Spicy Thursday

Gerald reminded me that I needed to go buy CDs to burn some files. Since there is only place to go to get technology of any kind, we met at Bugis one Thursday evening do the walk to Sim Lim Square. We asked the regulars whether they would be keen to do dinner of the spicy kind. Apparently, only Carolina was free and interested in hanging out with us men. From Bugis, we entered the dark underbelly of the neighbourhood - the market that is the alley. Recently upgraded to blow visitors away, we stood enthralled in the breeze generated by a giant, multi-blade contraption fixed 10 metres above us. It had good rpm and we understood why there were typhoons in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Someone had disturbed the universal balance. Ok, that was over in 15 seconds.

At Sim Lim, we were quite chop chop. We lingered a little around at this shop that had iPods in displays right up along the walkway to attract Creative users. 8GB new one at $348. OK, next. We escalated to the 3rd floor and I entered the nearest shop with towers of shiny, blank CDs for sale. As I paying, I asked the lady if they sold USB lights. She looked at me funny and said "over there". I went over there and found China-made USB-powered LED illuminators. In response to question from Gerald which you also must be asking at this point in time of enjoying this verbose narrative, I replied I needed a USB light to plug into my Macbook to type in dark surroundings. Not dark dark but less than adequate illumination to see my black keyboard in low-light conditions (like when my living room light isn't behind me). Whatever. I asked to test it my selected model, the lady who took my money told me "Yes after you pay for it.". Errh?

So we were done. We took a bus one bus stop away to Tekka Market. We entered the hallowed halls of fine Indian cuisine at reasonable prices, Anand Bhavan (I think). (it's opposite the ATMs at Tekka Market). There I had the Onion Rawa and a Vadai which i split with Gerald who seemed less than content with his single plain Thosai. Carolina had two fried Pooris with potato masala and chickeas. Mmm mmm mmm. Topped off with a masala chicken thigh smothered in decadent red-orange creamy spices. Mmm mmm mmm.

That's it. Oh yah, there was some amazing IN-TUNNEL advertising featuring Bee Movie adverts between Little India and Dhoby Ghaut. Go check it out.

Bon Voyage Tracey

Tracey was the first person to interview me for my current job. In that short while when talked, she came across as a boss who listens and appreciates.

In the work we have done together, I have found her to be curious and encouraging, and she seeks to bring the best out in everyone.

She also tells it like it is. If things don't work, she isn't one to gloss over it. All is fair and open for discussion when work is up for review.

Tracey shares. Her work, her home, her stories. It's fun to hear about her English adventures, her 11 years in Singapore, clients and all the fun she's had messing with their minds, and her cat-scapades.

Well, she's going to work in New Zealand to work, with Ron. Remember you met in this posting.

We'll miss you, Tracey. Thanks for everything.

Wat's A Rap Without Yo Yo Yo?

This is just embarassing. It's not funny when a rap doesn't work - this one doesn't even rhyme well. I bet it was a gahmen official who came up with the lyrics and in true SG style, crammed all bits of information into densely-populated stanzas so that it would appease the higher-ups such that nothing, absolutely nothing, would be left out from each and every MDA department's mission statement. So it seems.



Nonetheless I applaud these office folks for getting down and dirty, and putting on those robotic smiles for the camera, bouncing on green screen. Lots of energy and finger pointing (although rappers don't really do that). Maybe it was Mediacorp that gave Basic Hip Hop lessons to these bemused civil servants. Where's the bling? No Poh Heng or Soo Kee to sponsor the "ice"? And "Yes. yes, y'all' is so 2002. I would have expected a "Yo, yo, yo" somewhere. Perhaps Sheikh Haikel's out-of-favour status dealt a blow to potential superstardom.

Do we need to discuss the not-so-clear waste of taxpayer money? (Is entertainment value a saving grace?)

Pictures Almost Without People