Promises

I hate to make promises because I hate broken promises, so I always tell people to not make it, because it is easy to say these things, but when the times get tough, keeping those same promises are difficult.

But sometimes, just sometimes, promises are necessary, and today I've made one. To you.

Me and my iPad 2

Finally!! I now have a need for the iPad 2 and I made the purchase without feeling guilty!

This is too funny to not share

This guy evidently does not like snowman. Hahaha

The most bimbotic day ever!

I declare that the amount of effort spent of doing one's hair is directly correlated to the level of bimbo-ness.

So today after having coffee with Becky, I was deciding if I should head to town to collect my bag and jeans that I sent for repairs, and then collect mooncakes at Jurong Point. I decided to collect my bag and jeans another time since that was not urgent and headed to Jurong Point where I presented a TCC gift card to Bakerzin!

I have no idea why I was under the impression that my friend got me a Bakerzin gift card! So I went home and decided that since I'm all changed might as well head to town to collect them mooncakes and while I'm there, grab my jeans and bag.

On the train out to town I realized I forgotten to bring the gift card!! So I had to detour back!

Really bimbo right?

And as icing on the cake, my jeans were left on the shelves, and the tailor forgotten to repair it. Thankfully I am feeling quite chirpy, so I told him that I'll collect it next week.

Note to self: No such hairstyle when I have errands to do:

Simple things in life

Like the old school breakfast I had this morning makes me very happy :)

Meaningless phrases people use

Today I chanced upon an article (http://www.prdaily.com/Main/Articles/9454.aspx) which made me laugh out loud, it talks about how people use meaningless phrases and we can really do without them. And the thing is, all of us say these phrases from time to time!

Look at the sample speech I've written (I've bolded the meaningless phrases), isn't that such a typical speech we hear every other day at conferences or what have you?

Good morning ladies and gentlemen, let me begin by saying that I am really honored to be here. Today I'm going to share with all of you, my experience as an ad man, and where else better to start than at the beginning, which also incidentally happens to be when I graduated. I studied law in a prestigious school in London in order to please my parents. However I soon realized that, all things considered, that it was not my passion, at the end of the day, if I don't pursue what I love, I might as well be dead. That said, it was not that I don't enjoy law, I do, but my passion was just not there. We, as human beings, are indeed a weird bunch! So after graduation I interned at a small adverting agency in Paris and went through advertising in all its form. And it was the best experience I could ever asked for. All in all, the essence of what I want to say is, to go and do what you truly enjoy.

#####

Meaningless phrases people use every day

By Matt Wilson | Posted: September 8, 2011

Sometimes people just don’t think about what they’re saying.

That’s especially true for those phrases that are so common and have burrowed so deeply into the lexicon that they just fall out of your mouth or course through your typing fingers with no cooperation from your brain. But if your brain did get in on the action, it might discover that those phrases—often filler words meant to imbue your prose with rhetorical flair—really don’t mean much.

So what’s wrong with flair? Well, nothing. Office Space notwithstanding, flair can be great, especially if you’re giving a speech meant to fire up a big crowd.

But when phrases like the ones below show up over and over again with so little inherent meaning, flair can turn into a flop.

Start at the beginning
Isn’t that where I would expect you to start? You’d really only need to warn me if you were starting somewhere weird there, Horace, like the middle, the end or somehow before the beginning.

Let me begin by saying
Is someone stopping you? Just say it! This is the rhetorical equivalent of, “I am now going to write about.” They teach second-graders not to start their essays that way, so keep it out of your adult conversations.

We, as human beings
As opposed to what? We, as robots? We, as orangutans? Unless you’re speaking to or writing for some especially diverse audiences, you can just say “we.”

That said
Yes, someone said it. And that ought to be pretty evident to everyone else who either heard it or read it. You don’t really need to reiterate that something was said. If you’re offering a counterargument to that statement, a “however,” “conversely” or “but” will do just fine.

Happens to be
Sometimes a coincidence can be so shocking that a “happens to be” may be justified. But in most cases, it’s just a cute way of pointing out someone or something has an interesting or unusual trait, like “That vagrant just happens to be my nephew.” All you need is “is.” That vagrant is your nephew.

