funny!

heard this on fm98.7..

women: never trust something which bleeds for 5 days straight and doesn't die

hahahaha!

not so beautiful afterall

this excerpt was taken from a lecture jarvis cocker gave on the art of lyrics..it's really quite funny and very "oh-my-god!-now-why-didn't-i-realise-that-before!"...

Consider James Blunt. I know that attacking him may seem like shooting fish in a barrel, but I'm going to do it anyway. Let's look at the lyrics for 'You're Beautiful'.

"My life is brilliant."
Hmmm. It doesn't really get off to the best start does it? Anyway, let's carry on...

"My love is pure. I saw an angel. Of that I'm sure
She smiled at me on the subway. She was with another man
But I won't lose no sleep on that, cause I've got a plan"
Okay, that sounds pretty interesting. It makes you wonder what the plan is and how he's going to get the woman. So you naturally want to keep listening...

"You're beautiful. You're beautiful. You're beautiful, it's true
I saw you face in a crowded place, and I don't know what to do, cause I'll never be with you"
Oh? But he just told us he had a plan - now he's telling us he'll never see her again.

"Yeah, she caught my eye, as we walked on by. She could see from my face that I was flying high
And I don't think that I'll see her again, but we shared a moment that will last till the end"
Okay, there's still no sign of the plan. I'm starting to worry about all this...

"You're beautiful. You're beautiful. You're beautiful, it's true
I saw you face in a crowded place, and I don't know what to do, cause I'll never be with you"
A bit of repetition there. And he's leaving it a bit late to tell us about his plan...

"You're beautiful. You're beautiful. You're beautiful, it's true.
There must be an angel with a smile on her face when she thought up that I should be with you
But it's time to face the truth, I will never be with you"
Can you believe it? There was no plan. It was a LIE!

- for full article, please visit acrylic afternoons

so whether we were singing along to the song or being irritated to death by it, did anyone realise the flaw in the lyrics? well, i didn't..and i thought it was quite ingenious..jarvis, that is!

pru-duh-ent

SINGAPORE : Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam has warned that Singapore could face another round of inflation if companies increase wages to help workers cope with the higher cost of living today...

...Mr Tharman said such short—term measures are not prudent. - CNA

funny how this did not apply when they increased our ministers' pay ar? now get high pay already, can tell people that "such short-term measures are not prudent" leh!

then can government also "shun bian" stop the increment in erp charges, the rising prices of petrol and food since you know, "such short-term measures are (apparently also) not (very) prudent"?

duh!

ERP

it is not normal for me to blog twice a day..or at least, not on two posts anyway..but i think this warrens a post of its own. i was just reading the report on the erp hikes and it amused me..yep, amused! the reason why they are charging more and at more gantries is because..vehicle speeds are slowing down! it is no longer because there are too many vehicles in the city area..or because of air pollution or traffic jams..we are all tired of the same stories every time so now the new problem is people are going too slow!

but increase erp? come on now..if that was the solution, why haven't the past times work? so if no one drives into the city and the neighbourhood areas become congested with vehicles, also put up erp gantries? and then when people refuse to drive further than their mama-shops because there are erp gantries everywhere else, put erp gantries in carparks? then when people are sick and tired of the gantries, tax them for selling off their cars? don't you civil servants have any brains or any creativity? (guess not!) now here is what addy will do,

1. ban taxis within the city area
as all drivers know, taxis are road hazards. keep them out of the city! that way, other motorists can drive faster on safer roads too!

2. ban buses and all heavy vehicles within the city area
these vehicles take up too much space and move too slowly. when cars slow down for buses and heavy vehicles, traffic naturally slow down too! it's called cause-and-effect dear civil servants..come repeat after me...cause..and..effect..as for public transport, i am sure smrt will be very agreeable with my suggestion!

3. encourage speeding (no drinking of course) within the city
that way, journeys would be smoother and everyone can get to their destinations faster.

