The Depths Of Shallowness

Drowning, Drowning in Cynicism; Drunk, Drunk with Sentimentality; Down, Down with Love; Dunked, Dunked in Life. Desperate Discourse. Disposable Desires. Dusky Dreams. Delirium. Dignity. Despair. Doubt. Duty. Dewy Days. Divine Divide. Dump Everything that Bothers in The Depths of Defiance. 《我的快樂時代》唱爛 才領悟代價多高昂 不能滿足不敢停站 然後怎樣 All Rights Reserved ©Angeline Ang

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Tempestuous. Intense. Proud. Intellectual. Easily Bored. Consummate Performer. Very Chinese. Very Charming. Fair. Pale. Long, Curly, Black Hair. BA(Hons). Literature. Philosophy. Japanese. Law. Dense in Relationships. Denser in All Else. Brooding. Sceptical. Condescending. Daria Morgendorffer meets Kitiara Uth Matar meets Ally McBeal. Always dreamy, always cynical, always elusive. Struggling writer, artist and student, in that order please.

Friday, September 30, 2005

The Professional

Mr Dimples: Let’s meet in Katong. Interested in the ampang niang toufu? Or the peranakan food?

Me: Which part of Katong? Can I pay you to drive me there if you are coming from office? ERP and peak charges inclusive. Good deal leh, I’m in the CBC area.

Me: And what is ampang niang toufu? Can we check out the supposedly authentic HK café too? Saw it on TV last night. Yummy.

Mr Dimples: Ha, don’t be lazy! Go take the MRT to Eunos and I’ll give you a complimentary ride to Katong. And yes, you can have your pick of dinner when you reach the place. Let’s tentatively set it at XXpm at Eunos.

*

So it turns out it’ll be just the two of us when it’s supposed to be a mini-mini primary school gathering. Maybe YQ can join us since he works in the same place as Mr Dimples, and it’ll be a mini-mini secondary school gathering (if that’s the case, Ryan, I’ll call you to come over too).

Okay we just chatted over MSN (as in just. When I was in the middle of this post). Tuyi may meet us much later, so it’s still a primary school thing. Maybe I should ask Weiming and Jarvis along since they know Tuyi from RI days (small world, they were classmates then!). Then it will be a reunion of my two primary schools together. Now, how cool, and rare is that.

*

If I were to be critical, Mr Dimples beams way too much. It’s lethal because he’s blinding me. And he’s so towering! And so nice - so British are his well-mannered ways and sunny disposition. I don’t understand why he’s single. Must be because he was from a SAP school (mine). Even the whole scholar profile, with car, Masters from renowned UK university, very decent defense science career path and all sorts of other worthy, worldly facts can’t compensate for the sick sad SAP past. Eek.

*

In response to a friend’s pondering: Is there a direct correlation between romantic attraction and amount of time spent together?

In my professional opinion, flatly, NO. Seriously, NO.

You know that I should know best.

Then again, I could be a kink in the laws of things. No, but that’s only because I’m a serial SAP dater.
So.

Is he from a SAP background. If yes, then heed me, and flee the scene. Or you can continue to see him, but on a strictly no strings attached basis, purely for the pleasure of his company. Don’t even try to figure out his intentions or second guess. Trust me, he doesn’t know himself. He is CONFUSED & IN DENIAL. Attempting to go linear and interpret his gestures is just gonna drive you insane.

If he’s clean ie no SAP DNA, congratulations. There’s hope yet.

Now, if only someone could save me.

Friday, September 23, 2005

Splutterings

It was 21st September and so, having received the latest news firsthand -

Me: Today is only boring lawyers’ appearances in court. Wheregot DPP? Lucky got friendly news source to tell me so. Are you handling the case?

Mr Veins: You have established the fact that I was not physically in the courtroom today. As for your other queries, you should continue to observe the proceedings to find out.

*

A peek into my mobile and you’ll think that my best friends are from ST and CNA. No, you wouldn’t think I’m a workaholic, ‘cos I’m way too cool. I’m just conscientious.

