My first class

Memories of your first is always memorable. I just had a first moment. I created a class object out of need. This brings me to a whole new level on my understanding of class.

When big organisations just don't get it

I used to pride Singapore Transport systems as one of the best. As far as I can remember, there were no major disruptions prior to the three last week. Like all news worthy saga, one news lead to another - 3 major disruptions, one death at NEL, one critically injury while on a bus. Just like the Bedok Reservoir floating bodies and the series of NTU death last year, when it starts to rain, it starts to pour. Unlike the previous two series of unfortunate events, a public transport disruption incurred much much more wrath from the general public. It should.

For the majority of the Singaporeans who do not drive, public transportation has a really strong influence on a scarce and deeply treasured resource call "time". Although not everyone use it wisely, some choose to upgrade themselves on a weekday night, some choose to spend quality time with their family after a long day at work and some may choose to rush home to play a game of DOTA. But any attempt to take it away will definitely bring out the best Singaporean spirit - Complaint in Unison. Who can blame us? We grew up in a environment that pride itself on efficiency where time is the very resource that defines it. Losing time on a stalled transportation is something that should not have happened if you are in Singapore.

Commuters has articulated this desire of not losing precious time on public transport in their numerous complaints about not being able to board buses and trains at peak hours. If losing one or two buses/trains (*5 to 10 min) is concern, missing out one entire evening out with friends and family is national problem. If SMRT had a proper contingency plan, Singaporeans would and should had been more forgiving. We all know, things are getting more and more complicated, and they will fail. Does Google place all its data centers in one city? However, contingency plans were slow to be activated and safety procedures for rescue were glaring absent. Yet, SMRT choose not to admit its flaws.

From the SMRT responses, track records and public comments surfacing on the new media recently, it is obvious that SMRT had focused on doing one thing and doing it good. That is generating profits - from its retails rentals and efficient nets of trains and buses. No one is blaming them for doing their job. However, did SMRT consider itself an essential public service provider that should endeavour to ensure Singaporeans precious time is not lost on waiting and sitting idly on non moving, non ventilating trains?

* arbitrary figures based totally on my own estimates

Other good reads:

Does SMRT value its property over the well-bing of commuters

SMRT needs to review its priorities: NSP

Experts question use of plastic ties (I am seriously doubtful this will work. So no train for me till they fix the real problem.)

Coming of age

I attended my first p sch classmate wedding today only to realise that many more are already married. Some even have two kids. It is really heart warming to know that we have all grown so much since those days of carefree marble, catching, humtumbolla days.

In the name of Democracy

Singapore has just witnessed one of the most epic failure of the GRC system. Widely recognised as one of the best in the current minister rank, ex-Foreign Minister George Yeo is now officially unemployed. At least he won't be serving the Singapore for the next 5 years as a minister. This happened while the most incompetent candidate, judging from the level of backlash from her comments, actions, (bimbotic) media replies and (act cute) picture, was elected as a MP all in the name of Democracy.

Hours after the election results, petitions were set up to replace Ms TPL with Mr GY. This was the public consensus and desire. However, it is unlikely this would be achieve as this is definitely unconstitutional.

As it has been proven that opposition can win GRC (Aljunied) and Minority candidates can win SMC (Punggol East). Maybe it's high time that the election board think harder about the GRC system. It may have been absolutely necessary in the past but the results today showed that the society has progressed beyond the fears of the 1980s.

Singapore shall make do with a TPL for the next 5 years. Maybe I am overly critical, but odds are against her to appease the public displeasure. If she doesn't, I hope that there is a stronger WP next election.

How Will I Vote?

All my life I yearned for the chance to exercise my rights as a Singapore Citizen to cast my vote. It feels great to know that I am playing a part in deciding the country's future. 5 years ago, I was rather crestfallen to find out I am staying in a constituency that is not contested. Now, I got my chance but never had i imagine that it is not such a straightforward process.

Am I voting to choose someone to represent me or am I choosing the government?

What makes a good government? People centered, empathising, or bureaucratic, efficiency, growth oriented....

What makes a good opposition? Critical of the government, innovative, voices of the people?

People and People

There are so many types of personalities at work. When I studied diversity in HR I truly believed that diversity is good. The more (greater) the merrier. I feel like an idiot now.

