Dreaming of Paradise...

Was reading my Twelve Kindgoms novel and the Japanese author really has a very clear and apt insight of the dynamics between the people and the ruling party. This paragraph especially struck a chord with me, esp in recent months observing the Singaporeans living in Singapore and reading about their discontent about everything...

Quote lifted from the novel:
"It’s easy to criticize others. Especially those of us (civilians) so proud of our lofty ideals. It is so very easy. I suspect we always lacked the ability to pluck those ideals out of the air and have what it takes to painstakingly fashion them into something solid and real.

Because the current govt had strayed from the the path, the people simply assumed that everything the King (Govt) did must have been wrong. The people on so many occasions spend time picking apart everything the King (govt) did and talking about how things ought to be and dreaming of the "paradise" they seek.

Their criticisms of the King and his policies had fertilized the seeds of those dreams of the "ideal kingdom". Every mistake the government made that came to light,  these errors ended up nurturing those "ideals" of the people and made them more concrete in their minds. If the King (govt) did it, then it must be undone became the default train of thought.

The people thought that criticizing the King (govt) had somehow endowed them with the ability to run the country better than the previous King had. However, mere observation of King's (Govt) heavy handedness and simply saying it should be lighter is the height of naiveté. " 

~Twelve Kingdoms, 

Dreaming of Paradise

by Fuyumi Ono

Summer has officially arrived. It's only July so it's still hasnt reached the scorching heat yet esp with all the rain this week. Thankfully, have  also got my stupid living room aircon fixed before it gets really hot, not to mention I have to shut ALL my windows tight these days because my neighbor's renovation is not only super noisy, but also irritatingly dusty. Everytime the breeze starts, the layer of cement like dust will cover my whole house like as if a tornado of flour storm swept through the unit. It's just annoying to have to constantly wipe the tabletop and floor. All I have to do now, is sitting in the living room patiently for my painter to come fix up the paintwork after patching the big gaping hole. It's hard to imagine how freaking huge the old aircon is until the new Daikin is installed.

Meanwhile back to my neighbor renovation. I have no idea honestly why their stupid renovation has to take 4 months. My freaking goodness. The drilling starts 9.15am without fail and on -off EVERY fucking day and its driving me insane. Its like 2 floors away but it sounds like its just inside my house. Not only is the renovator incompetent and disorganise in not able to plane well, they even drill through their own water flush pipe and resulted in emergency water suspension. Fucking idiotic boss with equally nitwit workers. There have been so many renovation and this is by far the worst, messy and longest ever. Even the management office think their standard is not ideal...wonder why my neighbor is picked such lousy contractors. Sigh....hopefully there wont be any more renovation after this until is done...almost had it with all the constant renovation around me.

Went to Times Square to pick up my stuff. My HK friends were surprised that I went to the information counter to buy postage stamp and they even post it for me. Both of them were incredulous that such a service even existed, combined with umbrella loan on rainy days with deposit. It was my turn to look amazed and teased them "Are you sure both of you are Hong Kongers?" Heee heee...

China tempted as Facebook prepares to float

Shared this SMH article on China tempted as Facebook prepares to float in Facebook and my galfren shared her dismay at the news.


Gal Friend: Holy cow, I hope not. I wonder what Facebook would be called in Chinese if that happened. *shudder*
Me: 脸簿（部)！哈哈 


Okie, I was being pure cheeky. 
I mean, afterall China really like and value their "face" isnt it. bleh ;p

How do you say "W" again?

Read this in my friend's facebook status post. One of those "only in Singapore" thingie...
I was laughing quite hard over it and decided to "replicate" it here for some light laughs.
It was the "Please listen carefully part" that killed me.

Me: Ok the email address is "double-u, an, pee, see" (for wnpc). 
Somebody's PA: no no no not "double-u" la. Dubjew dubjew. Please listen carefully. 
Me: ...

Malaysia Airlines defends 'no baby' policy

Hahaha..I have been Dreaming and questioning about why flights cannot have a a section cornered off for travellers that does not have to share a cabin space with crying infants...looks like someone out there has heard some rich and powerful people who share the same notion. Malaysia airlines apparently has started a first class route that banned babies in its First class cabin.

This only proves that I am not the only one who has suffered too much from crying babies/toddlers on the overnight long haul flights.