All things considered
Here’s what you’re saying when you say this: “Anytime I don’t use this phrase, I’m only considering some things when I make judgments.” Or possibly, “I’m making a too-cute joke about the NPR program of the same name.” In either case, they’re not really statements you want to make.

All in all
As I think about what this phrase could have originally meant or what it could really mean, my brain has tied itself into a Gordian knot. Is it the opposite of “none in none”? A contrast to “some in some”? Is it supposed to imply that every single thing has been fitted into every other thing?

I’d better lie down now.

At the end of the day
Like the previous two, this phrase signals that you’re about to sum up all the various pieces of your argument and come to a conclusion. But what does that have to do with the time of day? Almost always nothing. What you’re talking about might even be happening in the morning!

In order to
What you really mean is “to.” The last time an “in order” was justified, it was in the preamble to the U.S. Constitution. And I’m only cutting James Madison some slack because of the whole three branches of government idea and the Bill of Rights. Plus, he was writing back when a lowercase “s” looked like an “f.” Times have changed.

In all its forms
Ahhh! Look out! It’s a shape-shifter!

But seriously, you really don’t need to point out that you like chocolate “in all its forms.” For one thing, that should be self-evident. For another, chocolate is pretty much chocolate, regardless of its physical state.

This is so CUTE!

Hahah I randomly saw this online and I think it is absolutely funny and cute! #mustshare

The very painful email correspondence with Janil Puthucheary

So I thought that having an email conversation with Janil on his statement to Yahoo regarding the whole PA affair would help shed some light, and give us more clarification on their ridiculous stand that opposition MPs cannot serve as grassroots advisers.

I have no words, but that it was a VERY painful exercise and Janil was skirting the issue the entire time, refusing to answer any of my questions, but instead tried to bring the issue down to technicalities. I have decided to disengage him as I see that he has no interest to engage me. Read for yourself below (Note: I have italicized and changed the font color of Janil's reply to make it easier to read.):

-----

From: Kie Zin Teng
Date: Thu, Sep 1, 2011 at 2:52 PM
Subject: Questions regarding your statement to Yahoo Singapore
To: Janil_Puthucheary@prpg-grc.sg

Dear Janil,

On the assumption that Yahoo Singapore (http://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/singaporescene/pa-explains-why-opposition-mps-cannot-grassroots-advisers-161613082.html) quoted you correctly, I have a few questions regarding your response to Yahoo on the issue of PA's insistence that Opposition MPs cannot serve as grassroots advisers to Singaporeans. I note that the PA does not distinguish between Singaporeans who voted for PAP and against PAP.

You were quoted as saying that..

The PA is "linked to government policy" and the grassroots adviser has to believe in the overall thrust of the government's approach. "People who implement and operationalise these policies cannot oppose them. You simply can't have a situation where the adviser does not support the implementation of these policies," he noted. Opposition MPs fundamentally oppose the government and so would not always be in support of its policies and programmes, he said. "Even if they did support policies such as anti-dengue and active ageing programmes, it is possible that they could oppose methods of implementation of these policies," he added.

My first question is why is there an assumption that Opposition MPs fundamentally oppose the government? Could you please explain this to me beyond a mere sweeping statement? Opposition parties are named as such because they run against the incumbent party. And in many countries in the world, and soon in Singapore, the government of the day will have members from opposition parties. So one cannot say that Opposition MPs fundamentally oppose the government, because one day, they will be part of the government. Perhaps the term "opposition" misleads many to think that the role of Opposition MPs is to "oppose"; it might be better to replace the term "Opposition Parties" with the names of specific parties. For example, will you say that "Workers Party MPs fundamentally oppose the government"?

Secondly, are you saying that every single member in the PAP support and believe in the overall thrust of the government's approach, in every single policy? Your statement seems to imply so. I recall from the debate about having casinos in Singapore as one such incident where I did not see every member in the PAP supporting the government. Hence your implied assumption here, again, cannot hold true.

