The real deal on being 'real'

Nov 14, 2004
The real deal on being 'real'
By Janadas Devan

THE 'real' as an adjective is puzzling. Whatever do people mean when they say 'real world', 'real life', 'real thing', 'the real McCoy' and so on? Why are we so anxious about the 'real'? Surely, the real, if it is real, ought to strike one as obviously real. Does our anxiety about it suggest a certain uncertainty about the realness of the real?

Let's begin with 'the real McCoy' because there really was a real McCoy - a Joseph McCoy, to be precise, a rancher in the American Wild West in the mid-19th century.

Ranchers in those days butchered their cattle primarily for local consumption. McCoy decided to do something nobody else had thought of doing: He drove his cattle across hundreds of miles to railway stations, from where they would be transported to cities in the east, to be butchered and consumed there. McCoy, not surprisingly, became a very rich man.

And not surprisingly too, he soon had competitors. Rustling cattle on horseback is not rocket science. If one cowboy can do it, so can others. In desperation, McCoy began calling himself 'the real McCoy' so as to distinguish himself from his imitators.

Coca-Cola adopted a similar strategy in the cola wars of the 1960s, when it took to calling itself 'the real thing'. 'The real thing' was merely imitating 'the real McCoy' - who of course was not unique either, for he turned out to be eminently imitable.

This provides one clue as to why we are anxious about the 'real': Market economies are wondrous mechanisms for churning out a multitude of the same. If a new product proves economically successful, it is bound to elicit imitators; if a new fashion in clothing catches on, it is bound to create knock-offs. Our anxiety about the 'real thing' is a reaction to the sameness that characterises life in industrialised societies.

The other examples of 'real' - 'real world', 'real life' - cannot be so easily explained. Teachers often tell their students of the 'real world' they will face when they leave school. Businessmen are often scornful of academics because they allegedly know nothing of 'real life' and have never been 'in the trenches'. And soldiers in war - literally, not metaphorically, 'in the trenches' - often refer to civilian life as the 'real world'.

(And not only in war, I might add. I remember hearing this phrase, 'real world', during national service in Singapore. There we would be, camped in some soggy and dank field, slapping mosquitoes, trying to keep the rain from seeping through our ponchos. It's not possible to get closer to reality than that, one would think. And yet, at precisely those moments, someone would pipe up about his plans in the 'real world' after leaving NS.)

What makes working life more real than school life, economic life more real than intellectual life, and civilian life more real than military life? Why is the 'real world' 'always being defined as where we are not', as Harvard University don Barbara Johnson once asked.

Her answer was that 'these differing perceptions of the real are nothing other than perceptions of the boundaries of institutions. Whether one is in the university or in the army, the real world seems to be the world outside the institution'.

Institutions, she theorised, created boundaries between the unreal and the real so as 'to assure docility, paradoxically, through the assumption of unreality' within institutions.

Students, listen up, the real world is a frightful place, so you had better concentrate on your lessons, otherwise you are going to founder in the real world. Soldier, listen up, the real world's rules don't apply here, this is a different world, you must abandon all your civilian delusions.

There is considerable truth in Professor Johnson's reading, but I'm not sure it is sufficient. Consider that strange phenomenon, the television 'reality show' American Idol (and its spin-offs).

The show's formula is simple: Ordinary people are given a shot at stardom. Judges assess each singer, and viewers vote two performers off the show each week until only two remain for the final competition. It can be a very cruel process - and for precisely that reason, exhilarating to watch - as faults are enlarged and blemishes exaggerated. It is also thrilling, for some remarkable talents have emerged - the 'real things'.

But a strange thing happened during last year's show. One William Hung - a Chinese-American nerd, a totally untalented singer, the most awkward, stiff and robotic personality ever seen on TV - emerged as the star. He became so popular, he now travels the world to show off his lack of talent. His website describes him as the 'Real American Idol'.

The Los Angeles Times thought Hung's sincerity was the quality that elevated him above the rest. The lesson to be learnt from his unlikely popularity, the paper said, was 'that talent is far less critical to winning Americans' hearts than honest effort'.

That surely is an exaggeration. How many Hungs will America take to its heart? Would America abandon its current stars for the galaxies of bad singers and bad actors out there? Surely not.
And yet, for a brief moment perhaps, Hung became the marker of the real. Not because the 'real' is always something else, as Prof Johnson put it, but because he failed so clearly to be that something else.

Perhaps we are so anxious about the real because modern society makes such incessant demands on us to be so many somethings.

The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein

Once there was a giving tree who loved a little boy.
And everyday the boy would come to play
Swinging from the branches, sleeping in the shade
Laughing all the summer’s hours away.
And so they love,
Oh, the tree was happy.
Oh, the tree was glad.

But soon the boy grew older and one day he came and said,
"Can you give me some money, tree, to buy something I’ve found?"
"I have no money," said the tree, "Just apples, twigs and leaves."
"But you can take my apples, boy, and sell them in the town."
And so he did and
Oh, the tree was happy.
Oh, the tree was glad.

But soon again the boy came back and he said to the tree,
"I’m now a man and I must have a house that’s all my home."
"I can’t give you a house" he said, "The forest is my house."
"But you may cut my branches off and build yourself a home"
And so he did.
Oh, the tree was happy.
Oh, the tree was glad.

And time went by and the boy came back with sadness in his eyes.
"My life has turned so cold," he says, "and I need sunny days."
"I’ve nothing but my trunk," he says, "But you can cut it down
And build yourself a boat and sail away."
And so he did and
Oh, the tree was happy.
Oh, the tree was glad.

And after years the boy came back, both of them were old.
"I really cannot help you if you ask for another gift."
"I’m nothing but an old stump now. I’m sorry but I’ve nothing more to give"
"I do not need very much now, just a quiet place to rest,"
The boy, he whispered, with a weary smile.
"Well", said the tree, "An old stump is still good for that."
"Come, boy", he said, "Sit down, sit down and rest a while."
And so he did and
Oh, the trees was happy.
Oh, the tree was glad.

Makes you wonder...

Opened my school email just now to find this in the inbox... Must say it's a very very interesting request...

makes u wonder doesn't it? Do our "winners" win because they have the talent, or do they win simply because they have more people behind them? People who don't even know them, but judge based simply on an impression through email, TV, newspapers, SMS even...

I wonder if a certain polytechnic did something like this during our Singapore Idol finals...

p.s. I deleted the name of the 'star' from the email, just so I don't do any publicity for this person by accident...
_______________________________________________________


Dear MAE Students, Alumni and Colleagues,

I reckon you may have heard and watched the trailers on the Channel U “Project Superstars”. It is a chinese singing competition, akin to Singapore Idol, with its sms and call-in voting format broadcasted over Channel U. One of our students, XXX, chinese name: XXX has emerged as one of the top 12 guys (there're top 12 gals as well), after 3 rounds of auditions from over 4000 contestants.

His first performance will be broadcasted on 22 June (precorded on 15 June) and the voting line (or SMS) will be open then.

The contestants will have many people rooting for them. As part of the MAE family, I am writing to encourage you to support our very own “star” XXX. Turn on the TV Channel U on 22 June and register your support!

Thanking you in advance!

Sub Dean (Alumni)

Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now...

My very first NY Student Coucil Invesititure Song... never fails to inspire.. and bring back great memories...

Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now
By Jefferson Starship

Looking in your eyes I see a paradise
This world that I've found is too good to be true
Standing here beside you
Want so much to give you
This love in my heart that I'm feeling for you

Let them say we're crazy
I don't care about that
Put your hand in my hand baby
Don't ever look back

Let the world around us
Just fall apart
Baby we can make it if we're heart to heart

Chorus
And we can build this thing together
Stand this storm forever
Nothing's gonna stop us now
And if this world runs out of lovers
We'll still have each other
Nothing's gonna stop us, Nothing's gonna stop us now

I'm so glad I found you
I'm not gonna lose you
Whatever it takes I will stay here with you
Take it to the good times
See it through the bad times
Whatever it takes here's what I'm gonna do

Let them say we're crazy
What do they know
Put your arsm around me Baby
Don't ever let go

Let the world around us
Just fall apart
Baby we can make it if we're heart to heart

And we can build this thing together
Stand this storm forever
Nothing's gonna stop us now
And if this world runs out of lovers
We'll still have each other
Nothing's gonna stop us, Nothing's gonna stop us... ooooh...

All that I need is you
You're all that I ever need
And all that I want to do
Is hold you forever, and ever and ever

And we can build this thing together
Stand this storm forever
Nothing's gonna stop us now
And if this world runs out of lovers
We'll still have each other
Nothing's gonna stop us, Nothing's gonna stop us now

Am I psychotic? =)

Some songs my classmates and I made up in primary school... is it disturbing? hmmm... hahahha

My Bonnie (Original)
My Bonnie lies over the ocean
My Bonnie lies over the sea
My Bonnie lies over the ocean
Oh bring back my Bonnie to me

My Bonnie (Sharon's version)
My Bonnie looked into the gas tank
It was dark and she couldn't see
She lit a match to help her
Oh bring back my Bonnie to me

Bring back, oh bring back, oh bring back my Bonnie to me, to ME!!
Bring back, oh bring back, oh bring back my Bonnie to me!

