年男人還沒有開口，那女生二話不說便踢出一個彈跳迴旋踢，然後冷冷地說:你不知道我是跆拳道黑帶二段嗎?

Bangkok, Thailand
A man accidently tore the miniskirt of an 18 year’s old girl. Before the man could start to apologize, the girl said with a Buddha hand gesture: “No worries honey … we are all men.”

泰國曼谷
在曼谷的街上，一中年男子不小心刮開了一年約18女生的超短裙。中年男人忙亂地道歉，那女生優雅地雙手合十於面前，緩慢地作一姿勢優美的敬禮，以嬌人欲滴的聲音說:別介意，先生…..大家都是男人！

This is the world we live in. It may be a small blue planet, but there are so many different cultures and societies in different parts of world. The same scenario gives different reactions and outcomes depending on where is the place.

Mmmm… I wonder what would be our local girl’s reaction to the same scenario? Call the police? See her MP? Go to CASE?

Have a great weekend.

From Goh KK

My Pontiac is allergic to Vanilla Ice Cream!

Gintai_昇泰 — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 22:00:09 +0000

A complaint was received by the Pontiac Division of General Motors:

“This is the second time I have written to you, and I don’t blame you for not answering me, because I sounded crazy, but it is a fact that we have a tradition in our family of Ice-Cream for dessert after dinner each night.

But the kind of ice cream varies so, every night, after we’ve eaten, the whole family votes on which kind of ice cream we should have and I drive down to the store to get it. It’s also a fact that I recently purchased a new Pontiac and since then my trips to the store have created a problem.

You see, every time I buy a vanilla ice-cream, when I start back from the store my car won’t start. If I get any other kind of ice cream, the car starts just fine. I want you to know I’m serious about this question, no matter how silly it sounds:

“What is there about a Pontiac that makes it not start when I get vanilla ice cream, and easy to start whenever I get any other kind?”

The Pontiac President was understandably skeptical about the letter, but sent an Engineer to check it out anyway. The latter was surprised to be greeted by a successful, obviously well educated man in a fine neighborhood.

He had arranged to meet the man just after dinner time, so the two hopped into the car and drove to the ice cream store. It was vanilla ice cream that night and, sure enough, after they came back to the car, it wouldn’t start.

The Engineer returned for three more nights. The first night, they got chocolate. The car started. The second night, he got strawberry. The car started. The third night he ordered vanilla. The car failed to start.

Now the Engineer, being a logical man, refused to believe that this man’s car was allergic to vanilla ice cream. He arranged, therefore, to continue his visits for as long as it took to solve the problem. And toward this end he began to take notes: he jotted down all sorts of data: time of day, type of gas uses, time to drive back and forth etc. In a short time, he had a clue : the man took less time to buy vanilla than any other flavor.

Why? The answer was in the layout of the store. Vanilla, being the most popular flavor, was in a separate case at the front of the store for quick pickup. All the other flavors were kept in the back of the store at a different counter where it took considerably longer to check out the flavor.

Now, the question for the Engineer was why the car wouldn’t start when it took less time.

Once time became problem – not the vanilla ice cream Eureka!

The engineer quickly came up with the answer: “vapour lock”. It was happening every night; but the extra time taken to get the other flavors allowed the engine to cool down sufficiently to start. When the man got vanilla, the engine was still too hot for the vapour lock to dissipate.

Remember:
Even crazy looking problems are sometimes real and all problems seem to be simple only when we find the solution with a cool thinking.

Don’t just say it’s “IMPOSSIBLE” without putting a sincere effort…

Observe the word “IMPOSSIBLE” carefully… Looking closer you will see, “I’M POSSIBLE”…

What really matter is your attitude and your perception!

Read about Pontiac cars here.

William Shakespeare – The Greatest Writer

Gintai_昇泰 — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 22:00:43 +0000

William Shakespeare (baptised 26 April 1564; died 23 April 1616) was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world’s pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England’s national poet and the “Bard of Avon”. His surviving works, including some collaborations, consist of about 38 plays, 154 sonnets, two long narrative poems, and several other poems. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed more often than those of any other playwright.

Chinese Premier Mr Wen Jiabao while visiting William Shakespeare’s home in Stratford-upon-Avon during a trip to the U.K. in June 2011 said …

“I read and reread many of Shakespeare’s plays as a young man, and I have watched some of his plays, such as Twelfth Night, Othello, King Lear and Hamlet. His works were not to be read only once or even ten times. They must be read up to a hundred times to be fully understood.”

“When I read Shakespeare’s first play, I already felt I belonged to him. When I read all of his plays, I felt like a blind man finally seeing the whole world.”

Just like current Premier of China – affectionately known as Grandpa Wen, I’m also very fond of Shakespeare. I never grow tire of him. In fact, I keep going back to read some of his sonnets and my favourite quotations from his plays and poems. Those golden verses written by him more than 400 years ago still hold true.

Like what grandpa Wen says – we need to read Shakespeare’s works over and over again to gain more insight into its full complete meaning. Not only those words uttered by the great bard are relevant till today but I also enjoy the manner and style rendered. The imagery is so real and graphic that it really strikes a chord each time I recite them.

My understanding of Shakespeare matures with my age. As I grow older I find him simply irresistible. Just like old wine mellows with age.

When I was a student in the early 1980s, I remember vividly reading an article in our local Straits Times written by a returned China scholar in his 40s on Shakespeare. Let me sidetrack a little with some background information.

After President Nixon formally established diplomatic relations with China many scholars from China were sent to US universities to pursue western science and technology.

Imagine China’s 1 billion population then. 1% of China’s population is 10 million. 0.1% is 100 thousands. When we say scholars it means the best brains in the country or creme de la creme.

Paramount leader Deng Xiopeng sent thousands of China’s top scholars to top US universities such as Harvard and the Ivy league campuses. Those scholars were in their middle ages usually professors or academics who were specialists in their own respective fields. China did not believe in sending young immature nobodies overseas.

Hence, those accomplished middle aged Chinese scholars sought to learn from the best of the western world in the fields of cutting age science and technology. But then they were trained only in the Chinese language in China’s best universities. They were mono lingual.

When those brilliant scholars – the best China could produce, got interned in US universities, they had to start a crash course in English. American universities don’t teach in Chinese.

According to that Straits Times article, for the 1st two to three years, they did nothing but to learn English from ABC. They need to master English fast before they could receive instruction from the American professors on science and technology subjects.

Some of us took a lifetime and yet could never master English. But those Chinese middle aged scholars were different. They were the best brilliant minds out of the 1,000 million broad base of humanity.

We all know that to learn and master English we must study English literature. It is the same as learning Chinese, French, Japanese or any languages where one need to be immersed in that language of literature in order to excel. William Shakespeare is major part of English literature.

Now back to that Chinese scholar’s article in The Straits Times I read in the early 1980s. The writer said that personally the only best outcome of the grand scheme of things is that he got acquainted with William Shakespeare. Since he had to learn the English language, he was introduced to Shakespeare in the process.

That Chinese scholar waxed lyrical about Shakespeare. Prior to that, he never knew that human existence and dramatic tribulations could be so poignant and surreal. The poetic language of expressions and imagery are so beautiful and eternal that he was so overcome with joy and gratitude.

More than 30 years after reading that article, I could still vividly recall. I tried searching in the micro film archive for that particular article in the library but to no avail. My greatest regret is that I fail to preserve a copy of that article.

I need not heap praises on Shakespeare. Any competent English educated will know Shakespeare. It is a requirement in any English language course. When I sat for my Advanced level English, Shakespeare is one of three papers. Critical Appreciation and Victorian Novels being the other papers.

I’ll blog on some of my favourite quotations on other time. I’ll just concentrate on the most famous and dissected soliloquy in English literature spoken in Hamlet.

To be, or not to be: that is the question:
Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them? To die: to sleep;
No more; and, by a sleep to say we end
The heart-ache and the thousand natural shocks
That flesh is heir to, ’tis a consummation
Devoutly to be wish’d. To die, to sleep;
To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there’s the rub;
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,
Must give us pause. There’s the respect
That makes calamity of so long life;
For who would bear the whips and scorns of time,
The oppressor’s wrong, the proud man’s contumely,
The pangs of dispriz’d love, the law’s delay,
The insolence of office, and the spurns
That patient merit of the unworthy takes,
When he himself might his quietus make
With a bare bodkin? Who would fardels bear,
To grunt and sweat under a weary life,
But that the dread of something after death,
The undiscover’d country from whose bourn
No traveller returns, puzzles the will,
And makes us rather bear those ills we have,
Than fly to others that we know not of?
Thus conscience doth make cowards of us all;
And thus the native hue of resolution
Is sicklied o’er with the pale cast of thought,
And enterprises of great pith and moment
With this regard their currents turn awry,
And lose the name of action.

Hamlet Act 3.1
W Shakespeare (1564-1616)

What’s the meaning behind “To be or not to be?”

He is contemplating life – to live or not to live.

“Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or to take arms against a sea of troubles, and by opposing end them?” What he’s saying is: “Is it better to bear the painful burden of life, or to refuse the burden by killing yourself?”

Life is so full of pain, (“the whips and scorns of time, the oppressor’s wrong, the proud man’s contumely, the pangs of despised love”) why do we continue to live when we could just kill ourselves and end the pain (“to die, to sleep, no more, and by a sleep to say we end the heartache and the thousand natural shocks that flesh is heir to”)?

The only thing stopping us is our fear of the unknown, so we choose life over the risk of possible damnation. (“the undiscovered country from which no man returns, puzzles the will, and makes us rather bear those ills we have than fly to others we know not of”)

He rationalizes that the reason we are afraid is because we think too much and as a result we fail to act. (“thus conscience doth make cowards of us all, and thus the native hue of resolution is sicklied o’er with the pale cast of thought”) He knows the reason he has yet to take revenge on his uncle is because he thinks instead of acts when he has the opportunity (“and enterprises of great pitch and moment, with this regard their currents turn awry, and lose the name of action”)

General Kwan’s Bamboo Poem – 关帝诗竹

Gintai_昇泰 — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 22:00:09 +0000

不谢东君意，丹青独立名，
莫嫌孤叶淡，终久不凋零！

I acquired this replica bamboo painting from a Chinese bookstore at Bras Basah Complex sometime in 1990 at $168. It is worth every cent. This is my favorite painting.

The painting was displayed at my office in Bedok Police Station when I was an Investigation Officer. It followed me to Gambling Suppression Branch / CID at Robinson Road when I was head hunted and posted there after seven officers (IO with his team of detectives) were hauled up by CPIB.

The painting then moved on to two other HDB flats I bought and sold. [I didn't make any profits cuz both were resale flats. In fact, I lost nearly 50K on the 2nd flat] Now it is finally hung here in Pasir Ris. Every now and then I would just stare and admire it’s plain beauty and simplicity.

There is no original painting of the above in this world. Only replicas. Many years after the artist’s passing, someone engraved it on a stone wall. From there, replicas are made and proliferated.

General Guan Yu or Kwan Kung lived from AD160 – AD219 during the Eastern Han dynasty. That’s nearly 2,000 years ago. He is one of the best known and well loved historical icon throughout the Chinese world. His exploits are fictionised and immortalized in “The Romance of Three Kingdoms” – a great Chinese historical literature. He is revered and worshipped by the Chinese.

Let’s analyze the simple painting. There are only two stalks of bamboo with lots of bamboo leaves. We know bamboo trees can never be uprooted by strong winds. They bend and sway with the powerful winds. They are majestic and sturdy throughout all seasons.

Often Chinese artists like to draw bamboo – sometimes with pandas cuz Chinese value it’s qualities of resilience and poise. It’s timeless gracefulness and stoical existence inspire generations of artists to capture them in their works of art.