*

I got another call from my lawyer Jonathan again, to gently remind me to fill up the same form that has been owed to him for ages, for otherwise they can’t proceed with the claim. This must have been the 10th time – I love a persistent man. Eventually the darling suggested he would fill it up for me if I didn’t mind. I think I will buy him lunch one day, especially since his office is only a couple of streets away. It is traumatic to be my lawyer, I know very well.

*

I received tickets to watch Brother Grimm and superb seats ($350 per ticket, I think) to an A-List concert. The former was easy – watch with my sis. The latter was tough, due to the foreign material and artistes. Also, being 4 hours+++ in duration with no intermission and at such short notice, who can escort/accompany me there.

Now the whole business of escorting me is a tricky business. In my line, I sometimes do get invites to selected shows. The thing is, who do I bring? Who he/she is, depends on venue, the exclusivity of event and its swanky factor, whether corporate associates will show up, and whether I’d prefer to be driven home.

My escorts are usually guys, for obvious reasons.

Nobody ostentatiously constant, for obvious reasons.

Who is my escort to this big time concert then?


Obviously, he’s someone who is 1.8m, lean, veins (slight but they were there the last I checked), pleasant, refined, makes me happy for one night and that I won’t be committing any social and personal faux pas by all stringent standards through being seen with him.

Wednesday, September 21, 2005

美丽的笨女

It seems no matter how many years go by, and despite all of life’s experiences, I still have the tendency to react instinctively in a child-like manner. That is, while portraying oneself as an oasis of calm or looking happily cherubic, as an initial response to a below-the-belt attack, I’m screaming inside that it’s not fair, feeling hurt and betrayed, incredulous and disbelieving that people can act in a ridiculous (and unjust, uncalled for, unprofessional) manner and nitpick over nothing.

I fail to defend myself as well as I should or could, because I’m stunned by such bizarre and petty behaviour. It isn’t good, or healthy, and I’m aware of it.

Ideally, my barbs and claws should be out the moment I feel I’m being short-changed and unfairly charged. But, there you go, my first reaction is that of a child.

I must overcome this sad handicap and stop being nice. The two stupid people today weren’t very nice to begin with, ganging up to fight me over trivia, and I should probably have just refuted steadily instead of being surprised at why they bothered at all.

Bloody hell.

Then again, I do realise too, if you are not really a stranger and neither am I on that close terms to you, there’re higher odds that I’d be nice to you.

Oh bother. Me and my bloody principles.

But people really shouldn’t offend me or put me on my guard in the nasty way. No need to go into details. It’s generally a bad idea to take refuge in anyone’s bad books, just that it’s especially the case, when the bad book belongs to your truly.

*

Through sheer accident, I took a picture with Mr Cute Guy At Work today. There was a photo-taking session and we make a dash to the same objects of attraction/affection at the same time. Within that split second, neither of us would budge. Truth was, we probably didn’t care and just pose, while the camera person went ‘click’. Anyhow, we subsequently took individual shots. So. The End. Because he has no veins and is less than 1.8m.

*

每一个美丽的美丽的笨女人 都需要向天祈求感情出现奇迹

未来的日子需要多少的谎言 用来欺骗自己麻醉自己
需要多少同情多少勇气

When we were in Rawa, lying on wooden planks (at the balcony) and facing the dark starry skies, I told Minxiu I would explain why he is so very single in exchange for a pound (UK dollar lar). I suppose he found it relatively useful but he hasn’t paid me yet.

At this moment, I wish someone can explain to me why I am as single. It’s beyond me!! Granted, all my just-as-great, if not greater female friends are in a similar state, but let me be about me, please, for now.

Some why-Angeline-is-single rubbish I have heard over the years:

1) You are too smart
That’s so not true. I often feel I can be more well-read and breed greater intellectual curiosity in selected subjects I already love. Currently, I read more blogs than I do classics and modern literature. It's one huge regret here.
A balance should be achieved in my daily reading diet.

