Sunny Side Up

They all laughed at Christopher Columbus when he said the world was round... or so say the lyrics of a popular song.

There was equal hilarity whenever I raised my small umbrella to beat off the Singapore sun. My colleagues used to rib me about this practice but I found it a good way to circumvent 'mad dogs and Englishmen' syndrome.

While certainly not trying to emulate a Tai Tai with her parasol, my small 'brolly with its silvered reflective upper panels worked a treat.

The heat of the noon day sun in Singapore is unmerciful and even the locals wisely avoid it if they can.

I feel totally vindicated today as a recently release study  has shown that 'any fully-functioning handheld umbrella can block more than three-quarters of ultraviolet (UV) light on a sunny day.'

Apparently, and according to the same source, black ones do even better, blocking at least 90 per cent of rays'.  Now I find this somewhat surprising as my rudimentary physics lessons from high school days drilled into me that the colour black attracts heat while white repels it.

The report went on to note that 'the handheld umbrella (HU) is a commonly employed method of sun protection by women in many countries in Asia (45% in China) and the Middle East. In Turkey, hats and umbrellas were found to be the most common photoprotection accessories.

In the 18th and 19th centuries in the United States and in Europe such umbrellas were standard outdoor accessories for women, but by the 20th century sunscreen, hats, and sun-protective clothing had taken over.

As we have become more aware of the harmful effects of UV, the hand-held umbrella is making a comeback.  In both Australia and New Zealand the incidence of skin cancer is particularly high but in both countries it is rare to see a hand held umbrella being used as protection, unless of course it is a new immigrant from Asia.

Large beach umbrella when basking in the sand have been the norm for decades but they hardly qualify as  being 'sun smart'.

I content myself in the knowledge that I was ahead of my time when I first raised my umbrella for a stroll down Tanglin Road!

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• Umbrellas May Shield You from More Than Rain

Yale Vitriol and the Middle East Crisis

One has to wonder at the vitriolic commentary being directed at Singapore by associates of Yale University in recent times.  While it is common knowledge there is an academic faction that believes a campus of their ivy league institution should never have been established in Singapore, more moderate and balanced individuals can see the benefits to both parties.

The latest attack is an attempt to try and shift the blame of the latest Arab-Israeli war on Singapore!  The aptly named Jim Sleeper attempts to link recent survey results that found that Israel was world's most and Singapore the second-most, with the current spat between the two Middle East neighbours.

And for good measure he also insinuates that as both Israel and Singapore are 'non-Muslim' countries there is some form of joint agenda or perspective.  Clearly he has never lived in Singapore nor appreciated the efforts that the country makes to assimilate its cultures and give all races and ethnicities a fair chance at succeeding in life.

To label, as the writer does, Chinese Singaporeans as the "Jews of South East Asia" and fire a cheap shot labeling Lee Kuan Yew as a "virtual dictator"aptly demonstrates the personal bias of the article but it is not until we get to the later paragraphs do we fully appreciate that this is indeed another sniping at Yale's association with Singapore. "Can any liberal democracy ever hope to flourish while pacing a gilded but iron cage?"

What is so wonderful about the "liberal democracy" that this Yale academic is so hell bent on defending?

Why is it I wonder that I saw US Vets and mental release patients scavenging in rubbish bins on the streets of San Francisco and I never experienced the same in Singapore?  Why is the USA is the economic doggy-doos and Singapore remains economically buoyant?

Perhaps the much vaunted 'liberal democracy' is not all that it is cracked up to be by political scientists such as Sleeper.

Poverty Rates in The USA |

And yes, Singapore did seek the advice of the Israeli military when it set up its own forces after the British departed, but this is hardly a crime.  Faced with very real threats from Indonesia and communist insurgencies there was an urgency to depend the fledgling nation and who could blame them for that.

I personally wish Yale in Singapore every success as it will be mutually beneficial to both, just as it has been for other universities who have forged strong bonds with the country.

Related articles

• Jim Sleeper: Blame the Latest Israel-Arab War on .....Singapore?

Picky Cabbies

Source: Stomp

I am often impressed by the efforts of cabbies to reign in the bad habits of passengers.  There are the usual reminders that if you through up in the vehicle you will be liable for the cleaning of the interior.  In other countries one also find a security grill between you as the passenger, and the driver, especially when travelling in less salubrious districts.

But the home computer-generated sign in a Singapore cab (pictured right) takes restrictions to a whole new level.  As I have never been tempted to clip my toenails or pick my nose in a cab these announcements do not apply to the likes of me.

However it makes one think that maybe other are not so 'picky' or perhaps that should be "more picky"?

More disturbing is the news today that a new SARS-like virus has been discovered in the Middle East.  This will be of particular concern to the Singapore as the SARS epidemic itself had a major impact on both its health and the economy.

With Changi being a major air traffic hub, any one of the thousands of passengers who pass through it daily could be carriers of a virus. And on the subject of viruses, yesterday I got my annual 'flu shot in an effort to ward off any influenza that might come around in the next twelve months.  This has been my custom for the past five years and I got my first inoculation in Singapore when the organisation I worked for provided free doctors visits for this purpose.

This year's jab has left me a tad lethargic and snuffly for twenty four hours but the long term benefits should outweigh the temporary side effects.  Luckily my sniffles will not be attracting the attention of  Singapore cabby and there will be no picking!

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• New virus akin to SARS reported; man hospitalized in London

A Lesson To Despots Everywhere

Hello.... Hello.. is that my people?

I awoke this morning to the news that the despotic regime in Egypt had finally been toppled.

 

What has been truly remarkable is that the youth who achieved this, managed to restrain from any violent action to overthrow Mubarak and his cronies.

 

Each day on the BBC I have been listening to young, educated and articulate Egyptians expound their hope for the future; a future free from  the dictates of a central family surrounded by enforcers and sycophants.

 

Today they achieved there first objective with the President's removal by peaceful means.  Now the challenge is even more difficult, establishing a government that is truly representative of the people's wishes.

 

The other thing that has been very apparent in recent weeks is the part played by the internet in sharing information and marshalling resistance. Social networking platforms have become platforms for action in the 21st century.

 

All of this is important far beyond the shores of the Suez.  Any regime that has suppressed personal expression and/or and subjected their peoples must be looking over their shoulders at this time, wondering when they will be next.

 

In the age of twitter and facebook the dispossessed will always find a way to communicate, resist and mobilise.

 

It is of course what happens next to Egypt that really counts.  Replacing one despot with another is not an option and the road to true freedom and opportunity will be a long and difficult one.  

There is a very real danger that extremists will attempt to step in, to take advantage of the power vacuum. This is but one of the many serious challenges the people of Egypt will face in the months ahead but given their determination thus far, they should be able to overcome them.

Related articles

• Mubarak relents, steps down (washingtonmonthly.com)
• Egypt's day of rumour and expectation ends in anger and confusion (guardian.co.uk)
• Egypt Chaos Defines Bleeding in Despot Arab World: Tariq Ali - Bloomberg (news.google.com)