According to legend, General Kwan drew this bamboo poem. The two verses are not supposed to be written on the side of the painting. In its original, the poems were embedded or rather incorporated within the bamboo leaves. Only by examining those bamboo leaves then only the poem can be deciphered and interpreted.

Why is it written in such a way? We need to understand the circumstances under which General Kwan painted the bamboo with the hidden poem.

Actually General Kwan was under the “captivity” of Cao Cao – the most powerful warlord then. General Kwan was treated with the utmost respect and accorded full honours with limitless privileges. Cao Cao tried ways and means for 12 years to co-opt him into his army. Unlike the MIWs, neither high salary nor “directorships” tempt him. He had no monetary value and cannot be bought!

General Kwan’s loyalty to his master and sworn brother Liu Bei was beyond question. General Kwan was worried that Liu Bei might doubt his integrity. So he decided to draw the bamboo painting as a gift to Liu Bei. When Cao Cao saw the painting, he didn’t think much of it and let it pass through.

Even with my severely limited Chinese knowledge, I have memorized the two verses and could recite with ease.

The 1st verse says no thanks to the lord or host – referring to warlord Cao Cao. General Kwan declines the latter’s overtures and favours. His heart is still steadfast and loyal to his only master.

The 2nd verse tells the reader not to belittle the withered and insignificant bamboo leaf. The leaf may be withered but it will never drop. It will hang on tenaciously no matter what happened. In other words, General Kwan was telling his master and sworn brother Liu Bei that he was still loyal to him. Do not doubt his integrity. He is an honorable lieutenant.

You can imagine when Liu Bei received that painting from General Kwan, he was so much overwhelmed!

That is why in the Chinese community whether it’s the mainstream or underworld triad gangsters, General Kwan is still revered and worshipped for his code of conduct and honour. He cannot be bought. No amount of money can seduce him.

In every police station in Hong Kong, General Kwan is worshipped. The underworld triad gangsters also endorsed him. Almost all the Chinese police officers either in Hong Kong, Singapore or elsewhere and the underworld mafia honour General Kwan for his universal traits.

Even in ancient China, many successive emperors bestowed title after title posthumously to General Kwan until his status is elevated to that of King, Emperor and even Bodhisattva. Taoism, Buddhism and Confucianism regard him highly as an icon of loyalty, honour and justice.

Throughout the years, I have collected some images big or small of General Kwan in different poses either in full battle gear or otherwise i.e. standing, reading or riding a horse.

General Kwan appeared in this world nearly 2,000 years ago. It looks like he will outlive us for eternity!

Read related article here.

Read about Zhuge Liang – the greatest Chinese scholar and military strategist.

Read about General Kwan from another perspective.

不谢东君意，丹青独立名，
莫嫌孤叶淡，终久不凋零！

关帝诗竹的传说：
传说关羽身居曹营十二年，没有被曹操的重赏厚禄而动心，仍然时时刻刻挂念着刘备，朝夕思归。后来,当他斩颜良，诛文丑之后，方知刘备在袁绍处，急切想归。但又恐自己在曹营被待为上宾，刘备疑其心变，便作画＂风雨竹＂，借竹名佳节壮，以喻自己虽人在曹营而不辱名失节。此画别具风格，由片片竹叶组成字的诗文。从画的鉴赏角度看，两棵竹子栩栩如生，形象逼真，字丝毫无损于画；从字的角度看，把字巧妙的揉在画中，画中带字，字画相兼，构思精巧，艺术高超。凡有幸观赏者，无不为之惊叹。风雨竹所组成的诗是：＂不谢东君意，丹青独立名。莫嫌孤叶淡，终久不凋零。＂前两句形如雨竹，其意为：竹子受到人们的喜爱而享有盛名，是靠自己一年四季挺拔清秀，并不因时令的变化而盛衰。后两句恰似风竹，其意为：莫嫌竹子叶疏清淡，但却长久青翠，永不枯败凋零。＂东君＂是双关，表面上指东风、春风，说我竹子茁壮成长不以来你东风吹拂，我并不感激你什么；另一层面的意思是指＂东家＂曹操，因为关公当时客寓曹公。关公如今要离开曹操，护二嫂、寻大哥，并不感谢曹操的封赠。关羽作画后，便封金挂印，保护二位皇嫂偷偷离开曹营，过五关,斩六将，立尽艰辛，终于同刘备、张飞两兄弟团聚了。后人把这幅风雨竹画刻在石碑上，称之为关帝诗竹碑。

帘卷西风 (15/01/2009)

宁可我负天下人，不教天下人负我。
曹操

The above Chinese article is reproduced from here.

Sultana Book Store – Peace Centre

Gintai_昇泰 — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 22:00:48 +0000

Sultana Book Store
Peace Centre
#02-14
Tel: 6337 2387
HP: 9850 4019
email: sultanabooks@pacific.net.sg

It is owned and run by Mr Kwok. He is there virtually everyday from 11am to 8pm. But do give him a call if you are dropping by.

For many years, I have been getting my fix there. It is one of the disappearing second hand bookstores in Singapore. From the news, we have heard of many bookstores such as Borders and PageOne at Vivio City having folded up recently.

Soon all those bookstores will be gone. Mr Kwok lamented that he is also about to close his bookstore cuz there are fewer and fewer customers. Most of our young spend too much time on television, internet and the new social media. Whatever time left is spent on their school textbooks and class assignments.

With the long working hours and the endless demands at our workplace in this highly competitive globalized environment, it is indeed a luxury to read a good novel.

From the photos taken you will notice that the place is inundated with books. Books and more books everywhere on the shelves, floor, cabinets, desks, every nook and cranny. If you are on the heavy side, you may not be able to squeeze your way through.

If you are standing in one of the rows of shelves, you’ll need to come out for the other person to get in or out. If you’re not careful and langgar the shelves, an avalanche of books will fall on you. This is the only bookstore that you need to navigate your way gingerly without knocking onto the books or stepping onto the books lying about everywhere on the floor. Really langgar dah!

My advice is you just ask Mr Kwok whatever book you have in mind and he will locate it for you. He knows where he kept it if it is available. No point searching in the maze for your particular book or author.

Sultana bookstore sells all kinds of books i.e. novels, best sellers, travels, magazines, textbooks, literature books, religious and philosophical books etc. There are even some Chinese and foreign languages books.

Mr Kwok is like a walking encyclopedia of books esp novels. Books of bygone era and long dead authors he could even resurrect them for you. He may not have read all those novels but at least he knows some basics or gist of them if you just mention some obscure title or descriptions pertaining to the book you are looking for.

He reads voraciously whilst tending to his bookstore. I have seen some students in school uniform sitting on the floor in a corner browsing those books for hours. He just doesn’t bother at all. He will leave you alone and not chase you out even if you are there to browse freely and treat it like a public library. He is never concerned whether you buy his books. Where on earth can you find such a bookstore?

I still remember some of the authors he recommended me. One of them is Stephen Hunter. On his recommendation, I have read the “47th Samurai” and “Point of Impact”. I must say they are fantastic read. I didn’t know that Stephen Hunter could write about Remington rifles, Sniper and Samurai swords so well. Nobody beats him on that genre. Some of his novels are made into movies.

I ever emailed him to source for a book entitled “The Way of The White Clouds” written by a German Buddhist Lama. It is either out of print or almost impossible to get. He found me 2 copies. It is a moving account of Tibet before the Chinese invasion. I also got a whole set of Dr Lobsang Tuesday Rampa’s books for a song. His books are now out of print. I also bought few copies from him Lost Horizon by James Hilton and “The old man and the sea” by Ernest Hemingway.

Sultana Bookstore has a large collection of religious books catering to all faiths. Even Hindu books about Yogis and Gurus are aplenty. Muslim or Christian books are also available. Most of my Tibetan Buddhist books are bought here. They are very expensive at Evergreen or Awareness Place Buddhist bookstores.

For more than 30 years since my student days, I have patronized Sultana Bookstore which originated from those old pre-war shophouses at Bras Basah Road. It shifted to Peace Centre. Mr Kwok then took over Sultana Bookstore more than 10 years ago. Bras Basah Road shophouses used to be a second hand book lovers’ heaven for students and working adults.

I still remember I used to hang out at the back lane off Rendezvous Hotel where Saint Bookstore was located. It is rather nostalgic for me. Time flies. More than 30 years just slipped by with the blink of an eye!

One reason why I hoard copies of rare books is that soon there won’t be any more hard copy books. It will be in digital format popularized by Amazon’s Kindle and the like. It’s a fact the famous “Encyclopedia” is no longer in production – maybe it’s due to online Wikipedia!

In the near future, most probably during our lifetime, hard copy books will be a rarity and expensive if any especially those out of print valuable collectors’ antique books. I shall play my part by leaving a small legacy of excellent books for my son. Hopefully he enjoys reading or else it will be an exercise in futility.

Mr Kwok certainly enjoys reading. How I wish to be like him when I retire! I could read all the books I want for free and look after a bookstore generating enough income for the rental with some leftover for my daily 3 meals. But it will never be cuz as pointed earlier the book business is a dying trade.

Last Sat (28/1/12), on 6th Day of CNY, I paid Sultana Bookstore a visit. I bought 8 books at only $40. As usual, a red packet was given to him. He refused to collect payment for this little picture. Maybe in lieu of the red packet? I had bought from him a similar one but gave it to my friend Rodney recently.

It’s been quite a while since I last visited Sultana Bookstore. He was gregarious and chatted with me incessantly like a GPMG! He told me that my good friend Freddie Tan came recently and he recommended an old school author to him. He also commented on my blog. Though he can’t read Chinese, he commented there are some Chinese articles on my blog. But that is my style he says.

Suddenly he mentioned that “we have read Stieg Larsson’s Millennium series long before it became famous and hogged the local best sellers’ list.” I introduced it to him years ago and told him that he had to read it. He didn’t even know about it’s existence then. I beat him on that. Of course, it was Dr Mike who introduced Stieg Larsson’s books to me. As book lovers, we are of the same mindset. We appreciate each other’s book sense.

When he heard that I planning to blog on his bookstore, he broke the news that he is shifting elsewhere. He will just concentrate on some health products and a small collection of books for his “retirement” plan. He is closing down Sultana Bookstore soon.

I’m not so sure if he sanctions this post. He did tell me not to blog on Sultana Bookstore. But I just can’t resist to document and archive this piece of vanishing scene!

Do check it out before it’s gone like the rest. Grab some of those collectible books for a song before it’s too late.

Chinese New Year Red Packets or 红包

Gintai_昇泰 — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 22:00:30 +0000

Every CNY for as long as I could remember, maybe since I started working in SMRT 16 yrs ago, I have set aside $200 for a special category of “angpows” or red packets.

Red packets are specially designed small envelopes with all kinds of creative designs reflecting that CNY year. If it is the dragon year, then the design will be based on dragon theme.

Sometimes, those red packets have evergreen themes i.e. design based on general CNY with emblems or logos of fortune, luck or fish(abundance) like the Chinese characters “福”, “发” or “鱼”! In that case, those red packets could be used on every CNY since they are not associated with any of the 12 zodiac signs. Imagine someone gave you a red packet with rabbit design (last CNY) instead of dragon for this CNY! It will be quite odd isn’t it?

With a budget of $200, I could wrap 50 red packets at $4 each. Every day from the 1st day till 15th day of CNY, I bring along some of those red packets. It is meant to be distributed. After the 15th, I would usually be left with a handful only.

So far, I have given out quite a few – it is already the 7th day of CNY. I have given red packets to that Indian food stall, cleaners at Tanah Merah and Jurong MRT stations, m/cycle mechanics, Bangladeshi workers near to my flat, Sultana bookstore at Peace Centre, some of the hawkers and coffee shops I usually patronize etc.