2) You are too outspoken
A variation of 1. It’s only partially true, but if I speak reason and sprout interesting, sexy stuff now and then, how would that make me any less charming or exciting a creature, I’d like to know.

3) Men are likely to be intimidated by you
Due to the lethal combination of 1 & 2. I’m haunted by this prediction from a teacher in university. Apparently the fact that I’m cute doesn’t help shit.

4) You have too many guy friends and hence, men can be insecure.
If the above is not utter rubbish, I don’t know what is.

5) You should make the first move
Over my dead body.

6) You should exhibit and indicate more, more signs of your potential romantic interest.
Why can’t the man do it? Can I be just friendly and cute in midst all the uncertainty he has stirred and provoked? He should declare his signifiers so that I may respond more whole-heartedly.

7) You are too picky.
I have my basic principles to adhere. And the veins + 1.8m are important, but non-conclusive, okay.


8) You are too proud. Please come down from your pedestal
Now that's 100% true in the I'd-hate-to-cheapen-myself way. The last thing I'd do is to fling myself at you, so please create situations in which 我也好下台

*

No offence, but I’m also somewhat tired of going out on one to one platonic dates and group outings in which I’m the only female. But the situation looks unlikely to change in the short term.


I’m going with 3 guys next week at the same time. Sigh. Sure, it’ll be fun of course, since all three are attractive and charming (I’m shallow enough to find pleasure in hanging out with good-lookers, I mean, being seen with good-lookers per se) and chatty. But it’s not the same as having one to myself in a special way.

所以你背起行莨 逃逃逃到远方
开始要试着独立试着重新更爱自己
有一天清晨醒来发觉不能呼吸
于是又乖乖回到他怀里
这次你下决心牺牲自己

But I shall not succumb to the temptation of jio-ing him out.

这一个美丽的美丽的笨女人 她的故事发生在每个角落里
她让我相信了自己的爱情 不能和她一样软弱无力
不能迷迷糊糊勉强自己 爱不是死心踢地就有结局

Monday, September 19, 2005

好寂寞

In today’s Sunday Times:

(1) My Lit Hons classmate, Yaomin and her yummy eatery “British Chippy” at Far East Plaza. Don’t play, play, okay. It’s a whole full-page coverage, albeit devoted to the wrong food item. I didn’t find the fried Mars bars particularly enticing. The salt and vinegar fish and chips were a huge draw for me. I started visiting the eatery early this year when I stumbled upon it by sheer accident (Hey, aren’t you my long-lost ex-hapless literary wannabe?). It’s really hard work, she and Joanne worked like 7 days a week, at least 10 hs everyday until recently when business has stabilised and they recruited one part-timer the last we chatted.

I still remember when I was really down one day due to work (horrendously harassed by two old passé dickheads in the morning), I popped over to say hi and asked forlornly if they were hiring. Joanne laughed and said she couldn’t afford me. That’s all I needed to break into a smile. Well, the eatery has great potential, I tell you. My friends just haven’t quite mastered the art of media relations, publicity and promotions, yet. Let’s hope this coverage is a bang-bang beginning with more to come.

Well, great girls (did I mention Yaomin is sweet and Joanne is suave?), decent and cheap fare – so do drop by to buy from them.

(2) Saw SY’s byline again and I giggled – tendency to do that everytime I come across it. Now SY is only a year older than I am but he looks like an uncle in that totally unflattering shot. Like serious, in real life he is rather cute.

(3) And that’s Aaron’s article (more on bloggers and sedition from our PM) on front page news. Ruth – I thought Aaron does the sports desk previously – permanent crossover now?

My friends are hitting the headlines all over the place. Imagine 4 friends mentioned in the national paper in the same day. I long for The Day I see familiar and friendly faces in political line-ups. The day will come and things will change. I have always believed in fairies (and fairy tales).

This belief has been strengthened by watching Cinderella Man in which Russell Crowe is The Man.

