Holy fuck the casino development on Sentosa looks tacky (check out the uncles perusing the rules and regulations). Casino developments generally look tacky, so I’m not singling them out for criticism or anything. Via Twitter.
A couple of photo highlights of the ongoing adventures in Singapore
A visit to Sim Lim was made, a card reader was purchased.
Leo asleep. All the cats have their own, er, paw placement. Leo is displaying how he can stretch out as much as he likes and no other cat will dare to make him shove over.
You’d think they’d just use the Obamicon maker, but no, they’ve also ripped off the Obama for America logo. Classy. God Forbid any of us should try and effect positive change in our lives for our own sake.
Our holiday has indeed been this exciting. Not counting the driving round and round for miles in circles in Malacca. That was heart-stoppingly thrilling.
I love being on holiday
Sleeping in is such a luxury, and I’ve got myself the new Snow Patrol and Take That (squee!) albums. As well as spending a hell of a lot less on replacing watch batteries. Pretty damned hot and sticky, though!
Spend your money here, just don’t expect us to like you
If this kid really gets a full suit tattooed, he’ll regret it when he tries to get a job as a professional in Singapore. I saw this tattoo show advertised a couple of weeks ago and actually started laughing. Singapore (in general) is way too fucking uptight to accept the inked. I bet I’ll still get glared at when I’m 50.
Why this US Presidential election really matters to Singaporeans
Unfortunately, I’m old and couldn’t stay up to watch the results come in like my masochist colleague Dan and make it to work the next day, but I did pretty much leap outta bed at 6am to turn on the television.
*blink blink* Does the teevee say 338 to Barack Obama?! Holy FUCK!!!!! I wanted it to happen, I didn’t think it would happen, and I am so glad I was wrong about that.
I’m sure Americans overseas will be gratified at the predicted decrease in conversations starting with, “You know what it is I don’t like / hate about America?”
I do really hope that he gets a good spread of experts on his cabinet, reflecting a United States of America.
I’m also sure Singaporeans will be pleased to read about our PAP government sending their congratulations to Barack Obama, because the Singapore endorsement is really what he was waiting for.
All joking aside, I had plenty of time on the bus to crochet and ruminate about what this means, because Neil was asking why the hell I was so happy, since I’m not American.
(Neil must hate being around me at election time because I get really obsessed.)
I think his political memoir says it all. The Audacity of Hope. What this election has done is wake Americans up to their national politics; instead of dismissing it as a cynical Washington exercise and no big change (even symbolic) to the status quo, the population has got out the vote, they’ve rallied, they’ve got seriously engaged with the issues and their candidate. Whether or not they supported Obama or McCain, enough of them cared and they can really be proud of their democracy.
The PAP might conceivably be worried that so many of us supported Barack Obama and his message of change, but given our electoral system (*cough ‘group’ representation constituency*) and the near-inevitable financial crippling of anyone standing for election who is not a member of the ruling party, I think they probably, realistically, aren’t. Singaporeans aren’t going to suddenly find the balls and the money for a political ‘revolution’.
So why the hell am I so bloody ecstatic? This is our chance, too, to engage with national politics. If you’re concerned about an issue of national importance, make sure you’re heard*. Form a discussion group with your neighbours. Hold Internet forums. Get petitions together. Send your conclusions and questions to your MP, to the minister whose portfolio covers these issues. Make them earn their private sector-standard salary. They are public servants, so they should be serving the public — that would be us. If a certain decision is taken at cabinet level, they should be able to withstand questioning and explain their positions to our satisfaction. Even if your most important issue doesn’t get sorted right away, keep it on the agenda and on their minds. Don’t give up.
I am feeling ridiculously energised and emotional, and I’m sure I’m not the only Singaporean to feel this way. Now is the time to take steps towards real democracy in Singapore, well beyond the one person, one vote concept. We need to participate, not sit back and grumble. This is good for the PAP and great for our country. If we can manage some baby steps towards a lively democracy where enough people care to act, who knows what we could really achieve? JB Jeyaratnam would be so proud.
* I know there are already groups doing this, but there aren’t enough. We need more people to care!
A small tribute to JBJ
DW informed me that Joshua Benjamin Jeyaratnam died today. This makes me sad.
If it wasn’t for him, our generation wouldn’t even be aware that dissent, true dissent, was possible in Singapore. The incumbents really had a problem with him because he was good. The problem was he didn’t believe in the myth — the rest of us apathetically, resignedly accept it.
If he had joined the establishment he would have been amazing, but he wasn’t willing to compromise. One wonders if they will now say anything nice about him.
(Nice job, Straits Times. It’s ‘peddle’, not ‘pedal’. FFS, your sub-editor needs to be fired. For those unfamiliar with Singapore politics, JBJ’s books were never sold in shops — he peddled them outside shopping centres and MRT stations, Neil and I bought some years ago, before we, er, ‘quit’. Heh.)
Earlier posts about JBJ:
- JB Jeyaratnam deserves respect for the role he has played in Singapore’s political scene
- Why we need JBJ
I’m sure I’ve got more in my old hand-coded archives.
Freedom of speech doesn’t apply in Singapore?
Singapore says WSJ waging campaign against judges:
Woon, who was appointed as Attorney General in April this year, said that report was “ignorant” and the Bar Association did not understand the Singapore judicial system.
He also said the Western media had an axe to grind with Singapore because they disagreed with the country’s model of governance.
“The problem with the Western press, especially the American press, is that they think their first amendment right applies to them all over the world,” Woon said, referring to the U.S. constitution which guarantees freedom of speech and expression.
Um… I didn’t realise that foreign news publications don’t have the freedom to write about Singapore. Maybe only Singaporeans can write about Singapore. What about Singaporeans outside Singapore? Can we write news articles and profile / interview opposition politicians in the print media? Are we protected by our Constitution?
(Yes, those are all rhetorical and ever-so-slightly sarcastic questions.)
Our ‘Singaporean’ ping-pongers
You’ve got to be fucking kidding me. Send your congratulations to our table-tennis team! — the team that is made up entirely of China-born and -raised women, who have since been naturalised in Singapore for their ping pong prowess? So basically it was a China one-two. Why the fuck should there be any patriotic pride over this?