Your Letters
The following was left as a comment on an earlier article, by Daniel Chua. I came from an earlier generation to the Gen Ys and in a world where the first thought on our mind after ROD(now ORD), was to look for a job. I was not successful in getting a place in then University of Singapore and thought that then Nanyang University was not good enough. Better earned some money and go abroad and study. When I was doing my BMT in SAFTI, my platoon mates were crying – […]
20 Mins with...
I’ve been scouring the Interwebz lately and asking around for potential businesses or interesting personalities to be interviewed. I heard about a tuition agency, from some parents, which provided pretty spectacular and personalized services. Curious, I went to check the agency’s Facebook page in hopes of being able to contact the owner of the business. As it turns out, it didn’t take much to find him! I was half-expecting a wizened person on the other end but it turned out to be a fairly young man. We had a […]
Singapore Today
The following is a letter by R H de Souza. Dear Roy Greetings! I have been reading your blogs, particularly the ones on CPF, and I should say that it has opened my eyes. I am a member of the silent majority and I think it’s about time to stand up and make my voice heard. Previously, I paid scant attention to issues like these – it was all on auto-mode for me. If the government was doing it right, let them do it, I thought. I am a neutral […]
Observations / Singapore Today
There are good reasons for a tweak to the CPF system. The worst however, have got to be these – clipped freshly from TheRealSingapore. 10. It has outlived it’s purpose The purpose of the CPF is to provide a basic source of funds for retirement. Has Singapore grown so rich that we don’t need retirement funds anymore? 9. It forces people to depend on state for retirement plans How does the CPF “force” you to depend on the state for retirement? Does it say you’re not allowed to save […]
Observations
We’re sure you’ve seen the video hailed as “tongue-in-cheek guide to food in Malaysia & Singapore”. If not here it is: How come everyone’s missing the obvious? 1. It’s clearly a viral video attempt by Ayam brand. I mean, come on. The lyric “Ayam brand got so many flavours” at 1:04 was a dead giveaway. Actually it’s two products, Ayam brand coconut milk, and then Ayam brand curry paste. And you thought Ayam was just tuna right? You got schooled yo! Thanks to this heavily marketed, carefully […]
Observations
Are we afraid of competition? …are we, afraid to lose? People are pretty vocal about this, be it in the workplace to “foreign talents” or in education to the “elites”. Well, if there is something lacking in the new generation… it is the taste of failure, and then bouncing back from it. We have been riding on the coattails of success for way too long. Our aspirations have grown tremendously in the shadows of a national ability to meet them. We’ve been protected from a lot of competition. Even […]
Observations
The article has been submitted by Edward Tay Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has applied for summary judgement in his lawsuit against Roy Ngerng. Amid the misinformed outcry about such a move, it would be useful to explain in layman terms how this comes about. Before we go into details, here are some legal terms to get familiar with: The person suing is called a plaintiff. The person being sued is a defendant. In PM v Ngerng, the PM is the plaintiff and Ngerng is the defendant. A plaintiff’s case is set […]
Everything Else
If you haven’t already seen the epic video of local boy Marcus proposing to his girlfriend Georgia at a restaurant in East Coast, brace yourself. It’s just the right balance of grand gesture, sincere sentiment and self-deprecating humour. The couple are clearly in love, and Marcus’ bros look like the kind of guys you want on your team. http://mothership.sg/2014/07/here-is-another-one-of-those-spoil-market-sporean-marriage-proposal-videos/ Not to mention – brilliant product placement! Nice job, guys! Can’t get enough? Here are five more proposal videos we scoped out on the interwebs from Singaporean couples: 1. […]
Observations
The 2014 FIFA World Cup has left fans with memorable attacking displays (The Germans and their attacking football), underdogs challenging established powers (Costa Rica topping their group) as well as defending champions crashing in such melodramatic fashion. Much drama. Plenty of sleepless nights, memes about how Brazil became “invisible” (for hilarity: http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/row-zed/video-proof-brazil-simply-didnt-3843612) and probably, for the GP doctor at the polyclinic, long queues for MCs for the whole duration of the World Cup. Major sporting events such as these tend to have a profound impact on society. It is […]
Observations
This article has been contributed by E.B. Singapore prides itself on being a tolerant society. We are told repeatedly that the reason we remain united despite our large diversity of cultures, values and traditions is because of our tolerance of beliefs and practices different from our own, and because, as a nation, we do not take sides, and treat every member of society equally. This narrative, however, is marred by a disconcerting fact. Toleration in Singapore seems to only exist within exclusive boundaries, cast by an orthodoxy that […]
