The overcast sky blocked out rays of sunlight; the earth sodden with tears from the sky and the winds were howling with dangerous intent. No, it's not a line from a novel, I don't think so anyway. That was the scene from yesterday night till this morning all over Singapore.
Yeap, it has been raining almost incessantly since last night with almost no dry ground in all of Singapore. It' s pretty normal around this time of year with the monsoon season in full swing. On the way to work this morning, the rain was especially heavy at Woodlands and Ang Mo Kio that no cars dared to breach 100kmh, though a Nissan Sunny did try to cut me off at Lentor Avenue. No, I'm not about to launch into another tirade on errant drivers.
The rains did cause some flash floods around the island and countless water ponding. Think I counted 10 on my route just now. They are particularly dangerous. The heavy rains already cut down visibility, and the pools of water are almost impossible to see. Running over one, even at 50kmh, would cause small cars to wobble, which I experienced first hand. Almost lost control of the car for while there. Thank god I took the advice of my friends and chnaged the stock tyres to something with a little more bite.
I'm pretty sure that the rain is gonna last the whole day and some flooding is to be expected. According to the Met Service, it's gonna be a wet few days to come. I think I should start saving up for a dinghy soon because there are reports that some parts of Malaysia are already under water and even some parts of Singapore though information is rather sketchy.
Let's see what happens next, shall we?
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Monday, December 18, 2006
Putting a price on sporting glory
The Asian Games are over. I honestly didn't follow the whole sporting event, except for the badminton singles final match between Taufik Hidayat and Lin Dan. That was a cracker.
Our athletes did well, in fact, it was their biggest ever showing at the Asiads. 8 gold medals. It sounds like a big achievement, but when compared to China's gold medal haul, it's a pittance. Then again, compared to China's geography and population sizes, we are just a speck of dust. That explains the gulf in sporting excellence. Our sailors came back with more than half the gold and congratulations are in order for them for a job well done. Now, setting their sights higher, they are gunning for Olympic medals. All the best to them.
While I do follow sports, especially football, I'm not much of a Games fanatic. Be it SEA Games, Asian Games or Olympics, I've never been one to follow closely, apart from headline skimming. I mean while I love football, I don't give a damn about hockey and while I enjoy badminton, I don't care what happens in volleyball. Quite honestly, I couldn't care less if Singapore came home top of the medal standings or dead last, I only want to know what happened in the marquee events, like the 100m sprint or the football finals.
There's just too much going on in and around the Games to make ignite the interest within me. I mean, medal standing does nothing other than to boost national pride. Looking at it from a layman, what's the use of spending millions of dollars on a few sportsman hoping that they'd bring back gold medals only to reward them some more. Think about it. They spend insane amounts of money to send these elite athletes to overseas tournaments and training stints and at the end of the day, pay them some more when they bring glory to the nation? It's insane isn't it?
The value of sporting achievement and excellence has been eroded to me. In the years of Fandi Ahmad, Ang Peng Siong and Junie Sng, I doubt that money was an issue. It was more of their passion for their sport of choice and the love for their country which drove them to excel. It was so simple back then, they had the talent, they had the drive and they had the passion. Nowadays, it's what-do-I-get-in-return-for-committing-my talent-to-the-nation mindset that rules. The payout that the athletes receive for bringing back gold medals could well feed many a family for a whole year.
While I can't deny that the athletes deserve some form of recognition for their services, time, sweat and toil, it's absurd to think that they deserve hundreds of thousands of dollars after the millions spent on their athletic development. I mean, I doubt Ang Peng Siong ever got $250,000 for winning Asian Games Gold or setting the fastest 50m freestyle time in the world in 1982. He would have gotten at least $175,000 for the Asian Gold had the SNOC implemented the award back in 1982. He might even had gotten $1 million if the 50m was included as an Olympic event in 1984. However, I doubt all that meant anything to him then.
Like I mentioned before, while I do agree with recognition being given where it's due, I'm not quite in agreement with putting a financial value to each achievement. Then again, words of thanks are never enough nowadays.
Our athletes did well, in fact, it was their biggest ever showing at the Asiads. 8 gold medals. It sounds like a big achievement, but when compared to China's gold medal haul, it's a pittance. Then again, compared to China's geography and population sizes, we are just a speck of dust. That explains the gulf in sporting excellence. Our sailors came back with more than half the gold and congratulations are in order for them for a job well done. Now, setting their sights higher, they are gunning for Olympic medals. All the best to them.
