We should Lead by Example.

Kids Aplenty in the 1970s. 

The recent brouhaha about the "Marriage and Parenthood Reset" by our Government and spearheaded by an interagency workgroup chaired by a Minister is laudable. However, the assignment of leadership of this workgroup needs to be reconsidered. The choice of the chairman is also rather puzzling,and I question the powers that be in selecting a chairman with no prior experience in both these aspects (Marriage and Parenthood)

People can and sometimes do a better job  than people who have experience. Look at football managers in the top flight. Many of the top managers (Pep Guardiola, Nuno Esperito Santo, and Juergen Klopp) have limited top class playing experience, but that did not stop them from helming top clubs, like Manchester City, Nottingham Forest (OK, they are second tier) and Liverpool respectively. 

Marriage is a union between 2 people, a holy matrimony in whatever religion people choose and it also a legally binding contract between 2 people in the eyes of the law, a husband and a wife. Singapore still chooses to be conservative and their is no same sex union recognized in Singapore at this point in time. 

Parenthood is another tough task, a lifetime of sacrifice, struggle, comittment and love for one's offspring. Today's world is very different from the Baby Boomer's time, (1946 - 1965) when raising children in the 70s, 80s, 90s had vastly different challenges, and opportunities than today.

I question whether the Committee can truly succeed, and how can they firstly emphatise what is front and centre of the Millenials, and Gen Zs minds, which is - high housing costs, long wait times, high cost of living, disruptive work with no guarantee of long term employment in this convoluted world ?

Better to sit down and talk to all the young folk out there, aggregate their fears and desires and come up with a workable blueprint and put it out and run with it. Better still, the working committee should be composed of people who are themselves married, and parents themselves.

Choose a few young influencer couples, divorcees, and singles (not the flashy in your face) to be the poster boys and girls.

Then GO WITH IT.

Tweak when there is resistance or bumps in the road.

Our Government is not omniscient, certainly they are no experts. 

They should accept whatever the new generation feedsback to them in this area. 

    

Road Deaths hit 10 year high in 2025 - ST news today. It takes 2 hands to clap.

Singapore Roads 

Today's headlines highlighted the fact that in 2025, the number of road deaths hit a record high for the last 10 years. Any person reading this would assume that the motorists are the sole problem. I disagree. There is another actor involved. 

LTA. You are also part of the problem. Let me cite just 3 stretches of road, which I commute regularly and, frankly, the road repositioning or roads, without proper early notification to motorists is deadly and an accident waiting to happen.  I reckon there are easily 20 stretches of road all over the country, which are undergoing massive road works due to MRT underground works, road widening and many so called 'road improvements' which cause massive irritation to drivers like myself, not to mention the chances of accident happening when there is road diversions (the traffic crossing is at another place some 30 m and to the left of the original road is an example).

When I say early notification of road diversion, there MUST BE some sign on the road clearly displayed as far as 500 m ahead for stretches of road, indicating that one lane will be closed off. In Singapore's case, it is at best 200 m ahead. This is poorly thought out and executed.

Many drivers like myself, keep to speed limits and we drive defensively. BUT if the road is totally new and there are new detours, many a times, we drivers are lost and following road and signal signs which sometimes are confusing, so sometimes, we get into some minor confusion while looking at the signs and not looking at the car to the left or right of your car.

New road signs pop up (Friendly Roads is one), and all kinds of road diversions (keep left and right as there is some road works at the centre lane of the Expressway), all add to the confusion of the driver.

New road diversion, new signs, not enough early warning in terms of road cones only put up less than 100 m to where the traffic truck is stopped, all these in my opinion fall far short to (for example) West European road safety protocols, which I was used to when I drove many times in Europe and Germany (from 1997 till 2010).    

Over last  4 years, post COVID, I have noticed that there are NUMEROUS road works in practically every town centre, or suburb. Thomson road area is a massive worksite for the last 3 years, pity the residents living along the stretch of Thomson Road leading to Scotts Road.

Thomson Road from Balestier Road Junction - United Square 

The area outside Velocity and Square2 is especially bad in terms of road diversions. This are has been in this state for 3 years at least, so much so that the entire area has for the last 3 years become something of a worksite with roads traversing through it.

Ang Mo Kio Central

In Ang Mo Kio, there are many roads which have also moved, due to some MRT underground tunneling and hence there are road diversions.

Ophir Road stretch from Jalan Besar to base of Sheares Bridge

There's so much road diversion, and with the diversion, sometimes, the road winds, and the lane markers get narrower between lanes.

Surely this will give some problems to drivers, cars or vehicles eating into each other's lane unecessarily. 

The Government should look into some of the points raised. 

