Aware

Being a male, the ferocious catfight (pun intended) amongst the new and old Aware Ex-Co have little to no impact on me.

However, I still follow the Aware ruckus with some interest since there’s some hints of an underlying conspiracy in the ‘brazen’ power-grab by the ‘new team’.

Allegations that the coup was ochestrated by people belonging to a particular religion is of particular interest. While I am a Catholic, I always believe that some things are best left to secular decision-making and that the Church can always deliver its differing message or teachings through its own formal channels.

Thus, I find it rather inappropriate, and dangerous, if a group of persons with similar religious inclinations, not to mention, attending the same church, takes over a secular organisation, with the objective of imposing their religious values/beliefs on the organisation, if that’s proven to be true over time.

While the verdict is still out. I find myself drawn towards the arguments of the ousted so-called ‘old-guards’.

The new Ex-Co members have so far failed to account, unless simply worded replies are to be taken at face value, for some of their actions/deeds. Nor their allegations that Aware is turning into a single-issue organisation, read pro-homosexuality/lesbianism, is clearly elaborated nor justified in their latest press releases.

Aware’s in-fighting problems are unlikely to end quickly nor amicably.

 Despite many stating that the election process in Aware as democratic, I would liken the current situation to a country being suddenly flooded by foreign immigrants, whose enbloc voting powers unseats the government that welcomed them. Imagine Singapore being governed by ‘citizens’ who had entered the country for only months/or weeks.

The lesson for the old guards perhaps is to give new members a period of assimilation as a “PR” before deciding if these new member truly buy into the values of the organisation. Those that disagree should (a) voice their concerns, and (b) move on, i.e. get out, and form their own organisations if their views differ greatly from those of the organisation’s.

Best turtle soup

In my opinion, the Ser Seng turtle soup restaurant in Macpherson, Tai Thong Crescent to be exact, can lay claims to serving the most delicious dish in the country.

Its soup is heavenly.

At $13 a bowl, for the cheapest set, the soup comes with generous amounts of turtle meat and ’skin’. The turtle meat is well prepared since it is tender although it retains the uniquely soft yet chewy texture we have come to expect from the flesh of a turtle. The soup is simply savoury. I am not sure what herbs or spices Ser Seng puts into it, but whatever the stuff is, it works well on the taste buds.

Having the soup together with a bowl of yam rice is a must! Don’t skimp on the cost with white rice cos Ser Seng’s yam rice has just a high ‘delicious quotient’ as its turtle soup.

Having tried it’s turtle soup a few times, I am looking forward to trying it’s black chicken soup on my next visit.

Till then, here’s a memory of the great meal I had yesterday.

Best turtle soup in Singapore

Flight

Yesterday I flew on the Singapore Flyer. How’s the experience? Well, I can only say “so-so, lah”. Having flown on the London Eye, the ride on the Flyer pales in stark comparison.

The rather ugly soda can capsules, compared the ‘antiquated’  2001 London Eye’s futuristic egg-shaped capsules, together with Singapore’s uninspired downtown skyline will disappoint all, but the most patriotic Singaporeans.

Adding to the rather characterless view is a layer of haze, smog, whatever, that casts a greyish sickly pall over the landscape.

On hingsight, the architects of the Flyer  should have positioned it in such a way that passengers can look at the full ‘glory’ of the Marina Bay Sands integrated resort when it comes into operation at the end of this year. Passengers are instead treated to a boring side-profile view of the hotel towers.

It is highly recommended that trips on the Flyer should be made in the evening when the CBD skyline is litted up, which makes for more interesting viewing. The best time would be in Sept when all the buildings are afire with spotlight as the Formula One circus hits town.

I would at most make another trip on the Flyer. It’s not that I loved the experience, but only to have at least one flight with my wife.

All in all, the flight is, unsuprisingly, a letdown when compared to the wonderful panoramic views of London on the Eye. Even taking away that comparison doesn’t add much to the experience. The flight is strictly a once in a lifetime experience. Well, make that two for me.

Check out some of the shots I took.

Soda Cans in the air!

Rising Costs

My lack of updates here can be traced to the rising costs of living in Singapore. I can hardly afford the electricity bills to run my computer…

Just kidding.

While I have yet to fall below the poverty line, I do keenly feel the rising cost of living in this cosmopolitan island state. To satiate my popiah craving nowadays means forking out an extra 10 cents. One popiah previously costs 70 cents. In real monetary terms, the rise in price is an ‘inflation’ of 14.3%.

Apart from my favourite popiah, the higher costs are also visible on my grocery bills. Ayam tuna which used to cost $1.85 are now $2, an increase of 8%.

