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| Yellow Lantern Roger Smith 2014 Prints available here. |
Showing posts with label Asia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Asia. Show all posts
Tuesday, 13 January 2015
Today's Art - Yellow Lanterns
Monday, 22 September 2014
Counting Wealth But Not Health
According to an article in Singapore's Straits Times there are thirty two billionaires in Singapore and increase of five over the previous year.
They share a combined wealth of US$65 billion. What is revealing is the patriarchal nature of Singapore business, which remains very much a tradition within the country and its wealthiest families.
As this graphic shows, none of 32 billionaires are women and most of the money is, and has been, made in the financial sector. The majority of these super wealthy are not born and bred Singaporeans but have moved there (or their families have) to take advantage of the country's growth and prosperity.
But whether they are a healthy lot is quite another matter with only a quarter showing any interest in health and wellness. The drive to succeed I would suggest often overcomes any concerns of physical well-being. That said, as they have the money to buy the best medical services available, many of these folk enjoy a reasonable life span; the average age of these billionaires being sixty two.
The global trend shows a 7% growth in the number of billionaires and there are now 2,325 of them according to recent research from Wealth-X and the Swiss bank UBS.
12% of the world's billionaires are women and more than half are self-made. i.e. they did not inherit their fortunes. The old saying about 'money makes money' holds true as most enjoyed an average growth in their wealth of 4.4%.
Even though Singapore is enjoying good growth in the super-rich club the best place to make your fortune remains the USA with China coming a close second.
Tuesday, 2 September 2014
Tuesday, 10 June 2014
Bak Chang - A Personal Favourite
Sunday, 16 February 2014
Asian Golfers In The Ascendant
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| Golfer Lydia Ko in action. Source: LPGA |
One of the passions of Singapore, besides food, is golf. That is, if one can afford the cost of playing the game which George Bernard Shaw once snidely described as "typical capitalist lunacy".
The cost of playing golf in Singapore as in other parts of Asia is very expensive and a club membership is coveted and sometime traded. Despite this prohibition golf has become an all consuming relaxation and competitive sport for many.
Which leads me on to the admission that in recent months I have become rather an avid followers of the Women's LPGA. Now while some of you may assume, quite erroneously, that it it the sight of lithe young women that proves the attraction, it is in fact the success of the Asian women golfers that has attracted my attention.
In particular the remarkable achievements on the New Zealander of Asian descent, the sixteen year old, Lydia Ko. In the LPGA ranks the Koreans and Taiwanese perform extremely well and young Lydia at the tender age often outshines her older compatriots.
This has been recognised two days ago in New Zealand when she was named New Zealand's Sportsperson of the Year, the youngest ever to achieve this honour.
Her elevation to the professional ranks and her previous prowess as an amateur playing against professional has been nothing short of remarkable.
What many of us really appreciate is not only is this teenager a sporting prodigy she is also unassuming, well-mannered and a good sportswomen overall. Sportsmanship is more than just performing on the course, and she has it all.
As I write Lydia Ko is sitting two shots behind the joint leaders of the Australian Womens' Open, with the final day at hand. We shall have to wait and see what transpires but she will surely maintain her world number four ranking after another great performance in this, her first year as a professional.
After Australia the tour heads to Thailand where the playing conditions will no doubt be just as hot as Melbourne, but with humidity to match. One hopes that there will be no thunderstorms during the tournament which often temporarily curtail play on Asia's links.
Being struck by lightning while playing a shot with a five iron is not something one would want to contemplate!
Saturday, 21 December 2013
The Other Singapore - A Tale of Shipbuilding and Baby Food
Those of you who thought there was only one place in the world called 'Singapore' may be surprised to learn that there are in fact two.
More precisely, there were two, one of which is now buried in sand dunes. The other Singapore was established in the mid-1800's by timber interests and situated on the Kalamazoo River, downstream from Saugatuck, near the shore of Lake Michigan. Its first house was built in 1837. The area had been originally inhabited by Ottawa Indians.
Unlike its South East Asian cousin, the US version didn't produce nutmeg but was renowned for its sawmills, planing mills, ship builidng, barrel factories and other wood products. When Chicago was devastated by the Great Fire of 1871, much of the replacement timber came from Singapore and its neighboring timber (lumber) communities.