4. remove ALL unnecessary traffic lights
without so many traffic lights, cars do not have to stop every 10 meters or so and thus will speed up traffic flow. for pedestrian crossings, build more overhead bridges or underpasses!

see what a little creativity can do? huh? what you mean that..oh? sorry, my bad..due to economy slowdown and stagnant growth, the increase in erp charges and the number of erp gantries is absolutely necessary for our government to properly run the country..if no extra money come in, how to buy the now even more extra expensive rice? if no rice, how to maintain the energy levels required by a good government? if no good government, you think singapore can carry on prospering like we have? no right? so yes, erp...very very good idea!

why? because...

E xtra
R evenue
P roduced

de-mo

suffering from a severe lack of motivation these days..both at work and well, in general..this demotivation i feel every morning makes my time at manpower (not the ministry) seems like heaven! (i know, the grass is always greener on the other side..well, my point exactly, it really is!) besides the severe lack of lighting in the office, there is a severe lack of organisation..but i shall not bore you (or myself) with the details!

to make things worse, i have gotten numb to my retail therapy (how's that for severe demotivation!)..i know, life is so much more than money but wait, you just have to hear my incredible purchases this time round! you must be thinking, 50 cds right? hah! well, on top of that...i've gotten myself...

a pair of oakley shades!

ok, so it's not such a big deal even though they are expensive and overrated and really expensive and did i mention totally overrated?..but there's more..there's a new..

car!

yep..why on earth do i need a car when my dad hardly drives his is really beyond me! it is, so don't "huh?" me! i'd just "huh!" you back! my initial intention was to lighten my dad's financial burden but apparently now he wants to keep his car so..anyway, i feel nothing towards this either..

ironically, the only pain which i've felt in the last few weeks (besides being hit by a 7th year terminal rash of the heart) is a back sprain which kept me at home the whole of last week! now that was F-R-E-A-K-ing painful! i had to be stretchered to an ambulance and sent to hospital, spent 4 hours there and took 2 injections (one in the ass, yes seriously) before i could even sit! (yes, you are right, i am just showing off here! that obvious huh?) all for a week's mc..which wasn't really worth it considering that there was a public holiday on thursday (i am calculative!)..and oh yeah, that other fact that i virtually worked from home the whole of the week as well! sucks right?

so now, as it always seem to happen to me, i'm at another crossroads..waiting to be hit by a car..demotivated..demoralised..and (for a period of time) demobilised!

notes:
1) addy did not actually buy 50 cds. nearly. but almost does not count!
2) addy thinks that the pain caused by the back sprain made the injection in the ass feel like a mosquito bite.
3) addy did not know he got injected into the ass until the nurse said "i'm injecting the painkiller into your backside and it will hurt!"
4) addy realises now that the back is a really important part of the body. it is incredibly tough to put on your socks or underwear with a bad back!

the paper chase

if you think that singaporeans are getting more educated and more informed about current affairs, you're probably right..afterall, there is a new sort of paper chase in town and everyone is eligible for it; young and old, smart and not-so-smart, rich and bankrupt, literate and illiterate (yep, that's correct folks..you can now chase paper even if you cannot read or write! wait..make that, even if you cannot read AND write!). this is the "free newspaper" chase (the essential thing here is not so much that it is a "paper chase" but that it is free. thus explaining the slack criteria for "admission")!

in the mornings as i walk up tanjong pagar mrt station to get to the surface, i always watch with amusement as executives in nice office wear and suits mix with the aunties and uncles chasing after the "TODAY" and "My Paper" distributors! just stand back and watch, it is really quite funny - especially the parts when the distributors go back for a "top up" and a whole gang of executives follow in pursuit to the "top up" area (putting the pied piper of hamelin to shame in the process)! but that is the only funny bit about this chase..the sad truth is, though highly educated and some highly paid, these people are mostly not so highly courteous! from the way they grab the papers from the distributors to the way they give demanding stares to get the papers and after all that, not a word of "thank you" or a smile..it is quite a disgrace..and how about those who take more than one copy? i mean, honestly, do you think you become more knowledgeable when you read more copies of the same news from the same paper? maybe that's why it is called "current" affairs, you read it once, the paper become giam chai and the information within disintegrates together with the quality of the paper, so must read a brand new copy to stay "current"! oh yeah, and not forgetting those people-who-make-full-use-of-time, the mrt can be packed to the brim and everyone else is squeezing..but these wonderful people-who-make-full-use-of-time will somehow still have acres of space around them to keep their newspapers wide open, oblivious to the chaos around them!