So who are ‘they’ trying to kid when they say inflation is only “3%-5%”.

If I am already feeling the sore, not yet a pain, I am sure these price increases are hitting our less well off Singaporeans hard.

Frankly, I’d rather my pay grow slower if it translates to more bearable inflationary conditions. At current rates, my pay increases will lose its race with inflation in the coming year or so. Guess I can’t have my cake and eat it.

So, is this the price to pay to live in a first world country? If yes, then where’s the first world assistance to the poor and the aged? It’s double whammy for folks who are both old and poor.

Think charities will put in extra hours next year. But that doesn’t absolve the garmen from putting up more assistance for this group of people.

High inflation = High economic growth = High tax collections

Think that’s clear enough…

Guys, get ready to loosen the purse strings which the collection plate is handed around or when coming across the Slavation Army donation drives during the coming X’mas season. I am sure our needy folks would need some help this year.

Mozzies Down Durai

I read with some amusment when I came across “Durai gets dengue” in today’s copy of The Straits Times. While I am not those who wish ill will to those deserving of nothing better, I can’t help but feel a total lack of sympathy for the fallen chief of NKF.

Anyway, this article is another evidence that journalists are so enamored with their jobs, of finding sensational stories, that they sometimes forget if the news is of any relevance, or importance, to us – the readers.

Unless Durai’s ailment affects the time he needs to serve in Changi, I see no reason for the publication of this article when people all over Singapore are also going down with dengue at the same time.

Give me real news not something related to something, but the story in itself in NOTHING! Boy, these SPH writers are giving me a headache.

Premium Bus Services

Commuters from around Singapore, especially those from the more ‘remote’, if there’s ever such a thing, parts of the country will now be able to ride in comfort with the roll-out of the premium bus services offered by ComfortDelgro or SBS.

Snapshot of New Premium Bus Services 

1. 15 bus services operating from places such as Jurong West, Bedok, Simei and Pasir Ris.
2. All passengers to get a seat. No standing allowed.
3. Fares range from $2.70 to $5.
4. Operate only at morning peak hours and travel only in the direction of the city.
5. All trips scheduled to arrive in the city before 9am.

(Extracted from The Straits Times, "15 premium bus services take to the roads today") 

Being a public transport commuter myself, I read the Straits Times article “15 premium bus services to take to the roads today” with much interest. In my head, I was wondering what’s up the sleeves of the Public Transport Council (PTC), the toothless corporate-loving regulator, and SBS.

Starting today, some commuters heading to their offices downtown will be able to ride in comfort on 15 premium bus services. The new bus services by transport operator ComfortDelGro guarantee passengers a seat and will take specially selected routes to keep travel times down.  

Reading the words highlighted above, it is telling that our public transport system, the bus services in this case, is not as fantastic as it is touted to be. It basically means that our buses are not (a) comfotable, (b) have too few seats and (c) they never arrive in time.

Ask around and most Singaporeans, I am generalising here, will tell you that the experience of riding in our cramp “sardine tin can-like” vehicles called buses ain’t much to harp about. You are more likely to get more grouses than praise for our much touted world class transport infrastructure.

Being a typical Singaporean, here’s my very own list of grouses:

Fieldmarshal’s 4 Reasons Why Bus Services in Singapore is Crap

1. Seats are too cramp and small. The seats are designed for people who are generally small in stature, preferably between 1.55m to 1.60m tall. For a bloke who’s 1.8m+, I am surprised that I have survived all these years without getting deep vein thrombosis (DVT). But my knees have had their share of bruises though.

2. Not enough seats. Commuters in Singapore are treated like sheep. In the minds of the PTC bureaucrats, the purpose of having public buses is to transport as many livestock people as possible with almost no regard for their comfort. Sometimes I wonder why bus drivers continue to pack in the people when the bus is already bursting at the seams!

3. Low ‘ceilings’. Think this applies only to those 1.8m and tallers. Ouch!

4. Long waiting times. Need I say more when one has to wait 20 minutes only to find the bus fully packed and having to wait another 20 minutes for the next?

These grouses set me thinking. As a first world country with high standards of living, which I am led to believe, I am sure the PTC would have guidelines, something which Singapore is so fond of, in ensuring the comfort and efficiency of our bus transport services.

So off I went surfing in the PTC website and found Singapore’s very own Bus Service Standard (BSS) there. And here’s what I found.

