Singapore Dreaming

I watched the local film Singapore Dreaming today (www.SingaporeDreaming.com). I thought it was a pretty good show, and the best part about it is that the show is pretty realistic; there are really a lot of people in Singapore who live somewhat like that, believe it or not! Well, I don't mean to say entire families are dysfunctional, but the language and the characters are rather real. As in, watching the show for the first time would be rather shocking for a foreigner, especially if he is American, but to the local it wouldn't be a big deal because you see people like that pretty often.

The show is all about the Singapore Dream. I suppose the title Singapore Dreaming actually comes from California Dreaming, which is supposedly a great song but I've never heard it so I can't comment. I know people have been quite inspired to live in california after listening to that song, but I'm not quite sure they will get the same impression after watching Singapore Dreaming.

What exactly is the Singapore Dream? The American Dream is supposedly "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" but we all know that really it is to make lots and lots of money. What you subsequently do with all that money or achieve life liberty and yadda yadda is really inconseqential, but presumably one would live rather comfortably after getting a lot of money. The Singapore Dream, quite simply put, is the mindless pursuit of the 5 C's: Credit card, Car, Condo, Country club and Cash. At one point in time some people say that it's Career instead of Cash. But I think its quite clear in today's context that in Asia you go more places with lots of Cash than with a high flying career. Anyway, why do I say mindless pursuit? As you can somewhat infer in the movie, the goal is really the 5 C's, and people go completely broke and in debt just for the sake of achieving these 5C's, and often don't live comfortably at all. Which is completely different than the American Dream. But wait a minute, isn't one of the C's Cash? How can you get the 5C's without cash? In a minute I'll give you a lowdown on the 5C's and then you might understand why. Basically in Asia its not what you have, but what you appear to have....

Here's a lowdown on the 5C's:

1. C is for Credit Card. Everybody has a credit card in the US, but in Singapore you need to make $30,000 a year for a regular card, $45,000-60,000 for a gold card and $80,000-$90,000 for a platinum card (though the latter 2 have been lowered for many cards). So having a platinum card is (or rather used to, but there are still some exclusive cards out there) a sign that you've made it, even if you don't have much reason to get one. For expatriates the limits are higher, so an expatriate with a credit card must be quite attractive to local girls, though he might just be a bum who got his card for free in the US.....

2. C is for Car. And not just any car. Preferrably a Mercedes or BMW for the older folks and sporty cars (or upgraded cheap cars) for the younger ones. Cars cost a bomb in Singapore, and car loans are the biggest rip off here than anywhere else in the world, in fact it borders on extortion! Sure there are situations where you would absolutely need a car like when you have a family and all. But with public transport and taxis being rather affordable on a small island, it doesn't make sense to get a car when you are young single and can't afford to pay 3.5% on the principal for 10 yrs. and you have to keep paying the interest EVEN if you subsequently have enough to pay in full.

3. C is for Country Club. This one is a real bummer. You really shouldn't join a country club unless a) you like golf a lot or b) you are really rich. Country club memberships cost tens of thousands, and there isn't really much to do there except for the world-class golf resorts. Some people say networking, but seriously, the rich and famous aren't gonna network with an almost broke guy who just managed to save enough for membership. They treat such people as pariahs who make the queue at the buffet longer....

4. C is for Condo. Housing is expensive in Singapore except for public housing. The new / upgraded HDB point blocks are quite decent and cheap, but older-style long and wide HDB flats are an architectural disaster. Often lifts don't stop on every floor and all. And the long corridors meant for communal living are a privacy nightmare. Not to mention all the inconsiderate people who do inconsiderate things on the corridor such as throwing killer litter off the parapet. Condos appear much more desirable but the newer ones actually have very little floor space, and the security guards which are costly to hire are actually more like parking wardens. But I guess I could see why condo is important; housing is important everywhere in the world.

5. C is for cash. Or rather appearing to have a lot of cash by offering to buy drinks, offering to pay for meals (qia), and of course flashing that platinum card in front of the babes. But really all you need is a steady stream of credit lines, because once you've achieved items 1-4 you'd probably want to upgrade items 1-4 so you never really have enough cash to even live comfortably. Such is the nature of the mindless pursuit.

I guess locals wouldn't want to watch the show very much. TV dramas portray the same scenarios, but the characters are exaggerated, not real so we just laugh it off. Singaporeans hate to look at themselves in the mirror, because once reality hits you it gets rather embarrassing. Singaporeans just choose to follow the general mentality of the herd, and belief that the herd is World-Class society and so such a path will lead to eternal happiness.