Clementine (Original)
Oh my darling
Oh my darling
Oh my darling Clementine
You are lost and gone forever
Oh my darling Clementine

Clementine (Sharon's version)
Build a bonfire
Build a bonfire
Put the teachers on the top
Put the principal in the middle
Then let's light it from the top


Barney's Song (original)
I love you
You love me
We are one big family
With a great big hug and a kiss from me to you
Won't you say you love me too

Barney's Song (Sharon's version)
I love you
You love me
Homosexuality
People think we're ordinary friends
Actually we're lesbians

Another dead end...

This guy is the Sub Dean of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering by the way... not much of an explanation huh?

now i need to plan my next move... hmmmm


From: Yeo Song Huat (Assoc Prof)
Sent: Mon 30/05/2005 4:34
PMTo: #TAN XIN NI SHARON#
Cc: Goh Wee Hoon, Madaline
Subject: RE: Question About GER - PE

Dear Sharon,

It is very good that you have completed the requirement of Minor in Business in such a short time.

Students have a chioce on whether to take on a Minor, knowing very well that this means addtional AUs (& additional effort). In general, if a student is not able to cope or not prepared to take additonal AUs to earn the Minor, then he/she should not commit to a Minor. The AUs obtained is to earn the Minor should not be used to fufil other requirement at the same time.

In your case, you should choose another subject under the BM PE list to fufil your 3AUs. I am sure you will learn something from the new subject.

Best wihses,
Yeo SH

-----Original Message-----
From: #TAN XIN NI SHARON#
Sent: Sunday, May 29, 2005 8:48
PMTo: Yeo Song Huat (Assoc Prof)
Subject: Question About GER - PE

Dear Sir,

I am currently a year 2 MAE student and as required by the new GE requirements, I have to take 1 module from the BM (Business and Management) category of PE. At the same time, I have already completed 4 of the required 5 modules to be awarded a minor in Business.

I found out that although the minor modules also appear in the list of BM PEs, I am unable to substitute them to fulfil my BM PE requirements. I would really appreciate if you could explain to me the reasoning behind this arrangement.

This is because from the way I see it, the BM PEs are to broaden our scope of modules taken so that engineering students may have some grounding in Business and Management. The fact that the minor modules appear within that list shows that they all serve the same function of teaching us more about business management. Furthermore, taking a business minor is already overloading on the original number of required GE AUs. Since the modules serve the same purpose, why is it that students like myself cannot use the minor modules to fulfil the BM PE requirements? I know quite a number of engineering students are attempting a business minor, and it would be a lot more helpful if we could spend our AUs on other modules which will further complement our learning interests and process.

I am looking forward to your response on this matter.

Thank you very much!

Sharon

Exasperated with the Education System!!!

Basically it all started when NTU changed the General Education Requirement (GER)… As an engineering student, I must fulfil the following:

15 AUs of Prescribed Electives (GER-PE) comprising
- Art, Humanities & Social Sciences (AHSS) 9 AU
- Science, Technology & Society (STS) 3 AU
- Business & Management (BM) 3 AU

9 AUs of Unrestricted Electives (GER-UE)

Definitions:

GER-PE = Prescribed electives in GER curriculum, which are categorised into 3 sub-areas of studies comprising Art, Humanities & Social Sciences (AHSS); Science, Technology & Society (STS); and Business & Management (BM).

And AU = Academic Units (the no. of hours of class that module comprises of)

UE = unrestricted electives which means you can take any module outside your own faculty and it would count towards this.

Now the issue comes in with the BM modules… See I am taking a Business Minor, which means I take 5 modules of 3 Aus each, amounting to 15 Aus in total. This 15 AU will also cover my 9 AUs of GER-UE, which by right should leave me with 6 Aus of extra business module units. Till this date, I have finished 12 AUs of my Business Minor modules… Follow so far?

Ok then I look at the GER-PE requirements and find that I must do 3 AUs of a BM category module.. ok no problem… so I look at the list of BM modules offered and notice that the following 5 are cross-listed with Business Minor… of these 5, I have already done the first 3 (and scored pretty well at that as well)

- MB101 Accounting : Cross-listed with Biz Minor
- MB102 Business Finance : Cross-listed with Biz Minor
- MB103 Principles of Marketing : Cross-listed with Biz Minor
- MB361 Operations & Quality Management in Manufacturing and Services Industries : Cross-listed with Biz Minor
- MB363 Management Decision Tools : Cross-listed with Biz Minor

So I thought to myself, "In this case, my business minor modules should count towards my BM requirements.. after all it won't make sense that I take more modules than others to do a minor in business and still need to do another module in business.. especially when my minor modules are mentioned in that list"

But I figured I better make sure so I sent the following email:

-----Original Message-----
From: #TAN XIN NI SHARON#
Sent: Wednesday, May 25, 2005 11:56 AM
To: Khong Meng Chee, Elaine
Subject: Question about GE-PE requirements

Dear Mdm,

I was looking at the list of subjects under the Business Management Pescribed Electives and noticed that some of the courses listed inside are cross-linked with the Business Minor. Does this mean that if I have taken those modules to clear my business minor, I do not need to take any more PE from that category?

Sharon

And this is the reply I got today:

From: Khong Meng Chee, Elaine
Sent: Thu 26/05/2005 3:36 PM
To: #TAN XIN NI SHARON#
Subject: RE: Question about GE-PE requirements

Hi Sharon

The subjects that you read for the Business Minor or any Minor are used to off set against General Elective requirements (the new term for this General Education Requirement – Unrestricted Electives ).

However, you would still need to read Prescribed Electives from the Business Management category as they are under the General Education Requirement – Prescribed Electives.

Should you need further clarification, fill free to contact me.

Regards,
Elaine Khong

Can someone explain to me the logic behind this??????? Just because of some crummy requirement in the book, everything has to happen that way? Come on, my Business Minor should be more than enough to teach me about Business and Management... Doesn't make sense that I should spend another 3 hours of my time on business stuff when I can use it to take another more interesting or useful General Elective!!!

And if they wanna argue in terms of AUs, hey mine seems feasible. I have done so far
- 12 AUs of Business Minor
- minus 9 AUs of GER – UE
- Equals 6 AUs of modules which are in BM category also
- Minus 3 AUs of GER – PE (BM) as required
- Equals an extra of another 3 AUs
- Plus the 2 AUs I did for GER – UE in Year 1
- Equals 5 AUs extra than what is required!!!
- And this is excluding the remaining 3 AUs of Business Minor I have left!!!

After I have calmed down, I shall draft and send an email to the Dean or Vice-Dean or someone high up... and if that doesn't work, I shall consider putting together a petition... I'm sure many engineering students do business minor also...

Man… Talk about manifestation of the No U-Turn Syndrome (NUTS)

My learning got disrupted by my education...

yes here I am, back to bitch about the education system in Singapore... for those who know me quite well, u've probably heard this before... anyway, just to clarify, the title of this entry was a line quoted by Mark Twain... ok maybe not exactly but u get the message huh...

I don't understand why the schools here overload students with so many subjects... it almost seems like a competition where the faculties see who can give more modules to their students... now we have general electives and prescribed electives and core modules and what not... yeah yeah it's all for the sake of a broad-based education... but do they see that education NOT EQUALS learning??

education is a process... a process involving textbooks, notes, guidebooks, tests, exams, projects, lecturers, tutors and mentors... and here it's become such a process that students only go for it just for the sake of going... education no longer has the connotation of making someone "highly learned"; rather, it is now so associated with spoon-feeding, with the mentality that one studies enought to pass just so to move on to the next year...

it's kind of sad that Singapore is recognised for its high standards of education... but if u look on campus, the ironic case is that Singapore students are the ones "manipulating" and "spoiling" the name of education... most of the time they are the ones skipping classes, not doing well for exams and tests, while the foreign students are the one really there to learn and achieve... I don't have anything against them, and it's because for some of these students, they feel that they learn and achieve more being involved in ECA or hall activities...

actually, do u think there's that much to learn from classes? i go from class to class and year to year... and what I hear is that what we learn in university won't be that useful at work also... is that true? maybe to a certain extent... if so, why the heavy focus on core modules? why not lower the core load, and encourage broad-based learning that is truly broad based in the sense that you choose whichever ones you are really interested in? and not because u have to fulfil 6 units in that particular category? why are enrichment activities only restricted to the top how many % of the cohort? these are the projects that really inculcate some hands-on practical stuff or learning stuff... isn't university our last chance to study and take courses full time, whether or not they are within our faculty? shouldn't such opportunities be open to all who are interested?

yeah i sound so idealistic... but to me.. uni IS the last chance where there are opportunities to learn in depth things beyond my faculty... and it's really sad that the education process here is so good and recognised internationally that our own students no longer see its value-addedness in terms of learing...