it is really a shame that as people become more educated, they demand more of others but they forget to give just a little bit back..even something as simple as courtesy. i don't want to sound like i am running a courtesy campaign but the sad fact of the matter is singaporeans are becoming habitually discourteous..meaning a lot of them behave like that, without the intention to actually project themselves that way. in fact, i know of lots of people who are genuinely nice but when put in a "paper chase" situation, they become just like any other ugly singaporean.

coincidentally, some smartie decided to name one of these free newspapers "My Paper" - not his, not hers, not yours..but my, MY MY MY!

Give me My Paper, TODAY, NOW*!

*"NOW", a new free publication by addy for the ugly singaporeans who cannot wait to get their hands on the very latest news, not yesterday's, not this morning's, not even the second that just passed but NOW! Now, is that current or what!

invasion of privacy

it never ceases to amaze me the people who have set foot onto this blog i call, "my blog" (yeah "like..duh!" rite? i thought so too!). the funny thing is, it never quite bothered me if the (few) people who have had the privilege to be damned by me here are actually part of my audience. but if they are, i hope they feel real good about themselves because like i said, they are a real rare breed! this can be seen as an act of real boldness or utter stupidity and truth be told, if i was on the other side of the fence i'd tell myself (which wouldn't really be me because i would have been on the other side of the fence remember?) "adrian your honest and outspoken entries are really bold but reeks of utter stupidity!" which does not really make incredible sense, but then i am not on the other side of the fence now am i? ;)

but whether it is audacity or plain silliness, it is just me to be upfront with my feelings and thoughts. it may ruffle a few feathers sometimes, create a little confusion other times and - if it works in your favour - even make your day..the bottom line is at least you know that whatever i say is really what i am thinking and not for some hidden agenda (or at least, if it was, you wouldn't think of it that way)! if i said that i was absolutely pissed off with someone, you'd know i was really absolutely pissed off with someone. if i said that i found satisfaction in something, you'd know i had really found satisfaction in something. if i said that i met a real cute girl at work whom i asked out for dinner, you'd know i had really met a real cute girl at work whom i asked out for dinner..AND you should also kindly remind me to remove that post so that i do not get into any "confrontations" which may result in further "complications"! :P

so if you are still new to my humble blog, please don't feel like you are invading my space (it actually belongs to blogger.com) or my privacy..because what you read here are things i willingly share and/or want to let out of my system. but if at any time you feel insulted or suddenly realised midway through that you have been anointed one of the "privileged few", please do click that cute little "x" on your top right hand corner and stop reading. if you do choose to carry on, it is at your own discretion and you should do so in a calm and orderly manner. any form of retaliation may result in a report made against you for harassment (don't even ask! it makes the statement sound more important like that!), invasion of privacy and for being such a kaypo!

english..taught by auntie bk

was at burger king having my lunch on new year's eve and i overheard (well, not exactly overheard since they were talking rather loudly and even if i tried not to, i'd still hear them quite clearly!) two aunties' conversation..auntie 1 was lamenting to auntie 2 about her son being taught by a chinese (from china) teacher..

auntie 1: wah..my son's china teacher ar..i tell you damn ploblem ar..everything also call..say my son never do his homework ar blaaah blaah blah blah blah.. (i am not making this up by the way, she really went "blaaah blaah blah blah blah" and the way she said it was damn amusing! but that's not the best part yet..)..most of the time i cannot understand her..she is from beijing la..her engrish ar is damn bad!

when i heard that last bit, my sprite nearly forced its way out of my mouth! i know i am mean but come on, admit it, you laughed too when you read that! what? not even a snigger? or a smile? liar! there are more to that conversation but i shall not type a longwinded post on primary 5 streaming and secondary school choices in my first post of 2008!

anyway,
HAPPYNEWYEAR
to one and all!

