I'm changing the focus of my blog - devoting it to my garden here in Melbourne. Its fairly large - roughly 1800 sq feet.
When we first got here over 20 years ago it had gum trees, ivy, and ferns. We removed the lot.
We have since planted the roses, crocus, bluestone walls and steps, ornamental trees, bulbs like tulips and ranunculus.
Ah yes, my ranunculus flowers. They are a stunning sight.
I plan to grow them back next year in 2012.
Gardening is a love hate relationship with me. There is often so much to do. The combination of sunny winter weather and wet rain cause the weeds to multiply in the millions. Its a hard slog to remove them all.
In my respects, the garden is also a spiritual metaphor. Is it no surprise that God gave Adam a garden as his first care of duty? Gardening was man's first job.
It gives me great pleasure to see the final product but the journey there is hard and arduous.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Friday, August 26, 2011
Chiam See Tong and 300 Spartans: Some thoughts on the SG Election 2011
Any error found in this essay is unintended and not malicious. Sources have been gleaned from Wikipedia and personal notes.
The Singapore 2011 General election follows in the shadow of the Opposition's historic win 20 years ago, back in 1991 when 4 Opposition MPs were elected to Parliament. Three of them were from the SDP which was led by Chiam See Tong which enabled CST to actually form a working Parliamentary Opposition for the first time since the 1960s.
Chiam had proposed a non-confrontational style to the Opposition movement. Unlike JB Jeyaretnam, he believed in a thoughtful considerate (gentlemanly) approach to taking on the Ruling Party. It made common sense, most Singaporeans acknowledged the good that the PAP had achieved - public housing/transportation, and social + economic stability. To aggressively hammer and criticize the government at every point and turn would reduce the effectiveness of the tiny minority voice of the Opposition. Eventually, Jeyaretnam paid the price and was ejected from Parliament.
Chiam on the other hand stayed the course and even won the respect of the Old Man himself who on occasion would seek his opinion on policy. Maybe its because he was assured that he would receive an independent rational response. PAP Ministers and MPs were bemused to see LKY summoning CST - only to receive the laconic response that he'll talk to the Founder of Modern Singapore after he got his coffee!!! Chiam's straight talk, coupled with his lack of fear, un-cowed nor overawed by the most august leader - gained CST a level of influence not realized by other Opposition voices or even some PAP MPs.
As it is, Chiam See Tong has lost his place in Parliament, neither was his wife able to retain the Potong Pasir seat. A lot of Singaporeans are upset but I don't see it as a zero-sum game, ie. "PAP won, Chiam See Tong/Lina/ Potong Pasir residents/democracy :) lose".
2480 years ago, when King Leonides and 300 Spartans (+Thespians allies etc) dared to hold the Thermopylae pass against a million strong Persian Army - it wasn't to "win" - to defeat the entire Persian Army. The point was to hold off the enemy to buy time for the Greeks - Athenians, Spartans etc.. to mobilize their armies. That Leonides' small band of troops could stave off an enemy army vastly stronger in numbers - for even a day, eventually three full days (before being overwhelmed), was a god-like miracle.
The delay was a strategic disaster for the Persians, a shameful humiliation. Xerxes was so furious he had the Greek king's corpse ritually mutilated. Nonetheless, the battle put an awful dread into the Persian heart for if a handful of Spartan soldiers could hold them off for 3 days what more the entire Greek Army?
Today Leonides' and his 300 Spartans are remembered not for being annihilated but for their bravery and for their honorable, incredible fight against overwhelmingly odds. That in itself was the ultimate victory, celebrated to this day, for which they have gained eternal fame and glory.
So what if "Aunty Lina" lost Potong Pasir? That a relatively unknown housewife (an "aunty") could audaciously fight a three time PAP contender- who was promising millions of dollars in incentives - and lose by a mere 114 votes (0.72%) - is victory enough.
We also have to bear in mind the herculean fact that Chiam See Tong held the seat for 27 years against a supremely stronger opponent!!! And the political scene back then was considerably more harsher with situations like "The Marxist Conspiracy", "Operation Cold Storage" slamming into the news headlines. Chia Thye Poh, a member of the Barisan Sosialis, was still under detention without trial under the ISA. That was the political climate back then.
Despite the PAP threats, cojoling, and recriminations, the people of Potong Pasir kept on voting for their "Mr Chiam". Who would have thought that Singaporeans who are said to be materialistic, self-centered etc.. would reject the promises for HDB property up-grading, better amenities, and other public services in favor for what exactly?