Random thoughts

Randomness Number 1

Some guys have problem with girls being "better"... doing this 5 weeks project called Engineering Innovation and Design (EID) for NTU... compulsory for all year 2 engineering students and in my faculty, we (a group of 12) come up with an innovation or product and develop a business plan to market it la... in my group, I am the only Singaporean (the rest are Malaysians)... also, I am one of the 3 girls in the whole group... doesn't help that the other 2 girls are usually quite quiet... anyway, I'm the kind of person who just voices all the concerns or possible loopholes for each idea or product la... u can say I'm pessimistic, but I always believe that for such things, need to think really objectively and any possible flaw must be voiced out and addressed... so yeah... think some guys don't like me for that.. doesn't help even more that mostly what I say somehow comes true in the end.. ie the concern I raised is crucial, or a point I made about why something won't work really happens... is this a "Guy Ego" thing? or am I really that irritating?

Randomness Number 2

It just sort of hit me that my term in MC (Member Committee) of AIESEC in Singapore is just around the corner... it may sound weird but all along, meeting a trainee or SN or anyone who was in MC always seemed such a "whoah" thing... like far away and so impressive... and then today after the 1st day of MC Team-to-Team Transition, I realised that I am really gonna be in the MC... and that it isn't such a far-off thing anymore... I don't mean this in the sense that I don't understand the significance of my role... it's just so gradual in a sense, cos I guess some of us have been working closely with the current MCs anyway... anyway it's also the "wow... how time flies!" concept... in not too long, I'm gonna have 2 batches of juniors... and I'll be in a team I, as a junior, used to think was daunting... hmmmm... reversal of perspective in some sense?

Randomness Number 3

I've been doing wushu since 2001, which means this is going into the 5th year... never was conscious of that until Yamini asked me today... this was after she saw the screen saver on my laptop.. yeah you guessed it... photos of wushu weapons, pro people doing the routines, photos of Jet Li, Bruce Lee, Vincent Ng, Donny Yen... hehe... sometimes I wonder why I have these photos and all the collections of wushu related stuff... sometimes I think I do it because it's a way of reminding myself of my passion for the ART, the "glorious" past, the fun days... but I sometimes also wonder if it's due to guilt on my part... honestly I haven't really had the time to train as much as I want to, or to go back to HCJC and get involved in the wushu community more, or to even meet up with my wushu buddies... and there is this gnawing feeling of guilt at the back of my head which tells me it's just WRONG to let go of the connection with Wushu, and what it has given me... and because I don't have the time to take physical action in training, I seek solace in collecting these things, perhaps only in a bid to prove to myself that I still hold that connection with Wushu, to remind myself of my passion for it and that it is burning on... so is this really all there is???

Randomness Number 4

Why am I blogging till 1.30am when I have a meeting tmr morning at 11am, followed by transition with Triin, followed by dinner gathering with wushu buddies??


Sometimes I wish I understood myself... and sometimes I wish I don't...

Afterthoughts on Taipei Trip 5th to 9th May 2005

What can I say? I really really enjoyed myself sooo much ths trip... Many thanks to Aibek and Jane to host me...

Many thanks to Aibek, Triin and Jing Wen too... I remember we were sitting at the Coffee Bean at Lot 1 in Choa Chu Kang after visiting the Singapore zoo... I was complaining about how I wanted to go outside and travel around, see and explore new places but that I couldn't find the time to do it... Then Aibek and Triin were telling me that if I wanted to go that much, I should make my own time out, and not use work as an excuse cos there will always be work still undone... and it was there that we decided we shall go to Taiwan and visit Aibek after the NTU exams... =)

This was actually the 1st trip outside Singapore which I made on my own.. in the past, I either went with family, or with friends on expedition kinds of trips.. so it was really a cool experience for me.. it felt different la.. feels more independent, and you can really do things which YOU yourself like (unlike in a huge group there may be conflicts on where to go.. hehe) only slight problem is that you may not have someone to explain the places to you, you may have to resort to posing for your own photos to show you were there, and when you see something funny you can't just laugh out loud without people around you giving you weird stares.. but that aside, before this, travelling always seemed so difficult, cos must wait for others, must plan stuff etc. But hey I just realised how easy it is!! Just book a ticket, get some maps, take a plane and you're there!!

I think after this trip, I want to do more of such travelling... I dunno why but I've always been fascinated by all the amazing stuff outside tiny Singapore... and now, I've realised that it's not that difficult to go out there and see more.. Just need a bit more gung-ho attitude, a bit less kiasu and kiasee mentality, a bit more time to save money and off I go again...

maybe to China next... I wanna see Shaolin Temple and Great Wall... =)

P.S. for those who wanna see photos, here is a repeat announcement that they are on http://sharontan.mtphotoalbum.com

Day 5 in Taipei

My last day in Taiwan!! Flight is at 6pm so I had the morning and a bit of the afternoon to walk around somemore before going home.. Aibek and Jane went off to work so I was on my own again.. I went to Xi Men to meet Jing Wen, Sherina, Shin and Yi Cui for breakfast!! Yup, another AIESEC Singapore gang were in Taipei and they were with Sharol from Soo Chow LC.. we visited their campus and AIESEC office before heading off to the canteen for breakfast.. I had what I ate on the 1st day (it's called Dan4 Bing3 in chinese but I dunno its english name) again and the gang tried it too, it being their 1st morning in Taiwan.. Sherina was trying to take photos of everything and Sharol was quite embarrassed sometimes.. hahah.. quite entertaining..

Anyway, they were heading off to Taichung for a day and since I was on a more rushed schedule, I went off 1st and walked around Xi Men.. most shops were still closed so nothing much to see.. then I dropped off at Zhong Xiao Dun Hua which Jane said was something like Orchard Road.. well of course the buildings weren't as high (cos of earthquake danger) and not as fanciful as those here.. it wasn't really what I expected until I found the underground mall.. it's like our City Link Shopping Mall, just a lot longer.. =) it even links to another MRT station.. I got bored walking there after a while since I'm not much of a shopper and went aboveground.. found a street and alley with lots of eating places and tried the pork chop rice.. this dish is really common and everywhere I go I see stalls selling it.. so figured I might as well try it before I go.. quite tasty la.. hahah.. I think generally Taiwanese eat quite a lot of meat, since most of the roadside stalls I had seen sell meat dishes..



After that, I headed home to pack and get my luggage.. Jane had kindly passed me her keys so I wouldn't have to go around in the morning with all my luggage.. then it was off to Taipei Main Station, taking the express train back to CKS International Airport.. and it was as cold as the day I arrived.. -_-" I was early so I had to hang around.. then I noticed that the queue in front of the closed check-in counter was getting longer.. I wonder if it's a Singaporean thing or a Chinese thing.. so Kiasu.. hahahaha.. even when at the boarding gate people were so eager to board the plane.. The seats are already assigned so I was wondering why until I overhead this guy saying they should board quickly so that there will be enough space in the baggage compartment for their stuff.. kiasu-ism at work.. but looking at the amount of stuff people bought, I won't be surprised if they don't have space.. I think I was the only person carrying 1 backpack… everyone else has a few more bags of stuff bought in Taiwan.. shopping la.. so Singaporean =)



Anyway, this time back I was lucky enough to get a window seat and since it was evening the sun was still bright enough for photos.. the view was great, with clouds below and above us.. further below us, I could see the lights of Taiwan and the sprawling mountains and greenery.. then the most unlucky thing happened.. my digicam battery suddenly died!!! So ironic I thought.. just when I get a window seat and a perfect view the camera dies.. so I got thick-skinned and asked if the people beside me had any batteries to lend.. they must have thought I was weird but I don't care they had batteries so I could take my photos happily.. the plane had passed by the more perfect view but beggars for batteries can't be picky so I took whatever I could see.. My last view of Taiwan was thus my view from the plane.. See in the following shot, you can see part of the mountains sticking out among the layer of clouds.. cool huh?



And that.. is the story of my 5 days in Taipei.. =)

Day 4 in Taipei

Today is Sunday!! The day of the big trip out of Taipei City!! This time, we took one of the trains (the railway kind) to Kee Lung, which is where one of the ports of Taiwan is located.. right beside the Ocean also I think (I'm not too sure cos my chinese map says that's the East Sea) We didn't really see Kee Lung itself cos upon reaching we took the bus to Bi Sha Fish Port (I did the chinese to english translation cos my map speaks chinese) It's a small fishing port town famous for seafood and we saw lots of weird seafood at the fish market there.. crabs, lobsters, giant prawns, crayfishes, shark meat, huge whole fishes, sea urchins, fish roe, seaweed, squids, all sorts of clams and shellfish.. aside from the fish meat, most of the other sea creatures are sold alive so it's really really fresh.. we had a seafood dinner at one of the restaurants there.. Jane and I had to guess what the dishes were cos we weren't very sure what the chinese names of all those fishes were.. luckily what we ordered turned out quite decent.. hahaha..

