Happy Easter

                                               To all my Christian friends, a Happy Easter

       Easter to many people in this world is another holiday after Good Friday, but to Christians around the world this is the most celebrated day, after the birth of Christ. Of course, in Rome, the newly elected Pope (Francis) will give the Easter blessings  through the service to the many millions who have turned up or watched it over the TV.

     Some 2013 less 33 years ago, Jesus of Nazareth was hung on the cross at the place called Golgotha, Calvary or the Skull (depending on which interpretation of the Bible). Though blameless of any crime, he was put to death by none other than the people he came to save, throught their ignorance and jealousy.

     After 3 days, he rose from the dead, and was witnessed by a multitude of people including Mary Magdelene and the 11 disciples  for a few days after that (Judas had fled by that time). 

     So, his rebirth and resurrection has given many Christians cause for hope and celebration, for they serve a risen Savior. So, to my Christian friends, Happy Easter !!  

Thoughts during a really balmy Sunday afternoon

                                 Under the shade of a really beautiful Flame of the the Forest

Today is 24th March, Sunday. Palm Sunday to be concise. Its a really humid afternoon, and the best thing to do is to write a post. It is not practical to snooze, as one would wake up in a pool of sweat, and feeling dehydrated too (sleeping burns calories too).

 In the book of Mark, Jesus has said, " So I tell you, whatever you have asked for in prayer,believe that you have received, and it will be yours".  (Chap 11, vs 24). This is a truly inspiring verse, and I take comfort that during these tough economic times, things will surely turn out well for me. 

Times are very tough for small and medium sized companies these 2 years, what with the global economy still very weak, increased wages for foreign workers (I have 1 foreign staff), rentals as well as  a very poor 6 months output from the sector my company is serving - manufacturing. 

Lets keep a steady head and pray for better times. For surely they will come.

   

Common Singlish Phrases and Modifiers

                    Like my school friends (all who turned 50 last year), born and bred in Singapore,
                             Singlish is the one of the unifying aspects of life which bond us together, 
                                              regardless of where we might be in the world


Doctor
---------
'Hey, Ah Beng ! Long time no see ! How's the job ?'

Patient (Ah Beng)
--------------------------
'Wah ! Cannot Tahan lah ! Boss always Tekan me.
I work hard, cannot Jiat Juah, damn Sian
He's blur like sotong, also Kan Cheong Spider
So make me Gabra
I damn stress, cannot sleep, so I go and have a drink
When I go home, Gostan my car , kena Langga
So now, got sleep problem, neck pain and Bengkok Bumper !

Doctor
---------
Chill man, here, take  something to calm your nerves, MC 2 days OK ?    

If you have no clue what Ah Beng is saying, you are in good company. Singlish is spoken by native Singaporeans or those who have lived here for a good part of their lives. It is the patois which is tossed around as casual pigdin English spoken by the 'locals'. Many of us slip into this whenever we come together in a casual or informal setting such as Chinese New Year's, office parties, drinks with golfing khakis (mates) and friends, and of course, the Army Reservist training. The 2 and a half years wearing Green Army fatigues throws all 18 year old boys into the army field doing all kinds of different vocations with all kinds of educational levels and language skills mixed up, so you will have an 'A' level graduand mixing with boys who have only Primary or Secondary education. Added to that, instructions are sent in Malay during marching drills and you have an education of Singlish 101 for the 2 and a half years. 

Top 12 words and Phrases in Singlish
------------------------------------------------------

Wah Lau !   (My old ...!)    Exclaimation meaning Golly Gee ! in a negative connotation
Tahan     :   Take it or cope with   (Malay)
Cannot Tahan : Cannot cope (with the situation or person)  (Malay English)
Tekan     :   Bully or applies verbal pressure in a condecending manner (Malay 'to hit')
Jiat Juah :  (Eat snake literally)   To relax and chill at work  (Hokkien)
Sian         : State of ennui or lack of motivation  (Hokkien but slang)
Blur like Sotong :  Confused or slow to catch on, like sotong (squid) ; no direct translation
Kan Cheong Spider : (Anxious, Jumpy) Spider - another modifier  (Hokkien)
Gostan   : merging of 2 words, Go astern or move backwords, becomes Gostan (English)
Kena Langga  : Get into an accident (Malay)
Bengkok : Bent (Malay).
Gabra    :   Going in all directions

Modifiers and Phrase Compressors
--------------------------------------------------

Ok 'Lah', Lor  -  The intonation upper, lower length of expanding the lah also has meaning 
                           showing the satisfaction (lah), nonplussed or indifference (Lor), 
                           displeasure (soft lah) or even distate (strong lah)  is a direct answer to the 
                           common greeting "Whats up ?" or " How are you ? "

No 'Lah', 'Leh' -  Strong lah shows firm 'No'. Weak lah shows an undecided no, 'Leh' is                                 
                            an affront to counter the questioner's doubt, when the person answering  
                             herself is not convinced that it is 'No'.