You claim that it is possible that Opposition MPs could oppose methods of implementation. The fact of the matter is, it is possible for anything on earth to happen. Using the word "it is possible", makes everything possible - it is a truism. It is also possible that at some point in the future, some people who implement and operationalize the policies could oppose them. Not saying that it will happen, but it might happen. So my third question is, is it not possible that Opposition MPs will fully support the implementation, or even suggest better ideas so that these policies will be better received? Why are you only looking at one side of the coin?

This leads me to my fourth question. If these policies are for all Singaporeans, and the PA serves all Singaporeans, and not just PAP voting Singaporeans, should the grassroots advisers not be from all walks of life, including fellow Singaporeans who happen to also take the role of Opposition MPs? Unless of course you mean to say that they are not Singaporeans. While I am certain that you are not saying that, but selectively excluding Opposition MPs, it might give such an impression to the public. One might as well ensure that nobody in the PA have voted for the opposition, no?

I look forward to your sincere clarification, and trust that you will take time to reply to this


Sincerely,
Scott

----

From: Janil Puthucheary(tc)
Date: Thu, Sep 1, 2011 at 5:38 PM
Subject: Re: Questions regarding your statement to Yahoo Singapore
To: Kie Zin Teng


Dear Scott,
Thanks for writing,
I said a lot more, in an attempt to explain the situation, but she chose to quote what she thought was most relevant. The Opposition parties are in Parliament, where they have the opportunity to voice their opinions, in support or in opposition to Government policies and positions, they do not form part of the Government.


Want to meet and discuss further? I will be traveling overseas next week, how about the week after?


Regards
Janil
-----

From: Kie Zin Teng
Date: Thu, Sep 1, 2011 at 6:09 PM
Subject: Re: Questions regarding your statement to Yahoo Singapore
To: "Janil Puthucheary(tc)"

Dear Janil,

Thank you for your quick respond. I think you must have misread my email. I did not say that the oppositions form part of the Government, I said:

"And in many countries in the world, and soon in Singapore, the government of the day will have members from opposition parties. So one cannot say that Opposition MPs fundamentally oppose the government, because one day, they will be part of the government." (emphasis added)

I understand that the opposition parties are not part of the government of today in Singapore, but it is fundamentally wrong to assert that "opposition MPs fundamentally oppose the government", because as mentioned, there will be a time when opposition MPs are part of the government.

I thank you for the invite to discuss this, but I believe that an email correspondent will suffice for now, if you could address the points that I raised, it would be much appreciated, and following that, if we both feel that this needs to be discussed further, I would be glad to meet you in person.


Sincerely,
Scott

-----

From: Janil Puthucheary(tc)
Date: Thu, Sep 1, 2011 at 11:05 PM
Subject: Re: Questions regarding your statement to Yahoo Singapore
To: Kie Zin Teng


I don't understand your statement about "and soon in Singapore, the government of the day will have members from opposition parties". Are you referring to this session of Parliament or a hypothetical future one?

Similarly your statement that "one day they will be part of the government."

Given the mismatch in our understanding of the situation, and the importance of these issues, I think we should meet to discuss.

Contact me if you change your mind.

regards
Janil
-----

From: Kie Zin Teng
Date: Thu, Sep 1, 2011 at 11:30 PM
Subject: Re: Questions regarding your statement to Yahoo Singapore
To: "Janil Puthucheary(tc)"


Dear Janil

I am sorry, but you appear (to me) to be skirting the issue, and not addressing my questions.

I have indeed use the term "one day" and "soon" which very explicitly implies some time in the future. At no point have I referred to this session of Parliament and I am very clear on the difference between the Parliament and the government. I have clearly stated that your allegations that "Opposition MPs fundamentally oppose the Government" cannot stand, because it is a statement that is fundamentally wrong. Opposition MPs (in the generic sense of Members of Parliaments of any country who are not part of the majority incumbent party) cannot fundamentally oppose the government (again the generic government and NOT the Singapore government per se), because there are scenarios where opposition members are part of the government.

I have explained earlier that the term Opposition might not be used in the most appropriate manner and perhaps we could replace that with the names of specific parties, because this gives the impression that Opposition parties exists solely to oppose.