Chiam even fought off Mah Bow Tan's electoral bid which perhaps caused the PAP not a small amount of consternation as they did not field another high flyer candidate in that seat ever again.
When the SDP won 3 seats in the 1991 GE. Chiam See Tong was riding high. For the first time since the 1960s, there could, be a working Parliamentary Opposition - 3 SDP, 1 WP. It was very small but it all looked very promising.
Then came an Ephialtes moment, in 1993 Chiam faced a revolt against his own leadership in the SDP - apparently led by his own protégé. There was even a serious attempt to expel Chiam from the SDP which was confounded due to a legal technicality. If it had succeeded, he would have had to stand down from his seat in Potong Pasir. Since the next election was sometime away (1997) perhaps someone from the SDP hoped to take over Chiam's Parliamentary seat? A terrible thought indeed.
Its one thing to be thrown out of your seat by the PAP, its quite another to be thrown out by members of your own political party. Imagine the horror if the PAP expelled Lee Kuan Yew from the PAP (and Parliament) because of remarks he had made. !!! This bitter infighting certainly did not reflect well on the Opposition movement; its no wonder the PAP has dominated Singapore's political battleground for 50 years.
Eventually in the next election, Chiam had to join another party, the SPP, and fight the very party he founded (as well as the PAP). Amazingly, he still managed to win. Not many Singaporeans remember this or perhaps they do since the SDP has not won a single seat ever since that incident.
In this General Election, its noteworthy to remember that Chiam in the Bishan GRC managed to score a decent innings against the PAP. A spectacular result considering the odds. Who would have thought that a 74 year old opposition politician stricken with stroke together with a couple of unknowns could achieve a 43% result against the PAP team led by a Deputy Prime Minister in the Heartland?
Its highly admirable that Chiam chose to step outside his comfort zone, despite his immense frailties, and take on this almost impossible challenge. Would you? A lesser man would have given up ages ago. But like King Leonidas, Chiam See Tong has remained steadfast despite the odds.
The Ruling Party, like the Persian Military Behemoth, won in the end but certainly not convincingly. Like the 300 Spartans, the people of Potong Pasir defied the odds. For 27 years, the people of Potong Pasir made its point: "Don't tread on us." You can expect that the PAP will be making good on its promises on the upgrading. You can also expect Potong Pasir to be merged with another constituency before the next election. But if promises are reneged - Potong Pasir will be like a porcupine fish swallowed by the shark.
As for the magnificent win by the Worker's Party in Aljuneid and the overall drop in the popular vote for the Ruling Party I'll talk about that some other time.
In the meanwhile, I'd like to end with a poem by Robert Graves - its a satrical poem awash in irony. Purporting to tell the Persian version of history, the parochial speaker casually and condescendingly dismisses the Greek victory (the earlier one at Marathon) to focus on the "bigger picture", avoiding any serious reflection on their defeat. I certainly hope the sentiments are not shared by the PAP... for Singapore's sake.
Truth-loving Persians do not dwell upon
The trivial skirmish fought near Marathon.
As for the Greek theatrical tradition
Which represents that summer's expedition
Not as a mere reconnaisance in force
By three brigades of foot and one of horse
(Their left flank covered by some obsolete
Light craft detached from the main Persian fleet)
But as a grandiose, ill-starred attempt
To conquer Greece - they treat it with contempt;
And only incidentally refute Major Greek claims, by stressing what repute
The Persian monarch and the Persian nation won by this salutary demonstration:
Despite a strong defence and adverse weather
All arms combined magnificently together. -- Robert Graves
Bibliography, Notes, Sources
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chee_Soon_Juan
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiam_See_Tong
http://wonderingminstrels.blogspot.com/2000/08/persian-version-robert-graves.html
The Singapore 2011 General election follows in the shadow of the Opposition's historic win 20 years ago, back in 1991 when 4 Opposition MPs were elected to Parliament. Three of them were from the SDP which was led by Chiam See Tong which enabled CST to actually form a working Parliamentary Opposition for the first time since the 1960s.
Chiam had proposed a non-confrontational style to the Opposition movement. Unlike JB Jeyaretnam, he believed in a thoughtful considerate (gentlemanly) approach to taking on the Ruling Party. It made common sense, most Singaporeans acknowledged the good that the PAP had achieved - public housing/transportation, and social + economic stability. To aggressively hammer and criticize the government at every point and turn would reduce the effectiveness of the tiny minority voice of the Opposition. Eventually, Jeyaretnam paid the price and was ejected from Parliament.