'No need lah' -  Firm no nonsense 'No', to show who's boss.

'Never mind ba' - A touchy never mind, bordering on disappointment

There are literally dozens of phrases and words to simplify the English language, Singlish is a practical albeit pariochial form which is concise, with grammar and very unfying when used  in a casual setting with friends.


" Tonight got Man U versus Barcelona, come I give you half ball ! "    

  ????? 

Seize the Day.     




   

Ma Boon Krung, Bangkok.

                                             Super Long 'Tuk Tuk' outside the MBK Center
                                                                       
  

                During a recent trip to Bangkok some 2 weeks ago, I stayed at the Ma Boon Krung (MBK) area, and was pleasantly surprised that it was a shopper's paradise for people looking out for inexpensive bargains for Jeans,Cargo Pants, T-shirts (print Ts, embroided and iron - on but good fakes), perfumes (also fakes), Thai souvenirs (woodcraft, ivory and crystals), costume jewellry and trinkets. There is another famous market called Chatuchak Market which is normally opened on weekends which is a great draw for tourists from the world over. I have never ventured there, preferring to go to the Chatuchak Park, in the middle of the business district of Rachadaphisek and Lat Phrao for my morning runs. The place is full of tourists and locals alike and there is a Ma Boon Krung station which makes the area very accessible. 

                                                   MBK fight night every Wednesday

                

               Every Wednesday there would be a Muay Thai boxing exhibition match, so for holiday makers, tourists and locals, this is the place  for inexpensive Thai food, shopping and even Thai style massages. Do give Ma Boon Krung a visit the next time you are in Bangkok. 

            
                  Amazing Street vendor performing on the 'drums' made of only 
                                            plastic and metal drums
                               

Singlish, grammatically wrong but direct in meaning

        For many years Singaporeans have been criticised for using syntactically, grammatically incorrect English, collectively called Singlish and we have been injecting Hokkien (Chinese dialect group from Fujian province), Malay, Indian and even mish-mash of English words without the proper grammer, to make our point.

       Yes, the leaders of our country are  expected to speak  Queen's English, but we are not Royals are we ? We are ordinary people relating to ordinary people around us, and in a fast -paced society whereby the fastest as well as most direct form of communication has its uses, hence Singlish.

      Look at the video above, even the Americans are mimicking this form of language. Its  
the global village adapting to the challenges of everyday life. Long live Singlish !  

Will these products become extinct ?

The humble bar of soap

       In this world of disposable everything, I am sad to see that 2 much appreciated and loved items such as the humble bar of soap and the handkerchief are going the way of the dinosaur,the payphone and the dodobird, extinct. For the bar of soap, I understand, with the liquid dispensers all around the world, it is perceived as much more hygienic, as the person using does not need to share the soap bar (or what's left of it) with the previous guy. But soap is antiseptic and supposedly kills 99.9% of all germs so it is increasingly difficult to find solid soap bars in the supermarkets today.    

                                                       The stitched handkerchief

    This is another 'gone with the wind' product the humble silk stitched handkerchief. Call me old fashioned, but I still like the feeling of cloth which is far more absorbant than the packet tissues which are so much in abundance today. Additionally there is no chance of 'finishing' the handkerchief like the packet tissues which are a soggy lump once you have wiped your hands dry on them.

    So there, 2 products which are destined for the consumer product museum, together with the snuff box, shaving stick, horse and buggy carriage, fountain pens and whole lot of craftsman designed products which will never see the light of day.  

Gazelle Style or Glider Style of Running ?

     This is taken off a presentation by the Ironman Triclinic of Australia showing the type of running styles typically used by the elite athletes. The one on the left, shows the right leg arcing upwards and at an angle which is like a trajectory, something which the fleet - footed gazelles you see on the National Geographic channel do all the time while running. The person on the left is 'flying' through the air most of the time and only a fraction of the time is spent on impacting the ground, before the next toe-off occurs.