I do not understand why you cannot address my questions from my first email by email. I see no mismatch in the understanding of the situation, nor importance of this issue.

The questions and issues I would like for you to clarify are:

1. Why is there an assumption that Opposition MPs fundamentally oppose the government? 
2. Are you saying that every single member in the PAP support and believe in the overall thrust of the government's approach, in every single policy?
3. Is it not possible that Opposition MPs will fully support the implementation, or even suggest better ideas so that these policies will be better received? Why are you only looking at one side of the coin?
4. Should the grassroots advisers not be from all walks of life, including fellow Singaporeans who happen to also take the role of Opposition MPs? 

You can refer to my first email to you for more details on the questions.

I understand that you are traveling and are on a busy schedule, and since this issue is pertinent now, your response over email will help enlighten me and fellow Singaporeans; and also prevent a situation where I misquote you or misunderstand what you might be trying to convey.


Sincerely,
Scott

-----

From: Janil Puthucheary(tc)
Date: Fri, Sep 2, 2011 at 1:13 AM
Subject: Re: Questions regarding your statement to Yahoo Singapore
To: Kie Zin Teng


Can you please explain or give me an example of "there are scenarios where opposition members are part of the government"? Maybe I have misunderstood what you are asking?


Regards
Janil
-----

From: Kie Zin Teng
Date: Fri, Sep 2, 2011 at 11:54 AM
Subject: Re: Questions regarding your statement to Yahoo Singapore
To: "Janil Puthucheary(tc)"


Dear Janil,

I am very puzzled as to why you are refusing to address my questions. Even if you have misunderstood what I am asking in my original question, and do not understand my statement that "there are scenarios where opposition members are part of the government", you are still able to clarify my other 3 questions. It appears to me that you have no interest in responding to me, and instead try to bring this conversation down to technicalities.

There are plenty of examples of "scenarios where opposition members are part of the government”. To cite an example: The very recently formed new Thai Government is made up of members from different parties who together formed a coalition government despite the Pheu Thai Party (PTP) winning the majority vote. Thus the Thai Deputy PM and Minister of Tourism and Sports is Chumpol Silpa-archa from the CTP (Chartthaipattana Party) and not from the PTP.

Even if I am mistaken, or that we do not have the same understanding of the term "opposition", I fail to see why you cannot respond to my other 3 questions:

1. Are you saying that every single member in the PAP support and believe in the overall thrust of the government's approach, in every single policy?
2. Is it not possible that Opposition MPs could fully support the implementation of the policies, or even suggest better ideas so that these policies will be better received? 
3. Should the grassroots advisers not be from all walks of life, including fellow Singaporeans who happen to also take on the role of Opposition MPs? 

I would like to disengage from this dialogue, as I believe further discussions will not prove fruitful. I do wish to thank you for taking time to reply to my emails and I wish you a good day.


Sincerely,
Scott

Reply to Mr Janil Puthucheary on his statement to Yahoo

So the issue of the PA and the Opposition MPs as grassroots advisers is getting more and more ridiculous, especially now that Dr Janil Puthucheary responded to YahooSG with some strange statements again.  You can read the entire Yahoo Article for the background. I've got so many questions that once again, I wrote an email. And am eagerly anticipating a respond.

####

From: Kie Zin Teng
Date: Thu, Sep 1, 2011 at 2:52 PM
Subject: Questions regarding your statement to Yahoo Singapore
To: Janil_Puthucheary@prpg-grc.sg

Dear Janil,

On the assumption that Yahoo Singapore (http://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/singaporescene/pa-explains-why-opposition-mps-cannot-grassroots-advisers-161613082.html) quoted you correctly, I have a few questions regarding your respond to Yahoo on the issue of PA's insistence that Opposition MPs cannot serve as grassroots advisers to Singaporeans. I note that the PA does not distinguish between Singaporeans who voted for PAP and against PAP.

You were quoted as saying that..

The PA is "linked to government policy" and the grassroots adviser has to believe in the overall thrust of the government's approach. "People who implement and operationalise these policies cannot oppose them. You simply can't have a situation where the adviser does not support the implementation of these policies," he noted. Opposition MPs fundamentally oppose the government and so would not always be in support of its policies and programmes, he said. "Even if they did support policies such as anti-dengue and active ageing programmes, it is possible that they could oppose methods of implementation of these policies," he added.