Chiam on the other hand stayed the course and even won the respect of the Old Man himself who on occasion would seek his opinion on policy. Maybe its because he was assured that he would receive an independent rational response. PAP Ministers and MPs were bemused to see LKY summoning CST - only to receive the laconic response that he'll talk to the Founder of Modern Singapore after he got his coffee!!! Chiam's straight talk, coupled with his lack of fear, un-cowed nor overawed by the most august leader - gained CST a level of influence not realized by other Opposition voices or even some PAP MPs.
As it is, Chiam See Tong has lost his place in Parliament, neither was his wife able to retain the Potong Pasir seat. A lot of Singaporeans are upset but I don't see it as a zero-sum game, ie. "PAP won, Chiam See Tong/Lina/ Potong Pasir residents/democracy :) lose".
2480 years ago, when King Leonides and 300 Spartans (+Thespians allies etc) dared to hold the Thermopylae pass against a million strong Persian Army - it wasn't to "win" - to defeat the entire Persian Army. The point was to hold off the enemy to buy time for the Greeks - Athenians, Spartans etc.. to mobilize their armies. That Leonides' small band of troops could stave off an enemy army vastly stronger in numbers - for even a day, eventually three full days (before being overwhelmed), was a god-like miracle.
The delay was a strategic disaster for the Persians, a shameful humiliation. Xerxes was so furious he had the Greek king's corpse ritually mutilated. Nonetheless, the battle put an awful dread into the Persian heart for if a handful of Spartan soldiers could hold them off for 3 days what more the entire Greek Army?
Today Leonides' and his 300 Spartans are remembered not for being annihilated but for their bravery and for their honorable, incredible fight against overwhelmingly odds. That in itself was the ultimate victory, celebrated to this day, for which they have gained eternal fame and glory.
So what if "Aunty Lina" lost Potong Pasir? That a relatively unknown housewife (an "aunty") could audaciously fight a three time PAP contender- who was promising millions of dollars in incentives - and lose by a mere 114 votes (0.72%) - is victory enough.
We also have to bear in mind the herculean fact that Chiam See Tong held the seat for 27 years against a supremely stronger opponent!!! And the political scene back then was considerably more harsher with situations like "The Marxist Conspiracy", "Operation Cold Storage" slamming into the news headlines. Chia Thye Poh, a member of the Barisan Sosialis, was still under detention without trial under the ISA. That was the political climate back then.
Despite the PAP threats, cojoling, and recriminations, the people of Potong Pasir kept on voting for their "Mr Chiam". Who would have thought that Singaporeans who are said to be materialistic, self-centered etc.. would reject the promises for HDB property up-grading, better amenities, and other public services in favor for what exactly?
Chiam even fought off Mah Bow Tan's electoral bid which perhaps caused the PAP not a small amount of consternation as they did not field another high flyer candidate in that seat ever again.
When the SDP won 3 seats in the 1991 GE. Chiam See Tong was riding high. For the first time since the 1960s, there could, be a working Parliamentary Opposition - 3 SDP, 1 WP. It was very small but it all looked very promising.
Then came an Ephialtes moment, in 1993 Chiam faced a revolt against his own leadership in the SDP - apparently led by his own protégé. There was even a serious attempt to expel Chiam from the SDP which was confounded due to a legal technicality. If it had succeeded, he would have had to stand down from his seat in Potong Pasir. Since the next election was sometime away (1997) perhaps someone from the SDP hoped to take over Chiam's Parliamentary seat? A terrible thought indeed.
Its one thing to be thrown out of your seat by the PAP, its quite another to be thrown out by members of your own political party. Imagine the horror if the PAP expelled Lee Kuan Yew from the PAP (and Parliament) because of remarks he had made. !!! This bitter infighting certainly did not reflect well on the Opposition movement; its no wonder the PAP has dominated Singapore's political battleground for 50 years.
Eventually in the next election, Chiam had to join another party, the SPP, and fight the very party he founded (as well as the PAP). Amazingly, he still managed to win. Not many Singaporeans remember this or perhaps they do since the SDP has not won a single seat ever since that incident.
In this General Election, its noteworthy to remember that Chiam in the Bishan GRC managed to score a decent innings against the PAP. A spectacular result considering the odds. Who would have thought that a 74 year old opposition politician stricken with stroke together with a couple of unknowns could achieve a 43% result against the PAP team led by a Deputy Prime Minister in the Heartland?