The National Sprinter

there are constant reports of singapore being short of sporting talent to compete at olympics level and about how singaporeans are overly obsessed with academic and career achievements that they do not see sports as a career. on both counts, i beg to differ. firstly, singaporeans are not overly obsessed with academic and career achievements! yep, you saw that right. singaporeans are not overly obsessed with academic and career achievements! (repeated in bold just so that you would stop rubbing your eyes and rereading the previous line!) in fact, all singaporeans are guilty of, is being too obedient.

people tell us don't litter (or they will hit you with a fine of $1000, present you a nice shiny yellow bib on your first day of (corrective) work and if they are in the mood, even throw in a short jail term as a bonus), we don't litter. just like that, no questions asked. people say they help you manage your cannot profit finances (or you may end up with nothing left for your retirement or in a worst case scenario die without a coffin and either way you don't really have a choice!), we let them manage our cannot profit finances. just like that, we don't even ask what are the interest rates like or "can grow or not?"! which part of cannot profit finances don't you understand? still grow simi! go get an education! and so we go get an education which leads to a higher education which leads to a job which leads to a career which leads to retirement which leads to us finally being able to access our cannot profit finances (profits sold separately). sports? well, teacher always say "don't play so much. wait ball hit your head become stupid!".

on the other hand, our lack of "talented" sportspeople may just be down to lousy scouting. maybe they are just not looking in the right places! the common saying is that we need to develop our sportsmen and women from young. but then, aren't most singaporean kids these days sent for piano, ballet and poetry classes from young? and look how many world renown pianists, ballerinas or poets we have? the closest i can think of is vanessa mae, the famous violin player but even she is "imported"!

so i determine that it is all a matter of psychology and context. it does not matter where you are born or how young or old you pick up a sport. all you need is a certain trigger and a new sporting sensation is born. in simple terms, it's all about mindset and what tempts the mind most. based on that, you set the perfect environment.

need a national sprinter to break the world record faster than marion jones can gulp down her steroids? don't go looking in schools or stadiums or sports clubs! just take a walk to the bus stop during peak hours! there, you will see all of singapore's sprinting talents in their full glory! no matter how impossibly faraway they seem from the bus, next thing you know they are on it! like i said, all it needs is a certain trigger, in this case, the bus. the singapore sports council should collaborate with sbs for this sprint project. singapore will be so spoilt for choice we may have to send in three sprint teams to compete - singapore, temasek and raffles city!

how about hurdles? smrt will solve that one for you! how many times do we see people leaping up stairs 2 or 3 at a time, get on the platform and leap into the trains just before the doors close?

or darts? well, our singapore team can do without hands and still thrash the opponents hands down (pardon the pun). just gather a group of uncles, put the darts in their mouths and watch them spit it out! what about china you ask (that country of renown spitters)? well, they are nowhere near our uncles! singaporean uncles aim before they spit (if not kenna caught by police!), china people anyhow spit!

there are many other scouting grounds unexplored by the singapore sports council and so many untapped talents roaming the streets waiting to be picked up (if they don't get on the bus before you get to them!). who says singapore has no talent? i get uncle to spit at you ar!

x-men: the advanced generation

the secret has been hidden for ages..not even the creators of the x-men series or for that matter, professor x are aware of it. a new breed of x-men and x-women have surfaced, surviving outside the comic strips, blending into normal human society. yes, it's true..these "mutants" have been spotted utilising their special powers to do extraordinary things! the only way to recognise them is through their powers, some of which hold certain resemblance to the original x-men's. their new hideout is hidden under the guise of a lower class bustling work area that's none other than..tanjong pagar!