While I do follow sports, especially football, I'm not much of a Games fanatic. Be it SEA Games, Asian Games or Olympics, I've never been one to follow closely, apart from headline skimming. I mean while I love football, I don't give a damn about hockey and while I enjoy badminton, I don't care what happens in volleyball. Quite honestly, I couldn't care less if Singapore came home top of the medal standings or dead last, I only want to know what happened in the marquee events, like the 100m sprint or the football finals.
There's just too much going on in and around the Games to make ignite the interest within me. I mean, medal standing does nothing other than to boost national pride. Looking at it from a layman, what's the use of spending millions of dollars on a few sportsman hoping that they'd bring back gold medals only to reward them some more. Think about it. They spend insane amounts of money to send these elite athletes to overseas tournaments and training stints and at the end of the day, pay them some more when they bring glory to the nation? It's insane isn't it?
The value of sporting achievement and excellence has been eroded to me. In the years of Fandi Ahmad, Ang Peng Siong and Junie Sng, I doubt that money was an issue. It was more of their passion for their sport of choice and the love for their country which drove them to excel. It was so simple back then, they had the talent, they had the drive and they had the passion. Nowadays, it's what-do-I-get-in-return-for-committing-my talent-to-the-nation mindset that rules. The payout that the athletes receive for bringing back gold medals could well feed many a family for a whole year.
While I can't deny that the athletes deserve some form of recognition for their services, time, sweat and toil, it's absurd to think that they deserve hundreds of thousands of dollars after the millions spent on their athletic development. I mean, I doubt Ang Peng Siong ever got $250,000 for winning Asian Games Gold or setting the fastest 50m freestyle time in the world in 1982. He would have gotten at least $175,000 for the Asian Gold had the SNOC implemented the award back in 1982. He might even had gotten $1 million if the 50m was included as an Olympic event in 1984. However, I doubt all that meant anything to him then.
Like I mentioned before, while I do agree with recognition being given where it's due, I'm not quite in agreement with putting a financial value to each achievement. Then again, words of thanks are never enough nowadays.
Monday, December 11, 2006
My apathy
I remember somewhere in August when I posted something about the Malay community initiative to raise awareness through the Lebih Sexy, Katakan Tidak campaign. That was roughly around the time the campaign was launched. Fairly recently, a press release stated that the campaign has been labelled a success for the awareness it has created.
Personally, I think it's all just wayang. Granted that the campaign is targetted to the youths who are, in a way, uncorrupted as yet, to create that awareness that it ain't cool to be pregnant. Well, that would work if the social framework within which the youths live in. It's always the environment in which we are brought up in that moulds us into the person we are today, though there are the occasional exceptions. If the correct values are instilled into the youths from a young age, there wouldn't be a social problem now would there?
A friend highlighted to me about a blog which she read some time ago where the author, a Malay lady, disses another Malay lady blogger for her shamelessness in blogging about her drinking sessions. As most Malays are Muslims, it's fair to assume that she did commit a sin as drinking is strictly forbidden in Islam, as is pre-marital sex. However, when looking at the author's - the one doing the dissing - profile, I saw pictures of her frolicking with her husband and son, only clad in a bikini, which is also forbidden in Islam.
When highlighted of the fact, she was adamant that there's nothing wrong with wearing a bikini. Herein lies the irony. Here she was dissing someone else of shamelessness while failing to see that she was shameless in her own right. Now, I'm not about to start dissing anyone here, but there's the problem with our Malay community. We try so hard to see the failures of others but fail to see our own failures. While we look upon with disgust at the youths indulging themselves with such vices, we fail to see that we ourselves indulge in other vices. While there is nothing wrong in pointing out the failings of others, we have to be aware of our own shortcomings and mistakes and not just paper over them.
Quite honestly, I do have friends who indulge in such excesses. And I couldn't care less. I have friends who also posted about their wild lives, the parties they were at, the beaches they frolicked in and the drinks they have drunk. While I think it is wrong for them to indulge, I can't force my own beliefs on them. As friends, and as human beings, we are all subjected to the same emotions and moments of weakness, so why should we question what they do?
Apathy? Maybe.
Sometimes it's better to live with the apathy than to poke our noses to where it does not belong. So what if he/she decides to drink their sorrows away or even for the pleasure? So what if he is a womaniser and she is the village bicycle? In the end, it's between them and the Almighty. Like I said before, it's best if we live our lives as we see fit in the hope that we have lived a good life with little regrets and in the knowledge we lived as it has been ordained by Him.
Why bother about what others are doing wrong when we should worry about ourselves and that those closest to us, who share our beliefs, live their lives according to those shared beliefs?