I shall illustrate some examples of the positive effects of giving red packets during this 15-day CNY period. One good classic effect is that Indian Stall I patronize. Like yesterday(28/1/12), when I visited that stall for lunch they refused to collect any cent from me.

Sometimes when my colleagues and I go to Blk 56 New Upp Changi Rd fish balls noodle stall for our breakfast, my colleagues would comment that how come I was always given “special” with extra big portion when we pay the same amount i.e. $2.50 per bowl?

Ah! Therein lies the secret. When I told my colleagues that on every CNY, I give Ah Hee – stall owner a red packet. They then remarked “no wonder lah!” They said they should follow my practice. But they never did. I am still the only one of Ah Hee’s hundreds of customers giving him a red packet on CNY. That is why he will always remember me!

If I were to be gone tomorrow, those people will surely miss me. This is confirmed many times when I delayed visiting my regular hawkers due to work exigency or shift irregularities. They would smile and become gregarious when I drop by after a long spell.

Even those lady beer promoters are quick to identify well deserved customers. Many beer souvenirs such as lighters and promotional items are kept and reserved for me which are usually given out based on first come basis whilst stocks last. It further illustrates the salient power of red packets.

I send my m/cycle for servicing every 3 months or 2,500 km mileage whichever comes first,. Engine oil change, oil filter, spark plug, check tyre pressure, chain tension, lightings etc on my m/bike. Sometimes, I send it to the agent instead of my regular neighborhood bike shop at Bedok Industrial Park behind Bedok Fire Station at “Will’s Motor”.

If I send my bike to the agent for servicing, then I shall miss the 3-month cycle. Got to wait for another 3 months before meeting my usual mechanics again. That meant 6 months I don’t see them. So when I drop by, there will be comments like asking why long time I didn’t come? I don’t think they miss my business. It’s more of they miss my presence!

“Will’s Motor” is the only workshop I know of in Sg where the owner is a Malay. The mechanics are also Malays. They do have one or two Chinese staff. It’s amazing. The owner though being a typical Malay, speaks Hokkien better than me! I wanted to speak Malay to him but relented when I heard his fluent Hokkien.

On the 4th day of CNY (last Thursday), I sent my bike for servicing giving the mechanic and workshop owner a red packet each. It seems so awkward that I had to wish the Malay owner in Hokkien that this small red packet token is for luck and that his “Business Will Prosper” and “Huat Lah!” etc. He replied in Hokkien same to me and wish me luck for the whole year! Is this complete racial integration? What an ideal scenario!

I paid only $22 including replacing a blown headlight and 1 liter of semi synthetic engine oil change with free labour adjustments to my chain tension, front and rear brakes free play and both tyres’ pressure top up! Excellent service at my beck and call for a song!

Once, when I told my good fren Dr Mike about my CNY ritual, he commented that I was investing in goodwill, that I was making deposits into people’s emotional bank account. Goodwill begets goodwill throughout the year! It is an excellent start of the year to renew ties and kinship with those you meet and interact regularly!

On the 2nd day of CNY when we had dinner at a Tze Char stall at Simpang Bedok, the enterprising stall gave us a red packet with a $1 valid 4-D ticket. Imagine if it strikes 1st prize we will surely thank them forever!

That gave me an idea. Maybe I should modify my CNY ritual with a valid 4-D ticket or Big Sweep instead of $4 in the red packet? In the event that it strikes the jackpot then I shall be treated like a “Fortune God” for the rest of the year? Come next CNY, all will be queuing for my red packets!

There are always ideas to ponder and improvise on if one just think a little harder. It just need a little of thinking out of the box to achieve good PR and brand name. No need any lofty academia gymnastics to accomplish sometimes the simple common sense things we do in our daily life.

Why not you just give a try and gauge the results for yourself. It doesn’t cost much. $200 divided by 365 days in a year is only $0.55 cents per day. Let me tell you it’s been proven as far as I’m concerned.

“If this be error and upon me proved,
I never writ, nor no man ever done!”
William Shakespeare

Subbiah’s Banana Curry Stall

Gintai_昇泰 — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 22:00:00 +0000

Today (28/1/12), I dropped by Subbiah’s Banana Curry Leaf for lunch. If you notice that picture taken above, there is no banana leaf. It’s out of stock due to the the Chinese New Year. Today is also the 6th day of CNY. No supply of banana leaf.

As usual, I gave a red packet with $4 to the daughter of the stall. She asked me if it is Masala Chicken set lunch. I confirmed and proceeded to wash my hand and ordered my lemon juice.

When my lunch was ready, I noticed that there were an extra fried onion egg and some fried chillie ikan billis. I wanted to pay for the food but she refused to take any cent from me. I insisted but she declined.

This is the 1st time since 1990 when I started to patronize this stall that I got a free meal. Her parents were not there. Is it instruction from mother? The daughter told me its free for today.

Then she told me that just few days ago a Caucasian came to her stall to record a video. It is uploaded to the YouTube. She was so happy about it. When I told her I blog on her stall she said she didn’t know how to get to my blog and she had no internet access.

Later in the evening, I came back to her stall with a laminated printout of the blog post on her stall. She said she will pin it up after reading it. Pls look out for it if you happen to go there.

It was a so satisfying lunch I had today. I hope to visit that stall more often if time permit.

It’s never too late …

Gintai_昇泰 — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 22:00:15 +0000

One of the PITFALLS people over forty fall into is thinking that it’s too late. It’s an old cliché but the simple fact is that it’s rarely too late for anything.

Some years ago a man over sixty was offered US$200,000 for a restaurant-motel-service station business that he’d spent his life building up. He turned the offer down because he loved the business and wasn’t ready to retire yet.

Two years later, at age sixty-five, he was flat broke with no income to look forward to but a small Social Security check each month. The state had built a new highway bypassing his business and he lost it. Most people would have been crushed by such a blow, but he refused to give up.

Instead, he took stock. There was one thing he knew how to do – fry chicken. Maybe he could sell that knowledge to others. He kissed his wife good-bye and in a battered old car, with a pressure cooker and a can of specially prepared flour, set out to sell his idea to other restaurants. It was tough going and he often slept in the car because there wasn’t enough money for a hotel room.

A few years later he had built a nation-wide franchised restaurant chain called “Kentucky Fried Chicken.” The man was Colonel Sanders.

“Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles that one has overcome while trying to succeed.”
Booker T. Washington
Educator

“The best preparation for tomorrow is to do today’s work superbly well.”
Sir William Osler
Physician and Educator

To Tweet or Not To Tweet – That’s The Question!

Gintai_昇泰 — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 22:00:20 +0000

Recently, there was a little discussion on a German Forum about Twitter and the new social media. I was quite taken aback that there are some older folks especially those from the 1st world countries who are strongly against twitter and the new social media. There is even a movement against it!

I have taken the liberty to reproduce the amicable discussion here for the benefit of all. It’s worth pondering over the usefulness or wastefulness of the new social media.

Pls click here to read related article.

Posted: 12.01.2012, 10:58
Post subject: Follow Me on Twitter

I’ve succumbed, re-activated my Twitter account. Also, since I’m supposed to be a Change Management “maestro” of sorts, I don’t want to be seen lagging behind technology.

If you wish, follow me on Twitter.

My Twitter name is Lohcifer.
_________________
Warmest regards
Dr Mike

Dear Mike,
“Lohcifer” – ROTFL!!!

Absolutely fantastic!
_________________
Liebe Grüße aus Köln
Heinz

Dear Mike,
Thanks for your invitation. Unfortunately I am to old to enter any other so called social network except Pfeifen und mehr. And since I`m the President of the global Movement “Fight the Non-Sense” – an international association against Facebook, Linkedlin, Twitter, SMS and the on-going stultification of Politicians I`m forced to refuse.
_________________
Liebe Grüße aus München
Bodo I
…vorher nachdenken…
++++hier gibt es etwas zu sehen++++

Lohcifer, what else! After 3 nuns. None nicer !

Greetings
Karl

Ha ha the “Lohcifer” name is just right for me! Diabolical huh?

By the way my blog is Lohandbehold.

Bodo,
You don’t need any of those social or even professional networking stuff but the rest of nobodies need all the help we can get to move forward.
_________________
Warmest regards
Dr Mike

Hahaha! I have hit more than 10,000 tweets @palmuser_alan. Remember I dedicated my 10,000th tweet to you @Lohcifer? Hahaha!

Bodo,
You are fighting a losing battle. The tide of new media is coming like the tsunami. Can’t beat them why not join them? Hahaha!
_________________
Regards from Singapore
– Alan —

http://gintai.wordpress.com

Dearest Alan,
I love to fight even it is like fighting against windmills. The year of the dragon will support me. Facebook, Twitter and others are soulless demons!
_________________
Liebe Grüße aus München
Bodo I
…vorher nachdenken…
++++hier gibt es etwas zu sehen++++

Alamak ! Bodo, you really will fight against the windmills? Dr Mike already relented and joined twitter. Can’t beat them join them!

Pls read this blog on twitter.

It may change your mind a little.

Hahaha! I like your spirit. Keep it up as long as you are happy doing it.
_________________
Regards from Singapore
– Alan —

http://gintai.wordpress.com

Alan,
I am fully supporting Bodo here. Seem like Asia is more enthusiastic about social media than Europe. Click the link here.
In addition German pipe smokers in their fifties are totally immune against social media as they spend their valuable time smoking not twittering.

Regards
Ernst

Hi Ernst,
Thks for your comments. I do agree with you that Twitter appeals more to the young and in Asia esp China.

In Europe or America, there is much freedom of speech and expressions as compared to Asian countries or elsewhere. So it makes it quite a waste of time in your situation. Whereas in other countries where the normal mainstream media are heavily censored – including Singapore where there is ONLY one media conglomerate i.e. SPH – Singapore Press Holdings which is widely acknowledged to be a pro govt mouthpiece.

It is a fact that every Chairman of SPH is an ex cabinet govt minister. Our present President was Chairman of SPH before he got elected as President of Singapore with only 33% of support from the citizens. As such, the new social media i.e. Twitter, Blog or FB are here to counter that. Our opposition politicians fully harness them since SPH doesn’t give them much space. They just can’t shut down the new social media unless they ban internet and end up like Burma – hermit outpost.

In China where opposition is illegal. Only the CPC – Comminist Party of China rules the country. The Chinese people has got their “新浪微博” ( Xīnlàng Wēibó ); literally meant “Sina”! Link here. This is important to the Chinese masses where they use this i.e. “Weibo” to expose and shame many corrupt incompetent officials especially in the remote provinces. The Chinese saying, “The mountain is high and the emperor is far” suggests that the central government is weak in the remote regions. They have got no choice but to resort to the powerful “Weibo” – their own version of Twitter or micro blogging.

From past experiences, many high level govt officials met their downfall thru this social median i.e. Twitter. As such, it is not a waste of time to them. It is their way of getting at those corrupt officials in a one party communist system in China. The only avenue for them to vent their frustrations and register their displeasure. The gods in communist China usually act on those tweets if those facts could be proven.

Another historical fact worth mention is the recent Arab Spring which led to the downfall of despotic regimes due to Twitter. Libya’s Gadaffi, Egypt’s Mubarak regime change etc were partly due to Twitter. The truth is out there for all to see.

We live in different countries with different social norms and practices albeit in a small global village. There is no one standard system that fits all. I hope you see my point just as I take note of your particular situation which we in Singapore, China or elsewhere truly envy your human rights supremacy where humans are treated with respect and dignity. Like I told Bodo earlier just do what you feel happy doing!

Cheers.
_________________
Regards from Singapore
– Alan –

http://gintai.wordpress.com

Alan,
See this link.

Twitter is adding 11 new accounts per second.