I, too, shall triumph over all earthly setbacks, for even if disappointments and disillusions galore threaten failure, it will always be only temporary.

I had my material triumphs yesterday. It was one of those magical days during which everything I tried on looked fantastic on me. Everything fits! And flatters! So, I acted the part of the bratty young socialite and swept away everything, nary a care about holes in wallets or pockets. A few hundred dollars poorer because of the very pretty belted jacket, fine skirt, lovely jade rose pendant and classy earrings/necklace set in chic blue/pink/yellow hues in hip mother-of-pearl design, but also infinitely happier. Now I just need to find that Marks and Spencer gypsy/beachy beaded tanktop in size 8 and I’ll be a Cheshire Cat. It’s quite sad but I do get plenty of kicks out of material triumphs. It makes it much easier to face life and work and everything else actually.

I just caught the local theatre production of Quills with Minxiu. Good stuff. Excellent set design. Wonderful acting from the person playing Marquis de Sade. For those who only want to know the titillating bits, the person was totally naked with his appendage in full swinging view for close to 2/3 of the show. But that’s really not the point. His craft was exquisite and he voices the part as it should be – alternating between the crafty, the sly, the sensuous, and the conspiratorial. Anyhow, the lighting was done well and while you do notice stuff (hey, it’s there), it doesn’t distract you too much, if you are the kind of person who will get angsty (antsy) upon seeing entire packages. I found Kay Tong and Janice and Karen rather out of place though. Could be their accents (just doesn’t sound right) and all three were OTT in their rendition of respective roles. I know it could be a sprinkling of comic relief they were gunning for, but somehow it just doesn’t work for me. Is it a post-colonialist thing? Incidentally, everyone else that I found relatively decent were non-Chinese – Caucasians or Eurasians. Hmmm.

And then a whole week of work madness shall descend.

That I’m supposed to lip synch to this song and jump onto the stage armed with real pom poms when chorus is played in front of a few hundred important people is one of the more notable things I have to do, apart from the usual press conference and stuff (must start penning the scripts…). Well, I don’t have to do it actually but the person who asked me is cute (though possibly more attracted to his own sex), and the usual, so. Anyhow, his own team is behind him and doing it too (this special performance item), so it should be a campy scream, and why not ham it up, have fun at work, and eyeball the eye candy.

I feel so deprived and depraved. Sigh.

From Quills: Sex, without flirtation is rape.

From Cinderella Man (paraphrased): I don’t know who have it harder. The women who have to wait for their men, or the men who fear failing the women.


就这样放了彼此的手 究竟是尽头 还是个出口

只是我还记得 他每一次抚摸
只是我还熟悉 他每一个轮廓

不知道从此要难过多久 我相信 一定和孤独一样久
原来天长地久 是形容一种痛
这样的有始有终 换来怎样的海阔天空

Sunday, September 18, 2005

A Feminist Reading Of The Act

Now, what if someone makes a sexist remark? Can the someone be charged under the Sedition Act?

Singapore has never legally recognized gender equality as a legitimate necessity. It doesn't feel that rooting out gender biases through legislative means is just as serious as maintaining racial and religious harmony in said manner.

Just recite the Singapore pledge silently (if you remember): “…pledge ourselves as one united people, regardless of race, language or religion…”

And here's for those who missed reciting it every Monday during the formative SAP school years:



As you can see, there is no mention of gender at all. Apparently, we don’t see gender as a possible divisive and decisive factor enough to word it into importance. Women, please remember that we may have the Women’s Charter, but protection by law in the form of legally affirmed gender equality is a must, and the Women’s Chapter, is still, very, very far from that. And that’s hardly assuring.

I remember it being debated hotly, emerging now and then as a sore point of contention for the then president(s) of AWARE (I think, back when I was very, very young), but as all gender-related issues in Singapore appear to go, was quietly and unceremoniously buried (dumped) when it made no progress: poopoo-ed by the unconcerned higher powers who dismissed wanting to include the gender as a trivial matter, that we already have the Women’s Charter for our legislative rights. If that’s truly the case of a one size fits all and suffices, why bother to have the Religious Harmony Act since we have the Sedition Act in Place and vice versa? Why the double standards?