After lunch, we took a boat to Kee Lung Island some 20 minutes away from the port.. after getting off at the island, we followed a guide as she brought us around.. unfortunately she was speaking Hokkien, so we only managed to figure out that the island used to be a naval port and was used by the Japanese when they occupied Taiwan.. today the island doesn't have its own source of water or electricity and I don't think it's really inhabited la.. lots of greenery, rocks, stones and other stuff you typically find on an undeveloped island =) you can see photos from Aibek's blog if you like.. he was climbing around taking photos..



When the tour ended, we waited (for quite a while) for the boat back to the port and then tried some SEAFOOD ICE CREAM.. yes the ice cream is made from seafood.. we tried 3 flavours: prawn, squid and seaweed.. the prawn one tasted like prawn paste that was cold and creamy.. Squid didn't taste very much like squid but it was gray cos they mixed in squid ink.. the seaweed tasted.. well seaweedy.. hahaha.. interesting huh?

After that we took a cab up to Jiu Fen, which used to be a gold mine town that has revived and is a popular and unique place to visit, since it rests on the mountainside.. we had to climb lots of stairs to get up but once there, the view is great.. you get to see Kee Lung Island and the port where we had come from.. in the distance, rolling misty mountains flanked by the sea completes the perfect scenary.. ahhh.. so nice.. =) the shops here sell nicer stuff too.. a lot of souvenirs made of wood and the food sold here is also different from that in the city.. the whole place has this old exotic feel as you walk along the sloping cobbly pavement with short squat shophouses lining both sides… I did most of my shopping here.. =) then we had dinner in a restaurant perched near the edge of the slope so we could enjoy the night view while eating..



But being more village than city, the shops starting closing at 8 plus or 9 plus and we had to rush to the bus stop in case we missed the last bus out.. the road down was very winding like Genting and quite dark and narrow at some places.. it's quite amazing how the driver could get us safely down.. we alighted at Rui Fang where we took the railway train back to Taipei again.. the train ride back was very funny cos we were sitting in the carriage with a local family and the kids were staring openly at the 3 of us.. probably because we were speaking English, because Aibek didn't look local and because we were taking photos of ourselves.. =)



What a day!! I thoroughly enjoyed everything =)

Day 3 in Taipei

Saturday!!! No work for Jane and Aibek! They brought me to eat a Taiwan breakfast, which consisted of something like a popiah but with egg and different filling, and toast in egg (is it??? damn I can't remember what ingredient it was) and milk tea.. Very filling for me as I don't usually eat a lot for breakfast but very delicious.. I have a good mind to try and bring that food to Singapore =)



After breakfast, Jane and I headed straight for Taipei 101, the tallest building in the world (for now). Aibek would meet us later as he was in the panel for the SRB at his LC.. (see he's still so involved in AIESEC) Well Taipei101 is located near their City Hall MRT Station.. passed by a few large shopping centres.. the kind that sells branded stuff like in Orchard Road.. there’s a mall at Taipei 101 also but that one is just 5 floors... we paid 350 yuan for a ticket and took the world's fastest elevator up to the observatory on the 87th floor of the world's tallest building.. then you get this funky gadget with a earpiece and it explains to you the views and stuff.. we spent quite some time up there cos the weather was great and the view was fantastic.. I took the most photos up there in all my 5 days in Taipei.. yeah I have this thing for big open spaces.. guess you can't blame me as we don't have much of that in Singapore.. hehe




After Taipei101, we headed for Sun Yat Sen memorial hall.. just in time to see the guards changing shift.. what an elaborate routine for something as simple as changing shifts.. the guards had to march slowly, fiddle around with their rifles, salute a few times and fiddle with their rifles somemore.. after the guards on the old shift finally walked off, the new ones stood there for a while letting visitors take photos with them before marching slowly to their stands.. Mr Sun Yat Sen's Statue had probably seen that routine countless times =)

After looking around in the Sun Yat Sen museum inside the memorial hall, we set off again, this time for Dan Shui, which is further north of Taipei City.. It's as up north you can go on the island via MRT and if you travel further up you can see where the river flows into the Pacific Ocean =) The MRT ride took almost an hour I think but the time spend was definitely worth it cos the place is beautiful.. once you get out of the MRT station, you are greeted with a view of the river and Bali Island on the opposite bank (cool huh? Taiwan has its own Bali Island also) The breeze is a bit strong but the sun was out so it wasn't too cold… stalls and shops line the walkway as we walk along the river... a lot of amusement park style stalls like throwing balls into hoops, darts onto balloons etc.. a lot of stalls selling food as well.. a lot of fried stuff and grilled stuff.. oh and I got the chance to try the fried ice cream =) and they had these ice cream cones where the cream went up to at least 30 cm high.. Taiwan food is fun man.. hahah



Anyway, Jane and I walked along, enjoying the view and talking and laughing about a lot of stuff.. we then took a bus to Fishermen's Wharf where we could see the Pacific Ocean.. OCEAN leh!!!! Hahahha.. lots of people were around cos there was a performance thingy going on there and it was the weekend.. quite a number of them were with their dogs also.. they do love their dogs; they bring them everywhere man… anyway we hung around, enjoyed the scenary and the ocean breeze.. then we took a boat back to Danshui.. so that's another form of transportation I had taken =) by this time it was early evening so we got a preview of the pre-sunset sky.. nice..



Aibek should have finished by now so we headed off to Jian Tan MRT station to visit Shilin Night Market! The largest in Taipei I heard.. we had dinner at the nearby food center, and I was somewhat amazed to see that even the stalls there sell pretty much similar stuff.. I tried the oyster ommelete and the beef noodles.. a bit different from in Singapore but still very tasty.. after dinner we went to the Night Market and man it was sooo crowded and bright.. lots of food, clothes, shoes, accessories, souvenirs on sale.. the most interesting thing I saw was the battery-operated vibrating condom.. hahahhaah..

Well we had already been out for a while so everyone was kind of tired so we went back home again.. we were going to watch Moulin Rouge DVD but after watching TV, I went into the room to find my 2 hosts fast asleep already =) So I watched TV on my own and then off to sleep.. tomorrow would be an even longer day as we were going outside of Taipei City..

Day 2 in Taipei

Being a Friday, Aibek and Jane had to go to work so I basically went around on my own that day.. it was drizzling so instead of going to Beitou to see the hot springs, I went to the National Palace Museum 1st by dropping off at Shilin and taking a bus there.. that place is huge (actually Taipei to me was huge.. so much open spaces here and there) and the architecture was beautiful.. very chinese ah..



hehehe.. there were jade and bronze sculptures, artifacts mostly dating back to Qing Dynasty, calligraphy, maps, accessories.. I stayed like 2 hours at the museum.. it was quite amazing to see with my own eyes these artifacts which were so OLD.. it's like they came alive from the pictures found in my chinese textbooks back in school =) I particularly like the Jade White Cabbage.. it looked so cute.. and the concept was quite interesting.. hehe..

Anyway after immersing myself in chinese culture and history, I got quite hungry so back to Shilin I headed.. had a nice lunch there.. Goose Meat Noodles.. you don't get much of that in Singapore cos apparently goose here in Singapore is more expensive than chicken or duck.. I was trying to pay after ordering and got some weird looks.. later I found out that in Taipei, usually people pay after eating and just before leaving.. hehe..

so after the little lunch escapade, I headed for Bei Tou to see the hot springs… actually the MRT station is Xin Bei Tou.. gotta change at Bei Tou station.. then armed with my map, I wandered around and reached the Hot Springs Museum (yes many museums around) It used to be a Public Bath House and the design was quite Japanese with a Tatami-matted hall, those huge bathing pools, the wooden apparatus and stuff.. oh you can see a stream nearby as well.. that's where the spring water flows down from the hill top (yeah it was on a hill).. after the museum, I walked further uphill and turned into this alley lined with many bathhouses shops.. following the stream up, I finally reached the top and it was like WOW.. all I could see was a huge pool with lots and lots of white steam coming out of it.. yes I had reached Hot Spring Valley (or Hell Valley in some maps)



The water was so hot you can actually see it bubbling and boiling on its surface… the place smelt a bit strange, probably the sulphur and the water looks quite blue and mineral-ly.. what a sight.. oh and I saw a sign that says "Please do not cook eggs here" hahahha.. so cute =)
Anyway, after the spring I headed back downhill again, this time walked beside a small drain with spring water... the water was still warm here.. can still see it steaming..

Reached another museum on the way.. Ketagalan Culture Center.. just a building with a few floors of info and exhibit pertaining more to the different cultures and tribes in Taiwan.. you know, the aborigines.. I was the only person in the whole place so I didn't stay too long.. =) but it was interesting la.. just that it wasn't on my planned itinerary so I didn’t wanna spend too much time there..