My first question is why is there an assumption that Opposition MPs fundamentally oppose the government? Could you please explain this to me beyond a mere sweeping statement? Opposition parties are named as such because they run against the incumbent party. And in many countries in the world, and soon in Singapore, the government of the day will have members from opposition parties. So one cannot say that Opposition MPs fundamentally oppose the government, because one day, they will be part of the government. Perhaps the term "opposition" misleads many to think that the role of Opposition MPs is to "oppose"; it might be better to replace the term "Opposition Parties" with the names of specific parties. For example, will you say that "Workers Party MPs fundamentally oppose the government"?

Secondly, are you saying that every single member in the PAP support and believe in the overall thrust of the government's approach, in every single policy? Your statement seems to imply so. I recall from the debate about having casinos in Singapore as one such incident where I did not see every member in the PAP supporting the government. Hence your implied assumption here, again, cannot hold true.

You claim that it is possible that Opposition MPs could oppose methods of implementation. The fact of the matter is, it is possible for anything on earth to happen. Using the word "it is possible", makes everything possible - it is a truism. It is also possible that at some point in the future, some people who implement and operationalize the policies could oppose them. Not saying that it will happen, but it might happen. So my third question is, is it not possible that Opposition MPs will fully support the implementation, or even suggest better ideas so that these policies will be better received? Why are you only looking at one side of the coin?

This leads me to my fourth question. If these policies are for all Singaporeans, and the PA serves all Singaporeans, and not just PAP voting Singaporeans, should the grassroots advisers not be from all walks of life, including fellow Singaporeans who happen to also take the role of Opposition MPs? Unless of course you mean to say that they are not Singaporeans. While I am certain that you are not saying that, but selectively excluding Opposition MPs, it might give such an impression to the public. One might as well ensure that nobody in the PA have voted for the opposition, no?

I look forward to your sincere clarification, and trust that you will take time to reply to this.



Sincerely,
Scott

Reply to Miss Ooi: Why opposition MPs can't be advisers to grassroots bodies

So today I read a reply on the ST Forum from the People's Association and it really reeks of stupidity. You can read it here, and I will reproduce it here for archive sake:

Why opposition MPs can't be advisers to grassroots bodies  

WE REFER to Mr Muhammad Yusuf Osman's letter yesterday ('Advisers to
grassroots bodies should be elected MPs'). 

The mission of the People's Association (PA) and its grassroots organisations (GROs) is to bond the community and connect people with the Government. PA and its GROs serve all residents regardless of their political affiliations in fulfilling their role. 

Grassroots advisers are appointed by PA, a statutory board. Besides connecting people to people, grassroots advisers are required to help the Government connect with people and help promote government policies and programmes such as anti-dengue and active ageing. 

Hence, the Government has to appoint grassroots advisers who support its programmes and can play this role well. Opposition MPs cannot be expected to do this and thus cannot become advisers to GROs. 

Ooi Hui Mei (Ms)
Director
Corporate and Marketing Communications
For Chief Executive Director
People's Association

I  really find this reply super bizarre, and in no place did she substantiate anything. So I wrote her an email, and let's wait for her reply. My thoughts are in the email, so have a good read! Oh yeah, email her too if you want!

#####


From: Kie Zin Teng
Date: Wed, Aug 31, 2011 at 11:40 AM
Subject: Reply to your Forum Letter
To: ooi_hui_mei@pa.gov.sg


Dear Ms Ooi,

I read with fascinating interest your reply to Mr Muhammad, in which
you tried to explain why opposition MPs can't be advisers to
grassroots bodies. I am sorry but I do not quite see your explanation
there. You just claimed in a sweeping statement that "opposition MPs
cannot be expected to do this", without explaining why. Can you please
let me know why oppositions MPs cannot do this, instead of a sweeping
statement. And you also need to proof prove that only the PAP members are
capable of doing this.

