Busker Bliss and Men In White

I have just met the most discordant erhu player in Singapore, bowing his way to infamy outside the Doby Ghaut MRT station.

The sound was reminiscent of the whining of a spraying tom cat marking out its territory.

This noise that masquerades as entertainment also reminds me that MediaCorp is scheduling numerous re-runs of the excruciating Singapore Idol.

I am all in favour of buskers but a modicum of talent would have helped and perhaps it would be a good idea to have this folk vetted before a license is issued?

My train of thought turns to the automated airfreshners that my wife has bought 'on special'.

These are proving to be reasonably effective in combating the second hand smoke that filters into our apartment from inconsiderate neighbours. They too make a sound like a cat about to cough up a fur ball, as they release their scent into the room. Most disconcerting.

Did Lee Kuan Yew become Prime Minister by a single vote cast by the then PAP chairman? This is the topic gripping the Singapore media at the moment upon the release of a new publication "Men in White". Other bloggers claim that not all of the founding members were interviewed during the research phase but I have no way of verifying this.

My aim is to try and get hold of a copy to read as it appears to give a more comprehensive overview of the formation of the ruling PAP party than some previous publications.

And does it matter that MM became the PM by a single vote? In a democracy a one vote majority is all that is needed.

Most would agree that Singapore would not be where it is today if someone else had been holding the reins of power.

The White Bridge

We never crossed the white bridge in Taipei
your yin
my yang

we scurried past
as ships across a bay
of mild unease and discontent

a bridge too far perhaps?
every advance followed by a retreat
maintaining the balance

avoiding the meeting of love and laughter

Roger Smith September 2009

Publish and Be Damned

Something seemed very strange with the format of this blogger platform this past week until I discovered that the setting for the Google Chrome browser needed adusting. All is now back to normal.

I have come across a very interesting publishing programe that can be embedded into social media sites. Let me demonstrate:

It is called 'Issuu' and I can see all sorts of applications for this open publishing programme. The educational value of such a tool is immense and I will be sharing it with colleagues at the British Council.

Speaking of which, I will be heading to Seoul in a couple of weeks; my first trip to South Korea. They tell me mid-September is a pleasant time of the year to visit, unlike mid summer which is very hot and mid winter which has temperatures below freezing!

A couple of weeks after I return from Seould we are taking a short four day holiday cruise aboard Superstar Virgo to Penang and Phuket. We had a great time on her sister ship Leo a few years ago and have opted for a top deck stateroom with balcony. More on this cruise later.