Once the white pine trees were all clear-felled and no longer available, and its protective windbreaks lost, the American Singapore was abandoned and gradually buried by drifting sand dunes. It now only exists in legend as one of the state's 'lost cities'.
In an excellent April 2010 article, James Schmiechen describes the town thus:
"Singapore existed for about a half century, from about 1837 to the early 1880's. It began, as one pioneer descendant called it, as "an oasis in the woods" - a very early lumber/immigration port and shipbuilding town that tells of how an environmental disaster resulted from the clear cutting of nearby forests and the blowing sands that eventually buried the town. It was, in short, an early American 'disaster city'. Its first mill was constructed in 1835, being surrounded on the north and west by wooded virgin forest and on dunes rising to a height of about 50 feet. Like most of the area settlements, it started as a lumber milling camp and tried desperately to become a town but in reality its handy proximity to Lake Michigan turned out to be a disadvantage".
He also sheds light on the immigrants who arrived by boat and made up the population of Singapore:
"Singapore was a sort of Michigan "Ellis Island" port of entry for immigrants from all over America, Canada, and Europe. Dozens of Saugatuck area families trace their Michigan origins to Singapore - many of them tradesmen (e.g. bricklayers, carpenters, sailors, engineers) who stayed on in the settlement for a time before moving on to opportunities (particularly land acquisition) in other settlements. Around 1850 the boarding house held families from Ireland, Holland, Norway, Germany, and Canada. Daniel Gerber, the founder of the Michigan family that invented processed baby food arrived in Michigan by way of Singapore in 1863. Early Dutch settlers of the nearby settlement that became Holland, Michigan came to Michigan by way of Singapore".
Singapore also had its own bank and these were often known as "wildcat banks" because of the localised worth of the currency they printed (see examples below) and volatile nature of their businesses.
The moral of the story, if there is one, is that prosperity can be a fleeting thing if you abuse your natural resources and don't plan for a sustainable future.
The Singapore of Michigan didn't heed this advice and is now lost in the sands of time. The prosperous Asian Singapore that we know today has a solid focus on renewable and human resources and continues to thrive.
Reference:
The Historic Significance of the Old Singapore Site Today by James Schmiechen - April 2010.
Singapore Michigan Bank Notes
Owner sheds historic Singapore sawmill, steam - The Allegan County News
The Historic Significance of the Old Singapore Site Today by James Schmiechen - April 2010.
Singapore Michigan Bank Notes
Owner sheds historic Singapore sawmill, steam - The Allegan County News
Saturday, 23 November 2013
Keeping the Family Secrets Alive - Hawker Masters
I think it is an excellent initiative to acknowledge and reward the food heroes of Singapore. The hawkers are the culinary backbone of the country and many of the dishes featured in this video were (and remain) personal favourites of mine.
As the list of winners proves, you really need to get out of Orchard Road to sample the true and authentic taste of Singaporean food.
It makes my mouth water just to think about it; it must be Makan Time!
There is now a Hawker Master Trainer pilot programme as well so aspiring hawkers can get up to speed on recipes under the guidance of the masters.
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| Get this Makan Time Button by clicking here. |
Tuesday, 5 November 2013
A Singaporean Superhero?
Ever wondered about the possibilities of a superhero dying of heatstroke?
That was my first thought when I saw the video of this guy masquerading as caped crusader. One can hardly term the "Mean Streets of Singapore" as such, because they simply aren't. On a scale of one to ten with say Rio being a perfect ten of meanness, Singapore would come in at -1!
And while I am all in favour of people being courteous at all times, I am not convinced that prancing around in a tight-fitting costume that resembles a knock-off of the Singapore flag is the way to do it?
Mr "Justice" as he titles himself, is apparently 21 years old and hails from Choa Chu Kang. Shouldn't he be in gainful employment at this age, or perhaps he is engaged by the government to conduct an official courtesy campaign?
His message is in reality a cosplay updating of the old song "Don't Worry Be Happy". No harm in that I suppose. The 'worry' is that he will one day soon expire on Orchard Road for heat asphyxia, brought on by tight clothing and the noon day sun.