Personally, I think it's all just wayang. Granted that the campaign is targetted to the youths who are, in a way, uncorrupted as yet, to create that awareness that it ain't cool to be pregnant. Well, that would work if the social framework within which the youths live in. It's always the environment in which we are brought up in that moulds us into the person we are today, though there are the occasional exceptions. If the correct values are instilled into the youths from a young age, there wouldn't be a social problem now would there?
A friend highlighted to me about a blog which she read some time ago where the author, a Malay lady, disses another Malay lady blogger for her shamelessness in blogging about her drinking sessions. As most Malays are Muslims, it's fair to assume that she did commit a sin as drinking is strictly forbidden in Islam, as is pre-marital sex. However, when looking at the author's - the one doing the dissing - profile, I saw pictures of her frolicking with her husband and son, only clad in a bikini, which is also forbidden in Islam.
When highlighted of the fact, she was adamant that there's nothing wrong with wearing a bikini. Herein lies the irony. Here she was dissing someone else of shamelessness while failing to see that she was shameless in her own right. Now, I'm not about to start dissing anyone here, but there's the problem with our Malay community. We try so hard to see the failures of others but fail to see our own failures. While we look upon with disgust at the youths indulging themselves with such vices, we fail to see that we ourselves indulge in other vices. While there is nothing wrong in pointing out the failings of others, we have to be aware of our own shortcomings and mistakes and not just paper over them.
Quite honestly, I do have friends who indulge in such excesses. And I couldn't care less. I have friends who also posted about their wild lives, the parties they were at, the beaches they frolicked in and the drinks they have drunk. While I think it is wrong for them to indulge, I can't force my own beliefs on them. As friends, and as human beings, we are all subjected to the same emotions and moments of weakness, so why should we question what they do?
Apathy? Maybe.
Sometimes it's better to live with the apathy than to poke our noses to where it does not belong. So what if he/she decides to drink their sorrows away or even for the pleasure? So what if he is a womaniser and she is the village bicycle? In the end, it's between them and the Almighty. Like I said before, it's best if we live our lives as we see fit in the hope that we have lived a good life with little regrets and in the knowledge we lived as it has been ordained by Him.
Why bother about what others are doing wrong when we should worry about ourselves and that those closest to us, who share our beliefs, live their lives according to those shared beliefs?
Friday, December 08, 2006
Acceptance is a commodity
I was reading the news about Kelantan's plans to introduce a state law banning skimpy clothings for all and the Federal Government's opposition to it fearing racial tensions may yet be reignited. Funny isn't it?
Around the world, we have this problem, failure to accept one another's differences. How else do you explain racial segregation, racial tensions, genocides and the Holocaust?
Thankfully, most of us around the world are educated enough to know that life itself transcends any physical, emotional or psychological barrier we may have inadvertantly placed. I've always believed that nurture takes precedence or nature. I mean, even if your parents were convicted criminals and habitual drug addicts, it doesn't mean you'd turn out the same way if you've had the privilege of being raised to be a good person. How we turn out are defined by the people around us and the impacts each has had in our lives.
I was one of those who grew up in a family who while religious, didn't quite really embrace the concept of Love Thy Neighbour. In fact, our family were quite selective in befriending our neighbours. While we were close to our Malay neighbours, we weren't close at all to our Chinese or Indian ones. As a matter of fact, I knew only 1 chinese neighbour in my old unit. Growing up, I used to hear my parents, aunts and uncles talk about anyone who is Malay as Melayu kita while the other races were thought of as a lesser race. Growing up, amongst my friends, it was the same, there were called bangsa dia, also with an equal measure of disdain.
The unknown has always evoked a fear within us. Looking around us we see people of different races, different religions, different beliefs to what we believe. In other words, those who share our belief, religion and race are considered as one of us. Because of that fear or perhaps, to a certain extent, refusal to accept, we cast those who are not one of us as outsiders. Think of it, how many amongst us have at one point felt a slight disdain whenever we see one of us marry outside our race, or at least thought to ourselves, aren't there enough Malay men left in the world that she had to marry an Ang Moh, or any other race for that matter?
In between our best efforts to forge a smile while extending our best wishes to the bride and groom and trying to feel happy for the bride and groom, we do at times feel that feeling of disdain whenever an interracial marriage takes place. I think it's pre-programmed in us that we question non-conformity. However, in this day an age where primary education is compulsory, it is thought that conformity to age-old values which no longer hold as much importance as it once did. Where mothers and fathers used to disown daughters for marrying outside their race, it is now very much acceptable though not really encouraged.