Its highly admirable that Chiam chose to step outside his comfort zone, despite his immense frailties, and take on this almost impossible challenge. Would you? A lesser man would have given up ages ago. But like King Leonidas, Chiam See Tong has remained steadfast despite the odds.
The Ruling Party, like the Persian Military Behemoth, won in the end but certainly not convincingly. Like the 300 Spartans, the people of Potong Pasir defied the odds. For 27 years, the people of Potong Pasir made its point: "Don't tread on us." You can expect that the PAP will be making good on its promises on the upgrading. You can also expect Potong Pasir to be merged with another constituency before the next election. But if promises are reneged - Potong Pasir will be like a porcupine fish swallowed by the shark.
As for the magnificent win by the Worker's Party in Aljuneid and the overall drop in the popular vote for the Ruling Party I'll talk about that some other time.
In the meanwhile, I'd like to end with a poem by Robert Graves - its a satrical poem awash in irony. Purporting to tell the Persian version of history, the parochial speaker casually and condescendingly dismisses the Greek victory (the earlier one at Marathon) to focus on the "bigger picture", avoiding any serious reflection on their defeat. I certainly hope the sentiments are not shared by the PAP... for Singapore's sake.
Truth-loving Persians do not dwell upon
The trivial skirmish fought near Marathon.
As for the Greek theatrical tradition
Which represents that summer's expedition
Not as a mere reconnaisance in force
By three brigades of foot and one of horse
(Their left flank covered by some obsolete
Light craft detached from the main Persian fleet)
But as a grandiose, ill-starred attempt
To conquer Greece - they treat it with contempt;
And only incidentally refute Major Greek claims, by stressing what repute
The Persian monarch and the Persian nation won by this salutary demonstration:
Despite a strong defence and adverse weather
All arms combined magnificently together. -- Robert Graves
Bibliography, Notes, Sources
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chee_Soon_Juan
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiam_See_Tong
http://wonderingminstrels.blogspot.com/2000/08/persian-version-robert-graves.html
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Tuesday, August 09, 2011
Centurion Tank outing
I took my niece and nephew to Carribean Gardens, an ex-Army base turned into a park. The Army left behind two of their Centurion tanks.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Transformers The Dark Side of the Moon
| Rating: | |
| Category: | Movies |
| Genre: | Action & Adventure |
I'll tell you why later but at the moment I'm trying my best not to remember the stupid story.
And its not worth watching in 3D.
Friday, July 08, 2011
Jesus Culture: Show me Your Glory
I think this is one of the most awe inspiring songs I have ever heard.Verse 1: I see the cloud, I step in I want to see Your glory as Moses did Flashes of light, rolls of thunder Pre-chorus: I’m not afraid, I’m not afraid Chorus: Show me Your glory, show me Your glory Show me Your glory, show me Your glory Verse 2: I’m awed by Your beauty, lost in Your eyes I want to walk in Your presence like Jesus did Your glory surrounds me and I’m overwhelmed Bridge: I long to look on the face of the One that I love Long to stay; in Your presence is where I belong Tag: Oh how we love You, oh how we love You Oh how we love You, Jesus
Saturday, June 11, 2011
The Disconnected Society
Sometime ago, one of my cousins - Hui Ling - made a perceptive comment.
"Did you know it thinks a great deal of effort to harvest these cashew nuts we are eating (gobbling by the handful)?"
I vaguely nodded, using my wise vague nod.
"If we had to do harvest it for ourselves, we would have to be expending a lot of time and energy into the activity." She added.
That comment has stayed in the back of my mind for a long time.
In one word - we are "disconnected".
We are living in a disconnected world. (When I say "we" - I mean citizens living in developed nations. A world where we do not need to plant, forage, run, harvest for our food.
We work in totally unrelated environments from our source of food.
With our hands, we type, draw (with our computer mice), and work in non-farm activities.
We do not need to run and hunt for buffalo, boar, deer, etc..
We do not need to plant, harvest, forage for our crops, vegetables and fruits.
In fact, most of us live very sedentary lives. When we work, we are sitting down in an office chair. When are relaxing, in front of a TV, in front of a computer, in front of a video game, we are sitting down. When are traveling, we are sitting down in a passenger seat, in our car.
The amount of effort it would take to acquire a food item - hunting and gathering - is no longer required. We just go to a supermarket, 711, fast food outlet, restaurant and buy it. In fact, we could probably order it over the internet.
