The P65 Blog

I was amused at the number of facebook updates from my friends involving doing nasty things to an octopus. These ranged from straightforward “Kill the Octopus!” to exchanges of recipes involving octopi. I’m guessing most of this was in honour of Paul, the ‘psychic’ octopus who ‘predicted’ Germany’s loss to Spain. In case anyone needs background, this famous creature now has his own wikipedia entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_the_Octopus

Paul is famous for accurately ‘predicting’ the outcome of German football team matches in both the UEFA Euro 2008 and the World Cup 2010. Typically, his keepers place him in a tank with two mussels, each one bearing the flag of the countries in the game. The flag painted on the first mussel he eats is supposed to be the flag of the winning team in the game. Using this simple method, Paul ‘predicted’ the outcome of 11 out of 12 matches correctly. The statistical probability of this happening is about 0.3%.

I had become a supporter of this particular German team after their impressive performances against Argentina and England. Naturally, I was also a little disappointed with their defeat. However, I was still surprised at the number of German fans out there (many of whom, like me, are not Germans) and nothing seemed to unify them more than their hatred for this horrid creature that had not only predicted, but it appears from some accusations, actually caused the knock-out of the German team.

Initially, Paul was a hero in Germany, having ‘predicted’ important victories for Germany over Argentina and England. In fact, since he predicted victory for Germany most of the time (9 out of 12 matches), he was generally well loved in his home country. Of course, he did accurately predict Germany’s surprise loss to Serbia in the Group matches, but since this match did not hinder Germany’s progress to the next stage, this prediction seemed to have added to Paul’s credibility without diminishing his lovability.

All that changed when he predicted Germany would lose to Spain in the semi-finals, particularly when the prediction came true. Suddenly, the Germans turned against him. Initially, the Germans laughed off the Argentinians who wanted to turn him into paella after he accurately predicted Germany’s victory over Argentina in the quarter-finals. Now, the German chefs are calling for his flesh too. I guess the old human instinct to ‘shoot the messenger’ when bad news is delivered is alive and well and universally felt.

I cannot help but feel sorry for Paul. He is forced to eat painted mussels for dinner in front of a gawking crowd, and whichever mussel he decides to eat makes him the national enemy of an entire country, and everyone from other countries who happen to support that team. It also appears that it does not matter how many times his predictions favour a particular team – as long as one accurate prediction goes against the team in question in a vital match, he is in trouble.

The Spanish Prime Minister has recently offered to protect Paul from angry Germans who may try to exact revenge on him. However , I wonder how long the Spanish Prime Minister’s offer for protection would last if Paul predicts victory for Holland in the finals – particularly if that prediction turns out to be accurate. I understand that Spanish, like the Argentinians, are known for their paella.

I guess the next time Paul predicts your favourite team is going to lose (hopefully the poor creature will live long enough to make another prediction), perhaps you could place a bet in line with Paul’s prediction. That way, if Paul is right, you make some money and if Paul is wrong, your team gets through – either way you win.

Also, I know this is a purely theoretical issue now, but how would Paul have predicted a draw, say in the group stages?

One of the things that always strike a chord in my heart is kindness. Whether it is buying a packet of tissue from a blind hawker or even helping a stranger pick up something they have dropped. It always never fails to make someone’s day.

An interesting observation i made since i came back to Singapore for my summer holidays is that people give me a strange look when i hold the door open for the next person coming through.

When i first left for UK to study, i was most surprised by some of the things i saw. Holding the door open for the next person, and the person passing through acknowledging this act of kindness with a simple cheers or thanks,  Saying thank you to the bus driver when alighting from the bus, even the rough street kids who spot tattoos, numerous piercings and weird hairdos are seen giving up their seats for the elderly on the bus.

Recently, one of the lights in my house became faulty and i was most surprised that i was able to garner the help of one of the provision shop owners downstairs my house to assist me in the complex wiring problem, afterwhich even being so shy to turn down a small token of my appreciation.

The main thing that struck me was that the person who helped me was a foreigner who become a Singaporean PR. Ultimately, it was this kindness from a stranger, not expecting anything in return that reminds me of the innate good every human has, no matter what background or nationality we poessess.

One of my hopes as a young Singaporean is that now, even in the face of globalization and a metropolitan outlook in our society, is that this seed of kindness can be planted, take root and grow in our society. And that ultimately, just like what i have seen in the UK, it will not be the differences that catch our attention, but rather the similarities of each person’s innate good, portrayed by acts of compassion and kindness that touch our heart, which will be a depiction of our society.