And what exactly is World-Class? I mean the world is so big and there are different "classes" or standards everywhere.... Other countries who really aspire for greater things want to be the best in the world, to be number one and not to just be in the same class as everybody else. The term "world-class" hints of some kind of herd mentality, to some extent mimicking what others have yet never really achieving it or understanding the purpose behind those achievements. It's not difficult to be this kind of "world-class". Singapore is rather rich compared to many developing countries, and so by simply buying over all the goods and technology from the US and others, we can easily become "world-class"? Or not?

Singapore dreaming is just wishful thinking. If anyone thought that everybody can be very happy just mindlessly pursuing the 5C's, he'd probably only find peace when he hit's the 6th C, the coffin..... (that was from the movie by the way.)

Biennale / Gardens by the Bay

Today I went to see some of the art pieces exhibited as part of the Singapore Biennale 2006. The first thing I realised is that many people do not know how to pronounce the word Biennale correctly (including myself at first). It's pronounced as Bian-narl-lay. I guess I got it right after listening to the word being repeated over a hundred times on TV mobile on my bus ride there.

We went to the Art Museum, National Museum, and the main Biennale booth at SMU. I was hoping to see lots of shocking contemporary works, but frankly, I wasn't very impressed. In fact, the pieces that I really liked were classic oil-on-canvas paintings by Liu Kang and one other surrealist Malay painter. But those paintings you can catch all the time at the Art Museum, so much for the Biennale. Maybe there's other better stuff that I haven't seen yet, will try to see more if I have the opportunity. I guess the raw talent of the classic oil-on-canvas artists stood out in this case. I was quite impressed by the surrealist; his work is comparable to Salvador Dali! The Art Museum really needs a serious makeover too. Its a rather large building, but the layout and what not really pales in comparison to the Guggenheim, SF MoMA, National Gallery of Art or the California Palace of the Legion of Honor.

After that we went to the Botanic Gardens to see the models and posters for the new Gardens by the Bay project at Marina Bay. There's essentially 3 parts to Gardens by the Bay: Marina South (IR), Marina East (near the golf course) and the giant Ferris Wheel area. The entire project is huge! There's gonna be lots of conservatories, edutainment, flower markets etc. So many things going on that New York Central Park pales in comparison. I feel that Marina South, where the bulk of the activity is, is actually quite out of the way though. I will definitely visit, but probably not on a regular basis. I doubt people will go there for a weekly jog like at East Coast Park. Its just too out of the way and too many things going on. Not sure how this thing is going to turn out.

This whole garden thing got me thinking about land usage in Singapore. We are barely 25 miles (40km) across, yet we have more than 10 golf courses, huge parks and gardens (botanic gardens, east coast park, sungei buloh, macritchie and other reserviors, and now marina bay), 2 civilian air ports (seletar and changi) and a huge port (PSA). And not to mention close to a quarter of the mainland is used by the military for training and other purposes. And yet we have 4.3 million people here. Someone tell me its not getting too crowded?

Went with JM to Pedro's house for a BBQ party. This is Pedro's back yard. Notice the golf fairway behind? His house is literally in the middle of a golf course/ country club! 

Met up with Carmen, Kofi and others for a jazz concert at Yoshi's Jack London Square 

Brunch at Bettes. The potatoes/onions were so well done that each piece is crispy! 

Notice the root beer float at Bette's looks different? That's because they put like 2 huge scoops of ice cream inside, whoa! 

Bette's diner on 4th street (Berkeley) is where you go for a classic american breakfast! 

Crikey! Remember Steve by putting (tu) in your msn nick!

Steve Irwin, Wildlife Master, Is Killed by a Stingray at 44
By GLENN COLLINS
Published: September 5, 2006 (paragraphing edited)

Steve Irwin, the khaki-clad wildlife stalker who won global fame with his televised death-defying crocodile stunts and whose booming voice made "Crikey!" in a ripe Australian accent an international catchword, was killed by a stingray yesterday while filming a documentary at the Great Barrier Reef off Australia's northeast coast. He was 44. Witnesses said he apparently died of cardiac arrest after the stingray attack. Mr. Irwin was on location in the area to film television segments, including material for “The Ocean’s Deadliest.” Witnesses on his boat, Croc One, and on a nearby diving vessel said that when he came close to a stingray, its barb pierced his chest and lodged in his heart.

In an interview with reporters in Australia, Prime Minister John Howard termed the death “a huge loss to Australia,” and called Mr. Irwin “a wonderful character.”
“He was a passionate environmentalist,” Mr. Howard added. Mr. Irvin’s television shows, including “The Crocodile Hunter,” were seen in more than 100 countries on cable television, and he was an ebullient staple of American talk shows ranging from “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno” to “Live With Regis and Kelly.” He customarily appeared in his trademark hiking boots and khaki shorts and shirt, commenting volubly on animal conservation and showing clips of his fearless exploits, which included leaping on the backs of crocodiles, wrestling with boas and mastering poisonous snakes and spiders.