I believe too many people are wasting time on Twitter, Facebook, MSN or Yahoo! or ICQ or other chat programs. However, used wisely, these could be great tools, just as Skype is a great tool for many people too.
_________________
Warmest regards
Dr Mike

Hi Alan,
This is indeed very interesting what you write about freedom of media. I never thought about that.

I booked a flight to Bejing with my wife during easter holidays, as I was only travelling shortly for business to China and this time I want to look around and talk to the people.

By the way:
Is pipe smoking allowed in bars over there?

All the best
Ernst

Read “China’s parallel universe” – extremely well written by former Foreign Minister of Singapore, George Yeo and Eric X. Li who is a venture capitalist in Shanghai.

Three Nuns

Gintai_昇泰 — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 22:00:00 +0000

Three nuns were having a gossip one sunny afternoon.

First nun was telling the others. “Father Alan is horrible. I was cleaning his room the other day and guess what I found? Loads of porn magazines under his bed.”

“So what did you do about it?”

“Well, I knelt down and prayed to the Lord to show him mercy. Then I brought all that dirty horrible stuff to the incinerator and burned them all. I did.”

Second nun then said, “Now the the cat is out I can get a load off my chest. Two months ago when still new here I was bringing in Father Alan’s laundry I discovered something. As you know his room is dim and wardrobe dark. I saw a glow among his clothes. Curious, I examined what the glow might have been. Horror of horrors, Lord have mercy, they were glow-in-the-dark condoms. More than a dozen.”

“So what did you do about it?”

“Well, I knelt down and prayed to Mother Mary to have mercy on him. Then I took a needle and poke poke poke poke poke poke poke them all. I did.”

While she was enacting her handy needlework antics and chanting “poke poke poke poke poke poke poke”, the third nun fainted.

You thought I wanted to talk tobacco, huh?

Have a great week, everyone!

Contributed by Dr Mike.

Datuk Freddie Tan Thank You !

Gintai_昇泰 — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 22:00:40 +0000

This morning(23/1/2012), Datuk Freddie Tan came to my place in his 5 series luxurious BMW sedan to hand deliver 2 kg of Rabbit Fish. This is the 3rd consecutive Chinese New Year he has done it.

The prounciation of fish sounds similar to “abundance”, “more” or “extra”. Hence if someone brings some fish especially Rabbit Fish to your place on 1st day of Chinese New Year, it meant that the person is not only bringing fish but also bringing “abundance” to your place on this auspicious day.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yusheng

Thank you Datuk Freddie for the priceless gift.

May you prosper and live forever!

Pls read here for more information.

Datuk Freddie buying fish at Senoko Fishery Port @4am.

Happy Lunar New Year !

Gintai_昇泰 — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 22:00:46 +0000

Today (23/1/2012) is the 1st Day of Chinese New Year or sometimes it is just simply known as Lunar New Year. I would like to take this opportunity to wish all my friends in Sg, KL, Germany, Europe and elsewhere a Happy and Prosperous Lunar New Year.

Yesterday it was Rabbit Year and today it is the 1st Day of the Year of Dragon. Time really flies! We are getting a year older and hopefully wiser. Amongst the many things that happened here in the forum and elsewhere such as the historic visit to Sg by Bodo, Heinz and Joerg when we organised our 1st ever “Singapore Pipe Show” with tremendous success.

Most of us in Sg never met Heinz and Joerg before until they parachuted here on a special flight! We really enjoyed so much their company over the past week or so when they were here. It only seems like yesterday when they were here with us. Am I hallucinating? No, it’s just that I miss them lah! But no worry lots of pics (Courtesy from Alec Ee) and articles written on their adventures here in Sg and Johore Bahru. They are all posted in this forum and on my blog. They will remain there forever documented and archived for all to appreciate. Pls refresh your memory by taking a look.

Of course Heinz is always actively promoting the discussions here by his tireless and relentless efforts. He never fails to mention a post here and there when he comes across it. Thank you Heinz.

According to a local Fengshui “Queen”, Lynn Yap – she says “This year is a BLACK WATER DRAGON year.” Our Fengshui master Lyn Yap gives 17 predictions for 2012 and talks alot mainly giving tips and suggestions on how to live your life in the Year of Dragon. The main highlight I feel is that she emphasises that it is a black water dragon year so it weakens the earth and causes it to flood as there is too much water in the year and again on this period : 15 Oct to 13 Nov 2012. Pls take note of the dates if you are travelling to flood prone countries like Thailand.

The previous Rabbit Year was not an ideal year. It was fraught with much choas and political anarchy as happened in Libya, Egypt and Syria in the Middle East etc … Before the Rabbit Year ended, we had a modern “Titanic” disaster in the seas off Italy. Sigh …

This is my 3rd post here on every Lunar New Year. I hope I will continue to post here on every Lunar New Year and wish all members a Happy and Prosperous Lunar New Year.

Let’s hope that this Dragon Year will be kind to all of us. Let us all wish that there will fewer disasters, misfortunes or choas in this small world we all live and share!

Pls read further if you are keen on what our fengshui master Lynn Yap says. Just take it with a pinch of salt. Cheers!

https://docs.google.com/present/edit?id=0AaNkOYyC5V05ZGRrN2Y4anBfNDdjMmtobWZmdw

A Good Article on Economy – Written by an Indian Economist

Gintai_昇泰 — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 22:00:43 +0000

Japanese save a lot. They do not spend much. Also Japan exports far more than it imports. Has an annual trade surplus of over $100 billion. Yet Japanese economy is considered weak, even collapsing. Americans spend, save little. Also US imports more than it exports. Has an annual trade deficit of over $400 billion. Yet, the American economy is considered strong and trusted to get stronger.

But where from do Americans get money to spend?
They borrow from Japan, China and even India. Virtually others save for the US to spend. Global savings are mostly invested in US; in dollars. India itself keeps its foreign currency assets of over $50 billion in US securities. China has sunk over $160 billion in US
securities. Japan ‘s stakes in US securities is in trillions.

Result: The US has taken over $5 trillion from the world. So, as the world saves for the US, Americans spend freely. Today, to keep the US consumption going, that is for the US economy to work, other countries have to remit $180 billion every quarter, which is $2 billion a day to the US! Otherwise the US economy would go for a six. The result will be no different if US consumers begin consuming less. A Chinese economist asked a neat question. Who has invested more, US in China, or China in US? The US has invested in China less than half of what China has invested in US. The same is the case with India. We have invested in US over $50 billion. But the US has invested less than $20 billion in India.

Why the world is after US?
The secret lies in the American spending, that they hardly save. In fact they use their credit cards to spend their future income. That the US spends is what makes it attractive to export to the US. So US imports more than what it exports year after year.

The result: The world is dependent on US consumption for its growth. By its deepening culture of consumption, the US has habituated the world to feed on US consumption. But as the US needs money to finance its consumption, the world provides the money. It’s like a shopkeeper providing the money to a customer so that the customer keeps buying from the shop. If the customer will not buy, the shop won’t have business, unless the shopkeeper funds him. The US is like the lucky customer. And the world is like the helpless shopkeeper financier.

Who is America’s biggest shopkeeper financier?
Japan of course. Yet it’s Japan which is regarded as weak. Modern economist complain that Japanese do not spend, so they do not grow. To force the Japanese to spend, the Japanese government exerted itself, reduced the savings rates, even charged the savers. Even then the Japanese did not spend (habits don’t change, even with taxes, do they?).

Their traditional postal savings alone is over $1.2 trillions, about three times the Indian GDP. Thus, savings, far from being the strength of Japan, has become its pain.

Hence, what is the lesson?
That is, a nation cannot grow unless the people spend, not save. Not just spend, but borrow and spend. Dr. Jagdish Bhagwati, the famous Indian-born economist in the US, told Manmohan Singh that Indians wastefully save. Ask them to spend, on imported cars and, seriously, even on cosmetics!

This will put India on a growth curve.

“Saving is sin, and spending is virtue.”

Before you follow this neo economics, get some fools to save so that you can borrow from them and spend.

PS: Singapore’s economy with a population of 5 over million was more than S$300 billion in 2010, with per capita GDP of S$59,000.

Stay Hotel – Ghost Protection

Gintai_昇泰 — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 22:00:35 +0000

OK, here’s some beliefs of the hoteliers…

Every single hotel, there shall be at least a permanant room which should be left vacant at all times. No matter how full the hotel are, they are not to sell that room to any guest. It was said that special room was “reserved” for those “special visitors”. So, if you plan to stay in some hotel, always book in advance. Try to avoid walk in.

If the receptionist told you there’s no more room available, do not insist one anymore or try to bribe them to give you a room. If you do that, most of the time the room you have will be that “special room”.

Sometimes those “special visitors” might go to other rooms also, so here’s some tips on how to protect yourself -

- Before entering your room, always knock on the door first, even you know the room is vacant.

- After you enter the room, if you felt very cold suddenly and have “chicken spore”, leave the room quitely immediately and go to reception to request to change room. Most of the time the receptionist will understand what’s happening.

- After you enter the room, immediately switch on all of the lights and open the curtain to let the sun light in.

- Before you go to bed, arrange your shoes so that one of them is upside down. Some say this is representing yin & yang to protect you while you’re asleep.

- Always leave at least a lamp on while you’re sleeping, preferably the toilet’s lamp.

- If you’re staying alone and they have given you a twin bed, do not sleep with the other bed vacant, try to put your things like luggage on the other bed before you sleep.

Believe it or not? It is up to you. No harm doing it right?

The above Fairmont Banff Springs hotel is haunted by at least two ghosts.

Read the story here.

Read related news article here.

South Indian Pongal Festival & Hwi Yoh CC’s Ignorance

Gintai_昇泰 — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 22:00:09 +0000

Pongal Festival is a grand 3-Day celebration affair in the agricultural heartland of Southern India. It is the festival of thanksgiving to the Sun god and paying tribute to the buffaloes.

“Pongal” – A Tamil word loosely translated into English meant “Boiling” or “Harvest.” Pongal Festival meant “Harvest” or “Boiling of Rice” Festival. It is a joyous occasion celebrated yearly in India exceeding even the importance of Deepavali.

Having sweat and toil on the padi fields, the crop yield is due and the rewards are reaped not forgetting to acknowledge the Sun god and all the buffaloes for making it a successful bountiful harvest. Buffaloes assist in the ploughing of the padi fields working consistently and tirelessly. Of course the Sun god also dispenses blessings to the humble grateful farmers.

In Southern India, Pongal Festival serves as a rally point for all the members of the community. It is common bonding spanning over the 3-day celebration. Food and drinks fully embellished with songs and dances are in full swing. It reminds one of the typical Bollywood hype of endless songs and dances of scenic countryside carefree and blissful indulgence.

Since it is a religious festival offering thanks to the Sun god, Hindu priests are engaged to conduct the ceremony. The priests shall consult the oracles based on the Indian calendar and the alignment of the stars to pinpoint the auspicious astrological timing. Large amount of rice is then set to boil till it overflows to signify fertile abundance and plentiful for the coming harvests. Prayers are conducted in elaborate rituals with much fanfare and music blaring all day long.

Buffaloes are decorated and honored for their hard work in rendering a successful padi harvest. For without those beasts of burden bearing the yoke of labour, the padi cultivation may not be possible. Buffaloes and cows are never slaughtered by Hindus. They are part of the extended family.

The above information was related to me by my Indian colleagues. I was much impressed and enchanted by such an interesting event. Even in Singapore, it is also celebrated in “Little India” with much pomp and opulence also lasting 3 days by the “Little India Shoppers’ Association”.

Hwi Yoh Community Centre at Serangoon North Ave 4 within Ang Mo Kio GRC also tries to emulate. It should be a commendable effort in community bonding with our Indian compatriots but instead it turns out to be disastrous fiasco!

You see “The Pongal Festival” is supposed to be celebrated in the Indian calendar of the “Thai” month which coincided within the month of Jan. Ideally it should be on the 15th of Jan or thereabouts.