Honestly, am I really wrong in thinking there’s something seriously messed up if the wife of a pastor lives like this? Somehow, piety and this just don’t go together in my head.

Unless of course you’re a TV evangelist….  which then suggests to me that this is precisely the kind of problem we have here.  Of course all this might, might, might,  just might, be perfectly legitimate – but some people are going to need to have a darned good explanation for the CAD if that is indeed the case.

I wouldn’t bet a copper cent on that happening, though…

It boggles me that people can be so gullible.

http://sg.yfittopostblog.com/2010/06/20/pastors-wife-lives-lavishly-in-l-a/

My trip to the US about a year ago started in Portland, Oregon, where I had to attend an academic orientation event under the Fulbright program.

As I arrived a day before the program started, I had some time to explore the city. I enquired at the information desk of the hostel I stayed at for some places of interest. After receiving a list of interesting places of interest to visit, I asked a perhaps “typically” Singaporean question. “May I know where is the nearest mall? Is there a Target or a Walmart or a Kmart or something close by?”

The girl behind the counter looked at me quizzically. Then she said “No, there are shops and some stores but no mega-malls in the city. Here in Portland, we actually strive to keep out the big commercial players because we want our local traders and shops to thrive. Target, Kmart and Walmart are a distance away and you’d have to drive to get there.”

Wow. That was indeed a shocker. In America, the land of consumerism!

My initial thought was “aiyer, so inconvenient”. But as I wandered around the city in Portland, I grew to appreciate it for what it is. Perhaps because there were no big commercial mega-malls, the city had its own character and plenty of unique and charming shops. If you buy something local, there is a good chance that it wouldn’t be a mass-produced good that you can get in another part of the US. Of course it sometimes meant that things cost more, but for the price you pay you get something unique, special, and personal.

Since starting school in Boston, I have visited mega-malls  but I can count the number of times I have done so with my 10 fingers + 10 toes. Most of the time when I go to a mall it is for a necessity. Not to pass time. To pass time, there are museums, parks, fairs, historic places to visit, events to attend and so on.

As my time to return to Singapore looms closer, I reflected on what I used to do in Singapore during my free time. Quite a few people I’ve met asked me “What do you do in Singapore during your free time? Other than go shopping and watch movies?” They are somewhat right. I used to go to the Botanic Gardens every week but other than that, inevitably, an outing would have a high chance of involving a mall. Whether it is to shop, watch movies, or hang out with friends. Singapore is a small country but boy is it filled with malls. And unfortunately, most times, the names that you see in one mall are the names that you will see in 10 other malls around the country. They are almost copies of one another, just scattered around the island.

While Singapore has definitely developed quite a few places of interest in recent months and years, consumerist activities still take a center stage in the lives of average Singaporean. We visit mall after mall, buying some things that we need and many more that we probably don’t. Many of us spend our free time watching movies, playing games, walking through rows of stores that may carry big international brand names that reflect class and style but have little to offer in terms of character, uniqueness and that personal touch.

Some will say that as a small city that strives to be the hub of this and of that, consumerism is not a choice. We are so small that we do not have the luxury that America has, to have cities like New York that are packed with malls, yet at the same time have others like Portland that can afford to have an unofficial motto like “Keep Portland Weird”. We have to keep selling, buying and all that jazz. We must have the latest versions of this phone or that camera, or some gadget. And Singapore’s ubiquitous malls offer all that we think we need.

Or do they?

Isn’t there more to life than just malls? I wonder, what kind of society have we become? At what price, “progress”? Is this what’s meant by “uniquely Singapore?”

What’s the deal with smoking in parks – is it allowed?  As far as I know it is banned in exercise areas and I would think that include the running tracks in reservoirs.

While I detest smoke – and tobacco companies most of all – I do recognise that individuals have the freedom to pay these companies to imbibe a slow death by cancer – or emphysema – if they so wish.

As long as they don’t force their second hand carcinogens into anyone else’s lungs.

I go running twice a week around the Bedok Reservoir running track, and there is nothing worse than finishing a 10k run gasping for air, and then finding a smoker lounging on the park bench nearby – the vile stench of cigarette smoke fouling the crisp evening air.