What I love about December

December is my favourite month of the year. It has always been so since my memories beings. When I was young, it was the long holidays that I was always yearning for. Now, it is the lack of school kids and the substantial time saving from commuting to work that I adore. Thoughts of crowded buses, the need of squeezing through the bus aisle to alight, non stop giggling and chatters scares me now. I will definitely miss my peaceful bus journey where I could really sleep soundly throughout.

I dread January.....

Changes is the only constance

Lying in the midst of changing to a new appointment, there are so many people asking me which appointment do I prefer more. I really can't give them a definite answer because I haven't really warm my new office chair. I did ponder deeper with the minuscule knowledge about the new job that I have gathered so far. As with all things, changes occur at different stages of pondering. More changes when I think about it on different days. Even more changes when I think about it when there are major events in my life. Well..... I rolled down a bus. That's a rather major event in my life :) Thus, my only conclusion is, there are cycles where I hate my old jobs, love the tasks, loathe the work, ..... that feeling isn't constant. It exist sort of in a cycle, with ups and downs.

Moving on to other aspects of life. The notion of studying hard never exist during my entire primary school life, (my mentality then was, just make sure my teachers don't want to meet my parents). Playing mahjong 3 days a week in uni seemed like an impossibility when I was in JC. On the other hand, teachers seemed to suffered the most with the terror kids of this generation. Kids seem to be more tech savvy than most "senior engineers" I know. Snail mail and convention television is facing a slow death from the development of internet. If there is one constant, it is changes. Why not embrace it?

Soccer and Video technology

We are living in the age where you can view yourself using your computer through the lens of a satellite hovering above you. Yet, simple video replay and goal line technology just scare the shit out of the soccer community. In a 90 plus minutes game, offering a few seconds for the referee to get a confirmation from another trained official sitting infront of a screen with replay capability isn't too much to ask for, is it? With that, no one can argue about stupid decision because there won't be. Won't the quality of game play improve because the players don't need to waste effort trying to argue with referee? Secretly, I believe a few second delay for each important decision will actually allow the more game time in the 90 min because players will spend less time debating with the referee.

So what's stopping video technology from being adopted? IMHO, the are:

1) bad refereeing is absolutely necessary for bookies to win money

2) they are afraid of changes

3) they secretly wish referees suffer unnecessary distress from making bad decision and fan abusing them.

Actually after typing them out, I only believe in no. 1.

quotable quotes

'm not really super athletic...about as competitive as a slug...on a rainy day...

Best Come Back Line

Scenario: On a crowded bust, packed with elderly. Teens in a certain JC uniform sitting on a ledge where the old ticket dispenser used to be located. Adult standing 1 m away. I was standing about 5 m away from them.

Adult: (normal conversational tone and volume) hey, I think you should give up the seats for the old people.

(me: siao kia, you are asking really old people to take the risk of climbing up there and expecting them to be comfortable in that weird position?)

Teens: Huh? (genuinely incredulous look) I think it is too dangerous for them to get up.

Adult: (irritated tones) what do schools teach nowadays? Students don't even want to give up seats to elderly.

(me: those are definitely not seats. Nahh, maybe he is making a scene to shame all those young and fit people hogging a seat from those who need it more on the bus)

Teens: (turn around and ask the closest elderly. Do you want to seat? (he replied no). (turn around and face adult) see they won't want to seat.

(me: duh, the elderly run a much greater risk of injuring themselves)

adult: (raising his voice) what exactly do you study in school (alighting the bus at the same time. Such simple manner also don't know. (in chinese: 你是读设么书的，这么没教养）

here comes the best come back line

Teens: (totally bo chup face with a tiny whiny bit of grin). Like you, we don't study. (跟你一样没有读书）while waving goodbye at him.

Adult ranted some random lines but still alighted in the end; continue to stared at the teens. It took me quite a while to comprehend the situation. but my conclusion: teens 1 -adult 0

if adult was just trying to vent his anger/frustration at random stranger and he thought that the best target would be young teens, he did definitely made the wrong decision.

Being a Gen Y

These are some of quotes on Gen Y that I got from the net.