     While the African elite runners all employ this running style, it is frankly in my opinion, very energy sapping, and one has to have an extremely well conditioned body to try this style. On top of that, the motion of the  toe-off leading to a liftoff  from one leg and hitting the floor in a heel-strike is damaging in the long run to the heel, as well as causing faster wear and tear on the knee joints.

     'Gliders' on the other hand just hover over the ground, and float or glide along in the direction of the run. Less energy is dispensed and the impact is normally reduced owing to the foot hitting the ground in the mid-foot. Its less nice to look at, but biomechanically it is more efficient to use this style to achieve the maximum results.

     I tried both styles today during my run at the ECP. My running style ?   See below, LOL !

    Seize the Day.

    

Billy Joel was taking some Q & A in New York's Vanderbilt University when this happens....

He is one of my favourite all time Rock and Roll singers, together with Mick Jagger, Elton John and Bryan Ferry. Yeah, he's grown old and pudgy but this is video shows something amazing, a student watching Billy Joel perform at the Concert Hall, asks him whether he could play the piano to the tune of one of Billy's all time hits " New York State of Mind".  

Guess what, Billy said "yes !".  The man himself, the Piano Man decided to take a gamble with this unknown kid, and what you see is pure magic, bordering on joy.

I hope I could one day play the piano on stage with one of my music idols. That would be something !!

Michael Hollis, you have Seized the Day !

Remembering Hungary - 2008

                       Hand of St. Stephen, the first Saint who came to Hungary around 1000 AD

      We paid our first visit to Hungary the summer of 2008, spending 4 days there and had our friends Tibor and Tunde Csombordi bring us around the town. They are born and bred Hungarians so I was very appreciative of them spending so much time showing us around the city. It is a beautiful city, with a total of 11 bridges, and the city as was the rest of the country part of the USSR up until 1990 when the entire Soviet Union broke up. 

      Many of the states our countries are self autonomous, and there is great pride amongst the people. Budapest is actually 2 towns separated by the Danube River. Buda is the high ground or small hill whereby the old castle and the upper classes (in the old days, not now) lived while Pesch was the poorer side where the common folk lived.  

Russian inspired statues all around Budapest 

It is still relatively undeveloped as compared to many Asian cities, with their megaplexes and massive traffic jams. The Underground which was developed during the Soviet era is still utilised and the economy is still growing as compared to the richer Western Europe which has been experiencing very difficult times these last 4 years.  

                                   Tibor and Tunde our Hungarian friends, taken at the castle atop Buda

    We definately would like to visit Hungary in the near future and take in the sights of the old city plus Lake Balaton, which is the holiday area of the Magyars. I will put up pictures of that visit in another post. 

St. Stephen, whose statue is also very apparent around Budapest  

What do I think about when I am running ?

           Simple, "when is the damn thing going to end ?, Man, I am getting too old for this !  "  In actual fact, both these phrases hardly cross my mind, so no I do not think of negative things. In fact, after reading Haruki Murakami's fine book "What I think about when I think about running" I had an idea to post something similar, and shameless taking the title almost wholesale from his book title.

          I love to run, in fact I started being a running person rather late in life, as my parents had enrolled me in swim school at the young age of about 9, so practically every 5 times a week, I was at Mt.Emily public swimming pool from 5pm to 7pm, under the famous disciplinarian coach Mr. Kee Soon Bee and so we (my brother and I ) started swimming regularly.
  
         So, I never knew I had the talent to run, till about 18 when I was enlisted for National Service. Anyway, that is another story altogether.

        I am a rather lazy runner, but my marathon best times of 4 hours and 45 minutes while not great, are pretty decent, and normally in the top 50% of all runners. So, coming back to the running, actually, like Murakami, running helps my mind go into a void, or blank state.
After a long day's work, thinking of the problems and solutions, it is always calming and very stress relieving for me to unwind with a nice run, most times at a pace which I would call pushing myself, for at least 30 minutes. So, either I will run around my neighborhood, or hit the gym, East Coast Park or McRitchie Reservoir trails for my 'fix'.

       It is the one constant I enjoy wherever I am, the time is the constant 30 minutes to 1 hour, and I may be in another country, but I bring my Kayanos (running shoes) and hit either the gym or the nearby park if its not too late in the day. Chatuchak Park (Bangkok), Ren Ming Guang Chang (Shanghai), The Bund (Shanghai), The Rocks and Sydney Opera House (Sydney), Jardines de Tuilerries (Paris),Botanical Gardens (Penang), along the banks of the Nile (Egypt), pounding the road in Ho Chih Minh(Vietnam) , Wuhan (China),  Giessen (Germany), the others too long ago and not so memorable.