That was my first thought when I saw the video of this guy masquerading as caped crusader. One can hardly term the "Mean Streets of Singapore" as such, because they simply aren't. On a scale of one to ten with say Rio being a perfect ten of meanness, Singapore would come in at -1!
And while I am all in favour of people being courteous at all times, I am not convinced that prancing around in a tight-fitting costume that resembles a knock-off of the Singapore flag is the way to do it?
Mr "Justice" as he titles himself, is apparently 21 years old and hails from Choa Chu Kang. Shouldn't he be in gainful employment at this age, or perhaps he is engaged by the government to conduct an official courtesy campaign?
His message is in reality a cosplay updating of the old song "Don't Worry Be Happy". No harm in that I suppose. The 'worry' is that he will one day soon expire on Orchard Road for heat asphyxia, brought on by tight clothing and the noon day sun.
Monday, 16 September 2013
They Don't Build Them Like That Anymore
I had momentarily forgotten that Singapore once had a thriving car industry but then I recalled the Old Ford Factory; today better known as the place of the British surrender to the Japanese. The pre-war 1941 Ford Mercury Club Convertible featured in this video was built in Bukit Timah in 1941, shortly before the Japanese invasion.
It has had a chequered life surviving the Japanese Occupation, life in Batavia (Jakarta) with the Dutch, and even further afield before arriving back Singapore. And, at the age of 72, it is still drivable.
The car was taking part in the Motoring Heritage Day staged besides the even more historic (and thankfully retained) former Tanjong Pagar Railway Station. Good to see the National Heritage Board busily engaged in such activities.
It has had a chequered life surviving the Japanese Occupation, life in Batavia (Jakarta) with the Dutch, and even further afield before arriving back Singapore. And, at the age of 72, it is still drivable.
Thursday, 12 September 2013
NUS is Asia's Number One
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| Shaw Foundation Alumni House |
It is a credit to the strategy put in place by the current and former Vice Chancellor and their respective teams. The investment in top quality professorial staff and research has sure paid dividends; it's really about academic rigour and gravitas. Having the support and expectations of government is also a prime motivation and reason for the rise in recent years.
NUS's elevation augers well for Singapore's future as its educated population are its greatest asset.
Well done NUS and I retain fond memories of my friends and former colleagues at NUS's Alumni office. (pictured above).
Tuesday, 13 August 2013
Still A Visionary After All These Years
One thing is sure; even in his advancing years, Lee Kuan Yew is still as sharp as a tack and remains a great futurist.
I found his observations on the emergence of China as the world's number one global superpower of interest. It's a country that always plays the 'long game' quietly getting where it wants to go without too much fuss.
While I haven't yet read his new book "One Man’s View of the World " I look forward to doing so, having read many of the previous ones in Singapore.
I found his observations on the emergence of China as the world's number one global superpower of interest. It's a country that always plays the 'long game' quietly getting where it wants to go without too much fuss.
While I haven't yet read his new book "One Man’s View of the World " I look forward to doing so, having read many of the previous ones in Singapore.
Tuesday, 30 July 2013
Feeling Motivated
Motivation is a great things and there is nothing more motivational than a reasonable pay packet and a feeling of worth, provided by regular employment.
Faced with a skills shortage and an aging population Singapore has two choices; bring in more people from outside to plug the gap or re-engage old workers who are past retirement age.
The first option is becoming ever more politically unpalatable for many and the second requires a re-think of the pay and condition for older workers who choose to re engage with the workforce.
While private companies have been to the fore in keeping 'retirees' on a salary base that is similar to their previous employment, others in the public service have been less fortunate - until now.
Singapore's newspaper Today reports that "From next month, all re-employed lower-wage public officers will continue at the same grade and earn the same salary as before".
Prior to this anyone reaching the ripe old age of 62 faced the prospect of having their salary adjusted down by as much as 30%! Not that their faculties are diminished by 30% from one day to the next but that was the inference.
However, if you are further up the pecking order in a management role the prospects are not as great as you could end up being offered a pay scale two grades below when you start your 63rd year.