So back to the MRT station and off to Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall.. oh my gosh that place is so HUGE!!! You'll have to walk for a while across the courtyard to reach the hall itself.. haha… but it was really grand and a sight to behold.. especially when all around the Memoral Site was modern looking buildings.. interesting contrast.. there happened to be an exhibition at the courtyard there as well featuring satellite images of places all around Taiwan.. so in a way I travelled a bit out of Taipei without actually doing it.. hahaha.. this place is definitely worth a visit for anyone who goes to Taipei =)



Oh and the Memorial Hall is also located pretty near the government buildings of Taipei.. I got a bit lost cos the roads didn't all have road signs at every junction but I managed to find the Kuo Min Tang Headquarters.. I also went to take a look at the Parliament House.. interestingly, these 2 buildings lie in a straight line facing each other.. talking about facing your opponent everyday =)

Having satisfied myself seing these 2 buildings, I walked to NTU Hospital MRT station and took the train to Long Shan Temple Station.. this was near evening already so I got to see the temple when it was all lighted up.. quite a number of people were there praying also.. it’s a lot larger than the temples I had been to in Singapore and quite serene as they played the chanting music over the PA system.. well after some photos there, I set off to look for snake alley, having read interesting stuff about what's to see there from Gitti's blog.. unfortunately, I headed in the wrong direction and got to a night market instead.. so sad I didn't see snake alley.. would have tried some snake’s meat or something.. but it was getting late and I was going to meet Jane at Houshanpi later so I headed off instead of turning back to look for the place..

Dropped off at Xi Men also for a while.. this place is a lot more modern and youthful.. youths walking everywhere, fashion shops, cinemas, fastfood outlets, maybe it was because of the rain but I didn't see anybody dressed too "weirdly" such a pity... had heard some interesting stories from Jane.. =) all in all, Xi Men is like our Orchard Road near Far East Plaza =)

So on this day, I travelled from Houshanpi to Shilin to Beitou to CKS Memorial to Long Shan to Xi Men and back again to Houshanpi all on my own.. I walked so much my legs felt weird.. hahaha.. after getting back home, Jane cooked up a nice dinner and the 3 of us sat in front of the TV and ate.. speaking of TV, they have more than 100 channels in Taipei and it’s free no need to pay for the cable channels.. Spoilt for choice I say..

Day 1 in Taipei

After a 4.5 hours flight on Jetstar Asia, I FINALLY touched down in Chiang Kai Shek International Airport Terminal 1.. well it was a pretty small airport, a few shops here and there, not many people around.. oh but it was awfully cold.. wonder why they keep it so air-conditioned =)



Anyway I headed for the bus terminal and got a ticket to Taipei City.. and then it was another hour of travelling the roads to Taipei City.. I remember being quite torn between deciding to sleep or look at the scenary.. so I looked at the scenary for a while, took some photos here and there.. and then got bored.. we were travelling through the more "villagy" part to Taipei so there wasn't too much to see.. I ended up stoning..

Luckily there were more things to see as we neared the city.. buildings, shops selling stuff, people.. but I was more intent of getting to where I wanted to go.. so at last we reached Taipei Main Station and I took the metro to Houshanpi, which is where Aibek and Jane stay.. yup I will be bunking with them for the next few days..

It was good to see familiar faces again after so much travelling.. Aibek kindly took my bag back home while Jane and I headed off for a Tepanyaki style dinner.. I didn’t take any photos of it though.. too busy talking and catching up.. haha.. Aibek was quite amused to hear the more Singlish side of Jane as we chatted..

After dinner, we went for a walk in the area.. 1st we went to Wu Fen Bu.. it’s this wholesale area that sells clothes and shoes and fashion stuff… Taiwanese Fashion is a lot more daring than Singapore I must say.. and the girls have this thing for socks.. hehe.. oh then we went to Rao He Night Market.. at last I had come to this Night Market thing which everyone in Singapore always talks about when you mention Taiwan.. well it was quite like the Pasar Malam here in Singapore.. just that they sell more stuff, and are a bit cheaper.. interesting that so many shops selling similar things at similar prices can survive so long next to each other =)



So we walked around a bit, then took a cab home.. Aibek and Jane stay in a condo (a 5 floor building cramped along the alley) and they were kind enough to host me for these days.. hehe thanks again guys!! and so ended my 1st day in Taipei… =) not bad considering that in one day, I had taken an airplane, a bus, the metro and a cab.. and not to mention having met the infamous housemate of Jane’s mentioned in her blog..

Back from the unknown!

I'm back!!!

and yes I have loads of photos... those interested can go to this site to view them...

I'll put up the details of what I did each day in Taipei soon enough... Have it in a word document... just trying to put some photos into the entries... I always have problems when it comes to getting the photos up properly...

and there's tonnes of things to be done by end of the week!!! Help me!!! =(

Jane, Aibek, I should have stayed in Taipei permanently...

Into the Great Unknown...

Ok so I exagerate... with Internet, television and newspapers these days, Taiwan seems quite far from being a great unknown... =)

Well unknown or not, I'll be heading there tmr!! Yes!! Taking the plane on my own to meet Aibek and Jane there!! and planning to bravely wander the streets of Taipei, seeking out new adventures... hahahah

hmmm... this is actually my first real trip abroad on my own... some friends say that's really brave but I think it should be quite easy right? I mean I can speak Mandarin... ad understand some hokkien... should be more than enough to get me through man... hahaha... besides, I'll have tour guides in Taipei.. Aibek from Krygyztan did an AIESEC traineeship in Singapore and is now in Taipei for his 2nd one.. I was his reception officer when he arrived here so I showed him around and all... now the tables have turned and he's my reception officer... =)

But anyway, I'll provide an update after I get back la... be prepared to be greeted with loads of photos... I'm even contemplating bringing a small notebook along so I can write down random thoughts here and there =)

hmmmm... =)

What Singaporeans are "deprived" of

Singapore is a FINE country... and we've got quite a lot of law-abiding citizens... but what happens when you put them in a place where the laws hold no control? Here are some examples of what a bunch of 17 and 18 years-olds do far away in Northern Thailand...

Please Stand Behind the Yellow Line


Yellow line? Heck with it!! We're rather ride on top of the vehicle... unfortunately our teacher didn't allow us to in the end... sigh...

Please do not step on the grass

I don't think so... we'll rather step on it, AND have fun with the mud...



"Mommy says we should study hard so we don't do dirty work when we grow up"


Here we are hoeing (or changko-ing in singlish) some soil... it was funner than we thought...


Getting down and dirty... Cementing is something not everyone gets to try in Singapore...

Try to Act Singaporean Lah!

Maybe... but it's hard not to try something of another culture since you are already there... take costumes... don't we look so Thai? =)

And there you have it... a short insight into how Singaporeans can be like overseas... =) so u see... it's not just about shopping and eating... =)

The Power of Exchange

You know... being from AIESEC where we "do exchange", sometimes people pose you interesting and relevant questions like "Have you been on Exchange?" or "Have you yourself experienced this thing you are selling to me now?" Well usually the first answer that comes to my mind is NO... which is quite true because I haven't gone on our International Traineeship and Exchange Programme (ITEP)... But some time back I was pondering on this, and realised that Hey, actually I HAVE been on exchange...

Well not the kind where you go for an internship in a company... mine was a simple expedition to Phayao in Northern Thailand to build a section of a wall around this Children's Home... It was a place for children from broken families, or who lived too far away from the school that they would lodge there during the school terms... Actually the centre didn't just cater to children... think the age range of the people there are about 7 - 20 something even... Yup... so the kids who go to school go to school, while the rest stay in the Centre where they also learn skills like sewing, cooking, farming etc...

I almost didn't go for the trip. The expedition was from End May to Early June in 2002... I was in Year 2 in Junior College and that holiday would be the time where most of my batch mates will be busy mugging for the prelim exams (prelude to A levels) happening in July... But I had a friend who went on such a trip the year before... and I had heard her wonderful stories... So i figured "Hey studies are only THAT important... with this I can see a bit more of the world, help a bit in a way I can, make a little difference for some kids in Thailand" And so, I signed up. (In the end there were just 3 other Year 2 students aside from me who went)

I daresay this trip made a huge impact on my life.. It helped me appreciate life in Singapore... It helped me see that Friendship and Love CAN and DOES transcend language and geographical barriers... I think if I were to put all my thoughts and feelings about this trip here, the post will be super duper long... haha... and some of it is a bit hard to put in words... I wonder if people who have gone on AIESEC ITEP feel like that as well...

Well anyway, for those interested in seeing what I did on my trip there, you can check out http://www.geocities.com/llamasai/hcjc_ocip I made this website quite some time back and it really just contains a SMALL bit of the stories I can tell... I mean, I have a photo album with more than 300 photos from this trip (back in those days, no digital cameras yet.. hehe) I also have a VCD (made by a friend who went as well) which is simple, but enough to bring the memories back for us... =) So if you wanna see them and/or hear my stories, hey just feel free to ask... hahaha

I dunno why I am writing this now... Perhaps it has to do with this yellow plastic ring a certain 7-year-old Thai friend of mine gave to me... It's sitting in my drawer, always reminding me of the power exchange has... I definitely believe in it... because I've been there, done that myself... in my own way... =)

How do you measure a year?

By the number of hours, minutes, seconds?

By the number of sunsets and sunrises you have witnessed?

By the number of times you looked at the sunny blue sky and smiled?

By the number of times you looked at the rainy gray sky and sighed?

By the number of examinations you slogged over?