You might have confused the term Government with party politics. The
government currently consists of PAP members, and there will come a
day where it consists of members from different parties as they form
the government of the day. Therefore it is only right for all parties
to be involved in this process. Oppositions parties are not there to
oppose every action of the government, they are called opposition
because they run against the incumbent. If the policies and activities
mean well, oppositions MPs have and will fully support it, hence it
being in line to promote government policies and programmes. I mean
unless you mean to accuse Worker's Party MP as being against dengue
prevention and active ageing, I struggle to see your point.

Which leads me to wonder why is the People's Association appearing to
favour one political party? Look forward to your reply.

Sincerely,
Scott Teng

J'adore Paris! (Part 2)

I know that I am usually very slow at things, but now that I have some time, I guess its high time I continue on my Paris posts, and then after that get down to writing the Melbourne post that I took with Fabby =D


History

One of the many things I love about Paris is the rich history and the deep heritage that only so many nations in the world can boast about. I mean compare to Singapore, where our history is a brief 6 lines, the thousands of years of history there, is just amazing. Of course the first thought that came to me was that: "It must be VERY difficult to be a student studying the history of their own country". I mean just the name of the Kings alone must be confusing enough.

With a place so steeped in History, there are so many places to go and visit. And honestly, one trip to Paris is definitely not enough to see them all. We picked a few choice places and set out on our journey.

One of the first few places that we went to was the Sacré Coeur Basilica. 

On the steps outside the Sacré-Coeur Basilica

It took us a while to find it, because all we had was a little city map, and we used the general direction, and some road signs to help us find our way. Its not too difficult to get there really, and it is really worth the walk up. Inside the Basilica was just the most amazing interior, with all the glass windows and beautiful and grand design. Unfortunately cameras were not allowed inside (or that my iPhone was just not good enough to capture good enough shots), so there are no photos of the insides. One thought that was constantly buzzing in my head was: "How did they do this so many years ago". These buildings were at least half a millennia old, and they do not have any form of modern technology. 

At the Château de Versailles, this sense of awe continued. 

The Château de Versailles

The garden view

This place was the palace where many of the Kings used to stay, and it was also where the infamous French Revolution March on Versailles took place, and drove the monarchs back to Paris. But that's history lesson which I shall not touch on. Stepping into this building, is no mean feat - you first need to get past the throng of tourists, which comes by the busloads. But if you put aside these annoying tourists (Yes I am talking about the majority of the Chinese tourist), and rent the audio-guide, it will be an unforgettable experience, and an exercise in the art of "Zen".

The interior is just so opulent, and so gorgeous. And the paintings on the ceilings left me breathless. I mean, how do they paint these things? It is literally on the roof, look at the pictures. The pictures are breathtaking, and detailed. With the ancient techniques, they make it look almost life-like.

One of the many grand halls

Painting ON the roof

Look at how they 3-dimensional and real they look

Of course no trip to Paris is complete without a visit to Musée de Louvre. 

The requisite shot

The tunnel leading to the Louvre

As expected, it was swarming with tourists, and to be very honest, I am more annoyed with them than the Parisians. In fact, like I said earlier, the Parisians are far friendlier than I expected. It is the tourists, armed with the digital cameras who go around taking a snap of EVERYTHING that really upsets me. I mean we are there to soak in the atmosphere and understand the paintings and the history. What is the point of going to place, not knowing anything about it, but leaving with 2,000 photos that one will never look through again?

The Mona Lisa was one such painting that EVERYONE was trying to get a million shots of. And frankly, it was underwhelming. However the painting right opposite Mona Lisa, which was such a great work from Paolo Veronese. It was The Wedding at Cana, just about the largest piece of art in the Louvre. But of course no one paid attention.

Of course I had to get a shot of the Mona Lisa 

The interior of the Louvre

Unfortunately, we didn't have enough time to spend there, one need weeks and months to finish everything, and if you have the time, try to allocate at least one full day there. Don't get the audio-guide though, it is useless.

Well of course along the way we passed by other historical monuments, it is Paris after all.

Cathedral de Notre Dame

The Concorde

The Pantheon

That concludes my 2nd post on Paris. There's really a lot to share ain't it? Well let's hope I find time to blog soon. A bientot.