Short hauls are actually fine, so are day flights where I can just stick my ear phones in. Its those red eye flights that you really need to pray and pray and pray No babies are on board! Some babies are good, but some babies/toddlers that just wont stop brawling... my god, you should hear all the cussing around me from other grown adults. Most times, we can still cut babies some slack since u cannot reason with a baby but some fking parents just do not know how to shut their spoilt throwing tantrum 2-4year olds up.

Of course first class seats are way out of my budget but it brings hope that they may one day create a 2 tier business cabin seats that has one that allow babies and the other that doesnt. If I pray hard enough, will we all be heard and see our heartfelt wishes come true?

Malaysia Airline CEO sum it well and sum it all. It has been a one way street for so many decades now. About time for change to come I will say!

"As I said earlier, it is a tough call. There will be unhappy (passengers) either way," Azmil tweeted.


Read original article here

A security guard for each residential tower, why not?

What I had wanted to note today is how much I love HK service. Seriously, I think Singapore will never measure up when it comes to the personal touch.

Take for example, I have free dry cleaning pickup delivery service. Because the company hire local people, and they serve particular district, these staff becomes regular faces and know their clients on name basis.

Just the other day, I forgot the dry cleaning uncle was coming on sat to drop off the dry cleaning and I went off to catch a movie with my partner. He called my mobile when no one answered the door and I was horrified to have forgotten. However, the uncle said he will leave the clothes with my tower security guards. I was muttering to myself that I had forgotten to send another 2 more pants for dry cleaning but I was leaving for my Australia trip already the next day. The uncle heard me and was agreeable with him for me to leave the pants at the security guard and he will make an extra trip the next day to pick it up without me having to call the hotline again. I honestly was so grateful! This is in addition that I can freely call the delivery uncle anytime just to check if he is coming soon for drop off in case I need to run off with errands. I dont know how it is in Singapore now and if they have such good service but as far as I rem the last time, no such thing. With all the foreign workers coming in and replacing locals for such "blue collar" jobs, I fail to see how local service will be better than before I left the city.

With that, I wanted to point out how handy it was to have your own security guards for each tower. I never quite understand or rather i know why, but just annoyed that Singapore condo couldnt provide such similar practice. Why do they build so many towers in one complex and do not make provisions to allow individual guards is senseless. DO you seriously expect the security guard at the main entrance to remember all the residents in one huge complex?

For one, having individual security guards at each tower (in air con indoor) will definitely be better at providing security because the guards will know all the resident by name and relatively the floor they lived in. So strangers are easily identified. Secondly, having your own security guard at each tower can be handy at times like this where they act as my delivery pickup and staging area when I am away overseas or just out. Thus I never felt like I needed a helper or someone at home to man the house. Thirdly, the security guards always make it a point to rem which resident is out on trips and the length of it. Fourthly, this provide job opportunities but then again, in Singapore, we are supposedly already short of "qualified security guards" supposedly. Interesting how Hong Kong can have SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO many good quality local security guards but Singapore such a "civilised" and "developed" and "forward looking" country should have such major problem.

When I was growing up, even though we were in the point block HDB, we had our own security guards because the residents form their own committee and gather resident opinions, pool money and we hired our own guards. I still have very fond memory of the 2 Malay security guards who rem all the residents from level 1 to level 25. One even taught me how to draw the kampong houses. So I must admit, we had a pretty good security system in place and we didnt even need what shitty grassroot or RC people at all back then. Our block was probably the most unique and desirable building in the whole estate with our own "mama shop" and personalised guards. No govt intervention needed either. I was told in the past in the 80s, the residents in the same block had even initially wanted to pool money to secure and gate the lift area but the HDB denied the idea, but now in modern days, u will be lucky if your neighbor even want to talk to you.

I couldnt rem how long we had them but it must be over 10+years. One of the uncle passed away from old age and the other retired... To be honest, I did miss them. It was very sad to see the table them and no one was there. Then the stupid HDB upgrading came, stupidly and senselessly moved the letter box away from the lift area to an obscure corner round the corner. This resulted in a significant increase in paper littering because "no one" else was watching. I think govt and HDB "improvements" only made the living condition worse than better. The playground was prettier but less safe with crappy playthings. The tiling was uglier. The new paint colours were gaudy. The bus stop shelter didnt even extend to my block. So honestly, we were better off then without all these "grand" ideas by the people hired by the people in white.  Oh well...

I think the day I have to leave all my network here and return to a "stranger island" to me will be a very sad day for me. Till then, I might as well enjoy every bit of HK while I can. It really is a more pleasant place to stay in general.