For better or worse, no one seems to find it odd anymore about the absence of the female figure in our patriarchal legal establishment. It’s like we have been conditioned to believe gender equality in Singapore is really, really here when the truth is probably – Fraility, thy name is Woman. Hell, we are just not important enough as a demographic and also, society/system here is still a conservative and patriarchal one. Carving us into legal print may mean and breed Trouble to Men In Power.

And it’s not just a singular absence – we are entirely wiped out in the statutes. When *Penal Code 377A was in the headlines some years back, my very first thought was: Lesbianism is not a crime! Not fair! We are being sexually discriminated!

Fine, you may want to see this as empowering women sexually, that we somehow manage to give the sexual slip through clutches of the law. But I still prefer to believe that this signifies the traditionally stratified role our patriarchal society has for women. We stay in our domains. We are acknowledged to be straight and would not stray to some strange, destabilising, sexual role, especially. In an exaggerated way, we need our men and their penises, and we would never *cross the heart and hope to die*, oh God forbid, have sex with our own sex. And so, we are sadly typecast as the good, decent girl-next-door. Not the slut, not the whore, not the queer. How safe, virtuous and boring.

(*Outrages on decency.377A. Any male person who, in public or private, commits, or abets the commission of, or procures or attempts to procure the commission by any male person of, any act of gross indecency with another male person, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 2 years.)

But I digress too much. Returning to my earlier questions: What if someone makes a sexist remark? Can the someone be charged under the Sedition Act?

Probably yes. We, women, can be a “class”.

From SEDITION ACT (CHAPTER 290)

Seditious tendency.

3. —(1) A seditious tendency is a tendency —
(a) to bring into hatred or contempt or to excite disaffection against the Government;
(b) to excite the citizens of Singapore or the residents in Singapore to attempt to procure in Singapore, the alteration, otherwise than by lawful means, of any matter as by law established;
(c) to bring into hatred or contempt or to excite disaffection against the administration of justice in Singapore;(d) to raise discontent or disaffection amongst the citizens of Singapore or the residents in Singapore;
(e) to promote feelings of ill-will and hostility between different races or classes of the population of Singapore.

I highly doubt we will crack down on anyone who made sexist (or misogynistic, if you will) remarks this heavily though.

Friday, September 16, 2005

The Personal Is Political III

Me: Are you handling the Case of The Seditious Bloggers?

Mr Veins: You can go to the Court on the hearing day to find out yourself. I’m not in a position to confirm or deny anything.

(oh bother, what else is new, forever in limbo and thus impossible to confirm or deny. But that’s personal feelings getting into the way of the possibly political, never mind that
the personal is political, and that the political is always personal)

Anyway, plodding on –

Me: Fine. So when’s the hearing?

Mr Veins: You may find out the date from the newspaper articles that reported the case.

How irritating.

Then again, not everyone can be both a prosecutor and a poet, and a prize-winning one at that, for the latter especially. Wouldn’t you so agree,
Mr Wang?

Mr Veins is an impossibly (and deplorably) secretive person. But it’s okay. I have a Mr Wang to enlighten me on the inner workings of the AGC now. Slightly dated perhaps, but given the government’s standpoint is not to change fundamentally for the sake of its supposedly conservative citizens who may be overwhelmed, traumatized, and go into shock and comatose at mutation of any sort at the core, it’s highly likely that they remain mostly valid if not entirely.

I have nothing new to add that has not been blogged to death, except to iterate that I find a disturbing similarity in this to the A*Star incident. High-handed response to a rippling; what has been written is not revealed, so far, for no one (apart from those directly involved and the fortuitously few to have come across the incriminating online text) has any knowledge/proof just how damaging and seditious the remarks were to have invoked The Act; is there a proper context surrounding the furore that led to the charge – that it can be established reasonably if not conclusively that the bloggers meant what they say; likewise, can the bloggers claim their remarks were taken out of context, and blown out of proportion.