However, Hwi Yoh CC of AMK GRC is planning the celebration on 19th Feb which falls on the “Maasi” month of the Indian calendar. It is completely out of sync or range since it must be held within the “Thai” – not “Maasi” month of the Indian calendar.

Those committee members must be either daft or ignorant of such an important festival which even surpasses that of “Deepavali”. Although Pongal Festival unlike Deepavali is not a public holiday in Singapore, it should not be treated tardily without adhering to its accepted norms and practice.

My Indian friends and colleagues are up in arms! (figuratively speaking lah) They rant and grumble about the lack of sensibility and callous attitude. Might as well don’t organize it if they are not sincere at all. What the heck? They are organizing it after the actual time frame or window period. How would you feel if they organize a Christmas party in the month of Jan instead of Dec?

My irate Indian colleagues even decided to post it on facebook to protest and register their unhappiness at their lackadaisical attitude on the event organized by Hwi Yoh CC.

Incidentally the VIP gracing the Pongal Festival event is the MP Dr Intan Azura Mokhtar. If the MP is not aware of Indian culture or customs, then those Indians planning the event is duty bound to advise her accordingly. Or is it that those Indians in the planning committee are trying to accommodate the MP’s busy schedule? The willful disregard of the practices and customs of the Pongal Festival’s spirit to suit the VIP’s calendar?

If that is the case, please do not call it the Pongal Festival since it is not celebrated according to its significance and raison d’être! Call it something else so as not to make it a laughing stock and cast it in bad light.

I was told that this is not the only incident. On previous years, the same also happened at Hwi Yoh CC under AMK GRC. Is it also repeated in other constituencies one wonders?

Those “Baduah” really make me puke!
“Phoochi” dah!
Really Langgar the Tiang dah!

愚公移山

Gintai_昇泰 — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 22:00:31 +0000

愚公移山 (yú gōng yí shān) is a Chinese folklore of an old man in his 90s named 愚公 determined to remove a huge mountain in front of his house. The mountain was blocking his path leading to his house. The old man named 愚公 (愚 actually meant foolish) and his family had to make a big detour to get to his house. So he summoned all his children and grandchildren to get rid of the mountain.

When others laughed at the foolish old man’s enterprise, he retorted that all his future generations would carry out the task. One day, the mountain would be gone.

The Jade Emperor was moved by that foolish old man’s perseverance. He then gave instruction to the gods to move the mountain elsewhere.

The idiom 愚公移山 (yú gōng yí shān) literally meant Foolish Old Man Shifting Mountain. He may be foolish but his attributes such as tenacity, dedication, sacrifices and determination etc where “pay” was never the issue are universally acknowledged worthy values to emulate.

愚公移山 (yú gōng yí shān)

传说很早以前，在冀州以南、河阳以北有两座大山，一座是太行山，一座是王屋山，山高万丈，方圆有七百里。
大山的北面，住着一位叫愚公的老汉，年近九十，他家的大门，正对着这两座大山，出门办事必须绕行，很不方便。愚公很恼火，下定决心要把这两座大山挖掉。
有一天，他召集了全家老小，对他们说：“这两座大山，挡住了我们的出路，咱们大家一起努力，把它挖掉，开出一条直通冀州的大道，你们看好不好？”
大家都很赞同，只有他的老伴提出了疑问，她说：“像太行、王屋这么高的大山，挖出来的那些石头、泥土往哪里送呢？”
大家说：“这么办，把泥土、石块扔到渤海边上就行了！再也不愁没地方堆。”
第二天天刚亮，愚公就带领全家老小开始挖山。
大家干得起劲，一年四季很少回家休息，
黄河边上住着一个老汉，这人很精明，人们管他叫智叟。他看见愚公他们一年到头辛辛苦苦地挖山运土不止，觉得很可笑，就去劝告愚公：
“你这个人可真傻，这么大岁数了，还能活几天？用尽你的力气，也拔不了山上的几根草，怎么能搬动这么大的山呢？”愚公深深地谈了口气说：“我看你这人自以为聪明，其实是顽固得不开窍。不错，我是老了，活不了几年，可是，我死了还有儿子儿子又生孙子，孙子又生儿子；子子孙孙，世世代代，一直传下去，是无穷无尽的。可是这两座山却不会再长高了。我们为什么不能把它们挖平呢？”
听了这话，那个自以为聪明的智叟，再也无话可说。
后来，据说山神知道了这件事，害怕愚公挖山不止，就报告了上帝。上帝被愚公的精神感动了，派了两个大力神下凡，把两座大山背走，一座放在朔洲东边，一座放在雍州南边。从此以后，冀州和汉水的南面，就没有高山阻挡了。

不见棺材，不会掉泪！

Gintai_昇泰 — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 22:00:50 +0000

不见棺材，不会掉泪
( bù jiàn guān cái, bù hui diào lèi )

Wiktionary defines the above Chinese proverb as this -
“Refuse to be convinced until one is faced with the grim reality; tenacious, resolute or pertinacious in one’s pursuit of a goal despite of obstacles or advice.”

“棺材” literally meant coffin. If one doesn’t see the coffin which is meant for him, he will never shed tears. The coffin must be physically shown to him and we tell that person that it is meant for him, then only the reality will set in. He now knows that his end is near. He is about to die soon. This is the grim reality and a fact he must accept.

Having accepted his impending or imminent end is here, he will start to shed tears. All those things he plans to do, those regrets he harbors are now too late to change. He did not make full use of the limited finite time he had.

“One must see the coffin then only one will shed tears” aptly describes the once mighty PAP govt. It is now in a sorry state.

Having read the recent debate in parliament and the so many blunders – one after another – made by members of the ruling party recently, I am of the opinion that their imminent demise is quite obvious. It is the beginning of their decay and downfall.

Just like the once mighty Tang Dynasty or the Roman Empire, the obvious symptoms are there for all to see if only you care to probe deeper. It is always the case throughout history. It is only a question of time – sooner or later only. Only time will tell.

If you are still not convinced, why not read the following articles written by local Singaporeans? They are critically sharp, insightful and astute on their observations.

Click the links to read –

Catherine Lim – 50 yrs of PAP Fatigue

Molitics – Lessons from Hsien Loong

Feed Me To Fish – Another Day of Mourning in Parliament

Are PAP Ministers Man Enough?

Our Future PM Not Knowing When To Shut Up!

Potential PM Is Stand Up Comedian

There are many more brilliant comments by local bloggers. You can always goggle to read more.

My favourite politician – descendant of the founder of Ming dynasty -Zhu Rongji famously said that “he has prepared 100 coffins. 99 for corrupt officials and 1 reserved for himself!” He knew that he might end up dead for his personal crusade against incompetent corrupt officials in communist China.

Now this is what we call real sacrifices even at the expense of losing his life against powerful forces despite working day and night everyday for more than 16 hours a day when he was Chinese Premier for 7 years – 3 yrs as Deputy and 4 yrs as Premier. He is the replica of another great statesman Zhou Enlai who really cared and sacrificed so much for the people.

Do we have such a great man here in our tiny little Red Dot? Maybe MP Chen SM is the answer to our present political conundrum? We should be grateful if he is the chosen one. We have had enough of “political fatigue!”

God help us. Amen !

愚痴的人，不到黄河不死心，不见棺材不掉泪，聪明的人，虽不见不闻，但能感受得到 …

江山易改，本性难移！

Gintai_昇泰 — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 22:00:27 +0000

江山易改，本性难移！
jiāng shān yì gǎi，běn xìng nán yí

江 refers to river, 山 refers to mountain. So “江山易改” literally meant we can easily change or influence the course of river and remove the mountain.

本性 refers to a person’s innate character. He is born with such a character or attributes.
“本性难移” which is the second part of the timeless Chinese idiom or proverb literally meant no matter how you just cannot or not easy to “shift or remove” that person’s character.

Note that the “shift or remove” is used on a person’s character whereas “change or influence” is used on the physical magnitude of a river or mountain. It beautifully conveys the impact of a person’s character that is even heavier and enormous than the mighty river and huge mountain.

In other words, you can easily change or influence the river or mountain but not easily remove or shift a person’s character.

It is never easy to change one’s character !

The above Chinese idiom or proverb is proven and tested throughout the ages in ancient Chinese history. It still holds true today.

The equivalent English version should be “The leopard will never change its spots!”

Will the PAP change? Could they?
Read here to decide for yourself.
Read this story also.
Read yet another story here! Actually there are lots of such story in the cyber world!

班门弄斧

Gintai_昇泰 — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 22:00:57 +0000

鲁班，春秋时期鲁国人。传说是位能工巧匠，善于雕刻，技艺举世无双，堪称“木匠的祖师爷”。
有一次，明代诗人梅之焕来采石矶凭吊李白，来到墓前，心中大为不满，矶上、墓上，凡墓前可以写字的地方，都留有一些乱七八槽的诗句。那些写文章狗屁不通却想冒充风雅的游人，竟在“诗仙”的墓上胡诌乱题，那些拙劣诗句的作者，又有什么脸来李白面前舞文弄墨呢？梅之焕心中越想越不是滋味，感概之余，挥笔题了一首诗：
“采石江边一堆土，李白之名高千古；来来往往一首诗，鲁班门前弄大斧”。
“班门弄斧”这则成语就是这样流传下来的。

HHPSDs at MRT Stations by LTA

Gintai_昇泰 — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 22:00:35 +0000

Read here for details.

Almost all the HHPSDs (Half Height Platform Screen Doors) at all elevated MRT stations have been completed. There are still few elevated MRT stations along the North South line still not completed. They will be completed in due course.

Soon all the 36 elevated MRT stations will have HHPSDs installed at a cost of $126 millions.

“LTA says that since 2006, 92 people have fallen onto the tracks, whether by accident or otherwise. The 1.5-metre barriers are high enough to deter attempted suicides.”

The MRT system started operations in 1987/88. After more than 20 yrs of operations with 92 passengers maimed or killed then only the authorities decided to build. It could be more than the official figure of 92 cuz figure before 2006 is not available.

LTA felt then that the $126 millions not worth spending. They would rather splurge $384 million on the YOG! After all, the latter could bring international glory to our country and the former only incurred additional costs with no tangible returns!

Is it the result of frequent train service disruptions due to an increase in suicidal jumping onto tracks – especially after the opening of two casinos – now that there are much more trains and passenger load that they have decided to invest & install the HHPSDs?

Since those HHPSDs were not incorporated in the initial design & planning of the entire MRT system, there bound to be imperfections. More than 20 yrs later, HHPSDs are improvised into the existing system with so much challenges cuz construction work can only be carried out after traffic hours.

There are many defects and flaws to the design and working of the HHPSDs. If you are a regular train commuter and observant enough you should be able to detect some of them.

However, I shall zoom in on only one particular aspect which is the “Hinged Door” at each end of the platform. There are four hinged doors on four corners of an elevated MRT station.

As Train Officers, we need to open the hinged door at the Head Wall of platform to gain access to the “buffet” area. This is to enable us to relieve the train officer of the train – take over/hand over driving duty.

The hinged door is designed in such a way that it is open towards the direction of the public area at the platform instead of towards the direction of the buffer area.

When the platform is crowded with passengers especially during peak hours such as at Jurong East station, opening of the hinged door is problematic. We can’t open the hinged door from the buffet area due to passengers standing on the other side. There won’t be any issue if the hinged door opens inwards towards the buffet area.

Sometimes even during non peak hours, train officers simply just can’t open the hinged door without knocking on those passengers standing on the platform nearby. Some of the passengers simply love to stand there.

The design of the opening and closing of the hinged door on the platform impedes our movements and causes much inconvenience.