Faced with a skills shortage and an aging population Singapore has two choices; bring in more people from outside to plug the gap or re-engage old workers who are past retirement age.
The first option is becoming ever more politically unpalatable for many and the second requires a re-think of the pay and condition for older workers who choose to re engage with the workforce.
While private companies have been to the fore in keeping 'retirees' on a salary base that is similar to their previous employment, others in the public service have been less fortunate - until now.
Singapore's newspaper Today reports that "From next month, all re-employed lower-wage public officers will continue at the same grade and earn the same salary as before".
Prior to this anyone reaching the ripe old age of 62 faced the prospect of having their salary adjusted down by as much as 30%! Not that their faculties are diminished by 30% from one day to the next but that was the inference.
However, if you are further up the pecking order in a management role the prospects are not as great as you could end up being offered a pay scale two grades below when you start your 63rd year.
Saturday, 22 June 2013
Hazy Images & Leaf Masks
These images were sent to me by a friend in Singapore. His office is in a heritage building with windows that are not airtight, so the space is trapping the effects of the current haze pollution.
Sometimes adversity brings out the best in people. Twitter has been trending #mustbethehaze, with some original tweets (should that be excuses?)
And a tweeter with the nom de plume @TakeMyHandNFly posted this image, taken from the local Singapore news. I think it shows great innovation.
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| Photo Credit: Professor Graeme Britton |
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| On Friday June 21st, the PSI reading reached 401 which is life threatening |
And a tweeter with the nom de plume @TakeMyHandNFly posted this image, taken from the local Singapore news. I think it shows great innovation.
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| A new style in anti-haze mask! Looks like a strip of banana leaf (?) and I'm not sure of its effectiveness |
Thursday, 13 June 2013
The Frog's Lament
The Frog's Lament
To be a frog in Singapore
is not for the faint hearted
Hashima is our common fate
from oviducts soon parted
and once they get a taste for it
...well the craze has only started.
Roger Smith, June 2013
Related articles
Monday, 25 March 2013
The Singapore Makan (Food) Pacifier
Suffering from "makan withdrawal" symptoms? This could be the device for you.
The ideal going away gift for a colleague or friend. Get yours here. And yes, you could gift it to a baby if your really wanted to!
+Pacifier.png) |
| The Singapore Makan Pacifier |
Saturday, 9 March 2013
Yay or Neigh?
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| Horsing around in the Singapore Media |
IKEA had to recall its meatballs and other products as the'beef' turned out to contain horse meat as well. To top it off, some of their cakes in Europe were found to have been contaminated by faecal matter - not a good look.
Addressing the situation in true marketing style they have now re-introduced their meatballs to the Singapore menu at ten cents a piece. I wonder what discount you can get on the cakes?
Stop Press: IKEA has set a record in Singapore when it resumed selling its signature meatballs here, it said Saturday.
The furniture chain said it sold 249,375 meatballs in a single day on Friday, which is believed to be the Singapore record for largest number of meatballs cooked and sold in a day.
The 249,375 meatballs are estimated to weigh four tons in total.
Sunday, 20 January 2013
The World is Treating Me Bad - in Singapore?
"The world is treating me bad, misery" So said the Beatles in 1963, but it comes as somewhat of surprise to learn that the sentiment is alive and well in Singapore.
An excellent article in the South China Morning Post questions why both Singapore and Hong Kong are, despite their wealth, so unremittingly miserable?
I have to say that I never found it so but according to a December 2013 Gallup poll, Singapore leads the pack as Asia's most miserable place, ranking rock bottom in the poll of 148 nations and territories. Only 46% of those surveyed felt positive about the place.
The methodology of the poll is somewhat flawed I feel, as Gallup has tried to standardise a basic human emotion "happiness" across many different cultures and ethnicities and each interprets the term differently.
The time and place when the poll was conducted would also have a bearing. Ask a group of Singaporeans commuters waiting for a late MRT train in the sweltering sun if they are "happy" and the result will be resoundingly in the negative.
Ask the same group in the Robinson's Sale when they have snaffled a bargain then they could express an entirely different sentiment. Happiness is a very subjective thing.
The article went on to quote a teacher in Hong Kong, Alan Lo Tzee-cheng, who believes that that local populace are "too focused on achieving material success, which made them unhappy".