What is it about sucking on cancer sticks that is so cool? How do tobacco companies still manage to get away with making money of such a pernicious product? Singapore is quite tough on smokers and apparently only 13.6% of people resident in Singaporeans smoke, but perhaps more could be done to stub it out. (According to a 26^th January 2010 report on the South East Asia Tobacco Control Alliance website, 6.7million cigarettes were sold in Singapore every day of 2009.  That’s 2.44 billion cigarettes for the year – which means smokers in Singapore paid about $2.93 billion in 2009 to keep the nicotine  – and carcinogens – chugging through their veins.)

For a start, it would be good to ban smoking in all parks – not just the exercise areas. I have nothing against smokers coming to the park to enjoy the evening, but parks are for people to come and get away from pollution, breathe fresh air, re-energise themselves and all in all get more healthy in mind, body and spirit. Having to encounter cigarette smoke in such an environment is extremely unpleasant.

It has been awhile since i last wrote, taking a quick break from studying to share something which impacted me recently.

I used to be annoyed when i had to squeeze on the MRT or bus during public holidays, especially around areas which had a high composition of foreign workers. In fact, like most of us, i was rather peeved at having to share my space with someone else.

However, i had a paradigm shift in my last holidays where i had the opportunity to volunteer at a place which treats migrant Indian workers. I realized that learning to speak a simple phrase such as “Yapadee Yereeking Geh” can break down the barriers of discomfort. Working long hours in a challenging environment can indeed take its toll on one’s health.

After meeting many of these migrant workers who were in moments of discomfort or distress, I realize that at our fragile moments, when we are confronted with our own mortality, that we are the same after all. Differences and prejudices simply become irrelevant in the face of human suffering.

Just as how I immensely respect our forefathers who built Singapore, whether as coolies, samsui women, plantation workers, i too salute the foreign workers who help build and contribute to Singapore today.

Perhaps i may not see the fruits of their labour now, but i am confident that the future generations will.

As Singapore bids a final farewell to Dr. Goh Keng Swee, the corner stone, the pillar, the rock upon which the edifice of Singapore stands tall, I am aware that nothing I could write could possibly do justice to a man who did so much for the country, who meant so much to so many and asked so little in return.  Far more eloquent and worthy voices than mine have, since 14th May, come forth with their accounts, their memories and their celebrations of a life so well lived. Having been born both too recently and too distant from this land to really have had any personal experience of him, I did manage to read a lot about him over the last decade that I have been here, and while by then Dr. Goh had long since retired from public life,  it simply boggled the mind to learn that one individual was not only capable of, but actually did, so much.

As we (of all political persuasions) look at Singapore now, and thence forward to those horizons that we hope to bring the country to in our lifetimes, I am reminded of the words of Isaac Newton:

“If  I have seen further, it is only by standing on the shoulders of giants”

Truly, Dr. Goh Keng Swee was a giant.

It was a hot Saturday afternoon and I had planned to meet a friend at a Starbucks at Raffles Place. It was one of those weekends I had to work and my friend was visiting Singapore for only a few days, so we figured this was the best opportunity for us to meet. Raffles Place was generally very quiet, as it usually is over a weekend. When I arrived at the Starbucks, there was only one other person there. He was very well dressed, sporting a blazer, which was quite unusual in Singapore, especially on a weekend.

He looked a little bored, and as my friend had not yet arrived, I went over and said hello after getting my coffee. He smiled and spoke with a somewhat American accent. He said he was from Japan and was visiting Singapore to view properties for investment. He said he was viewing some properties in the Raffles Place area and was waiting for his next appointment, later that afternoon, with an agent.

The property market had recently come back to life in Singapore and I knew there were foreigners who were investing in properties here, particularly in prime areas such as Raffles Place. However, I had the impression that many of these investors were wealthy individuals from developing countries such as Indonesia, India and China. I asked him what brought him all the way to Singapore to purchase property and why he did not want to purchase property in Japan.

He shook his head sadly and said that he thought Japan’s property market was a dead investment, at least in his lifetime. He worked in the financial sector and said that although Japanese companies remained global brands, its domestic economy has been suffering from deflation for almost two decades. Property and asset prices have been steadily falling. He explained that if you buy property in Japan, as time passes, it will get less valuable because of deflation. This has been the case for more almost 2 decades, apart from a brief recovery from 2005 to 2007.