There are 6 aspects to the BSS:

1. Reliability

2. Loading

3. Safety

4. Availability

5. Integration

6. Information

Sadly, comfort of the commuters, who are the actual users of the bus services, are not considered important enough to warrant itself as a factor in the BSS. The only thing that came close was in the “loading” aspect, which stated that “Bus loading during weekday peak periods on each bus service – Not exceeding 95% daily“. I decipher it as a 50 person capacity bus cannot carry more than 45 persons during peak periods. No way! How many times have I seen people standing on the steps of the bus’ entrance just to ensure that they have a ride home after a hard day’s work. If the bus is licensed to carry 50, then those buses must be carying 60!

Despite their record corporate earnings, bus companies, which happen to be privately owned, are always eager to increase their fares. These fare increases are seldom, if ever, matched with an increase in bus service standards. PTC as the regulator is like a rubber stamp which has yet to reject a single fare increase. People say that there’s nothing certain in life. Well in Singapore, there is one certainty. Bus fares will increase in good years, and yes, in bad years too!

My feedback to both PTC and the bus companies. We, the commuters of Singapore, do not need premium bus services. We just need MORE BUSES!

I also dug up a Bus Passenger Satisfaction Survey done by the PTC in 2006. Look under the “Very Dissatisfied” and “Fairly Dissatisfied” columns. Can someone tell the statistically inept me that there must be something definitely wrong with our bus services.

Oh, one last quote from the ST article which I found kinda interesting.

“Government Parliamentary Committee for Transport member Cynthia Phua welcomed the new services. She said: ‘For less than $100 a month, commuters now have a better alternative to driving to the city, taking the taxi to work and a more comfortable ride compared to trains and buses. I hope, based on demand, operators can provide more such services.’ “

Hmmm, a more comfortable bus ride compared to buses. Omigosh! Is Ms Cynthia Phua saying that basic bus services is crap? What is she doing then as a member of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Transport? Shouldn’t she be improving the basic services? Oh wait… she doesn’t take the bus…

Seven Wonders of Singapore

The world had just chosen the new Seven Wonders of the World to reflect contemporary opinion. Not to be outdone, Singapore has just chosen its own famous, or infamous, Seven Wonders of Singapore. Do not mistake the current wonders with the ‘other’ Seven Wonders which ex-Member of Parliament Mr Tan Soo Khoon coined during his speech on government waste during the budget debate in 2002.

Here are the seven local wonders based on a poll by The Straits Times of 300 Singaporeans. I have to say interesting choices especially wonder #7 (guess which one I am referring to).

1. The Durian! Nah, it’s actually the Esplanade
2. Changi Airport
3. Pulau Blakang Mati aka Sentosa
4. Lion headed fish, roar!!! Merlion
5. Singapore Stream River
6. Singaporean ‘makan’ Food
7. M&M’s oops, I mean MM Lee and Mount Faber

Fieldmarshal’s Seven Wonders of Singapore 

1. Old National Library building (demolished)
2. Van Cleef Aquarium (demolished)
3. Sentosa’s old Monorail (demolished)
4. National Stadium (soon to be demolished)
5. Jurong Island (a reclamation marvel! altough massive pollution is an unwelcome by-product)
6. Food (I concede that Singapore food is indeed bagus!)
7. Pioneers (not government leaders, but the people who literally made Singapore what it is today with their sweat and blood)

I have to admit that my wonders are based on childhood memories of places which shaped much of my experience. Many people today wouldn’t have any memories of the wonders I have listed since quite a few of them have already been demolished in our, actually the givernment’s, quest for development and economic growth.

I also sensed that Singaporeans, by and large, are pretty superficial and buy into ‘fake’ experiences. Let me explain. It should be known by now that the Merlion is nothing but a marketing, albeit highly successful, gimmick that was created by the tourism agency some decades back. It’s not even a real myth in native Malay literature or folklore! Esplanade and Changi Airport are just modern infrastruture which are not very much unique when compared to similar facilities around the world. They don’t even have much architectural character to speak of! I believe people chose these as the government have more or less successfully sold the idea that modern, new and efficient buildings are wonders which Singaporeans should hold in high esteem. Those that are old and in the way of progress are nothing but obstacles to overcome.

10 years down the road, I am sure Singapore’s Seven Wonder will now include at least one of the integrated resorts (or casinos), the F1 circuit and even the new sportshub.

Three cheers to progress, prosperity, and the destruction of our heritage and memories! Hip! Hip! Hooray!

You can read the full ST article below.

Work till 70?

“They” are at it again. News articles, interviews and comments by senior garmen personnel revolving around the issue of hiking the retirement age to 70. They say that with Singaporeans enjoying longer lifespans, people should consider working longer, to stay economically productive, engaged, and able to provide for themselves.