We can only speculate until the contents of what were written are published and circulated for more constructive debate.

For now, I will say to stay cynical.

An open mind open to possibilities is always a good thing to have.

Wait, I may have something new to share on the subject. New in the sense, it may be a little known fact (supposing it is indeed factual), but nevertheless an interesting one that messes things up further, if sources are reliable (Qualifier: And I stand to be corrected).

I'm given to understand that the two bloggers could be gay, and rather prominent ones too in the circle.


If that were true, then, well, theories abound huh. Conspiracy theories, persecution of the minorities, social minority against social minority…

Let me go back to the personal. It's always less complicated when we return to the personal.


Remember that the personal is always the root of the political and we are most unlikely to go off tangent when we approach and understand problems from the personal standpoint. The political part can seem too daunting and impossible to handle when evolved and matured, so strip it down to its elements, its earliest form before it got corrupted and conformed to a cesspit of lies and deceit. And so. It's really elementary, my dear. Always go back to the personal.

As I said, let me go back to the personal. Ironically, I am leaving Mr Veins.

Adieu.

Monday, September 12, 2005

The Boring & Safe Weekend

I opted to have a 修身养性 weekend and stay put at home to do some long overdue domestic chores. It’s therapeutic and at least my living room is fit to hold guests now. Slowly, I will make my way to my ex-bedroom and the study room. No extreme makeovers – just clearing and chucking and categorising are enough to make the days go past fast enough. If I can see my study table again, maybe I can get more things done.

*


Nothing is triggering/has triggered this sudden thought. But it did occur to me all the same that I may actually have broken a habit and rescued my heart. It creeps up slowly, this realization, that you have grown more than used to being apart and leading very separate lives. No attachment, no involvement, just a very natural segregation and exclusion that leads inevitably to this dull point at which you don’t care, much, if he’s there and otherwise. So long as we don’t be silly and meet, we can stay this way safely. Physical distance helps, the way I never believe in long distance relationships. Besides, I have more or less figured how to do things on my own, and at least so with other people, without him coming into the picture.

*

TL: Hey. I’ll be in Kaoshiung for a day or so soon. Want anything from there? Can give any idea of what you’re preferring…like what brand and whatever you think will make it easier for me to look.

How lovely of the friend to tell me. I wrote a very simple and selective wish list for him. Bags (with zips, please), earrings (no studs, please), accessories and all in bright, cheerful colours, please. If it so completely floors you over with its does-not-fit-requirements gorgeousness, please do take the risk, break the rules and buy it on my behalf.

TL is only 19 years old and I think he’s on his way to treating a girl right. Very promising, despite having SAP roots (SAP background and explanation here) in Chinese High and Hwa Chong. Like hey, this is someone who said I looked his age! Haha, I'm sure he'll make some girl very happy one day. I just hope I don’t traumatise him too much with my teasing, and stunt his stunning development.

*

E: Babe! Get this week’s 8 Days cos it has a compiled aussie travel thingy, and a MAP too!! Hahaha. And go apply leave!

Elaine and I have started planning our trip to Australia in December. She has already applied for leave and egged me to do so most imperatively.

*

Me *out of nowhere*: Dinner at Newton tonight?

And there we were, in glorious gluttony glee, polishing off the sambal stingray and sotong, fishball/dumpling soups, satay sticks, oyster omelette and carrot cake, BBQ chicken wings and downing everything with green tea and sugarcane juice.

The evening trailed off into wee hours, as we spent hours in Party World, Chinatown to belt out song after song.

*

I am such a sucker for spontaneity. And I love bubbling people, people who bubble bubble enthusiasm and mirth. When bubbling people can’t make it a night out (very, very rare), they put it in such an engaging manner, that you feel happy and excited still, instead of being dampened by their absence. Rejection is still an art that many fail to master. Personally, an apologetic refusal or/and can’t is a must for me, if I were the party who have to be excused for good/bad reasons. I see it as good manners and a way of showing that the person still matters. Unless of course, I can’t be bothered with the person in reality. And even then, you must have pissed me off big time for me to respond so rudely.