He said that for those who are able to, making international investments had been the most sensible decision. In most other developed economies, properties can be expected to rise in value steadily, so one can be sure that the investment is safe. Furthermore, because of low interest rates, the Japanese yen has been steadily declining over the years. From the point of view of a Japanese investor, this means that a foreign investment has three benefits. First, the investment itself is more likely to rise in value than an investment in Japan. Second, as the foreign currency appreciates, the investor will be able to get more Japanese Yen in exchange. Third, as the Japanese economy is deflating, the Yen he gets at the future date will have more purchasing power at the time it is converted back. Thus, he said, it makes most sense for the Japanese to invest abroad or in foreign assets.

I had always known that Japan had been suffering from deflation, but this was the first time I had met someone who had actually explained how his individual decisions were affected by it. I guessed he must have been quite wealthy, as Raffles Place properties are amongst the most expensive in Singapore. He seemed like a sophisticated investor, and when I asked him more about his background, he explained that he had been to a well known business school in the US and had worked there for several years, so he had a more international perspective than most Japanese.

He also explained that the ‘lost decade’ in Japan has been much worse for many ordinary Japanese. Some of those who bought their properties in the late 80s and early 90s are now sitting on properties worth much less than what they originally invested and are unable to cash out on their equity for retirement. Some still have loans that exceed the value of their property, which makes it impossible for them to sell. The young Japanese generally do not bother purchasing property because they believe it is likely to decline in value. He wants to send his own children to University in the US, so they have more options.

My friend was rather late, but I was having such an interesting conversation that I did not realize the passing of time. Eventually, the Japanese man excused himself and left for his appointment. My mind was still buzzing at the end of the conversation and I wanted to better understand what had caused the Japanese economy to spiral into deflation, and whether there were any lessons for Singapore or the rest of the world to learn from this story.

Deflation and falling property prices may seem like alien concepts in Singapore at the moment, especially with the immediate talk being about rising prices and trying to cool the property markets. Yet, when I was growing up in the 80s, the value of Japanese real estate was legendary. I remember once hearing a story, which may be an urban legend, that the real estate value of the garden of the Emperor’s palace in Tokyo was worth more than the real estate in the entire state of California (the largest state in the US).

I may share any further thoughts I have on this in a subsequent entry.

The “Yu Sheng” or “Lou Hei” is a traditional dish partaken during reunion dinners or gatherings during Chinese New Year.

It is a dish i dearly miss as i spend yet another Chinese New Year away from family in a distant land. But even as i reflect on this dish that i miss, i am amazed at how different ingredients of different qualities and traits come together to make such a unique and tasty dish.

I am reminded as well of the social fabric we have in Singapore and how different peoples, races, religions, cultures all converge together to form one unique Singapore.

Without further ado, on behalf of the P65 blog, i would like to wish all our readers a prosperous and happy Chinese New Year and to those who are not celebrating CNY, a happy holidays!

I read about the fiasco involving Pastor Rony Tan, who denigrated Buddhists in his sermon when he had a Q&A style sharing session with an ex-monk. I also watched the clips on youtube.

I am not a Buddhist but I am offended by what he did and said. It was shocking how he mocked Buddhism and even more shocking how the hundreds of people in the congregation laughed along at his comments. I wonder how many more times such things have happened, and how many more religions could have been made fun of on stage…..

It was magnanimous of the Buddhist and Taoist head monks to accept his apology and have tea with him. They really have big hearts.

But that does not negate the fact that Pastor Tan’s comments were hurtful, insulting and could potentially sow ill-feelings between people of different religions. The fact that he is a religious leader, that it was said on stage (for show) and recorded as a video clip publicized on the Internet aggravates the matter. I am surprised that he was only interviewed by the ISD. Personally, I think he should be charged under the Sedition Act. Judging from the past cases of people charged under the Act, I see no reason why he shouldn’t be charged. As for those who were in the congregation, I wonder how they can sleep at night having been complicit in the process of denigrating other people’s beliefs…..

Apart from Rony Tan’s case, the three teenagers making fun of Indians on Facebook etc, I am increasingly reading very racist or xenophobic remarks from Singaporeans on websites. One may have grievances against foreigners, minorities or what nots but that does not justify making immature, rude and down right bigoted comments about others. It is amazing how globalization is opening up the world but sadly, this may sometimes result in more closed minds.

I cherish the racial and religious harmony that we have in Singapore. It is not something that happened by chance and we should never leave such things to chance. Heavy policing may not solve the problem but some policing is necessary – not just by the authorities but also by society. This may sound like a cliché, but looking at the many cases of racial and religious problems in the world, we should all play our part in maintaining the harmony that we have.

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The chapel at my school in Massachusetts, USA, where all religions come together.