To accept someone into our lives takes a lot of trust, and probably, that distrust still lies deep in our Malay souls that stops us from embracing someone of a different race fully and unconditionally. Thankfully for us, Singaporeans, Malay Singaporeans specifically, our government has always encouraged multiracialism. However, deep within us the feeling of racial supremacy is always there, evident in the way we think of other races. We all think that our race is better, genetically, morally and socially. I mean, how many amongst us have close friends of another race? Not that many I suspect.
Does that equate to us being racist or at least, selective racists? I think not and I hope no one comes to that conclusion. You see, that's the thing I find funny. While we expound the concept of multiracialism and one society, we find it hard to accept differences amongst us.
Around the world, we have this problem, failure to accept one another's differences. How else do you explain racial segregation, racial tensions, genocides and the Holocaust?
Thankfully, most of us around the world are educated enough to know that life itself transcends any physical, emotional or psychological barrier we may have inadvertantly placed. I've always believed that nurture takes precedence or nature. I mean, even if your parents were convicted criminals and habitual drug addicts, it doesn't mean you'd turn out the same way if you've had the privilege of being raised to be a good person. How we turn out are defined by the people around us and the impacts each has had in our lives.
I was one of those who grew up in a family who while religious, didn't quite really embrace the concept of Love Thy Neighbour. In fact, our family were quite selective in befriending our neighbours. While we were close to our Malay neighbours, we weren't close at all to our Chinese or Indian ones. As a matter of fact, I knew only 1 chinese neighbour in my old unit. Growing up, I used to hear my parents, aunts and uncles talk about anyone who is Malay as Melayu kita while the other races were thought of as a lesser race. Growing up, amongst my friends, it was the same, there were called bangsa dia, also with an equal measure of disdain.
The unknown has always evoked a fear within us. Looking around us we see people of different races, different religions, different beliefs to what we believe. In other words, those who share our belief, religion and race are considered as one of us. Because of that fear or perhaps, to a certain extent, refusal to accept, we cast those who are not one of us as outsiders. Think of it, how many amongst us have at one point felt a slight disdain whenever we see one of us marry outside our race, or at least thought to ourselves, aren't there enough Malay men left in the world that she had to marry an Ang Moh, or any other race for that matter?
In between our best efforts to forge a smile while extending our best wishes to the bride and groom and trying to feel happy for the bride and groom, we do at times feel that feeling of disdain whenever an interracial marriage takes place. I think it's pre-programmed in us that we question non-conformity. However, in this day an age where primary education is compulsory, it is thought that conformity to age-old values which no longer hold as much importance as it once did. Where mothers and fathers used to disown daughters for marrying outside their race, it is now very much acceptable though not really encouraged.
To accept someone into our lives takes a lot of trust, and probably, that distrust still lies deep in our Malay souls that stops us from embracing someone of a different race fully and unconditionally. Thankfully for us, Singaporeans, Malay Singaporeans specifically, our government has always encouraged multiracialism. However, deep within us the feeling of racial supremacy is always there, evident in the way we think of other races. We all think that our race is better, genetically, morally and socially. I mean, how many amongst us have close friends of another race? Not that many I suspect.
Does that equate to us being racist or at least, selective racists? I think not and I hope no one comes to that conclusion. You see, that's the thing I find funny. While we expound the concept of multiracialism and one society, we find it hard to accept differences amongst us.
Monday, December 04, 2006
My feeble attempt to understand love's logic
I read a post one of my friends posted in his blog sometime back and it has stayed etched in my mind eversince. It was an honest man's thoughts on his family and his love for them. The one thing that kept replaying back in my mind ever since reading that post was the unconditionality of love.
That set me thinking. Is anything in life unconditional?
Very often, we see an agreement between 2 parties with certain conditions appended. When Japan accepted unconditional surrender in September 1945, it was with the proviso that the Emperor remains in his status quo. When Malaysia Accepted Singapore into its federation, it was with the proviso that neither involves themselves in the other's internal politics. However, love is not an agreement. It is a feeling. Therefore, it is not subjected to the same logic that defines everything else, which is why love is illogical. It makes us say and do things we would normally and rationally avoid.
A lot of times I have been asked, "How do you know she's the one?" The beauty of it is you don't. You just make a decision based on your gut feeling and a little common sense too. The rest you leave to God. The feeling of being in love is something you can't miss and something we all can't runaway from. It's there for all to see. I see it in my wife's eyes all the time. It's a feeling that is evoked when you are with that someone. You don't know if he or she is the one but you don't really care as it seems time has slowed to a crawl whenever you are with the person. We all want love. Yet at the same time, we fear love, with all the trepidation that comes with that fear.