Dr. Leo Smith, an expert on venomous fishes in the department of ichthyology at the American Museum of Natural History in Manhattan, said that although Mr. Irwin had no scientific degree and some scientists criticized his theatrics and hyperbole, “he could be considered a biologist rather than just a television personality.”
“He was knowledgeable and seemed to care passionately about wildlife,” Dr. Smith said. “He took a very outgoing approach that made people less fearful of sharks and other mean things out there.” Mr. Irwin’s death, he said, “is depressing because the last thing you want is for the guy who says things are safe to be killed.”

But Mr. Irwin was widely criticized in 2004 for feeding a snapping crocodile inside a pen while holding his infant son, Bob, in one arm. Though some likened the action to child abuse, he said he had been in firm control of both the child and the crocodile. He was never charged with endangering his son’s welfare. While filming a documentary in Antarctica later that year, Mr. Irwin ran afoul of critics who said he came too close to humpback whales, seals and penguins, disturbing them. Environmental officials did not press charges after an investigation.

Though Mr. Irwin was accustomed to confronting dangerous animals, deaths from ray attacks are unusual, Dr. Smith said. “On an average there are only one or two fatalities a year worldwide,” he said. Dr. Smith said there were approximately 120 known ray species and four families of venomous stinging rays. At the base of the tail is a spine or barb connected to a venom gland; in an attack, the spike and the gland may be broken off and can remain in the wound. The stingray venom contains toxic proteins, and most stingray attacks pose risk from shock, infection and the venom’s toxicity, he said. Most deaths are caused by heart injuries or blood loss. “The puncture alone could have done it,” Dr. Smith said of the attack on Mr. Irwin, “but the venoms do have major cardiac effects.”

Stephen Robert Irwin was born in 1962 in a suburb of Melbourne and spent his childhood in Queensland, where his parents, Bob and Lyn Irwin, operated a wildlife park; he grew up with wild animals, including crocodiles. He met his American-born wife, Terri, when she was vacationing in Australia in 1991. Film from their honeymoon in the wild — trapping crocodiles — was used in creating their first documentary. She became his business partner and, styled as the Crocodile Huntress, she was an on-screen co-star in his television shows and in a 2002 feature film, “The Crocodile Hunters: Collision Course.”

Mr. Irwin was caricatured in “South Park” for his penchant for phrases like “Check out the size of this bloke!” and “Whew, he’s getting cranky!” He also appeared in the 2001 film “Dr. Dolittle 2” with Eddie Murphy. His fame engendered books, action figures and interactive games and, for a time, tube-watching pub crawlers played a drinking game, hoisting a glass every time Mr. Irwin said, “Crikey!” or, “Isn’t she a beauty?” His parents’ wildlife park, renamed Australia Zoo and expanded and developed by Mr. Irwin, became a popular tourist attraction. His survivors include his wife and son, and a daughter, Bindi Sue.

Ching Hway taking a shot at Thalassa. Notice that since my trip I've been using full names in my blog (rather than initials). Guess its just my tribute to all the great people I'm meeting up and hanging out with on this vacation! 

Bing Ying and Germ in front of their apartment. That green tea BY is holding is really really green, and she took like 1.5 hours to finish it haha! It was cold today, so notice the jackets.... 

Decided to walk down Market to Civic Center to catch the city hall in the sunset since I haven't been there in years. Turns out that it wasn't such a good idea. Behind me in this shot was A LOT of hoboes, punks, loiterers and what not! I had to turn my back to them so that I won't get mugged when they see my expensive camera. Guess some places are not as safe as Singapore (where supposedly you can't gather in a group of more than 5 haha....)

Here's a view of the MoMA from Yuerba Buena Gardens. There was a huge Matthew Barney exhibit which was kinda weird, too bad no picture taking. Some great works by Matisse, Picasso, Roschenberg and Mondrian too! 

I had sandwiches with Chris and Stella from the dorms. They work in the city where there are lots of sandwich places on every street corner! 

More ball pics

"Take me out to the ball game,
Take me out with the crowd.
Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack,
I don't care if I never get back,
Let me root, root, root for the A's!
If they don't win it's a shame.
For it's one, two, three strikes, you're out,
At the old ball game."

Wedding Song

We had this song at the wedding. Isn't it just so beautiful?


O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder,
Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made;
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.

Chorus:
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

When through the woods, and forest glades I wander,
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees.
When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur
And see the brook, and feel the gentle breeze.

And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing;
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in;
That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died to take away my sin.

When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation,
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart.
Then I shall bow, in humble adoration,
And then proclaim: "My God, how great Thou art!"