New Art Book - Digerati II

Digerarti II by Roger Smith

Delighted to complete this new book project.  My recent art and photography is now published live on this site.

Click on the book and flick through the pages. Enjoy! and let me know what you think by leaving a comment on this post.

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.

Get this Makan Time Button by clicking here.

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Today's Art Work - Composition #5

Composition #5
Roger Smith, 2013
Copies of this art print are available here

The combination of colour and texture combined in an abstract composition.  Perhaps because it is at last summer weather, the colours selected reflect the season!

A much larger version of the work (unframed) can be seen here.

New Art - Queentown Bird Fanciers

Queenstown Bird Fanciers
Drawing
Roger Smith  2013

This small sketch is based on a photo I took with my mobile phone's camera as I was walking under an HDB block; en route from Queens condo to the Queenstown Public Library, Singapore .

It is a scene that was quite common with groups of retired men hanging their bird in wicker and metal cages above, sitting on plastic chairs and passing the time before the sun got too fierce.

Copies are available for $US 8.25 from  this online site.

Two Original Las Vegas Compositions

Vegas 1
Roger Smith, 2013
Copies available here.

Vegas 2
Roger Smith, 2013
Copies available here.

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.

Not A Bridge Too Far

...at least not when it comes to local Singaporean knowledge about some of their historic bridges.  Several of these are being documented as part of the ongoing cultural and heritage push to document structures and customs before they disappear or are torn down.

Cavenagh Bridge, Anderson Bridge, Elgin Bridge, Read Bridge and Ord Bridge are all featured in the video below.

The Two Olds

Retirement  - no such thing!

I well remember when my father retired.  He chose not to take up a government offer to come chief judge in a New Zealand Pacific protectorate, in preference to his first love, fishing off the rocks on the Coromandel peninsula.

Not that I was surprised at this as he had by then had enough of party political interference in the appointment of the judiciary.  He had also served his country in Word War II which included several years in a German POW camp; he was captured on Crete as many New Zealanders were.

The thing about Dad was he never publicly expressed any negative views about such matters, such was his legal training.  When the time came that he could retire he "packed up his tent" and went fishing.

So today as I reach the official NZ retirement age and become eligible to reclaim back a small portion of the large amount of tax I have paid the country over forty years, I am reminded of the day my father chose relaxation over re-employment.

In my own case and to paraphrase a Chinese expression it is a case of 'the two olds'.

I turned sixty as a Permanent Resident (PR) in Singapore thereby qualifying for a plastic card that identified me as a 'senior citizen', travel and other concessions.  While this was much appreciated, I felt a bit of a fraud as I was in lucrative full time employment with no intention of retiring from my senior appointment with the British Council.  Singapore has subsequently raised its retirement age since my departure.

Now some five years on and back in New Zealand I still don't really believe that the day has come when I have qualified once again for this status in society.  Yet another piece of plastic arrived though the post entitling me to an even broader range of tempting discounts; not that discount facials and new tyres hold much appeal.  But as my Mother used to say, it is the thought that counts.

The other thing about 'retirement' at an arbitrary age is that it seldom if ever happens.  Where a few generations ago you were given a gold watch for long service and gently ushered out the back door, most of us now spend at least some time on pursuits that are tied into our former full time employment.

I am just as active now in the digital, online world as I ever have been which keeps the creative juices flowing.  The beauty is I no longer have to sit through the tedium of irrelevant staff meetings nor in my car braving the rush hour.

The brave,digital world that allowed me in my working life to communicate with clients, colleagues and friends around the globe, does so still.  So when I think about it, nothing much has changed except that I occasionally miss the face to face socialising that took place in the many staff rooms I frequented.

And I do miss Singapore; the arrival back home at Changi airport, the tropical thunderstorms and verdant foliage, the colourful creepy crawlies and the warmth of its people.  I am blessed that many of them in the 'Little Red Dot' and people I knew and worked with in NZ, remain friends still.

There was an article in the local press yesterday quoting a specialist who has said "Life expectancy in New Zealand is higher than ever, but early retirement is killing people".  The gist being that keeping the mind active keep you living longer.  They could well be right.  The thought of sinking into a lethargic torpor holds no appeal whatsoever!

I can't think of one person I know who has retired to the couch.  All of us are actively engaged in work and/or society. Which just goes to prove that we 'Baby Boomer's', despite the dire predictions of our parent's generation, aren't any lazier than those that went before us.

To paraphrase a certain BBC fox puppet "Boom, Boom" and long may life remain so.

Related articles

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