     My suggestions are 

a) Do road enhancements (as much as possible) during the hours from midnight to say 6 am.

b) Keep top heavy vehicles such as cement mixers, low transporters and low loaders off the vehicular roads, especially expressways (like in Germany) and limit there usage to between midnight and 6 am.

    

c) Be mindful of are major high density roads leading to major office blocks (like MBC and downtown), and plan road works AFTER the rush hour (like 10 am to 4 pm) 

d) Drivers pay so much in terms of COE and still, we live the problem of many road diversions, the occasional congestion, and now, sky high number accidents resulting in road deaths. 

d) Private Hire cars (I will get a lot of flak here), need to slow down, and pace their routes carefully, if that is practically possible.

(I am just a driver reaching elderly driver status, this is just my opinion). 

   Conclusion

> There must be a nice balance between road upgrading timelines, scheduling of resurfacing and repainting of road to night times, (not during peak hours of getting to work and end of the day commute) 

> Give us motorists a break !!! 

  

 

Cameron HIghlands 1973 with Prof Chao, Mrs. Lee and Other Friends

 

L to R : Mrs. Chao, Arnold Lee, Prof Chao, Mrs. Lee,June Lim, John and Mum. 

Here are more pictures of the trip to Cameron Highlands in 1973 with her best friend, Prof Chao Hsi Ching and his wife, Mrs. Chao.

There was also another close family friend, Mrs. Lee and her son, Arnold Lee who is now a doctor based in the US.

L to R : Mrs. Chao, Mum, Mrs. Lee, John 

My Mum, bless her soul, seldom flew intercontinental trips. Her job was the personal assistant to the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Health and she was very dedicated to her work.However, she seldom flew with my father on his trips to England, where his studied at the Grays Inn of London back in the post war late 1940s and early 1950s.

My Dad Geoffrey had many friends and he almost always did a 'pilgrimage' to his adopted 'Motherland' every 1 to 2 years. I remember when growing up, we kids played with many of the children of Geoffrey's friends from England, and I recall even visiting a family with my father in 1974 (before I turned 12) and having some curry cooked by the wife of our host.

Mum with Unnamed Colleague

Mum however, did all the regional trips with us, during our swimming days at the Singapore Swimming Club in the early to late 1970s. To the best of my recollection, we travelled to Bangkok (1973), Penang (1974), Manila (1975) and Jakarta (1976). I will dig up those unforgettable photos - mainly for my recollection but they were really the 'salad' days of my youth.  

                                                         Mum with Colleagues 1975. 

I've always maintained that I am a much better runner than I am a swimmer. At best, I am an above average swimmer but not I'm not at national level. However, I was good enough to be the Swim Captain for my House in Sec 2 till Sec 4. I swam also for the Mechanical Department during my Undergraduate days and we won 3 Gold Medals. 

I was also selected as the Boys Swim Captain for my Swimming Team from 1975 till 1977, taking over from Adrian Tan in 1974. 

I will try to recall the lovely memories from 1974 till 1974 which had some really nice 'war stories'.

Wait for the Next Post, readers. 

Teen Years Cameron HIghlands 1973 ; John, Mum and Por Por

 

                        L to R : Por Por, Anna (Mum), John (Brother) and 2 Female Colleagues 

I'm posting some of these priceless pictures of my Mum, Anna, my maternal Grandmother (Por Por) and my Brother John of some visit they went in 1973. In those days, Singapore was pretty backward, and if my memory serves me right, I did not go for this trip in 1973. My mother, my Por Por and my brother went to Cameron Highlands with some of her office colleagues from the Ministry of Health. I believe the year was 1973. 

Mum with John outside Hotel in Cameron Highlands. 

All Smiles for a Group Wifie. Pity about the lady Covering Her Face. 

I believe I did not go for this trip as I was already slated to travel in 1974 with my Dad Geoffrey in June 1974 to Greece and England.

I will dig up those set of pictures and post them on the next few posts. 

Early Teenage Years 1974 till 1976

 

Travelled to London in June 1974

This is one segment of my life which I believe was one of the happiest. The early teen years, between 12 and 16 years of age. I will try to delve into my picture archives to see if I can find the years when we (my brother John and I) were actively swimming at the Swimming Club.

I recall, I was made the Boys Swim Captain as early as 1975, and we competed in the regional meets called the Sanya Samaki Swim meets with other clubs from South East Asia.

We travelled and swam in Penang, Bangkok Thailand, Jakarta Indonesia and Manila Philippines at the end of each calendar year, under the Team Captain of  Mr. Henry Chan

In June 1974, my father Geoffrey bought 2 tickets, one for me as a child (below 12 years of age) and one for himself, and we set out to Greece and England. Greece was the choice he chose because he wanted me to understand that Western civilization and the birth of Government was formed in the Greek empire, some 5000 years ago.