"Money and competition about making more money than others penetrate all parts of people's lives. Their education, the way they raise their children, what they eat. Even to go shopping can be an emotional trial" he went on to say.
I guess only Singaporeans themselves can say whether or not this applies as much in Singapore? Certainly the material occupies many peoples thoughts but I am not convinced that this by itself would be the cause for so much misery.
Yeoh Lam Keong, vice-president of the Economic Society of Singapore, believes the survey has pin pointed something important - that Singaporeans work some of the longest hours globally and have a very poor work-life balance. "They are overstressed and do not have enough time for family and recreation."
As the gap between the wealthiest and poorest Singaporean grows wider so does the range of feelings. The wealthy get happier and the poorer Heartlanders less so. Hong Kong is experiencing something similar.
Chua Kheng Kok, Asia Pacific president of Mary Kay says "I find Singaporeans more envious of each other and therefore less happy." She may well be right, but wanting and getting "more" of something doesn't necessarily equate to "happiness" in one's life.
Achieving the 5C's ( car, cash, credit card, condominium and club membership) may be one mark of success in Singapore but it should not the only one that society or the education system promotes.
As for me, I find music raises my spirits so here is the Beatles' rendition of the song I mentioned above (and keep smiling!)
An excellent article in the South China Morning Post questions why both Singapore and Hong Kong are, despite their wealth, so unremittingly miserable?
I have to say that I never found it so but according to a December 2013 Gallup poll, Singapore leads the pack as Asia's most miserable place, ranking rock bottom in the poll of 148 nations and territories. Only 46% of those surveyed felt positive about the place.
The methodology of the poll is somewhat flawed I feel, as Gallup has tried to standardise a basic human emotion "happiness" across many different cultures and ethnicities and each interprets the term differently.
The time and place when the poll was conducted would also have a bearing. Ask a group of Singaporeans commuters waiting for a late MRT train in the sweltering sun if they are "happy" and the result will be resoundingly in the negative.
Ask the same group in the Robinson's Sale when they have snaffled a bargain then they could express an entirely different sentiment. Happiness is a very subjective thing.
The article went on to quote a teacher in Hong Kong, Alan Lo Tzee-cheng, who believes that that local populace are "too focused on achieving material success, which made them unhappy".
"Money and competition about making more money than others penetrate all parts of people's lives. Their education, the way they raise their children, what they eat. Even to go shopping can be an emotional trial" he went on to say.
I guess only Singaporeans themselves can say whether or not this applies as much in Singapore? Certainly the material occupies many peoples thoughts but I am not convinced that this by itself would be the cause for so much misery.
Yeoh Lam Keong, vice-president of the Economic Society of Singapore, believes the survey has pin pointed something important - that Singaporeans work some of the longest hours globally and have a very poor work-life balance. "They are overstressed and do not have enough time for family and recreation."
As the gap between the wealthiest and poorest Singaporean grows wider so does the range of feelings. The wealthy get happier and the poorer Heartlanders less so. Hong Kong is experiencing something similar.
Chua Kheng Kok, Asia Pacific president of Mary Kay says "I find Singaporeans more envious of each other and therefore less happy." She may well be right, but wanting and getting "more" of something doesn't necessarily equate to "happiness" in one's life.
Achieving the 5C's ( car, cash, credit card, condominium and club membership) may be one mark of success in Singapore but it should not the only one that society or the education system promotes.
As for me, I find music raises my spirits so here is the Beatles' rendition of the song I mentioned above (and keep smiling!)
Sunday, 9 December 2012
Urban Links
As one who regularly enjoyed these places I remember only too well trying to hug whatever shade was available when strolling in the tropical sun.
For the most part the signage to these buildings and heritage sites is very good. However there are some parts that are not shown so well on the map and unless you are a 'local' are difficult to navigate - the shortest route between two points of interest in such a climate is usually the best.
Imagine how unpleasant it must have been to work on the Singapore River in times gone by. This photo from the reign of George VI shows how congested it used to be. No urban walkways and very few green spaces.
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| The Singapore River - in the reign of George VI (1937-1952) |
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