It's not so much a phobia as it is a lack of understanding. As much as we want love, we fear all the emotions that accompany it and the knowledge that, at some point, we are bound to get hurt by that love. We want that loving feeling to be unconditional, ie, not expecting anything in return for what we have sacrificed for that person. Is that entirely possible? The notion of unconditionality is something we all want but not many are willing to give, unless the conditions are right. How's that work?
While looking for love, we want the other party to be able to accept us as we are, to be able to accept all our character flaws, yet, are we able to do the same and put our loved ones as a priority in our lives, ahead of evrything else life has to offer? From time to time, we read of heart warming stories of true love happening around us such as the email I received the other day regarding the Hoyts. Then again, that is the love of a father to his physically-disabled child. How about love between a guy and a girl, that's different, right? Not entirely, who could forget the close-to-home story of Pierre Png giving up one of his kidneys to his then-fiancee, Andrea D'Cruz?
True love? Perhaps.
Unconditional love? Definitely.
There are some couples who bicker at every little thing they perceive to be wrong. You are not doing enough for this relationship to work! What have you done for me lately? I'm doing all the work in making this relationship work! These are just some of the phrases that can be heard in the arguments of some couples. Each wanting to stamp his/her own authority and to make sure that they get as much as they give. Quite honestly, being in love is always about giving, there's no give-and-take here. Whatever you receive in return should be viewed as a bonus, a token of the other's appreciation for your love.
What, then, if you receive nothing in return? My answer would be to ask yourself if that is enough for you and if you love the other person enough not to ask for anything in return. If you really are in love, chances are it wouldn't matter! I'd like to think I've reached that pinnacle of my love story with my wife, though I know in love, you should always be looking to reach the peak without actually reaching it.
Make any sense? Like I said, it's my feeble attempt.
That set me thinking. Is anything in life unconditional?
Very often, we see an agreement between 2 parties with certain conditions appended. When Japan accepted unconditional surrender in September 1945, it was with the proviso that the Emperor remains in his status quo. When Malaysia Accepted Singapore into its federation, it was with the proviso that neither involves themselves in the other's internal politics. However, love is not an agreement. It is a feeling. Therefore, it is not subjected to the same logic that defines everything else, which is why love is illogical. It makes us say and do things we would normally and rationally avoid.
A lot of times I have been asked, "How do you know she's the one?" The beauty of it is you don't. You just make a decision based on your gut feeling and a little common sense too. The rest you leave to God. The feeling of being in love is something you can't miss and something we all can't runaway from. It's there for all to see. I see it in my wife's eyes all the time. It's a feeling that is evoked when you are with that someone. You don't know if he or she is the one but you don't really care as it seems time has slowed to a crawl whenever you are with the person. We all want love. Yet at the same time, we fear love, with all the trepidation that comes with that fear.
It's not so much a phobia as it is a lack of understanding. As much as we want love, we fear all the emotions that accompany it and the knowledge that, at some point, we are bound to get hurt by that love. We want that loving feeling to be unconditional, ie, not expecting anything in return for what we have sacrificed for that person. Is that entirely possible? The notion of unconditionality is something we all want but not many are willing to give, unless the conditions are right. How's that work?
While looking for love, we want the other party to be able to accept us as we are, to be able to accept all our character flaws, yet, are we able to do the same and put our loved ones as a priority in our lives, ahead of evrything else life has to offer? From time to time, we read of heart warming stories of true love happening around us such as the email I received the other day regarding the Hoyts. Then again, that is the love of a father to his physically-disabled child. How about love between a guy and a girl, that's different, right? Not entirely, who could forget the close-to-home story of Pierre Png giving up one of his kidneys to his then-fiancee, Andrea D'Cruz?
True love? Perhaps.
Unconditional love? Definitely.
There are some couples who bicker at every little thing they perceive to be wrong. You are not doing enough for this relationship to work! What have you done for me lately? I'm doing all the work in making this relationship work! These are just some of the phrases that can be heard in the arguments of some couples. Each wanting to stamp his/her own authority and to make sure that they get as much as they give. Quite honestly, being in love is always about giving, there's no give-and-take here. Whatever you receive in return should be viewed as a bonus, a token of the other's appreciation for your love.
What, then, if you receive nothing in return? My answer would be to ask yourself if that is enough for you and if you love the other person enough not to ask for anything in return. If you really are in love, chances are it wouldn't matter! I'd like to think I've reached that pinnacle of my love story with my wife, though I know in love, you should always be looking to reach the peak without actually reaching it.
Make any sense? Like I said, it's my feeble attempt.
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