Quote for thought

"Man. Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then he dies having never really lived." - Dalai Lama

Sam Tsui - Jars of Hearts

Sam Tsui will never fail to deliver a great cover. Here's him performing one of my current earworm that I couldn't stop listening to while driving down the Melbourne Streets.

Hope you like it as much as I do. 

Still Alive!

It is so easy to lose track of blogging, especially when one is TRAVELING!

Hahaha, yes I was away in Melbourne for 2 weeks. And why didn't I blog much? Well I was out a lot, I was everywhere actually, so that leaves me with little time to type. But anyway, I'll be back shortly with updates. But yes I am STILL alive!

- kiez.

J'adore Paris! (Part 1)

[Disclaimer: When talking about Paris, or any country for the very matter, it is easy to generalize because its a one snapshot view of the country, so here's my perspective of the lovely city]

There are many things to love about Paris, and Europe in general. Well I haven't been to the entire Europe but in the few places that I visited (Paris, Maastricht and Amsterdam), I can tell you that I liked what I saw. Or it could also be that I went there with little expectations, especially after hearing all the horror stories of how "unsafe" Europe is! C'est vrai! At one point in time, I was almost convinced that India, or god forbid, Johor and Kuala Lumpur would be safer than going to Paris!

You know with all the pickpockets, thiefs, scammers and big burly men who will do the unimaginable to you. But I am happy to report that I'm safe and to my surprise, Parisians are generally more friendly that I thought!

People:

The Parisians are Parisians (yes I know I sound like Prime Minister Lee). Most of them really live up to their stereotype of being tall and blonde and good looking. But surprisingly, it was the guys who are really the stunners. The cute to normal ratio is very high. Everywhere you go, you're bound to see at least a couple of really cute French boys. The nice floppy hair, in a lovely shirt and pants, with a scarf sometimes (because it was spring).

And here's a picture of a cute french boy who was our intern! Fabien! We met up with him in Paris and it was lovely to catch up!

At Shakespeare & Co. with Fabien

What surprised me most about the Parisians is that they are surprisingly very friendly. There was one lady who saw that @alexischeong and I looked lost and offered to help, in French first of course. When we told her that we don't speak good French, she immediately conversed with us in English. She was such a lovely lady and showed us the way to our destination, walking with us a for big part of the way as she was heading in the same direction.

There was another gentleman who asked Alexis and I where we were from, as we were pretty tall for Asians, and he just wanted to let us know that we looked really good. Such a pleasant surprise isn't it?

Food:

As the introduction of Ratatouille says: "While other countries may dispute this, we French know that the best cuisine in the world comes from France, and the best food in France comes from Paris..." And to be honest, I suspect they are not lying. The best food I ever had in my entire was in Paris, and I'll let you know that my favourite cuisine in the world, is still good old Chinese food, so that says A LOT.

Without a doubt, Chez l'ami Jean was the biggest highlight of our trip, and in terms of gastronomy experience, the highlight of my life thus far

queuing for food despite reserving 3 months in advance

This is a quaint little restaurant located in the heart of Paris, but not in the famous stretches. The chef is what you imagine to be a grumpy chef who will clap his hands loudly to get his waiter's attention and will bark loudly. But all this was because he wants to serve excellent food to the customers. And boy we were delighted with the really excellent food. We ordered 2 carte blanche, something like degustation menu where we get to try many different dishes, and a normal set dinner for 4 of us to share. The thoughtful staff knew that we were sharing and made sure that the food was divided into 4 portions and we were all served at the same time!

The highlight of the night has got to to be the lamb rack, the scallops and the rice pudding. They are simply heavenly and done to perfection. I'll let the pictures do the talking.

The scallops that was finger licking good

Lamb rack! The most heavenly thus far

This is the rice pudding

close up of rice pudding

For breakfast, there's nothing much to shout about as it is not a big thing for the Parisian, most of them don't even eat breakfast, but if they do, it will be the usual pain au chocolat (chocolate bread), pain aux raisins (raisins bread), croissant, tartine (baguette with butter and jam) and that will come with a cup of espresso and orange juice. Simple but it was very lovely to be able to just sit, facing the road I must add, and just sip the coffee and have breakfast.

