Introducing Allan, newly 33

This is Allan Tan Choon How. He turned 33 on Friday, and some of us celebrated this momentous event with a couple of throwbacks at Blu Jaz. (Odd that we ended up there again after the earlier less-than-entertaining episode two fridays earlier. It was suprisingly nice this time around.)

Allan was yawning throughout the evening having slept little throughout the week. He's into tech support. I know Choon How from Hall Six in NTU. We hang every now and then, and it advantageous that he lives in Ang Mo Kio and has a car. He travels all over the world to takes great photos - go to his Multiply site http://chaltan.multiply.com/photos to see his great shots. He does weddings too! (hint, hint). And ladies, he's single (hint, hint). Haha.

The Zimmers Rock

Don't knock the elderly. Or they'll knock back.

Respect.

Greenland Is Not Green

There's been quite a lot of talk on global warming lately. I subscribe to National Geographic and the lead article, entitled 'The Big Thaw' on the cover, describes how the ice in different parts of the world is melting more quickly than predicted. While some experts think that sea levels would rise by 1 metre by 2100, others think that a rise of 3 metres is likely if most of Greenland ended up a slush instead of rock-solid ice. Such a rise in sea levels would be freaky for low-lying islands and coastlines. Singapore would be... err, well, sunk. So would be Kiribati and Venice.

Maps would need changing. No more piece of white mass next to Canada with some of lalaland underwater. Oh man.


So what does it all mean? It means that you and me need to stop contributing to global warming and start thinking about the Earth we are going to pass on to our children and their children. We need to start living in the present with the focus on the global future. We need to stop taking bags from supermarkets and scolding the cashiers that give us too many. If everyone used less plastic, less plastic will be made. Remember, plastic doesn't disappear. We need to start pressuring our governments to start taking environmental concerns more seriously. Taking a stand, that's what we need to do.

I am worried about China and Indonesia. With a lot of people to feed, it is hard to put the environment as priority. It's all about food now, money now, build now. But we have to educate. Whatever is done today will impact the future we have together, globally. The haze was the first time Singaporeans really felt the impact of a global climate incident, and I think it made us think about our lives on an international scale. We are not alone, really. So with China and Indonesia and all other major carbon emitters, we need to take some firm stand. We need to tell our government to take a firm stand. The US is finally about to do something about their poor emissions standard (it's about bloody time) after years of pressure from other countries that ratified the Kyoto Protocol. We need to tell Brazil to stop selling off the Amazon because it helps recycle a huge percentage of world's carbon output. It's shrinking like nobody's business. (Why don't we declare war on Brazil if it fails to do that? Would we? It affects us (and future us) all, much more than the stupid Iraq war).

Buzzword - carbon footprint. And here. And this - carbon emission per capita by country. SG is ranked 25. China is at 99th place but you have to factor in the 1.2 billion people there.

Goodness, we're screwed.

Finale At Blu Jazz

Coming And Going

The past two weeks have been transition weeks. Two weeks ago I started the final week at the 'old job'. It was a week when clients went berserk and projects went haywire. Everyone was everywhere and extremely busy. It was difficult even to do a quiet handover to Gerald. When the last Friday came along, I was so busy clearing out my desk and handing stuff over that I had to tarpau lunch - Liang Seah fried rice with an egg on top. I left some time after 8pm, having had cake with the Creatives (thank you!) and a Heineken (in the fridge for TGIF), and having received a Superman nutcracker (thanks!) and a set of Moleskine notebooks (thanks!), and having sent out my final Thank You email.

Then some of us scooted off to Blu Jazz at Haji Lane. The downstairs was crowded and the upstairs was too dark and full of angmohs having a birthday party. Admist the talking and gawking, the band came on and we had to leave. Given that it was my first time there, my impression was that it seemed like a confused place trying to be too cool with a jazz band that's too loud and didn't understand that most of us just wanted to sit and relax. The beer downstairs is cheap, so I guess that's a plus, and I heard the food is good too. We talked and laughed till about 1am. By then I had trouble keeping my eyes open.

Monday was the first day of the working week and my first day at the new job. Yup, no breaks, from frying pan to frying pan. Day 1 was orientation day. I was introduced to dozens of people, took over an ancient but temporary I-book at a temporary desk, had my photo taken in a dark studio with professional lighting, and read BTL guidelines for a job. The rest of the week was more reading, some brainstorming, some writing and more reading. And voila, the week was over, topped off with an Indonesian meal (Cumi Bali, Duxton Road, 6220 6619) and K-box.