Due to the heavy usage of the hinged doors at certain stations, some of them are already damaged. The Jurong East station hinged door is already broken down. Train officers can’t enter the buffett area now. We have to go through via the train doors to the buffet area. It is only less than a year and the hinged door has broken down. Shoddy workmanship or design defect?

Most probably it is due to poor design. The hinged door should be designed with light aluminum or cast iron for durability and resilient to impact.

So much of public funds i.e. $126 millions of taxpayers’ money spent and end users like us are much inconvenienced by its flawed design.

When we brought up the matter i.e. the hinged doors should open towards the buffet area and not outwards to the public area, they claim that it is for safety reason. In case of emergency, it is easier for passengers to escape via the train doors through the hinged door if those HHPSDs on the platform can’t open.

In other words, those smart asses are saying that the hinged door must open outwards for easy escape via the train driving cab door. If the hinged door is open inwards, then passengers can’t escape or will have problem getting out in an emergency.

Is it logical or plain naïveté beyond all redemption?

Spent $126 million on the HHPSDs and end users like us keep cursing it! Looks like it is not going to change. We are stuck with someone’s idiotic idea.

In reply to those retards, I say please don’t sit at bus stop just in case a car, bus or lorry may plough into you and get yourself killed. In ever happened many times before. Not joking here.

Better still, stay at home and don’t ever leave the house in case you meet with an accident like struck by lightning or hit by fallen tree. But then if you stay at home, there is also a possibility that you might slip and fall if you are fated to suffer!

Just look around your flat or house. When you open the door it is always away from you and not towards you with the door hitting you if you don’t move a little backwards. It should logically be away from you towards the inside of the room or house.

According to the rule of thumb, all doors are designed in this manner. Only the door to your store room is different. It opens outwards cuz you keep lots of things in your store room. How often you open a store room door? You hardly open your store room door unless you need to keep or take things out.

Only our hinged door is designed against the rule of the thumb due to some twisted logic of so called emergency or crisis situation. They are darn smart to have thought of everything!

1001 days of inconvenience and end users’ curses just to get prepared for that emergency or crisis which they assume that it will not work or passengers will get trapped if the hinged door is open in the correct normal logical direction!

Methinks of the designated taxi stands fiasco in the CBD area. Bulldozing Bukit Brown cemetery and the obliteration of Rochor Centre flats etc are all creative ideas of LTA. There is no dearth of creative ideas from them? Do you not agree?

Really langgar beyond the wildest imagination! They don’t call themselves “Langgar Tiang Authority” – LTA for no reason right?

Europe’s Ethical Eggs by Peter Singer

Gintai_昇泰 — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 22:00:53 +0000

My colleague Datuk Norman earlier sent me this interesting article with his comments based on my blog post – HDB Interim Rental Housing (IRH). Click here to read the post.

Dato Alan,
You read this article & compare it with the HDB IRH policy of the PAP. Ask yourself whether the PAP govt is “humane” enough to house 2 or more families in a 2 or 3 rooms rental flat!

The PAP is the richest govt by world standard with high pay for Ministers but not humane enough to look after its own people who voted them into position of Authority! (Power)

You think well off S’poreans care?! You “mati” is your own business; that is what S’poreans’ attitude ( which is ) the by-product of an elitist PAP govt!

From iTODAY: Europe’s ethical eggs
Peter Singer | 14 Jan, 2012 6:00

Forty years ago, I stood with a few other students in a busy Oxford street handing out leaflets protesting the use of battery cages to hold hens. Most of those who took the leaflets did not know that their eggs came from hens kept in cages so small that even one bird – the cages normally housed four – would be unable to fully stretch and flap its wings. The hens could never walk around freely or lay eggs in a nest.

Many people applauded our youthful idealism but told us that we had no hope of ever changing a major industry. They were wrong.

On the first day of 2012, keeping hens in such cages became illegal, not only in the United Kingdom but in all 27 countries of the European Union (EU). Hens can still be kept in cages, but they must have more space and the cages must have nest boxes and a scratching post.

In the early 1970s, when the modern animal-liberation movement began, no major organisation was campaigning against the battery cage. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), the mother of all animal-protection organisations, had lost its early radicalism long before. It focused on isolated cases of abuse and failed to challenge well-established ways of mistreating animals on farms or in laboratories.

It took a concerted effort by the new animal radicals of the 1970s to stir the RSPCA from its complacency towards the battery cage and other forms of intensive animal rearing. Eventually, the new animal-rights movement managed to reach the broader public.

Consumers responded by buying eggs from free-ranging hens. Some supermarket chains even ceased to carry eggs from battery hens.

In Britain and some European countries, animal welfare became politically salient and pressure on parliamentary representatives mounted. The EU established a scientific committee to investigate animal-welfare issues on farms, and the committee recommended banning the battery cage, along with some other forms of close confinement of pigs and calves.

A ban on battery cages in the EU was eventually adopted in 1999 but, to ensure that producers would have plenty of time to phase out the equipment in which they had invested, its implementation was delayed until Jan 1, 2012.

The British egg industry accepted the situation and developed new and less cruel methods of keeping hens. Not all countries are equally ready, however, and it has been estimated that up to 80 million hens may still be in illegal battery cages.

But at least 300 million hens who would have lived miserable lives in standard battery cages are now in significantly better conditions, and there is great pressure on the EU bureaucracy to enforce the ban everywhere – not least from egg producers who are already complying with it.

With the ban on battery cages, Europe confirms its place as the world leader in animal welfare, a position also reflected in its restrictions on the use of animals to test cosmetics. But why is Europe so far ahead of other countries in its concern for animals?

In the United States, there are no federal laws about how egg producers house their hens. But, when the issue was put to California voters in 2008, they overwhelmingly supported a proposition requiring that all farm animals have room to stretch their limbs fully and turn around without touching other animals or the sides of their cage.

That suggests that the problem may not be with US citizens’ attitudes but rather that, at the federal level, the US political system allows industries with large campaign chests too much power to thwart the wishes of popular majorities.

In China, which, along with the US, confines the largest number of hens in cages, an animal welfare movement is only just beginning to emerge. For the sake of the welfare of billions of farmed animals, we should wish it rapid growth and success.

The start of this year is a moment to celebrate a major advance in animal welfare and, therefore, for Europe, a step towards becoming a more civilised and humane society – one that shows its concern for all beings capable of suffering. It is also an occasion for celebrating the effectiveness of democracy and the power of an ethical idea.

Peter Singer is professor of bioethics at Princeton University and laureate professor at the University of Melbourne.

Don’t be naughty with old man !

Gintai_昇泰 — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 22:00:25 +0000

An elderly man in Louisiana had owned a large farm for several years.

He had a large pond in the back. It was properly shaped for swimming, so he fixed it up nice with picnic tables, horseshoe courts, and some apple and peach trees.

One evening the old farmer decided to go down to the pond, as he hadn’t been there for a while, and look it over.

He grabbed a five-gallon bucket to bring back some fruit.

As he neared the pond, he heard voices shouting and laughing with glee.

As he came closer, he saw it was a bunch of young women skinny-dipping in his pond.

He made the women aware of his presence and they all went to the deep end.

One of the women shouted to him, ‘we’re not coming out until you leave!’

The old man frowned, ‘I didn’t come down here to watch you ladies swim naked or make you get out of the pond naked.’

Holding the bucket up he said, ‘I’m here to feed the alligator…!’

Some old man can still think fast.

The Pig And The Horse!

Gintai_昇泰 — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 22:00:25 +0000

A Very Good Management Lesson…

There was a farmer who had a horse and a pig. One day, the horse became ill and he called the veterinarian, who said: Well, your horse has a virus. He must take this medicine for three days. I’ll come back on the 3rd day and if he’s not better, we’re going to have to put him down.

Nearby, the pig listened closely to their conversation. The next day, they gave him the medicine and left. The pig approached the horse and said: Be strong, my friend. Get up or else they’re going to put you to sleep!

On the second day, they gave him the medicine and left. The pig came back and said: Come on buddy, get up or else you’re going to die! Come on, I’ll help you get up. Let’s go! One, two, three …

On the third day, they came to give him the medicine and the vet said: Unfortunately, we’re going to have to put him down tomorrow. Otherwise, the virus might spread and infect the other horses. After they left, the pig approached the horse and said: Listen pal, it’s now or never! Get up, come on! Have courage! Come on! Get up! Get up! That’s it, slowly! Great! Come on, one, two, three … Good, good. Now faster, come on … Fantastic! Run, run more! Yes! Yay! Yes! You did it, you’re a champion!

All of a sudden, the owner came back, saw the horse running in the field and began shouting: It’s a miracle! My horse is cured!

We must have a grand party. Let’s kill the pig!!!!

The Lesson: This often happens in the workplace. Nobody truly knows which employee actually deserves the merit of success, or who’s actually contributing the necessary support to make things happen. Remember:

LEARNING TO LIVE WITHOUT RECOGNITION IS A SKILL!

If anyone ever tells you that your work is unprofessional, remember: Amateurs built the Ark [which saved all the species] and professionals built the Titanic [all died tragically] DON’T LOOK TO BECOME A PERSON OF SUCCESS, LOOK INSTEAD TO BECOME A PERSON WITH VALUES!

From : Sgt Lee K B

A Critical Appreciation on the short story – “Breaking Free”

Gintai_昇泰 — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 22:00:44 +0000

From: Dr Mike Loh
Date: 25/05/2010 23:27
Subject: Short story

Hi Alan
Here’s a short story for you to enjoy. Do let me know how you feel about it.

Cheers,
Mike.

Dr Mike,
Thank you so much for forwarding me this piece of short story – ‘Breaking Free” . I really enjoy reading it. It reminds me of my student days when I was given a photocopy piece of writing for critical appreciation during my English Literature class. Here is my critical analysis of the story…

Alan
Thanks for your very sharp observation and analysis, I guess I can’t escape being “caught” by an astute investigator like you. Here’s another one for you to enjoy.

Cheers,
Mike

A Critical Appreciation on the short story – “Breaking Free”

Click here to read the short story – “Breaking Free”

‘Breaking Free’ is a well crafted simple short story narrated by the main character / victim about her trials and tribulations before she finally ‘breaks free’ from the shackles of her trapped misery or destiny! The setting is in old China though the time frame was not specified. It’s definitely a rural traditional China village with those age old traditions i.e. arranged marriages at very young age with all the rituals and customs etc..

The main character cum narrator, namely Poh Choo tells us how she was arranged to be married off at a tender age of 14 yrs to another young man of about 16 or 17 yrs. He is cute and the most outstanding feature is his ‘pig nose’. We do not know his name throughout the story. This ‘pig nose’ seems like a village retard who just knows how to enjoy, is happy-go-lucky and likes to play crickets and chase after dogs with the village boys. He never seems to grow up and the narrator feels like a surrogate mother, playing companion and washer woman to him. They never had sex. He sleeps like a pig in “comatose” every night!

To make matters worse, Poh Choo is raped by the pig nose’s father – her father in law. When another lady got married into the household – pig nose’s uncle’s bride – she was also raped by the same father in law!

The narrator then instigates her to retaliate resulting in both of them dead – the new bride and the father in law. The husband of the dead bride – younger brother of pig nose’s father – left but still keeps in touch with Poh Choo. She later falls in love with that man.

Eventually Poh Choo decides to get rid of her pig nose husband by pushing him into a deep pond on a fishing trip. He does not know how to swim and gets drowned! She then left that dreadful village to start a new life with the man she loves! A real man full of muscles with bulging veins on his big powerful hands!

Let’s look at the style and characteristics of the writing and the writer.

This short story is definitely not a translated piece. It’s not originally written in Chinese and then translated into English. In fact, I feel that it is written by a Western educated ethnic Chinese. I do not think that a typical Chinese educated in the Chinese classics can describe Poh Choo’s destiny or fate under the yoke of misery as ‘like an albatross round my neck!’ There is no similar reference in any Chinese classics notwithstanding 5,000 yrs of unbroken recorded Chinese history except that it’s found in Samuel Coleridge‘s “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” poem.