By the number of As, Bs or failures you got?

By the number of business deals you clinched?

By the number of business deals you failed to clinch?

By the number of new friends you made?
By the number of old friends you lost contact with?

By the number of friends whom you made contact with again after so long?

By the number of friends whose shoulders are nice enough for you to cry on?

By the number of countries you have visited?
By the number of exotic dishes you tried?

By the number of languages you can say "I love you" in?

By the number of books you have read?

By the number of movies you have watched?

By the number of American Idol series you have watched?

By the number of episodes on "Days of our lifes" that you watched?

By the number of times you laughed so hard because you were happy?
By the number of times you cried so hard because you were sad?

By the number of times you laughed so hard that you cried?

By the number of times you cried so hard that you wonder why you are crying?

By the number of weddings you attended?

By the number of funerals you attended?

By the number of times you longed for a partner to love?
By the number of times your heart broke over a partner you thought you love?

One Year

365 Days

8,60 Hours

525,600 Minutes

31,536,000 Seconds

A fragment of your whole life

Tell me... how do you measure a year?

Another of my random shots...

A new moon, a dying tree and a lone bird...

I really like this photo... I don't know why... it just seems so... all encompassing in a way... =)

p.s. If it doesn't load, just click on it... the link should work.. =)

You know you're getting old when...

I'm bored.. hence I decided to compile a list of "indicators"... feel free to add to the list =)

You know you're getting "old" when

• you turn on the TV and realise that the cartoons they are showing today were the same as the ones you used to watch as a kid (so it IS true that they recycle those tapes after some years)
• even Sesame Street has incorporated "Computer Animation" techniques
• you see those little primary school children and you wonder how you could have been so tiny before... you also wonder how they've become quite round today...
• your tuition kids in secondary school are learning things which you learnt only in Junior College
• you no longer receive those "nice friend nice friend" SMSes, or emails for that matter... because everyone's "busier" these days
• your mom (who used to insist dating is NOT for you) is now hinting for you to get a boyfriend (or girlfriend) just in case you get left on the shelf...
• Jurong Entertainment Centre (that blue building near Jurong East MRT) is no longer the IN place for kids from your primary school.. Can you believe it? JEC was like the hippest place for us when we were kids.. arcade, movies, ice skating, McDonald's, Science Centre.. they had everything!!
• at your family gatherings, only your cousins in primary school are wearing dresses... Sounds weird to you? Just retrieve your kiddy photos and you'll realise that in those days, most of YOU and your cousins were wearing dresses...
• the songs you used to love and sing all the time are now frequently being played on Class 95 and 97.2 FM... or even worse, on Gold 90.5 FM and 95.8FM
• you go back to your Junior College, you automatically enter the J5 and above category (no point counting and keep track of the exact number)... and when you go back to secondary school, you are in the dinosaur category...
• you can sing the whole NKF charity show song because this year is probably the 8th time you're watching it... inevitably, you start wondering when they are going to run out of ideas for stunts or when some other actor/actress will get killed doing the stunts they do today... (if I remember correctly, they used to just sing and do skits)

hahaha... this is interesting stuff... try reminiscing about your own past and see what you can come up with =)

Have Fun People!!

Sim Wong Hoo on NUTS

It seems when one is revising for exams, such articles make for very good reading... =)

__________________________________________________________________

No U-Turn Syndrome ( NUTS )
by Sim Wong Hoo, Chairman & CEO, CREATIVE TECHNOLOGY LTD

Excerpts from
No U-Turn Syndrome (NUTS)
Chaotic Thoughts from the Old Millenium
by Sim Wong Hoo


Introduction


What is NUTS? NUTS is when you want to do something and you seek approval of a higher authority. When there is no rule saying that you can do such a thing, then the standard answer is NO ...

In the US, when there is no sign on the road, it means that you can make a U-turn. When the authority do not want people to make U-turns, they will put up signs to tell you not to make U-turns.

In Singapore, it is the reverse. When there is no sign on the road, you are not allowed to make U-turns. When the authority allow you to make U-turns, then they will put up signs to give you that right.

The two different systems serve the same purpose - to better manage the traffic. They may look quite similar, just coming from different direction, but the social repercussion is significant.

In Singapore, the no U-turn without sign culture has permeated every level of our thinking and every segment of our life. This no U-turn has created a way of life that is based on rules. When there is a U-turn sign or when there is a rule, we can U-turn. When there is no sign, we cannot U-turn.

When there is no rule, we cannot do anything. We become paralyzed.

I call this "no-rule=no-do" phenomenon - the "No U-Turn Syndrome" or NUTS.

Singapore has prospered under a rule-based system for many years. When we were at a lower level of development, we needed many multi-national companies to come to Singapore to invest. What these MNCs needed were a very reliable group of managers and workers who could follow exactly the rules set by corporate headquarters overseas. Since they did not want their overseas subsidiaries to innovate anything, they wanted us to stick closely to the rules, no funny deals, no crazy ideas. They were here to teach us, not to listen to ideas from us.

The efficiency and no-nonsense style of the Singapore government is well-known. It has brought us prosperity and a good life. A rule-based system is essential here too to get everybody to toe the line.

But the world has changed. And it is changing faster and faster. So fast that the rules that were set yesterday are no longer valid and cannot serve our new needs. It is not a matter of setting new rules to meet the new situation because by the time new rules are formulated, they would already be out ofdate. It is a matter of how to survive and prosper in environments where they are no rules.It is a matter of how to live with ambiguity. Things are no more black or white, things are in shades of gray. How do we deal with them?

What is NUTS?

NUTS is when you want to do something and you seek the approval of a higher authority. When there is no rule saying that you can do such a thing, then the standard answer is NO.

What is wrong with this? There is nothing wrong if we choose to be stuck in the old world of our own where nothing changes.

To meet the challenge of the new world, to meet the challenge of rising to a knowledge-based economy, we have to innovate like mad. How can we innovate when we need to obey rules to innovate? Innovate means to create things out of nothing, it means moving into uncharted
territories where there are no rules.

How can you innovate when you have to get approval of somebody who looks at a rule-book first?

Such is the syndrome of NUTS. NUTS is everywhere in the society including schools, offices, hospitals, parks, factories and even in our homes. Yes, in Creative (Singapore) too. Here are some hilarious examples, they make you want to laugh and cry at the same time. I am sure you can tell me more.

NUTS #2-"Creative Resource"-needed approval?

When our corporate headquarters were completed in 1997, we needed to give it a name. The placeholder name was Creative Technology Centre. Made sense, but it was a boring name that everybody had. I wanted a special name, because we are "creative". So the usual names like,
"Creative Building, Plaza, Complex, House..." were suggested on the name list. I rejected all of them. Finally we came out with a very good name, "Creative Resource" - the source of all creativity - and everybody loved it.

But wait, before we could go ahead, we had to submit the building name for approval. What! I was shocked. I needed somebody else"s approval for the name of my own building. By some faceless committee that I did not even know existed. Imagine having the name of your baby being approved by somebody you do not know.

Hey, that is the regulation. OK, we submitted and no prize for guessing the right answer. The answer was NO. The reason given was that the name was not "Centre, Plaza, Building, Complex, House etc..." There was actually a list of approved names in the rulebook and we were only given
the impression that we could name our own building.

I nearly jumped through the roof when I heard the answer. It was a very typical case of NUTS. "Resource" was not in their rule book, hence the standard answer was NO. I was not going to give up on this right. So we fought back and wrote letters to appeal. Finally, after a long process,
our name was approved. Whew!

NUTS #3 - Cannot sing Singapore songs!!

While we were preparing for the opening ceremony of Creative Resource, we wanted to have a lot of creative fun. We prepared a lot of performances by our own staff. We were very fortunate to have invited the Prime Minister, Mr Goh Chok Tong to grace the event. We wanted to show him the best creativity in us.

The opening fanfare idea was to have a big group of kids running into the building, singing a medley of Patriotic Singapore Songs. It was going to be very delightful. After the songs were arranged and recorded, at the last moment, someone in the team decided that we actually
needed to seek approval from the authority because of copyright issues. The answer came back was of course a NO.

There was no rule to say that you could do a medley of Singapore songs. There was a rule that said we could sing the Singapore song in special celebratory occasions like ours, so this was allowed.

Our people started to panic, because there was no time to change the recordings. They sought my advice. They were thinking of canceling this delightful fanfare and disappointing the kids, from our Creative child-care centre, who had practiced so hard for this event.

I asked them why they had thought of seeking approval for a private function especially when the answer could be a No. they were afraid that the TV stations were there filming and it might have constituted a copyright infringement!

There were a few NUTS at work here. First it is my own staff who were NUTS, they were toeing the line so tightly that they felt the need to seek approval for a private function that was not controversial at all. I was sure that the PM would give his 100% endorsement. Then we had the NUTS at the approval side who looked at the rule book and said No.

I asked them to go ahead and just do it, even violating the rejection letter. Some of my NUTS staff must have freaked out. I told them I would bear the full responsibility. If I had to pay a $2000 fine, I would pay it. In the worst, worst case I might go to jail for it - that would be interesting too.