Generation Y is not like the baby boomers who live to work or Generation Xers who work to live. Instead, this generation—born between the late 1970s and the mid-1990s—“values work, but they also really value life beyond work,”

Here are some quirky behaviours that will define Generation Y. They are wired, connected to virtual social sites, salivate for information, empowered, able to multi task, independent and the lists goes on and on. These are functional behaviours that will excite any HR recruiter. They too, carry a “dark side”. They can be easily bored, and demand instant gratification.

st701 has a wonderful article which explain 90% of my take on Gen Y.

asiaone has an article on why gen Y is difficult to work with.

Being a Gen Y, I can really relate to these articles. With that being said, I can't comprehend how Singapore's push to increase productivity will be successful. In the fantasy job I conjured up in my head, I have already given up hope of my workplace being tech savvy, well connected nor cutting edge. However, I didn't the ultimate barrier to increase productivity is human. Sometime, a minor change in mindset can increase productivity by many many folds but most rather stick with the old, tried and tested ways. Why take the risk? Although they claimed that they they are not sticking to old ways and actually re-rationalised the plans but these are just self engineered reasons to satisfy their own need to proclaim they are progressive. I am not against rationalising through everything. The thinking process helps me to think through things better. What I am against is when the outcome is clearly indicating a change is needed, they refuse to listen anymore.

Beside self deceiving, some even resort to "wayangness". I don't know what better word to use other than this colloquial term. Out come the bombastic new appointment names, nice sounding titles, exciting plans to revamp the system. What remain behind is everything else. I know a paradigm change takes time but in today's context, time is exactly what you don't have. One fine day, every shit that had piled up till now will eventually collapse onto you.

Somethings i really hate: hierarchy of stupidity. It is both stupid and unproductive. When a technical presentation on a not so simple topic has to be presented on a not so motivated nor educated audience, they demand that they comprehend somewhat abstract concepts in a rather short time frame. Furthermore, they add to the misery by dwelling on the really unimportant details. End result: stupid questions and impossible to answer questions. If I am going to conduct all these lessons, I might as well be a lecturer at least I know am speaking to a bunch of motivated audience. And they are not all trying to be smart alecs. Is it so hard to ask intelligent questions? Somehow, the higher they climb the more absurd the stupidity manifest. It is as if the higher you climb, you are allowed to ask stupider questions. Well, luckily there are always exceptions. Without those, life will suck really big time.

Classic Lines

There are sentences which no matter how many times I read tickle me in to a laughter and I ought to have a entry on classic lines. This is the first of the many to come.

"There are annual events in football and reports of Real Madrid's interest in Arsene Wenger tend to be among them." Soccernet

Barney: Seriously. Jesus started the whole "wait three days" thing. He waited THREE days to come back to life. It was perfect! If he had only waited ONE day, a lot of people wouldn't have even heard that he died. They'd be all, "Hey Jesus, what up?" and Jesus would probably be like, "What up? I DIED yesterday!" and then they'd be all, "Uhh, you look pretty alive to me, dude..." and then Jesus would have to explain how he was resurrected, and how it was a miracle, and then the dude would be like "Uh okayy, whatever you say, bro..." And he's not gonna come back on a SATURDAY. Everybody's busy, doing chores, workin' the loom, trimmin' the beard, NO. He waited the exact right number of days, THREE. Plus it's SUNDAY, so everyone's in church already, they're all in there "Oh no, Jesus is DEAD", then BAM! He bursts through the back door, runs up the aisle, everyone's totally psyched, and FYI, that's when he invented the high five. Three days. We wait three days to call a woman, because that's how long Jesus wants us to wait.... True story. "How I met your mother"

FlashFoward?

US drama and Manga are getting really complicated nowadays. It is no longer good vs evil but always something deeper, more thought provoking. Flashforward is so thought provoking that it triggered my lazy self to write a post: "if I want a flashforward?"

As insignificant as 2min 17 sec our our future compared to the millions of seconds in our lives may seem, it changes just everything. Knowing that I will be alive 6 months later will make me a daredevil to try everything humanly possible or not. Who wouldn't?

Then, I succumb to greed. Plans of making big bucks started popping up in my heads. I just have to simply copy down the 4d/toto/big sweep number and take them out during my flashforward, which would make me a tidy sum enough for me to live in luxury for the rest of my life. That was when I realised that flashforward is an impossible phenomenon. I am not a genius, just an average guy you see out in the street. If I can think of this in about 5 min, so can 99.99% of the world. If that's the case, wouldn't the flashforward just be the whole world reading and memorising numbers?

