The Retrocession

Everytime ancient Melaka is being mentioned, the two things that come to my mind is: 1. The founding of Melaka under the Melaka Tree ; 2. The "Malay dilemma" of Hang Tuah and Hang Jebat . Point 1, is obviously something of a legend. Come on, where got kancil so powerful one? I am pretty sure the mousedeer in our zoo would be eaten by the wolves should they be kept in the same compound. Point 2 however, is something worth thinking. I always believe that different cultures produce different sets of values that they embrace. Those interested in the Hang Tuah-Hang Jebat Battle please read this post  that I wrote eons ago. 汉惹拔要死了，说： "Abang, you must jaga my son!" Before Hang Jebat died, he said, "Raja adil raja disembah, raja zalim raja disanggah" . In simple terms, if the ruler is a wise and noble one, he would be respected with loyalty. If he is an asshole, however, he should be overthrown and rebelled against. Sadly, Hang Tuah felt that as a Mal...

总是很怀念以前的日子。 心目中的 “以前” 范畴其实很大，几乎可以从自己刚踏进星洲第一天算起吧。 还记得小学的时候学校经常唱这首歌，当时还很blur的我们就just唱而已 现在的流行曲听多了，这些“老歌”却成了大家都想追溯的回忆。 那个时代可是多么淳朴，多么友善。 邻居经常来串门，楼下杂货店黑黑的却什么都有， 游乐场还铺着沙，电梯只service一楼六楼十一楼…… 放学时一起在巴士站嬉闹，有时还骂人， 吵来吵去翻脸不认人，明天却又一起搭车。 以前的老校长喜欢看鸟，有一次飞进来了一只黄鹂鸟，他还亲自跑来教室用网抓鸟。 还有以前的老师，循循善诱，不管学生多浑蛋照样有教无类。 现在经常到处趴趴走，好像只有越穷的地方才会这样。 我们的进步，算不算做一种退步呢…… 现在经常会想到自己以前所忽略的种种，有些甚至让人潸然泪下， 但是一切都已成过往云烟，抓不住了。

This is the first time I am not celebrating National Day at home. It's a totally different feeling when you watch the NDP with 20 people wearing the same clothes as you. We all know, it's for a purpose--to protect and defend all that we have, on this very sacred day. Just realised I couldn't find this year National Day song in Chinese. I remembered in past years every NDP song comes with a Chinese version. Maybe they scraped that because it's not economically viable? I don't know, but thank god I managed to watch the NDP this year on Ch 8 even though I'm not at home :D This song brought me through J1, and I like Joi Chua's voice: And this song is DAMN VINTAGE, and I remember how we always laugh when there is that "Pledge" inside the chorus: I realised that last time the NDP songs are very "pragmatic", like they all come with a "purpose". We should be united, so we'll have songs like "One People One Nation One...

贡茶 is very nice. At least it tastes healthy. Never tried Koi before. The queue is just, yee yer. You know I never queue one right. Click to enlarge. As usual. Can't believe actually got people read my FIRST BLOG POST on Bt. Brown 咖啡山 . And someone actually commented. I feel so proud of myself. Maybe architecture isn't the wrong choice after all?

Found loads of treasures in Jurong Library yesterday. Like 1980 Singapore Street Directory and tons of Chinese books that's printed in 1960s. Those page yellow yellow one lah, brown spots here and there. 真是捡到宝了！ Screw you ants for eating my Subway lunch now I must go buy another one. GRRR.

Went jogging today, decided to run around Bedok area. Bedok, is where my third Primary School was--the Red Swastika Sch. Last time the old people always pronounced it as SWA-TE-KAH. I think one of these days I am gonna compile all my "Neighborhood Pictures" into various 地方册s and start researching on them. Should be pretty unseful huh, compiling culture and architecture together. Talking about culture.... Bt Brown. I'm going there tomorrow. Conserve. :D

When I look at you, I don't just see one person. I see men behind you. And everyone of these men has somebody waiting for them to come home. Ultimately, I am responsible not only to you, but to those at home waiting for their sons, brothers and loved ones to come home. My results are not measured by your individualistic successes today, but by the success of your actions to those under your command tomorrow. This is a 衙门, a Chinese court. Becoming like a history buff now, because I've got history buffs in my office. History is like so fun lah, can. Which comes to a point, why the hell did I take Science in NJ! GRRRRRRR, to the max.

Okay. Toronto trip coming to an end in... 12 hours? This trip I won't say it's immemorable (damn I typed this word like 7 times before I got it right), but it's really an eye-opener. After all, this is the first time I stepped out of Asia (East Asia, to be exact). I took a lot of pictures. Obviously. Which comes to a question, how am supposed to blog out my two week trip? I can't be spamming all into ONE LONG POST RIGHT I DON'T HAVE THE TIME AND ENERGY TO DO IT yeah. Shall split them into little sections, got time I post one lah. Starting from the Royal Ontario Museum bah. Bienvenue à Musée Royal de l'Ontario! Museum Subway Station Here the transport system a bit difficult to navigate at first lah. Shall describe next time yo. My boy busy taking pictures. Obviously his skills not as good as mine. Hahaha. To all males: CHIOBU ALER T. BE SURE TO CHECK HER OUT NEXT TIME. Very big very posh! They've got a lot of galleries, rang...

想记起的记不起， 想忘掉的忘不掉， 忘不掉的，又找不到。 最近大选好像很火爆，报纸的篇幅明显增加了许多。各政党每天举办群众大会，目的就是要让选民了解自己的竞选主张。 Okay that's not the point. I'm not going to, and I'm supposed to talk about politics here anyway. 最近群众大会上听到很多方言。后港的，当然是在讲潮州话。其他的，言语间也会参杂一些方言词汇，与居民博感情。 叫作“投其所好”。Basically有利自己的，就大力地将它合法化；反之，有悖于宗旨的，就将其铲除殆尽。殊不知，方言自我国开埠以来一直是维持宗亲关系的纽带，在各方言族群中可以当成是“母语”吧。Too bad, 我生下来家里就是在讲华语，从来没听过家里人用乡音交谈。回中国探亲时，才能在街上偶尔听几句不是很标准的陕西话。 It's a plight that kids nowadays don't understand dialect. Dialects are a good way of understanding of why a place is named, or why is there a demographic difference among different places in Singapore. Haven't anyone wondered why there are so many Teochews in Hougang? Haven't anyone realised that about 90% of the Bt Merah population is Chinese? And there are more Indians than Malays in Potong Pasir? 有些东西，未免有 矫枉过正 之嫌吧。 Anyway I'm signing it. Yeah like literally, sign, on the dotted line. The life is just for me. Maybe it's God's will ...

In case you're wondering, 绿野仙踪 is the Chinese name of the novel Wizard of Oz... I sound damn sophisticated right, reading cheem English books like this right hahahhaha... This week has been a pretty crazy week. If you're thinking that I am going to back to my workplace to KKYLP and start slacking for the rest of the year till ORD, then sorry hah you're DAMN WRONG . There is this little programme to induce the craziness in us. Which will last till next Friday. And then there is this big Parade to attend to, and I am freaking black now. And if I am not black enough already, next week got another tanning session, for another Parade. I LIKE MYSELF TANNED ANYWAY. SKINNINESS + TAN = NICE There are a few things I have taken away this week: First, when you know that there is a problem, please go and remedy it. And make sure you do follow-ups. If not, the same problem will persist, and will affect morale of your subordinates. 未雨绸缪 IS DA WAY, MAN. Second, as a l...