To me, retirement already seem to be so far away at 62, and market talk is that the garmen will now push it to 65. 70 is something which they are seriously considering, or something which has already been decided, but yet to announce. It’s not surprising since politics and governments, especially those in office, are deaf to voters once they are snugly in power.

Anyway, all this talk irks me. Perhaps it irks me more due to the fact I am in a job which I have absolutely no love for, and to think that I would be at my desk at the grand old age of 70 doing what I am doing now is a nightmare which I have no wish to comtemplate on.

Personally, I think no one should ‘retire’ from their ‘job’ if it is something they enjoy doing. Everyone should find themselves a job which fulfills their talents and dreams. The sad truth is that most people, I am generalising here, really hate the work they are currently doing. I, for one, work to ensure that I have a roof over my head, the bills get paid, and I get to dine in a nice restaurant once awhile. This sort of existence is bearable. But to last till I am 70, the garmen must be dreaming.

Anyway, this is how I would envision my “retirement” years…

Grand-daddy Teddy comes home from his photography studio to a his 2 room apartment where his wife is putting the finishing touches to her latest oil painting. Going to the kitchen, Teddy would start dicing and chopping the vegetables and meat for dinner as he chats with Yupgi about how their grandchildren are doing at school and how they are enjoying learning about the things which are not taught in the schools. After dinner, Teddy and Yupgi would sit down and talk about what a great day they had at work. Teddy would share about an interesting session with a family who wanted their portrait done, thinking how nice it would be to have his family portrait taken. Putting a dvd into the home entertainment unit, they would enjoy another episode of their favourite Korean drama.

And this is what the garmen thinks is best for me…

Frustrated Teddy, in his late 60s, goes home to a crummy expensive 2 room apartment. Stepping into his home, he’s mind still thinking about how he ended in this so called work and remembers the huge loan he still owes the garmen via CPF for his home. He suddenly remembers that he has yet to give the $600 pocket money to his child who’s now in university and laments at the costs of living in Singapore. Going into the kitchen to prepare dinner, he hears his wife opening the door as she comes home from work. Over dinner they lament about the cost of living, about why they have to drag themselves to work each day even at this ripe of age. At this moment they hear over the TV that the garmen just hiked the retirement age to 75.

Think I gotta start plotting my “retirement” as soon as possible and go into something which I never want to retire from. That’s the life I would like to have, not the 8.30-6 farce which I am living in now.

Serving the Country. For Money?

I have been following the debate over the rationale for hiking our already well paid Singaporean politicians. While I reserve my comments to the private confines of my head, and for my wife, I was appalled to read what a journalist, from a major local paper, wrote about it today.

The article discusses the disjointed outdated public perception where the government  consist of “moral superiors making a sacrifice for the nation” versus the post-Independence generation view of a new “transactional relationship where political leaders are expected to be held to account for their performance in return for market-based pay”.

The writer pointed out that she may be over-generalising when speaking on behalf of the post-1965 generation that this group views the government through the perspective a a transactional relationship. I applaud the writer’s honesty since for me it is a definite over-generalisation. Definite is already somewhat of an understatement.

Crafting the argument in a highly attractive, logical and persuasive manner, many would have agreed with her final conclusion that we are indeed moving towards the view that governments, or the one we have in Singapore, are moving the much touted, only by the writer, transactional relationship with citizens whom they govern.

Perhaps it is my formal education in political science (I took political science in the university), or perhaps it is the history books which I read on good governance and deomocracy’s infancy in the United States that have made me more aware and thoughtful of the political scenery in sterile Singapore and highly resistant to such ideas as proposed by the writer. People say ignorance is bliss. Sometimes I find it hard to argue against that. But in I always believe we should be more aware of what’s happening around us and stop thinking everything is done for our good.

Anyway, my main concern is that if such an article can be published, then there must be people out there who, after reading the persuasive piece, actually buy into the transactional relationship proposition. Striking more fear into me is the article’s premise that such a relationship is not only inevitable, but we, the citizens, have to accept it.

If governance of a country is transactional in nature, then I would expect that, having paid the ministers pay, as a taxpayer, I should have the power, as the ‘paymaster’, to demand a certain level of service from our ministers. I give something in exchange for something else, that’s transactional.

So what did I get in return? Well, an increase of 2% to the GST, means testing for hospitals, more gantries along major roads, potentially foreigners holding our red passports while not letting go of their native country’s and being reminded that the females in my family are lucky not to become domestic maids in other countries.

All hail the new transactional government!

Oh yeah, before I end, I need to state that I am an old fart in thinking since, like the pre-65 generation, I believe that politicians are “saints” who sacrifice what they could have gotten from orivate practice to do something great for the people they govern. Guess some ideals are ageless.