         Sitting Atop one of the Columns of the Parthenon in Acropolis, Athens, June 1974

We visited the Parthenon in Acropolis, Athens in June 1974. After one week, we went to London England and that is where he took this picture of me at the famous Tower Bridge. 

At the Swimming Club with John and my maternal cousins, Angela and Wendy  

(Dec 1974)

My parents joined the Singapore Swimming Club around 1972, when I was about 10 years old. My brother John (above) was 7 years old then. Those were really fun times, when we first learned to swim under the legendary coach Mr. Neo Chwee Kok (called the 'Flying Fish', as he represented Singapore under the Federation of Malaya during the 1956 Olympic Games). I was a late entry into the boys swim team, but I recall the other boys and girls game me the nickname 'Tarzan' (I'm not sure why maybe I was rather a devil prankster with a lot of mischief in me). John was given the nickname 'Teddy Bear' and these 2 nicknames stuck with us till we 'retired' from swimming sometime in  late 1979.

Bus Pass Photo 1975 (14 years of age)

We had training at least 4 to 5 times a week, most times in the evening, and when school was in the afternoon session, then we went for training in the mornings. On Sundays, we would skip Sunday School (tsk tsk) and go for waterpolo games after our training. The waterpolo games were really rough and a lot of underwater punching and scratching was going on. While this was a boy's tough game, I took it all in my stride, and came out unscathed. 

We participated in the inaugural Inter Team meet, where I was one of the 4 captains who led a co-ed team of  swimmers one week per month for 12 months. I recall my team was called the Barracuda Bravados and we won the inaugural (first of many) Team Championships. The other captains as I recall were as listed below. I was the weakest swimming captain of the 4, so I was given the first cut of choosing the swimmers for my Barracuda team. 

a) Sng Tong Hoe

b) Audrey Tan

c) Khoo Teng Cheong. 

1977 Inter Team Swim Meet.

Champions : Barracuda Bravados

Captain : Yours Truly.

I was incredibly proud of that first achievement !

I believe I have the team trophy somewhere in the recesses of my house. 

Leaf Blower - totally useless machinery when an ordinary broom sweep would do.

 

Let me tell you a secret. Some years ago, in our neighborhood, there were these 2 morning sweeper men who came and swept the roads, tied up the garbage bags and cleared any litter stuck in the drains outside our house.

They did their jobs well and I was grateful for their service. I still am. 

One day, they started using this leaf blower - the function is to dislodge any leaves and blow them into a heap before they would sweep into their garbage bags. 

The only thing was, they did their jobs daily at the crack of dawn, right outside our house at roughly 6.30 to 6.45 am. The leaf blower created a right 'racket' of a noise, and I would wake up to this mechanical maniacal sound, rather than the sweet chirping sounds of birds which would be the normal daily wake up call for me.

Now, if this sounds rather 'elitist' or 'entitled', do drop me a comment in the comment section below.

However, we (my wife and I) are rather late risers (around 7.15 to 7.30 am) and the leaf blower emnates a sound which I would call 'noise pollution' - something which would register around 75 to 80dB early in the morning.

I wrote in to NEA, and complained about this, saying we are hard working people and deserve to sleep a bit more rather than be awakened by this awful racket amounting to noise pollution and causing me distress and possibly insomnia from the time I am awakened.

Well, the authorities, listened and within a week, they asked the cleaning men to use broomsweeps for their work.

I had my small victory to this day and get to wake up at 7.15 am or another half hour every day.

There is a semblance that the authorities DO listen to public feedback, if the feedback is indeed justified for the greater good of the community. 

Kudos to the NEA.

Involution - Running Harder just to stay in the Same Place

 A close friend of mine is watching a mini series on Netflix. It shows the trials and tribulations of the younger Millenials, Gen X and Gen Z in China working so hard to get wealthy or at least stay in the same socioeconomic level as the rest of their cohort.This sense of 'involution' or compete and succeed at all costs can be very troubling for society, in my honest opinion.

Involution - an inward turning or rolling back of 

Its application in the following :

a) Mathematics :   - (-x) = x  (I can hear the audible 'ah ha's from the logical and STEM readers).

b) Biology :The shrinking or the return of the  organ back to its original size, like the shrinking of the uterus back to its original size after childbirth.

c) General : A process of becoming more complex, inward or entangled.

d) Social / economic use : Excessive internal competition where people work harder but do not proportionally get the expected or better results. This normally applies to China society today with regards to its education, the rat race, and workplace culture.

> An example sentece is this. "The company suffered from involution, with teams competing internally with each other instead of creating real growth".

This can be applied our Government of the day. In Singapore too. Are our civil service sectors operating in silos and adopting an 'hands-off' approach and going all out to boost only their performance at the expense of other social  and community responsibilities ?