while there is no possible way of identifying every single species of these mutants living among us, here are the more common and easily recognisable ones...

powers similar to:
"cyclops"
most commonly spotted:
inside lifts
(localised) code name:
"cy(ber)-cocks"

this variation of cyclops is certainly more powerful than the original..not only does cy-cocks not require that fancy looking goggle to keep "its" powers under control, "it" fires "its" rays without you even seeing the rays! "it" is usually found right at the front of the building lifts.

how do you identify it?:
wait till the lift doors are nearly closing, then rush in..when you're inside after barely escaping the closing lift doors, turn to the right or left (whichever applicable)..there "it" will be..arms folded (or sometimes by the side), intently firing "its" rays at the "open" button just so that you do not get squashed by the doors! there are times when i felt that "it" should act faster and i stare at "it" to show my displeasure but then i realise that i will never win..if "it" stares back at me, i am finished!

powers similar to:
"jean grey"
most commonly spotted:
during extremely sunny or rainy weather
(localised) code name:
"jin gray" (hokkien for really or extremely gray)

compared to the original jean grey, jin gray is definitely less powerful..not only does "it" require a weapon, "it" depends highly on seasonal weather changes to utilise "its" powers (see "most commonly spotted").

how do you identify it?:
during really sunny or rainy days, as you are walking..suddenly "it" will whip out "its" weapon (usually disguised as an umbrella) and cast a force-field around "itself" sending people scurrying out of "its" way! i am to believe "it" has trained to a certain level that "its" force-field is able to hold off an entire building should the building collapse..just look at the number of force-fields being cast indoors these days and you will know what i mean..we humans are not so easily fooled, surely a normal umbrella cannot withstand the weight of an entire building right?

powers similar to:
"gambit"
most commonly spotted:
during lunch hour
(localised) code name:
"can't beat"

this is the most common and as its localised name implies, also one powerful breed of mutant during the peak of "its" powers..possessing trades very similar to the original gambit. however, due to singapore's legislation on gambling in public and needing to keep a low profile, instead of playing cards, can't beat's weapons of choice are "its" tissue packs! just like gambit, can't beat's powers though impressive are extremely limited.

how do you identify it?:
the story behind "its" name comes from the way "it" attacks..i am sure many of us have fallen victim to "its" attacks before! during lunch hour, have you ever approached a table (with no one even remotely near you) and next thing you know..you get hit by a tissue pack thrown by can't beat! and that's why "it" is named that because "it" always seems to beat you to a table no matter how faraway "it" is..and if you think all "it" does is throw tissue packs around, try removing one of "its" tissue packs and watch "it" explode in your face! apparently, this strain is highly contagious and infects anyone who comes in contact with "its" tissue..thus explaining how even most normal humans are coming to master this skill!

now if you see any of the above mutants around, do not panic, stay calm..they are mostly harmless unless provoked! last i heard, a higher class breed of x-men and x-women have been spotted in raffles place!

squeaky clean

i happened to pass the speaker's corner at hong lim for the first time recently - well, i have probably passed it by lots of times before but only then did i notice it! - and i was thinking to myself "wah, quite a big space for a 'corner' hor!" it's true, my first impression was that it was spacious, very white (wonder what/who was the inspiration behind the colour coordination, white with more white) and really quite empty.

the initial idea was that people could just walk up to the stage, speak their minds and air their views..and everyone below the stage will nod in agreement and laugh at jokes lamer than mr bean's antics (which coincidentally, seem to happen quite a lot on broadcasts from another clean and white place somewhere near the padang). but they forgot we are singaporeans leh (aka very very very busy people), we will require the speaker's objective and agenda (in ms powerpoint, word or adobe pdf format) before we commit a slot on our very very very busy schedules to listen to a potentially time wasting speech (before we rush off to another very very very important appointment at newton hawker center)!

so in view of the lack of usage i propose we rename the speaker's corner as...

the spueaker's corner
...whereby our little furry friends can raise more pressing issues like...