*

Tomorrow, a night out with Best Friend. She’s too stressed to be spontaneous these days but I will always love her (she’s always well-mannered and says no very nicely in any case. I can never be upset with her for long. Plus, she understands and puts up with my nonsense whenever I get irritated). Are we going to Hong Kong at all? Elaine has booked me for mid Dec.

*


I tried this and uncovered that the erstwhile companion Shimin has deleted me. How supremely childish. It’s not like we are lovers. It’s not like I will even contact her. If you still have the cheek to read my blog – well, I hope you have eased into a stable life.

Wednesday, September 07, 2005

Chinese-ness

By 7am this morning, I’ve moved back (geographical reference only) to where I was 9 days before, back in the comfort and safety of my home. The past week has been sheer youthful mirth and madness, topped by much-missed Chinese-ness and its culture.

It has been ages since I spoke so much Mandarin and had so much fun teasing in the mother tongue. Thanks to what was newly over, I got to know a great bunch of people in Chinese current affairs. We are so hilarious and noisy, we attracted stares and glares wherever we were, when we happen to be outside of familiar and familial territory ie beyond The Hill and The Hotel.

Uncle Kheng is a scream with his penchant and panache for parodying personalities we come across. He is apparently a very strict and learned and dignified person under newsy circumstances. Still, that side didn’t unravel (yay!) and we just had laughs after laughs at our own impromptu role-playing antics. Nevertheless, what did manifest was a very organised, responsible and knowledgeable, and incredibly likeable nature. If I ever decide again to headbutt (heartbreakingly so) into news, here’s someone I will talk to and an exemplary example of someone I will be eager to work with.

If Uncle Kheng is the leading man, Uncle Tai is the adorable sidekick and foil. Put the two of them together and you get an immensely entertaining segment filler in between the real work.

Uncle Fan is not really an uncle. Actually he looks incredibly well preserved for the whole of 31 years. I just called him that to irritate him and because he is under the happy (for me) illusion I’m very young. He’s another crazy person but morphs into the perfect model news worker when situations call for it. We have discovered we are both huge karaoke fans (His confession: I hog the mike. Me: Great! Me too!) and so emerges the promise to go Lalala Land when we have completed the postmortem of the project.

Sister Su is possibly the person I am most fond of in the core group. She reminds me a lot of my sister though she’s older than me. Generous, kind, funny, honest, frank and smart, and all heart, this natural being (no airs, nothing fakish about her) is the kind of friend I hope to know more of. Su enjoys singing, can talk politics, and wants to go back to academic researching beyond news production. She’s also a high maintenance person (another fine-dining kaki) and thinks nothing of burning 3-digit notes for lunches and dinners. Uncle Kheng’s response to our dining tales: $300 是我一个月的菜钱!

(Incidentally, Su and I brought a troop to Kbox, Cineleisure, spent $30 each - 12midnight to 5am - and didn’t sing a song. We just busied ourselves playing hosts and making sure the 30++ international guests had helluva time. I like Su a lot, lot, as far as first impressions go.)

I’m a bit sad that we have to part, now that the event is over. But keeping in touch is something we will definitely do. I so enjoy my time with the Chinese current affairs people – can it be because we all speak Mandarin really well? And that most punchlines are just better in Chinese? Ha.

At least I can catch up on sleep. I have clocked an average of 3 hours of sleep nightly.

Today’s a day off but I decided that I needed to indulge in retail therapy. So I went to trim my hair (have scaled down from Action Hair, Paragon to Next, Holland Village, and slashed my bill by half) and bought a gorgeous Elle bag (new arrival).


And tomorrow, back to work. Back to the office I haven’t been for 9 days (outstationed in Singapore). Oh well. I’m prepared for the avalanche of emails. Yes, I cheated. Have started clearing from home.