Time progresses in a linear path but it is definitely not a linear function. In fact, I see time as a human construct to simplify, quantify and track a value I don't know how to otherwise to describe other than time. Just as the past affects the present, the future influences the present too. A cycle will be more appropriate to describe the relationship between past, present and future instead of a linear one. Sadly, the world we live don't allow us to change the past nor see the future; present is the only thing we hold. Instead of dwelling on the unsurmountable feat of going back or forward in time, we should treasure the now we live in.

Powerpoint presentation

Life After Death PowerPoint from EMT Media on Vimeo.

Myopic

On the last day of 2009, I made a sudden discovery. It's not really sudden per se; it is just that the realisation happened really suddenly. In an instance, I suddenly realised that the as the world grows richer, the people tend to look at the shorter term gains. Failing to consider or even choose to ignore the longer term vested interest. It is happening on all level and it's scary. One fine day, "The Age of Stupid" may be a real life event instead of a film. Financial crisis will occur again and again. And looking at history, you will know that history always repeats itself. If human race can't stop looking only at the short term goals, benefits, profits.... Fast pace of life, quick results (look at the number of EPL managers sacked) and the ever competitive world just make things worse. With that being said, I can offer no solutions at all. Maybe someone out there has one and has the will, power and motivation to materialise it. I hope it will be soon.

Gaps

Diversity manifests itself in so many ways that it always hit you before you realised it. Big distinct differences are obvious -- hobbies, interests, preferences, the explicit stuffs. Smaller ones result in strangely small yet powerful differences. Some people see minor tasks like life threatening jobs that should be avoided at all cost, since they stand to lose so much like the unthinkable 15 min of their time. Some people choose to think that they are older, wiser, more mature, pick up a stray responsibility and shove it to someone who they "think" should be responsible instead. Topping it up with different working styles, the "simply bo chap", the "everything I da with shitty results", the "why am I here so i am going to piss everyone off", the "lets have some fun while working".... you'll get a really weird bunch of people.

The non confrontational nature of Singaporeans doesn't really help. While supposedly mature young adults try to diffuse the invisible tension building up in the air via painfully subtle ways, I painfully watch by the side. Too many times I have tried to surface the problems and talk about it like adults and too many times they have tried to avoid and laugh obviously serious matters off as jokes to be brushed aside. Since I can't beat them, join them. Standing at the sideline watching the differences grow, laughing at matters I find disgustingly serious, are tiring habits I can't keep up with.

Aunty syndrome

I made 2 new discoveries today:

Discovery one: all cleaning aunties love to chat. They will start going on and on the moment they find a willing soul to exchange a few words. They will immediately go back to work when someone else approaches.

Discovery two: the best way to insinuate someone is looking much more mature than they do. First, say "you look really young!". Second, say "let me guess, you are (real age + 5)". Scenario to apply: act cute girls (acg) age 25 acting cute again, so you can go, "woah, you look really young. Any secrets to share? You sure look like you only 30!" Disclaimer: Don't attempt it on females. They are known to react violently to such taunts.

Sengkang New Park

It has been almost 10 years since I shift to this corner of SG. From the ulu town which no taxi drivers know and only 2 bus services, it has grow to a bustling new town 20 min away from town via MRT and numerous bus connection. Now, more amenities are built, hockey stadium, swimming pools, and a new riverside park. Hope it will continue become more vibrant.

The Day I Almost Cried

People cry for many reasons. Although guys are not supposed to cry while females have all the rights in the world to do so, this social norm seem to get more blurred as the society progresses. Guys who cry nowadays are sensitive, understanding and everything nice while those who did in the the past are emotional, weak and everything bad. Today, the tears in my tear glands almost overflowed but that was the furthest it went. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't especially sad, angry or happy; I went to see a sensei regarding my nagging ankle problems. Disclaimer first, I didn't not cry because my auspicious 49 days excuse from running ended; I almost cried because of the pain, something I thought I could handle. I dare say it was one of my most painful experience ever. The thought of carrying out an Adebayor celebration did come across my mind but i simply can't run nor even walk half the pitch. No pain no gain. I do feel better after the earthshaking pain inflicting session. Hopefully, I will get to jog pain free soon.