1) downgrading
- with the increasing number of human activities moving underground (underground expressways, underground carparks, underground mrt lines, underground swimming pools (which may not be such a bad thing) etc.), the rodent community are forced to move further down...

2) mickey and minnie
- a discussion on the sensibility of upholding two mouse idolised by humans - who squeak in a foreign tongue and whose fashion senses have stagnated for decades - as ideal role models for the rodent youths...

3) ratatouille
- a forum to educate the rodent community on the essence of good food and discourage the consumption of garbage (accompanied by an educational video called.."ratatouille")...

however, i also do foresee that the national environment agency will violently object and throw out my idea without as much as a squeak..due to well, environmental concerns..infestation, i believe they call it.

so until any changes, the speaker's corner waits patiently for its first speaker who...
1) isn't "assisted" off-stage
2) actually have an audience
3) isn't dressed to complement its background

GERMS

in continuation from my previous post..a funny thought just occurred to me..since we have the GEMS (Go-the-Extra-Mile for Service) Service Awards to recognise and promote good service standards, why not introduce a GERMS Awards? Oh, in case you're wondering what GERMS stand for...

G arbage
E ntities with
R eally
M iserable
S ervice

someone call in the doctor! there are GERMS to be exterminated!

uncivil-lies

after talking about our country's "civilised" people, i would like to focus now on the other side - the un-civilised people! no no no..we are not talking about everyone else who is working in the private sector. rather, not sure if anyone noticed but there is a new circus in town..with a full complement of clowns, monkeys, elephants and vultures (yeah vultures, new age circus mah..). you must have heard/seen the name somewhere before..no? but surely you must have received a phone call telling you some friend (who usually chooses to remain anonymous!) has referred you to perform in the circus? no? that cannot be TRUE! ok even if you've not heard of it before, let me tell you about my experience with this circus..

first they kept calling me, asking me down for a two weeks trial..initially i was skeptical but by the second call i thought "why not? since i had always been interested to take up yoga. maybe the circus can teach me a trick or two about flexibility.." and so i went down to take a look.

when i reached there, the people were friendly enough and i was brought around the place where i was introduced to the various acts and the trainers..i was getting more and more interested..however, due to financial reasons, i didn't want to commit to it yet..so after explaining that i was just there to take a look and rejecting the offer numerous times, the head clown came to see me and tried to explain to me why even broke people should spend ridiculous amounts of money to look good (now you want to be bankrupt, better look good first! do you really want to look like crap in your bankruptcy photo?)! i was losing my patience and i just wanted to get out of there so i told the clown in a matter-of-fact way that i just was not keen. to which the head clown (this is the best part) raised his voice at me "then why are you here? don't waste my time!" now that was TRUEly great hospitality! it's like someone invites you to visit his house but when you arrive without the 42 inch, hi-definition, hi-resolution, hi-tech, hi-whatever plasma television, he asks you "then why are you here? don't waste my time! fuck off!"

i was pissed mad..but when i got home i felt much better..i was not alone!


if we thought mosquitoes are pests (at least they do not tell us to "fuck off!" or if they do, we don't understand so that's fine as well!), this circus is a different breed altogether..so since we have the "if you let them breed, you will bleed" dengue campaign..maybe we should start a new campaign with slogans like..

if you think TRUE is cool, you have no clue

or be cool, don't TRUE

or don't TRUE your money away

don't get me wrong..i have nothing against gym, yoga or fitness memberships..in fact if anyone wants to get fit/keep fit, these places are usually nice and cosy for a good workout..but what i do have a problem with is pressure selling and such hooliganism (which apparently, you will encounter with most other fitness clubs as well)..so my advice is, before you even step into a fitness club, check online and ask around your friends..decide that you want to join, then step in..you're more likely to avoid all the nastiness and the fake-niceness that way..just as long as you don't expect even economy class customer service after you have signed up!

now where's my 42 inch plasma?