In fact, the PM in his impromptu part of his speech also said, to move forward, we would have to "just do it". It was a timely message.

NUTS #4 - No Title

Recently, Creative had just spent a few million dollars investing heavily in a company. The key person in the company was needed urgently to launch a new ".com" project that could be worth a lot more in the future. In the era of the Internet, timing is everything. Then suddenly, he told me that he needed to go for reservist during the critical period. This meant that his whole team could be crippled because his leadership was not there. I told him that there should not be a problem, as he could always apply for a deferment. In fact, the Deputy Prime Minister has told me in the Technopreneur 21 committee that, reservist duties should not hinder Technopreneurship because the affected reservist could apply for deferment and it would be considered favourably.

So the staff wrote a letter to apply for deferment. It was rejected. I told him to write an appeal, mentioning Creative"s involvement and all the relevant and valid reasons for such critically needed deferment. It was still rejected and we were running out of time.

I guess I had to step in. I wrote the letter personally again, citing all the reasons and the ".com" time-critical factors. It was still rejected. I was very upset by this. It was already the last working day before he had to go in-camp.

I had to call the officer personally. I identified myself, including my role in the Technopreneur 21 committee and appealed for the fourth time. The answer was still NO. after all the reasons were given, the answer was still NO. Well, they had liberalized then - if you were a new employee of a company, the deferment would be allowed. I argued strenuously that the key person was more than a new employee. He was a new employee of a company for which we had spent millions to acquire.

No! An acquisition does not constitute the equivalent of a new employee. A new employee IS a new employee. Period. The rule book never said that the people in a new acquisition are new employees. Therefore they are not "new employees", regardless of the fact that their employee status are the same in principle. It does not matter if you are Sim Wong Hoo or the T21 chairman.
NUTS is NUTS.

It almost drove me NUTS!

Fortunately, I heard from some people that I would get a better chance if I were to call the unit Commanding Officer. I asked for his name and phone number and the officer obliged. I managed to track down the CO on his handphone at the very last minute. The CO was an understanding man because he was also a reservist and in the computer line. The deferment was finally granted

NUTS #5 - Creative NUTS

We had our equal share of NUTS in Creative and they really drove me NUTS because they actually happened right on my head, the CEO of the company. Such is the persistence and universality of NUTS.

First example, the time I needed some CD-ROM replicated for some last-minute projects. I knew I had time because, we had an in-house CD-ROM replication plant and it would have taken less than one day to finish the job, especially my small little job of a few hundred pieces.

But when my assistant came back, she told me helplessly that they needed a one-week lead-time. I almost jumped off my chair. This was a rush job for the CEO and they just threw back their standard lead-time at me, it was clearly written in their rule-book that the standard lead-time was one week - for a rush job. So one week was what you would get even if you were the CEO of the company, even if your job was very important.

I asked them who set the rules? They were the ones who set the rules! I was amazed how NUTS they were. Then change the rules, I told them.

Finally they did it for me in two days.

There were several of such examples within Creative. And the managers sometimes fought with me because that was the only way they could ensure the quality of the products. Quality is good when we are shipping products to customers. But when we need to rush, it is always during the
early stages of engineering run, where we need a lot of samples to test. Quality then becomes secondary and time is primary. Staff with a NUTS mentality would not have the flexibility to do such a switch, unless you make another rule. And you can only live within the new rules.

NUTS #6 - More Creative NUTS

The second example in Creative has to do with customer support. Creative pride ourselves as a company that provides the best technical support. All our staff know that. We have 400 people in Oklahoma USA, just listening to phone calls alone. We have a small technical/customer support team in Singapore serving only the small Singapore market. The team is hardworking and dedicated to the company. In general, their service is good and efficient - when there are rules.

There was once when I received a customer"s letter addressed to me complaining about our customer support department (CSD) with regards to a missing CD from our product. Our CSD insisted that the customer get the CD from his dealer who sold him the PC with our product. And the customers attached the letters of exchange. It was such a minor issue but I felt customer satisfaction was most important. So I wrote a small note and asked them to give him the CD and be done with it. CD-ROMs are very cheap anyway.

A few weeks later, I received another letter from this furious customer complaining that our CSD wanted to charge him like $15 for the CD because it was the responsibility of the dealer to give it to him. And he attached even more letters for me to read.

I was very upset this time because, what could have been a very simple and pleasant customer support issue, costing the company less than $1 for the CD-ROM if people in CSD had just given it to him in the first place, now potentially cost the company a bomb:
Firstly, the CSD"s time to write all those letters of exhange, they are way, way over $1. But because of NUTS, our CSD people did not see it. They are just trying to follow rules when there are no rules in such situation.

Secondly, the CEO"s time. I had to read about ten letters two times to figure out the gist of it all. It must have cost the company thousands of dollars. And even after my first instruction to just give him the CD-ROM, they still went into a cat and mouse chase to try to ask him to pay $15. Someone in CSD probably set the rule that if a customer wanted an extra CD-ROM, it would cost him $15 - that is it, regardless of the plight of the customer.

Thirdly,the most expensive part - the harm it had done to our brand name. A potentially unhappy customer would hurt the company way beyond the customer. He would tell all his friends not to buy from the company.

But people with NUTS mentality could not see beyond the rules. They could not see that a $1 CD-ROM was much, much cheaper than their own time, their CEO"s time and the value of the brand name. I had to call all the three persons involved in this case to my office and explain to them very slowly about our principle of customer support. You could not fault them for dedication, they were trying to make an extra $15 for the company. Not seeing the big picture of how much more it would cost the company. I had told them that for us, the customer"s interest is always in the #1 position. I told them that they were the "customer"s advocates" - they had to be fighting with me for their customer"s interest, rather than the other way round.

Finally, told them to call up the customer directly, apologize and give him the CD-ROM he wanted and ensure that the customer was 100% satisfied. If the customers are not satisfied - we should not take their money.

We are moving faster and faster into many uncharted territories, where there are no rules. We do not want to be paralyzed by waiting for the rule to be formulated before moving - it will be too late. We have to discard our NUTS mentality and learn to live in a new world where there are no clear rules. Not that it will be a cowboy lawless land. There will be broad guiding principles such as common goals, objectives and basic integrity to follow. The rest, we have to look at the big picture and decide what is the best way to do a job, to achieve our goals.

Sim Wong Hoo’
Excerpt from "No U-Turn Syndrome (NUTS)"
Chaotic Thoughts from the Old Millennium

Interesting Article...

Found this interesting article from my friend's blog (Thanks Aileen :P)... Worth reading once in a while when u get too sunk in on doing things.. hehe...

Enjoy reading it here!!

Great Expectations...

Today is a weird monday... I have only has 3 hours of classes so far and so much has happened...

1st hour was econs tutorial... hardly anyone came for class today... might have been due to the heavy rain... i've come to notice that the no. of pple who turn up is inversely proportional to how much rainfall there is... ie the heavier the rain, the lesser the attendance... anyway since there were so little people, the tutor could ask as many questions as she pleases and expects an answer from us for every one (or one) of us. well nothing wrong with this... except that there happens to be this rather "loud" guy in my class.. he's ok la I guess, usually he's the only person who "answers" the tutor... the tricky part is that he doesn't know the answer so either he guesses, or he craps something...

It is quite amusing to have such people in your class.. adds some entertainment you know... but at the same time i can't help feel a bit gek that he wastes the class's time like this (cos the tutor usually re-explains and stuff after his odd answers)... maybe I have too high expectations... u know, go to class, learn stuff, efficiency... but here, that obviously isn't the case... but at the same time, you can't really blame the guy right... i mean everyone asking students to speak up and not be afraid to give wrong answers... well I think he'll make a good role model in this sense... he can be wrong all the time but still not shy... so... I really dunno what to think about this...

ok... so the next 2 hours i spend in my MP2911 class (refer to prev post for more details) I tot I could go there, submit my report and drawings (which made me stay up till 4am on Sat to do) and get off of there.. but no... the tutor goes around looking at the drawings, and then a lot of scoldings start taking place.. in the end, he extended the deadline of submission from today to this friday, because he wanted some people to redo their drawings...

now I can say a lot about a request like that.. for one, tutors from other classes only require a drawing of 1 shaft... we have to do the whole 3 views of assembly diagram (which has ALL ur components and dimensions).. I think this is ok.. cos hey he does have high expectations, and what better thing to "push" students to work than something lidat? Unfortunately, i think he has high expectations AND not enough flexibility. I can tell u it takes a LOT of effort and time to do the drawings... if a group used a 1:3 scale, yeah it's not really "right" but considering the amount of effort put in, isn't it a bit too much to ask them to re-do? A scale likes that makes the drawings hard to read for u (tutor) but i'm sure it was very hard for them to draw as well.. Also, we do not just have this module to care about; we are not experienced MPE students to know exactly what you want; we are not engineers who will be submitting our work to an office for our assembly to be built; We are year 2 students with 7 other modules to handle, exams next week to deal with; We have put in a lot for this and yes we made mistakes; but we are learning, we see this project as a means to better understand the concepts presented in lectures, as a means of practice of calculations so that we can deal with exams questions...