The writer is not only a Western educated Chinese but also with a background in Hokkien or Teochew dialects – definitely not an origin from the northern sphere of China. The ‘sio chia’ & ‘keem siu’ terms used in the short story are definitely dialects of coastal China reinforced with names of places such as Amoy and Swatow! Some of the rituals and customs practiced before, on and after the Chinese traditional wedding also reflect those coastal Chinese region.

Next, the writer gives a good clear description of the father in law who rapes the narrator repeatedly as ‘an ape of man’, ‘icky kaoliang infused breath’ with ‘food fragments stuck in gaps of teeth’ as if the narrator can actually see and picture the smell and sight so near when that ‘keem siu’ (animal or beast) ravages the narrator every night with her ‘pig nose’ child-husband snoring in a state of ‘comatose’ nearby! Despite that ape of a man, the narrator in ‘flashes of lightning actually felt slight tinges of forbidden pleasure’ followed by a deep sense of guilt! How subtle and delicate in the description of her confused state of mind.

In other words, the narrator is giving a truthful account of her misery. Her desperate sexual needs as a young sexually deprived wife who regales in reading ‘ribald tales’ vis a vis ‘Jin Ping Mei‘ and ‘Hsi Men Ching’ is also highlighted and conveyed subtlely by the writer! After all the husband never really consumates the marriage. Her 1st and only sexual experience is only with her father in law who rapes her every night!

The narrator’s wish for a real man – powerful and masculine who loves her is fullfilled in the end!

The most striking style of the writer is his penchant for one sentence paragraph such as ‘It had indeed’ followed by a pause and another one sentence paragraph as in, ‘At least on the surface’ and lastly, ‘Continued walking, I never look back’ when she calmly murdered her ‘child husband’ by pushing him into the deep pond in order to ‘break free’ from the yoke of misery & agony so that she could lead her dream life as a real woman and wife and start a family with the man she truly loves!

My Dear Dr Mike,

I believe that writer is none other than you! An excelllent piece of creative writing with much ideas and emotions portrayed by the narrator in the context of old China.

‘Breaking Free’ sums it all!

Cheers!

The 7th Month Hungry Ghosts Festival

Gintai_昇泰 — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 22:00:55 +0000

The Chinese Dumpling Festival of the 5th lunar month is over. No sooner had it passed away then the 7th month Ghosts Festival is here. This once a year affair is also known as the Zhong Yuan Jie (中元节).

Within the Chinese community, whenever this annual festival arrives people try to make it as joyful a celebration as possible. Wherever one goes, whether by the road or in the streets, around the HDB flats or in the compound of the shopping complexes, one sees canvass tents and colourful bulbs all over the place.

On the 15th of the 7th lunar month, celebrants can be seen milling around altars with bundles of burning joss-sticks. some kneel on pieces of pillow and throw the two little bean-shaped wooden bits into the air to gauge the changing moods of the Shen(神).

If one of the two pieces turns upside down, this implies that the Shen is showing displeasure. But if both pieces follow suit, the thrower is bemused by the Shen’s supposed laughter at this awkward request. In order to be assured of the Shen’s blessings for his request, the thrower persists until both of them turn to the correct side. The contented thrower then withdraws and stop bothering the Shen; for fear he might offend the Shen on this busy day.

In the late afternoon, a great variety of goods are then distributed equally in the red-coloured plastic pails to the members who have made contributions to the celebration.

Some money is set aside for buying miscellaneous items, like bicycles, cassette players and also the popular “black gold”. These items are auctioned at many more times than the original prices. The celebrants try to compete with one another for the limited items. Everyone tries to bring home something so that he can show it around to friends and relatives and also for remembrance. If they can afford it, the day is usually concluded with a delicious dinner.

Usually, the auction is held in the middle of the dinner. The many announcers can now take the opportunity to impress their friends, especially girlfriends by shouting as loudly as possible the auction prices. This generates a lot of excitement and commotion whenever an item is sold off. The money collected is used to finance a portion of the next coming year’s festival expenses.

Nowadays, some organising committees of Zhong Yuan in the midst of their ghostly celebrations even raise funds for charity organisation from the sale of miscellaneous items. This encouraging sign clearly demonstrates that the Zhong Yuan Jie is no longer restricted to the Chinese community.

The Ghosts festival has assumed a greater role and a wider scope in our multi-racial Singapore society. This fact was highlighted in our local newsapapers last year. It was reported that a certain community centre in Toa Payoh incorporated the idea of raising extra funds for its activities by staging the celebration of the festival at its compound. This dual purpose of Zhong Yuan Festival should be openly applauded by all civic-minded citizens.

This year the Merchants’ Association of City Plaza Shopping Centre organised the festival with the view to donating extra funds to a certain secondary school’s educational programmes. Those members whose children are in the school can be expected to be generous with their purses when they bid for the prices of goods. Help the ghosts and benefit themselves, what a good idea! Much joy is added to this jubilant occasiion.

The spokesman for the City Plaza Zhong Yuan organising committee said that though the committee has been existence for only 2 years, it already has a list of 175 members. He went on to say that due to these days of high inflation, even this simple celebration costs them as much as fourty thousand dollars. Later, he looked at the three giant-size “dragon joss-sticks” incense saying “Those alone cost us hundreds of dollars”, as if to emphasize his point.

A certain company at Lorong 40 Geylang is also plagued with high costs of putting up a reasonable pompous Ghosts Festival celebration. But fortunately, the company has found an answer to it. They brought down costs and at the same time avoided minimising any enjoyment or lessening the magnitude of the celebration by introducing “open air” movie shows to entertain the ghosts. This is indeed a radical move. To modernize even our Zhong Yuan Jie?

Traditionally, Wayang performanace or popular singers are engaged to appease the ghosts and of course, the people. Since the “seven and a half month” singers are expensive and wayang artistes are an endangered species, why not bargain for a change? “After all, the ghosts won’t mind something interesting and new”, reasoned the enterprising businessman.

According to traditional folklore, during this time, the malevolent guardians of the underworlds’ gates set the 7th lunar month as earthly days. The malevolent guardians are aware that the condemned ghosts undergoing torture while in the process of self-redemption are quite homesick and want to return to earth. Those on earth should try to share what they have with the ghosts. This is to avoid antagonising the hungry ghosts.

Merchants, if they have suffered a bad business year, will certainly make an extra effort to appease the fearsome ghosts. This is in line with the saying, “if the ghosts are happy, we have no reason to feel sad.”

Most conservative Chinese parents do not allow their children to wander about in strange places, especially in the middle of the night. School excursions and holiday camps during this time are rejected because of this.

If you go to our beaches on a Sunday during this time, you will be surprised at the relatively small number of swimmers and picnickers. So for those couples who are fond of dark places, beware of the watching ghosts around you!

PS: This article written by me as a student was published in Sep 1982 on “Newsville” – our quarterly school newsletter.

Chinese Chivalrous Novels by Jinyong

Gintai_昇泰 — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 22:00:03 +0000

The person who started off the new wave of Chinese Chivalrous novels is Jinyong (金庸). He is presently the most influential member, though retired, of the Min Pao Daily in Hong Kong, which he founded. After a total of 14 novels, he has put down his pen.

With these 14 novels, he has bodly created another form of literary expression in Chinese literature. He has pioneered the path to another world of skilful pugilists and martial arts exponents, vividly portraying the complex interplay of human characters within the established framework of Chinese ancient society. Later many talented writers of Wu Xia (武侠) novels, have drawn from the world of Jinyong’s 14 novels. Some of the expressions and techniques used are even further enhanced by the rich imagination of later writers.

I have read many reputed materpieces written by internationally acclaimed authors. But, after reading 9 of Jinyong’s 14 novels, I have come to the realisation that they are far more powerful and real. The created characters are so passionately well written that they seem immortal. The poorly printed Chinese characters (words) on cheap low quality paper tend to stand and project themselves out with the protagonists in the prescribed actions and sequences.

I never knew that novels could be written with such beauty and truth that my inner feelings are driven to wild, frenzied heights of delight and at times, blissful ecstasy. The beats of my heart, the pulsation of my palm and moods of my mind are ever shifting and swaying with the rhythm of the enchanting scenic descriptions and the contrasting characters in diverse situations.

My spiritual self, imprisoned in this weary body whose sole occupation is daily routine work, transcends from within me to experience unsurpassable joy and pleasure in this ever widening universe of chivalrous novels that knows no frontier to an ardent explorer.

Different kinds of readers harbour different reactions after reading a given novel. Moralists, educationists, legalists, politicians etc give different interpretations to a given novel. I belong to the masses. Therefore, I harbour sentiments prevailing in their hearts.

Chivalrous novels are a world of human beings and martial arts. The ancient Chinese society which is Confucian in nature, provides the foundation and structure upon which those morals, values, customs and other forms of social behaviour in the novels are distinctly Chinese, without any infiltration of outside elements.

Within this basic structure of a closed Confucian society, logic is the guiding principle in the writing of a chivalrous novel whose protagonists display unbelievable skills in the martial arts and perform amazing kung fu feats as their characters dramatically unfold.

Though the characters in the novels perform many seemingly impossible and fantastic feats, they are as real as in our modern existence. They are like us, subject to universal pressures of greed, power, evil, envy, love, wealth, pleasure, despair.

In fact, the martial arts aspect is what we call special licence. It can only be found in this Chinese literary form of expression. The martial arts aspect has the main function to effectively highlight those universal pressures that all humans irrespective of creed experience.

The hero from a novice to a martial arts expert suffers a long, difficult and painful development. Since he needs the skills to discharge his obligations to his clan and uphold righteousness, he has to overcome the multitude of formidable obstacles. Endurance and the drive of perserverance are highlighted here.

The fact that Jinyong novels were written more than 30 yrs ago, yet still command a large following in the television, cinema, radio and books testifies my assertion. Any Chinese stream student will tell you who is Jinyong.

At present Jinyong’s novels have yet to be translated into other languages which further proves that they are distinctly Chinese. As a result of those characteristics, I have fallen ardently in love with Jinyong’s chivalrous novels.

Here I should like to add that the Japnese Samurai and the French 3 Musketeers are not like those Chinese chivalrous novels. They belong to another form of literary expression for they do not have the Wu(武), though they undoubtedly have the Xia(侠). In Chinese chivalrous novels, the Wu is just as important as the Xia. Without the Wu, they would lose their unique flavour.

Jinyong’s early novels are less successful. This is because the Wu is so emphasised that the equilibrium between Wu and Xia is upset. That results in super human characters, losing some of their authencity. But as he matured, so did his novels. The later novels are mainly drawn from the diverse personalities found in the long, glorious dynastic history of China. For this reason, they are called historical novels.

It’s by no accident that his best novels are very long with about 1,600 pages. Perhaps in this way, his characters and settings can be narrated with detail and precision.

His best novel and last – Lu Ding Ji (鹿鼎记), the 14th novel is over 2,000 pages. It is in this novel that Jinyong attains his height as a chivalrous novelist. To borrow an expression from Jinyong’s friend and critic, this novel is not a chivalrous novel but is within the confine of chivalrous novels.

This statement is well said because Jinyong with his matured skills is able to strike a balance between the two opposing forces of Yin and Yang or realism and fantasy. The novel is brought down to earth by the main character from the illusory and fantasy world of super human martial arts and kungful experts.