civil lives

recently, there was a pay increment..and even though i wished it was mine, but alas it was not to be. rather it was for the people who have sacrificed their lives to serve the country. yes, they are our darling civil servants..without whom, we'd have no rice on our plates (i know singapore has no padi fields but if they don't approve the imported rice, we would have no rice to eat!), no roofs over our heads (we pay for it of course, but if they don't build houses, then pay and pay also no use rite?) and no one to curse at when nothing gets done. don't get me wrong, not ALL civil servants are crap, but when you're on the inside, most will just do as the rest do..basically, nothing!

just a few years back..when i was still "serving the nation", my main job scope was to maintain and repair certain equipment. remember, these are highly important and sensitive tasks upon which our country's freedom depended on!

common scenario
a fault is detected on the highly classified and hi-tech equipment (from another era)
step 1:
officer reports a fault to a specialist a (from department a)
step 2:
specialist a verifies the fault
step 3:
specialist a calls specialist d (from department d, that's my department by the way) to report the fault
step 4:
specialist d verifies the fault (you really need to verify it more than once to ascertain that there is something wrong la!)
step 5:
specialist d calls external vendor to tell them there is a fault on the highly classified and hi-tech equipment
step 6:
external vendor comes down and clears the fault
step 7:
specialist a and specialist d verifies that the fault is cleared (told you we needed to verify it more than once!) and informs officer
step 8:
officer puts down his coffee and resumes normal duties of looking out for faults and singapore is safe again...

if you thought that that sounded like a call center environment, don't even compare..the salary of course!

just a few weeks back, we were holding a charity event to raise funds for refugee children..all donations were to be done via online so no cash was to be accepted..but being the law abiding citizens we were, we thought "better check it out with the charities unit"..and so we did...

i called mcys to enquire if we actually needed a permit for the event and the guy on the other line said have to write in so that he can advise me..over the line cannot advise. and so i wrote him an email. the guy emailed back telling me that we would need a permit..then he followed up with a call (good customer service leh!)...

mcys guy:
have you received my email blah blah blah..everything can be found on the website.
me:
the problem is our event happens within 2 weeks (short of the 30 days application period needed "as stated on the website")..is there anything that can be done?
mcys guy:
sorry..everything can be found on the website. (goodness! am i on gotcha?)
me:
i have already been through the website, that's how i know about the 30 days application period..is there any way to speed up the process?
mcys guy:
in that case, you can send in an application form found on the website and i will help you escalate the case to my superior.
me:
oh, that's great! so how long do you suppose it may take with escalation?
mcys guy:
as stated on the website, it usually takes 30 days...

i seriously wanted to strangle mcys guy right there..i mean, i've heard of word-of-mouth advertising but i never knew mcys was into such an aggressive marketing campaign for its website! but..that wasn't the end...

a few days later, my manager made a call to mcys to verify that we needed a permit..this time, the girl who took the call told us (after checking with her boss apparently) that we would not need a permit from mcys but we needed one from the police..so, we went to the police and enquired..and the police department told us that for such cases, there was no permit needed (the lady even printed out some documents and pointed out the clauses which said so)..fantastic! another few days later, the police called and told us that sorry but in fact we would require a permit..but from mcys...

if you're still wondering why they are paid such high salaries, it is pretty obvious isn't it? honestly they work so hard. when even such straightforward things become so complicated, who's to say they don't deserve their pay increment?

friday, 05 october 2007

The Campaign To Confer The Public Service Star On JBJ
@ drama centre theatre with karen

essentially it is a play taking an alternative (and hilarious) look at the political situation in singapore. acted out by just pam oei (dim sum dollies) and rodney oliveiro, the duo takes on a variety of characters through ultra quick costume changes. the humour while funny at times became sort-of tiring towards the end, or probably karen and i were tiring after a long week...

one joke i remember quite fondly is when rodney played a police officer and he said "nowadays everything is so complicated. this can this cannot. this maybe can maybe cannot. last time was so much easier. everything cannot!"

so let us be grateful for all things that "can", shall we?