I don't think it's a problem of setting high expectations for students (or whoever), rather, I think it is a problem if we dunno how to be flexible to compromise... wait not compromise, but accept that everyone has different standards, and that judgement shouldn't be passed so quickly just based on these differences..

After all, in life, isn't everything about being a bit more understanding, a bit less of giving hell to someone else? you don't have to lower your standards, but if others don't meet your standards, it isn't the end of the world or the worst damnable thing either...

Perfect Eyesight? Not for long...

I have perfect eyesight... and I'm very very proud of it. This considering that I am born and bred in a country which ranks almost top in the world as having the most number of myopic children (or it is it adults? or both?)... It's quite a surprising thing actually, I used to be quite a reader... just put anything with words in front of me and I'll read them, whether or not I want to... I have no idea why... I have this innate thing for reading maybe... (food for thought for gene scientists... is there a reading gene??)

Anyway, I have a bad feeling my perfect eyesight won't last beyond my uni years... been working a lot on these assembly drawings past few days for this project for MP2911 (Machine Element Design). For those who dunno what those drawings are, basically they're precise, hand drawn "blueprints" of how your machine components should be assembled to make the final product (which in my case happens to be the power transmission system which will allow a 100kg cleaning pod to be lifted vertically in front of windows)... Well I'm doing half-scale drawings so doesn't sound so bad right? unfortunately the dimensions vary from a shaft 14 mm thick and 100mm long, to another one that is 40 mm thick and 1500mm long... which means the small is really quite small...

So poor me has to squint at my drawing paper for hours at end, trying to make a "precise" drawing of this tiny gear hub... sometimes I wonder why my eyeballs just don't die on me, disconnect their nerves and plop on the drawing paper (honestly I hope that won't happen.. imagine the mess that would make on my drawing... and it means must redraw!!)

all the drawing and squinting, plus the reading of notes and texts accumulated over these 4 years of university will one day really have some toll on my eyesight... I just know it... add in the poor lighting in some places in NTU and the fog due to forest fires overseas...

the future "looks" bleak...

The Wushu Enthusiast speaks...

Just to prove how much an wushu enthusiast I am, I decided to take photos of all the wushu weapons I have at home... Oh man I'm so proud of my collections... hehehehe...

p.s. if it doesn't load, just click on the picture for the link... =)

Junior College Days...

Taken during 1st 3 months in Junior College... seems ages ago since I wore a uniform... hahhaa... and we all look so kiddy... interesting memories this photo brings back...

Going on a Holiday...

I wanna go on a holiday... doesn't matter where, as long as I get to get out of Singapore... you know, just need to get away from it all, see some new stuff, stuff u don't usually get to see in Singapore..

I'm supposed to be studying for these 2 quizzes (stupid quizzes) for tomorrow... but here I am thinking and dreaming of where I would like to go... Theory of Relativity: the more you are trapped by the education system here, the more you wanna get out and get far far far away...

well anyway, I haven't really decided where to go and when... though it is quite likely that I will make a little trip down to Taiwan sometime in May... the prospect of getting out of Singapore is enticing enough, never mind that some people say going to a city place mostly populated by Chinese-speaking individuals will bring back memories of Singapore... hahaha...

but aside from that... I kind of got to thinking... about how they always say don't wait till you are ready then go travelling... cos it's quite likely that by the time you've earned enough for your travels, you're too "inertia-fied" or old or tied down to actually make the trip.. therefore, I have decided to start listing some places where I definitely wanna visit before I am... 30? (well I shall decide further on the exact age tomorrow after the pesky quizzes)

So the places are:
- Shaolin Temple in China => I reckon this is a must-do for every wushu enthusiast on this planet
- Estonia => Since I've never seen snow, might as well go as up north in Europe as I can to check it out and freeze my nose off... besides, got contacts there... hehe
- Finland => Hey it's just a ferry ride away from Estonia
- the Pyramids and River Nile in Egypt => hey we've been reading about mystical and awesome Egypt since Primary School... definitely a must see on my list
- Kanchanaburi, West Thailand => this is the state that borders Thailand and Myammar... Very rich in culture, in history, in natural scenary... been there once but since it was for a camp, we were mostly cooped up in the resort...
- Turkey => another country with such a distinct identity, so rich in history and religion...

hmmm... I think there are so many places more if I really sit down and think about it... better start planning my finances.. haha..

ah well.. this blog entry is mostly random thoughts.. but hey at least now I won't forget which are my must-see places in the near future.. =)

Aren't you glad I'm not a normal blogger?

Well firstly, what is a normal blogger? Truthfully, I don't really know... I just have my own perceptions of how blogs usually are (or if you're very very practical, you may say they're my stereotypes of blogs) From the way I see it, most bloggers talk about what happened in their day, what s**t they experienced, some stuff they saw and wanna talk or think about... yeah.. daily life kind of stuff...

But my blog? well you can't really see much daily stuff here... mostly random thoughts, entries that look like essays for a General Paper question, some photos I put just so to show off that I can take nice photos, and if you have no idea what I'm talking about at this point I would suggest you stop reading right now, and go through my archives... yes... do your background readings; didn't your tutor ever teach you that?

So... Why aren't there any of those typical daily stuff on my blog? Simple answer... I don't really think you'll be interested... I mean, how would you feel if I told you that today, I woke up at 8am instead of 7.30am; that I reached my lecture at 8.45am (which is 15 mins after it had started); that the lecturer (life sciences class) taught us how to draw conclusions about our health from the way our stool floats or sinks; that I was feeling quite exasperated with my design project partner who thought everything was so easy (partly because I had done most of the calculations and thinking already); that my Manufacturing Technology and Materials tutor has now recognised me as "Our Friend" (a.k.a one of the few people in class who actually know what he's talking about and who can answer most of his questions) and thus makes me his number one choice of answering even more questions; that while I acknowledge that I AM quite smart, I don't really think I enjoy basking in the spotlight of attention; that I feel kind of sad cos my trainee is leaving for Taiwan tomorrow; that I had my 2nd cup of coffee for the day during dinner just now; that after this I think I really need to do more mugging???

I mean, honestly, would you be interested in all that? I doubt so... That's why I don't write blog entries like that... So, my dear readers, aren't you glad I'm not a normal blogger?

One Confused Rooster...

The weather since Chinese New Year approached has been one heck of a crazy weather.. first we got this whole long while of blazing hot sun, which led to so many bush fires around Singapore... Think it was kind of an awakening for many Singaporeans.. I mean, we're talking about bush fires in Singapore, this tiny island surround by seawater which has long been proud of her invulnerability to the assault of natural disasters.. but hey, there's always a first for everything... wonder how those drivers felt driving on the benjamin sheares bridge and seeing blazing fields along the road.. must be quite fascinating.. pity i missed those sights (don't I sound such a sadist? damn..)

anyway back to the weather.. yes 1st the really hot spell.. then the erratic arrival of major downpours... I'm not sure if these rain storms spread themselves across the whole island, cos it certainly doesn't feel like that to me... especially with the kind of rain storms "ravaging" Jurong West and Boon Lay area... it's quite a contrast especially after the hot spell, and really felt like all the moisture evaporated during the hot days was being dumped back on us again (remember our water cycle? learnt in primary school...) not that I'm complaining too much about the rains.. they do relieve some of the heat, and clear the air as well... yet they do make me ponder on the frustrations felt by those working at the weather forecast stations in Singapore, since most other parts of Singapore was still blazing hot...

maybe this weather has to do with the Rooster that just kicked the Monkey back to a 12 years wait... after all it did kind of start with its arrival during Chinese New Year... you know in Chinese beliefs, there are 5 elements that govern everything on Earth: metal, wood, water, fire, earth... you should also know about the 12 animals in the Chinese Zodiac... What most people don't know is that there are 5 elements of each of the 12 animals in a complete cycle. This means that a full zodiac cycle is complete once every 60 years (12 animals * 5 elements each) If you don't believe me go ask any Chinese old folk you know... the probability of them knowing is much higher than asking your 25 years old Chinese friend (sorry if I've just insulted someone's intelligence and knowledge)

But back to the Rooster... well I have no idea what element this Rooster is supposed to be in 2005 (60 years is a long time and I lost track.. so did my parents when I asked them) but I'm quite convinced that the Water Rooster and Fire Rooster are fighting it out for supremacy in Singapore.. haha...

I wonder who will win... for a while the Fire Rooster had the upper hand, and then the Water Rooster came in with an unexpected nation-wide downpour and evened out the score... damn they are good.. but whichever chicken wins, it's still quite funny when you think about it... See, if you translate Fire Rooster into Mandarin, it is the same writing for a Turkey (火鸡)... And if you translate Water Rooster into Mandarin, it's 水鸡, which either sounds like an underwater machine (水机) or conjures up the image of a soaked chicken (think 落汤鸡)... Either way it doesn't seem like a very glamourous image for the Rooster.. so poor thing la...

hahahhaa