The amount of physical activity required is negligible - practically non-existent compared to our ancestors.
Its unreal. And its also not healthy.
In the past, we had to really exert ourselves physically to acquire meat, berries, rice, wheat etc.. We also had to put in a lot of effort to obtain the basic essentials like drinking water, firewood for cooking, heating etc..
Now its all there. And we can sit in our comfy sofas, eat buckets of fried chicken, eat steak, eat whale meat (imagine the extraordinary effort it would take to acquire that in the past!!!), and do very little in the way of physical activity that would correlate to the direct manufacture of the food source.
Of course, it happens in every part of our modern lives too. We live in homes built by construction companies. We do not build our own motorized vehicles (I tried. Not good idea). We fly in aeroplanes without the need to understand the laws of aerodynamics. We use a banking system with scant regard to the flimsy state of our monetary system.
Do we really understand how things work. Or are we caught like little cogs in a massive mechanical machine moving about unthinking, ignorant?
When I was a child, I was so ignorant that I was actually shocked that cha-siew paos were prepared/baked. I actually thought they grew from trees!
But I digress - we are disconnected from our surroundings in this monetary based society and it distorts realities.
It distorts realities in the sense that people living in affluent nations can destroy the habitats, and wipe out entire species - not because they are living in their proximity - but because with their cash they can place an inexorable demand for shark fins, whale meat, bison flesh, seal fur, etc..
Fishing trawlers cross the globe laying miles of nets that catch literally everything in their path, including dolphins, manta rays, endangered species - most of which is thrown back into the sea or ground down to become cat food or "fish paste". Merchants tempt local fisherman to wipe out their fish reserves.
"Did you know it thinks a great deal of effort to harvest these cashew nuts we are eating (gobbling by the handful)?"
I vaguely nodded, using my wise vague nod.
"If we had to do harvest it for ourselves, we would have to be expending a lot of time and energy into the activity." She added.
That comment has stayed in the back of my mind for a long time.
In one word - we are "disconnected".
We are living in a disconnected world. (When I say "we" - I mean citizens living in developed nations. A world where we do not need to plant, forage, run, harvest for our food.
We work in totally unrelated environments from our source of food.
With our hands, we type, draw (with our computer mice), and work in non-farm activities.
We do not need to run and hunt for buffalo, boar, deer, etc..
We do not need to plant, harvest, forage for our crops, vegetables and fruits.
In fact, most of us live very sedentary lives. When we work, we are sitting down in an office chair. When are relaxing, in front of a TV, in front of a computer, in front of a video game, we are sitting down. When are traveling, we are sitting down in a passenger seat, in our car.
The amount of effort it would take to acquire a food item - hunting and gathering - is no longer required. We just go to a supermarket, 711, fast food outlet, restaurant and buy it. In fact, we could probably order it over the internet.
The amount of physical activity required is negligible - practically non-existent compared to our ancestors.
Its unreal. And its also not healthy.
In the past, we had to really exert ourselves physically to acquire meat, berries, rice, wheat etc.. We also had to put in a lot of effort to obtain the basic essentials like drinking water, firewood for cooking, heating etc..
Now its all there. And we can sit in our comfy sofas, eat buckets of fried chicken, eat steak, eat whale meat (imagine the extraordinary effort it would take to acquire that in the past!!!), and do very little in the way of physical activity that would correlate to the direct manufacture of the food source.
Of course, it happens in every part of our modern lives too. We live in homes built by construction companies. We do not build our own motorized vehicles (I tried. Not good idea). We fly in aeroplanes without the need to understand the laws of aerodynamics. We use a banking system with scant regard to the flimsy state of our monetary system.
Do we really understand how things work. Or are we caught like little cogs in a massive mechanical machine moving about unthinking, ignorant?
When I was a child, I was so ignorant that I was actually shocked that cha-siew paos were prepared/baked. I actually thought they grew from trees!
But I digress - we are disconnected from our surroundings in this monetary based society and it distorts realities.
It distorts realities in the sense that people living in affluent nations can destroy the habitats, and wipe out entire species - not because they are living in their proximity - but because with their cash they can place an inexorable demand for shark fins, whale meat, bison flesh, seal fur, etc..
Fishing trawlers cross the globe laying miles of nets that catch literally everything in their path, including dolphins, manta rays, endangered species - most of which is thrown back into the sea or ground down to become cat food or "fish paste". Merchants tempt local fisherman to wipe out their fish reserves.
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