I don’t talk about new year resolutions. Yes, I’m turning 50 in 2014 and that’s when I probably have to struggle a little less and be a little less resolute about things which can tax my biological currency. At this age and stage, I’ll need to let some things go and hope for the best. […]
It’s with a very malu heart that I write this blog entry. Remember an episode in Heaven Sword and Dragon Sabre 倚天屠龙记 where Mr and Mrs Zhang Cui Shan committed suicide at Mt Wudang? Zhang Wu Ji’s mother Yin Su Su said something to him just before she died. She told him not to trust […]
I can’t help feeling sentimental this time of the year. We’re now in the last days of 2013 and as usual, it’s time for me to take stock, look back and wonder what went on, what went wrong and what I had accomplished in 2013. I remember that at about this time one year ago, […]
I was looking for a place for lunch when a distantly familiar voice called out to me. Like a voice from the past, I heard someone call me 阿兵哥 or soldier boy. I turned and saw a smiling auntie outside a chicken rice stall. It took a while before I recognised her. She was the […]
A senior once told me that the older you are, the harder it gets to make new friends. Maybe that’s why in recent years, some of my secondary school classmates who have not been showing up at gatherings for the past 30+ years are finally appearing. Well, better late than never, I guess. Going by […]
I’m sharing 3 clips in this episode of a Taiwanese current affairs programme discussing our Little India riot. This has probably gone viral already. See how lively and engaging their current affairs programmes are compared to ours. As expected, many of those who viewed this programme were impressed by the well-observed, well-reasoned and very down-to-earth […]
With a calm mind and under the most peaceful conditions, almost everyone will say that violence is bad. Nobody will regard an emotional person as someone “cool”. But let’s take the hypothetical situation of someone beating up your child, your parent or a loved one. What would you do? Stand there, assess the situation, then […]
I was only a few months old during Singapore’s racial riots in 1964. The closest I got to a riot was during one visit to Nepal. I think it was 10 years ago. Nepalese students staged a demonstration against the government. The police accidentally shot and killed one student. On the day I arrived in […]
The story of the tattooed monk continues this day, 8th Dec 2013 at Wat Buddhaguna, 65 Duku Road (429229). The Venerable Mahaviro presided over the ceremony which started at about 10.00am. Hendrick seemed rather relaxed at first, chatting and joking with relatives and friends from his meditation group. He was dressed in white and so […]
Here’s something I found from a Farang who’s having problems with his Thai girlfriend and her “family”. Advice: The service was so bad I calmly insisted we leave and go elsewhere guess what happened? That’s right even though I never raised my voice or used any foul language (and picked up the cheque at both […]