      I remember one infamous incident in Sydney in 2002, my family and another good friend's family were staying in Port Stephens just north of Sydney in a farmhouse for several days. So, one fine morning I decided to run the country road, for about 11km all in and take in the sights, waking up at 5am, I laced my shoes and headed out, after about 5 - 6 km down the country road, I came across the carcass of a dead black snake and decided to return back. Nearing back to the farmhouse, I noticed that the neighbours 2 Doberman Pinschers came out !   I know a little bit of animal psychology, so I exhibited no fear, and continued running at my pace, one dog gave chase, but since I was running away, he followed me for about 10 metres and after that, dropped away and went back to his house. 

     It was a close shave !   
  
      Do I think about more work while I am running ? Of course not ! A run is to me something as basic as breathing fresh air and being alive. I take in the scenery around me and am grateful that I am still able to pound the pavement with the enthusiasm of most people in their prime, in fact many people run out of necessity, I do it for the fun of it.  

     Aren't I lucky ?? 
      

Cars are now a luxury item in SG

                                        

        The recent measures passed in Parliament during the recent Budget announcement by our Finance Minister, includes new taxes on cars whose Open Market Value exceeds S$ 50,000. There will be an additional 180% or $18,000 for every $10,000 increment above $50,000 Open Market Value for the car. This will mean easily tens of thousands more for the big CC cars such as above 3 litres, as well as the branded European marques such as the BMW 5, 6, 7 series to hundreds of thousands more  for the SuperCars such as the Ferraris, Lamboghinis and all those fancy -nini name ending cars from Italy.

     Additionally, the 2 additional items which the car buyer has to be concerned, has halved. That is the tenure of the loan (how long the loan period is allowed) and the percentage of the car's price which the prospective buyer can take a loan from the bank or finance company. The tenure is now dropped from 10 years to 5 years, hence this means that the buyer has to cough up much more in that shorter period of time. The loan amount is now at most 50% of the car's purchase price. So for the Toyota Corolla Altis with the recent COE of $70,000, the sell price is S$ 120,000. Hence, the buyer now has to fork out $60,000 in upfront monies and take the remaining $60,000 in loan repayable over 5 years. So that works out with compound interest to S$ 1,400 for 60 months or 5 years. The interest rate will effectively double to about 3.5 to 3.88 % from the current 1 to 1.3 % as the lenders (banks or finance houses) have to make the money they loaned to the buyer (in interest) in half the allowable time. From 10 to 5 years.  

      Well and good is my initial reaction, the Certificate of Entitlement will definately drop, in reaction to this latest measure to cool COE prices. Its so expensive to own a car in S'pore nowadays I wonder and sympathise for the new family who aspire to their set of wheels. Perhaps they will need to take Public Transport or the taxes occasionally, like in the past. If one has plenty of funds then it is in fact good for them, as the COE prices will come crashing down, or will they stay up ? Many people have been waiting to change their cars and they may still be able to plonk out cash to buy their 'dream' cars.

      Cars will be a luxury item, and hopefully the COE prices will come down. Its silly to spend so much on cars anyway.    

Give Denis Rodman the Peace Prize

                                                The former wild child of NBA with N. Korean
                                            Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un at a basketball game
                                   

         Stranger things have happened, such as the tragedy in S.Africa, with Oscar Pistorius shooting his girlfriend during Valentine's day, but that is for the courts to decide whether it was premeditated murder, manslaughter or a really unfortunate and tragic mistake.

         Denis Rodman, the clown and very talented former NBA rebounder, took the world by surprise by visiting North Korea and making buddies with the Supreme Leader, Kim Jong Un, the son of the late  leader Kim Jong Il.. 

          Given the latest developments by North Korea in shooting 'satellites' into space, the world is nautrally very concerned about Armageddon, or all out nuclear war. Hence, it is indeed a great thing that Denis (a 'brother" in black American terms) made the effort to reach out to this isolated leader, who obviously is a great fan of Rodman and NBA. He used his celebrity status to maximum effect hence showing the world that Kim is like all of us, an ordinary person who enjoys basketball,football and meeting with his 'pals'. We are all equal under the eyes of God.

         For this act of friendship (or comradeship), I recommend  Denis to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. He has lowered  the threat of war by a great degree. 

          "'Its looks like the start of a great friendship"'   -   from the film Casablanca. . 

          Seize the Day. Live long and Prosper.