The protagonist, Wei Xiabao (伟小宝) is a normal 14-yr old boy without any martial arts but is surrounded by skillful and deadly pugilists. The long novel traces the young commoner (son of a prostitute & unknown father) to manhood. The setting is in the early years of the Qing or Manchu dynasty. Wei Xiaobao’s story centres around the palace and the rebellious pugilists of Heaven and Earth (天地会) secret society bent on overthrowing the Manchus and restoring the previous Ming dynasty. ( 反清复明！)

Wei Xiaobao is in a dilemma because the emperor, Kung Hsi is his childhood friend (Wei sneaked into the palace and became friend with the boy emperor) and he is a Chinese. Being a Chinese (not Manchu), the son of Han, he is forced to join the Heaven and Earth secret society to rid China of the Manchus with the given task of assassinating the benevolent emperor.

This novel encompasses the whole of China for there are chapters where diplomatic relations with Czarist Russia are described and Wei is sent as an envoy of the emperor.

I find the part when Wei and the Russians negotiating the common border hilarious with Wei insisting that they should start from Moscow and Beijing in order to have a fair and equal territorial border.

The part where Wei – after translation into Russian – “I want to marry your mother (Czar’s mother) and sleep with your mother”. The Russians replied that they felt honoured that he is interested. They didn’t realise their mother attracted his attention!

When Wei slept with the Russian princess he remarked that he didn’t like it cuz she got so much hair on her body!

If you have not already read them, why don’t you buy or borrow a chivalrous novel by Jinyong from the library? I assure you will be in for a stimulating read and you will learn more about China’s past in the bargain.

After Jinyong completed all his titles, it was discovered that the first characters of the first 14 titles can be joined together to form a couplet with 7 characters on each line:

飞雪连天射白鹿
笑书神侠倚碧鸳

Loose translation…
Shooting a white deer, snow flutters around the skies;
Smiling, [one] writes about the divine chivalrous one, leaning against bluish lovebirds (or lover).

PS: This article was published on my school’s newsletter “Newsville” on 21/7/1982. I have done some editing before it is re-produced here.

Read related article here.

The Temple

Gintai_昇泰 — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 22:00:53 +0000

A piece of short story written by me as a student on 14/7/1982. It was published in our school newsletter.

The Temple

Ah Chye and his mother were standing in a small crowd in a small room. They were unusually quiet paying the closest attention to a miniature but very energetic creature chanting gibbersih unintelligible phrases. It was done in a somewhat controlled rhythmic manner. Only his assistant standing beside him could understand and interpret the pattern of his repeated phrases.

When Ah Chye lifted his head and turned around, he saw many more things he had not known. The ever present redness of the surroundings and the heavy aromatic smell of incense were something he anticipated but his innocent mind had not expected to discern the “next world” – the world of spirits – in this tightly packed abode.

His coming to this world and living with his people for slightly more than a decade had given him some insight into their philosophy of life. Though he had a rather small and not yet fully developed mind, he had had enough good sense to link what he had heard. By so doing, he had deduced that the next world was actually a world of two opposing forces – the evil and the good. The next logical step that he conjectured was that those forces were depicted by images and folklore.

And now, Ah Chye’s curious mind could ponder on his own ingenious analysis of his people. Often he asked himself, “How come I can have so rich and vast an imagination and yet find it difficult to project my thoughts to my people?” Naive Ah Chye did not realise that to express his thoughts as explicitly as possible to his people, he needed to be as skillful in the languages spoken by his kinsmen.

But Ah Chye had stopped learning his people’s language and had instead learnt two other international languages. By not learning his own “mother tongue“, Ah Chye was deprived of his natural bond with his people. It was like a thread, snapped! The inner self of him had gone. His inner self was no longer connected to the source.

Having spent some years in a mission school, he became orientated to western ways of thinking. He felt it was now time to put them into use. “Those are all cults practised by superstitious people. I must avoid whatever rituals they prescribe to me.” And his thoughts wandered further, “I should not have given my consent to come. Now, just look at those scary demons and eerie images staring at me surrounded by all these weird people.” The more he wondered, the more terrified he became.

His parents had always warned him that if condemned anything his ancestors had honoured, they would haunt him. Now little Ah Chye was confused and afraid. He did not know who was right or which was the better way.

The hysterical creature mumbled something lazily aside. His assistant obediently responded by summoning Ah Chye and his mother for consultation. Ah Chye’s innocent and susceptible mind had earlier questioned what his parents had reminded him of.

And now the oracle with blood shot eyes and a sanguine face with untidy wild hair was staring at him. At that moment, he held back and did not compromise by moving half a step or so. The oracle, sitting on a majestic red painted dragon carving sedan was obviously unhappy with Ah Chye’s conduct. The oracle was now breathing heavily and emitting more foam than ever from his half open mouth. He was squeaking at him.

With that, confused Ah Chye helplessly burst out and said, “Please do not haunt me, my dear ancestor!” Such an exclamation was uttered to the complete amazement of the Chinese standing around him. According to Chinese convention, we do not call someone ancester, particularly to an oracle.

Why communism fails?

Gintai_昇泰 — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 22:00:21 +0000

: Image via Wikipedia

The essay re-produced below was written by me on 20/8/1982. I was a student then. It was written for my General Paper as an exercise. I sat for the General Paper at the end of 1982.

What is wrong with the ideals of communism?

Since the Bolshevik Revolution in 1918, communism has become a reckoned force in international affairs. The whole Asiatic land mass, stretching from the Pacific Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea professes the same idealogy of the common brotherhood of man. It also seems to be spreading like wild bush fire among the poverty striken and extremely exploited third world peoples.

But those peoples who claim to be practicing the brand of communism founded by Karl Marx, do not always follow the laid-out blue print. Even in the land where communism was first introduced the whole system is made a mockery of.

The extreme market mechanism of the capitalist system was the cause of Marx’s communist ideology. He saw the appalling living conditions of numberless workers and how they were ruthlessly exploited by the capitalists.

Eventually, he concluded that society is based on two classes; the capitalist and the proletarians. He advocated the use of force by the proletariat to overthrow the minority capitalist class.

Political power is the means to economic self-determination. The proletariat should thereafter rule themselves with absolute equality and common ownership of property. The communist party which is supposed to represent the proletariat is the government of the state.

The communist doctrine propounded by a group of men in the Soviet Union was a result of socia-economic hardships. After its inception, living conditions and standards of living began to improve.

But after that short period of exuberance, the system seems to stagnate and is not as productive as was thought to be. The image of a happy society where the workers are the masters of the land has been shattered.

The radical system of communism defeats its own ideals. The complete equality of all workers only domain is in itself impossible. The communist party which represents the interests of the workers is an elite minority and a powerful government. Since there is no opposition party around, the communist party and its leaders have absolute power.

In such a power structure, those in power are in no position to resist the temptation to abuse power. A majority of such party leaders and cadres are corrupted beyond redemption. Those people who make up minority of the population often resort to every means possible to maintain and extend their power.

The secret state police, the propaganda machinery, re-education (brain washing) camps, political (indoctrination) study camps and full censorship are some available means with which the communist party imposes its will on the masses. The greater the extent that the workers’ minds are stiffled, the more pleased will those in power be.

In such a situation, can one find dignity in living and the basic human rights that we know of? Here, to lead a life is worst than death.

To quote a dismal failure of the communist ideals, just take a look at Poland. The state communist party is supposed to represent all the workers in the country. Yet, the Polish workers were dissatisfied with it. Tens of thousands of Polish workers openly defied the communist doctrine of only one proleteriat party for the workers’ interests. State police’s and even soldiers’ innumerable open clashes with demonstrating workers clearly convey the disillusionment of those proleterians.

Lech Walesa, the electrician by occupation and the unchallenged leader of the masses became a hero over night. Walesa and his Solidarity Union have shown the world that communism is a fake, only they, the Solidarity Union members are the true representatives of the workers.

Now, in Poland it is no more the land where workers are the masters. the land of freedom is now ruled by soldiers and guns under martial law. Karl Max would not be so arrogant with his communist Manifesto if he had witnessed such a situation.

The communist ideals are not only unrealistic in the political sense, they are also impractical and even absurd as far as economics is concerned. An economy resting on the communist pillars, unless it makes immediate adjustments will defintely collapse. It cannot withstand the test of time.

China, the second earliest communist state has painfully found out. A great and brave statesman, Deng Xiaoping has stood up and told his countrymen that the way they were going is suicidal, and they must turn back and change course. They must set the bearing to the Capitalist world. The whole of Guangdong province and its capital; Canton with a total population of 60 to 70 million people has become a capitalist state within the communist dome.

If the people of Guangdong province can produce more food grains and an excess of material goods for the benefit of the other provinces, communism will face a natural death and go down into history. The communist dome will explode under the dynamic power of capitalism.

The two examples given, vividly illustrate the ills of communism.

Without entering the forbidden ivory tower of intellectual academia or indulging in mental gymnastics on the endless debating points of communist ideals, any sensible common layperson will agree that the problem of communism ideals lies on its power structure which is extremely susceptible to corruption and consequently the stagnation of the economy, if not a total collapse.

It now universally acknowledged that communism is a failure.

Value ourselves …

Gintai_昇泰 — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 22:00:31 +0000

A well-known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $20 bill. In the room of 200, he asked, “Who would like this $20 bill?”

Hands started going up.

He said, “I am going to give this $20 to one of you but first, let me do this.

He proceeded to crumple up the $20 dollar bill.

He then asked, “Who still wants it?”

Still the hands were up in the air.

Well, he replied, “What if I do this?”

And he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe.

He picked it up, now crumpled and dirty.

“Now, who still wants it?”

Still the hands went into the air.

My friends, we have all learned a very valuable lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $20.

Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value.

Dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased, you are still priceless to those who DO LOVE you.

The worth of our lives comes not in what we do or who we know, but by WHO WE ARE.

You are special- Don’t EVER forget it.”

If you do not pass this on, you may never know the lives it touches, the hurting hearts it speaks to, or the hope that it can bring.

Count your blessings, not your problems.

And remember: Amateurs built the ark … professionals built the Titanic.

If God brings you to it – He will bring you through it.

Salt and Pepper

Gintai_昇泰 — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 22:00:19 +0000

The next time you’re feeling sorry for yourself, do something nice for somebody. It will make you feel better.

That’s what happened to Robert Updegraff, a prominent business consultant. He tells a story about it in a book called “Try Giving Yourself Away”, which he wrote many years ago under the pen name of David Dunn.

“Suppose you wake up grumpy, or actually belligerent – as who doesn’t once in a while?” he wrote. “You are quite sure that nothing or nobody can make you feel cheerful.

“I remember sitting at breakfast one morning at a lunch counter near the South Station in Boston. Having arrived on the sleeper train from New York, and having been routed out of my berth before seven o’clock after a poor night’s sleep, I was feeling very sorry for myself.

“What you have to accomplish in Boston today is too important to risk failure just because you feel grumpy,” I told myself sternly. “You better start giving away … But how can you give away sitting on a stool in a row of other grumpy night travellers before seven o’clock in the morning?” I said to myself.

“Then I looked at the salt and pepper. I recalled reading of some woman who said she was sure her husband loved her dearly – but he never thought to pass her the salt and pepper. I had noticed ever since how seldom anyone takes the rouble to pass them.

“I glanced up and down the counter. The only salt and pepper shakers in sight were directly in front of me. I had already seasoned my fried eggs, with no thought of my fellow dinners. Now, picking up the shakers, I offered them to the man on my right.

“Perhaps you – and some of the other people down the line – can use these.” I said.

“He thanked me, seasoned his eggs, and passed the shakers on. Every person at the counter used them.

“That broke the ice. I got into conversation with my neighbour, and the man next to him joined in. Before I knew it, everyone at the counter was talking, and presently we were all laughing and joking, eating breakfasts seasoned with salt, pepper and good humour. And I had supplied the seasoning.

“By the time I had finished my breakfast, I was feeling positively cheerful. My mission in Boston that day worked out better than I thought possible.”

“Experience is the name everyone should give to their mistakes”