I get a new desk and a new computer tomorrow. Woohoo.

Oldies But Goodies - Sixians Eat Together

We had Talentime cum cum Cultural Night cum Block Barbeques over the Hall Six pond once. The committee in charge 'borrowed' the stage from the Olympiad event (it either happened already or was about to happen in the next few days). I was one of those that helped carry and set up the metal legs in the water. The pond was set in a 'valley' so we could all sit on the sides, on the grass on tarpaulin, and enjoy the show. When Ryandall came on as MC, he christened the stage the Titanic and that it was about to sink. No luck there. As the sun set, Sixians gathered to light fires for their barbeques and get the good times rolling. The sound echoed out of the valley (thanks to the then new super amplifier acquired by the 10th JCRC) and our close proximity (separated by a mere 2 lanes of road) to Hall One attracted attention from Blocks 17 and 16. And you know how Sixians love the attention. When the Hokkien song 'Jeek Kee Sio Ho Sua' was sung, it was mass hysteria. We laughed and sang and the 35ers facing the pond took out their umbrellas to take the mood to a new level. Imagine scattered umbrellas twirling across 4 floors of hostel block. It was beautiful. Everyone, boy, girl, student, counsellor, talented, talentless, winner, loser had a good time.

This is one of the memories that will stay with me about my 4 years in Hall Six. I write this anecdote because i am sentimental and a bunch of us, twenty or so, met for dinner recently. I know some of these people for 12 years, others slighty less. And we still have a good time together :)

Island Signs (And Puppies)

If you don't already know, I am part of a volunteer group that runs Pedal Ubin, a programme where we bring people around the island on bikes. (If you are keen for a bit of exercise and excitement on a weekend, go sign up at the website and we'll see you in September.)

The last trip was on 2 June and I went overboard with my signage photo fetish. I can't help myself. I take photos of instructional text and graphics. I like to capture the way people choose to express themselves on a physical surface. (There are also pictures of people, animals and scenery. No, I am not as psycho as you may erroneously conclude. I have added an image of puppies to prove this point. Please advise if it has worked). I am intrigued by the 'Ribena plants' advertised. Hmmm.

How To Make Out In Arabic

That was the title of a book I skimmed through at a bookstore at Changi Terminal 1. It was a language guidebook, something appropriate for Kim who was on her way to Dubai in a matter of hours. Not that she would need the book. Ok, wrong direction of blog.

So we were there to see Kim off on her new adventure in inflight service. I got there too early, roamed around, met the gang, did coffee and then bid our goodbyes. Hugs and kisses and photos.

Then we zoomed off to Changi Village to have Nasi Lemak. $2 Sri Sujana. Bestness. I know I shouldn't have but what the hell. And I discovered that they now spike Bandung with coconut milk. Woohoo. And a heart attack in the works.

We'll miss you Kim. Write soon. Burp and hmpf. Wink.

Weekday Blowout

Singaporeans live for their holidays. When the new year begins, we receive emails that tell us how to plan our company leave to maximise the time we can spend away from work. From 14 days of leave, we can end up at home in front of the tv or abroad on a beach for 33 days with correct planning and swift approvals. Or something like that.

In that vein, we also know how to party on the eve of a weekday holiday. Wednesday 30 May, the eve of Vesak Day was no exception.

The evening undid itself like this:
- Having left the office at about 8pm, my colleagues and I went to visit Lah Moh and her new canine acquisition Tommy Vuitton Poodle. He is adorable despite looking like a brown furry I-Dog. Cute.

- We had dinner at Zion Rd market.

- We proceeded to unwind at TCC with cake and coffee. We sure love to hang out!

- That night was also Kim's last night to party in Singapore. She had wanted us to croon her with Air Supply songs till we all died from too much 70s mush. I kept receiving calls and SMS imploring me to make my presence before the microphones. So I went at midnight (the driver in the taxi was already singing! freaky!). The madness was in full swing when I arrived.

- We sang at Maxwell till 3am before scooting off to Mambo at Zouk. Mambo happens on Wednesdays and the young and some old folks flock to Zouk to party down with 80s beats and pop treats. At 3am, the place was packed! No one goes home anymore, apparently. So four of us made up to the members' area (complements of Furqan) and schmoozed, clincked glasses and worked the tushies. The party ended at 5am on the inside. As with all Mambos, the crowd shifted outside to hang and spill onto the roads. It's funny to watch the semi-drunk flag taxis.

For the first time in many, many months on a weekday, I slept at 6am. A night well spent, I'd say.