A typical French Breakfast

Tartine

I also read a while ago on New York Times about this ice cream place called Berthillon, and it is as legendary as people make it out to be. Its located on one of the little isle on the Seine, so pop over there for an awesomely creamy ice cream. This is the original shop, so come to this one instead of the many other little modern places that serves Berthillon ice cream.

Berthillon

I suspect it was Dark Chocolate ice cream

And yes Paris is all about desserts, so who can forget Laduree and Pierre Hermé. Unfortunately, I didn't take a photo of Pierre Hermé. But having tried both their macaroons, I declare Pierre Hermé as being the better one of the two. The taste integrates so well and it is so much softer and elegant. It is also a lot more expensive. I had this floral one which was light but very yummy! Not to say that Laduree is not good, it is really really good too! And the queue is long and all, but it is not at the same level as Pierre Hermé

Rows and rows of sweets!

List of places you need to to try:

Chez L'ami Jean

27 Rue Malar,

75007, Paris France

Tel: 01 47 05 86 89

Le Fumoir (for their awesome risotto) 

6 Rue de l'Amiral de Coligny
75001 Paris, FranceTel: 01 42 92 00 24

Pierre Hermé

72 Rue Bonaparte, Paris

Tel: 01 43 54 47 77

Laduree

21 Rue Bonaparte, Paris

Tel: 01 44 07 64 87

Berthillon

31 Rue St Louis en l'ile

75004 Paris

Tel: 01 43 54 31 61

That concludes post 1 out of a few different posts I will write about Paris! Stay tune!

Paris Trip - A preview

Hello! So I've been back from Paris for more than a week now, and its back to the daily grind. Sorry for the lack of updates but they will be coming, this weekend when I have the time to blog. But for those of you who are reading this, here's a lovely picture of the Eiffel Tower!

Random Updates

Some random mid week updates. I've got a new polo tee! Courtesy of fabz who got it for me at the Zouk Flea! Its the normal red polka dots (which are so cute) and the double buttons (as you can see down in the picture below) is really a very special and unique feature!

- loves the polka dots -

And this week @alexischeong and I had lunch at The Plain @ Craig Road! Blogged about this place earlier on, and we still love the ciabattas there. And yes there's this drink that I secretly really like: Aranciata Rossa. Secretly because I think anyone who drinks San Pellegrino (like sparkling water) is totally pretentious, so I try my best to dissociate with the brand. But alas, the blood orange drink is so YUMS!!

- Salami Ciabatta -

- The Aranciata Rossa -

And lastly, I am always distracted by colours, and here's @alexischeong 88 colour eyeshadow palette! Pretty!

/end of bimbotic post

Standing up for "Gay Parents Bashed"

Today I came across this video on my tumblr, and I teared uncontrollably when watching this. Please watch the video embedded before reading on.

What really surprised me was that a place like Texas (where the homophobic Bush came from) showed us that in times like this, solidarity for humanity will prevail. Nobody could stand around and watch the waitress insult and demean the lesbian and gay parents. And what really gets me is the guy that we all think looks like a gangster turns out to be filled with so much love, it puts all of us to shame. When he went out to write a note to let the lesbian parents know just how beautiful their family is, means so much to the actress that it made her cry, because it spoke to her in real life.

"In the end, you will not remember the words of our enemies,

but the silence of your friends" - Martin Luther King, Jr

The quote above defined the gesture because like it says, if a friend sees you in trouble but chooses to keep silent, it will be more hurtful than anything else. Day in day out, a big group of homosexual people faces either overt discrimination (like the video), or silent discrimination. Not to say that homosexuals have a harder time than other people, but definitely there is a bigger baggage to carry. I've been there and its not easy.

Was there any point in time where you could have made a world of a difference to your gay friends by standing up for them? Or by supporting them in your own ways? Make it happen and don't stay by the side and watch.

It is also a particularly poignant topic for me because late last night, the boy and I were watching the movie "The Love of Siam", and we have a very long conversation after that which we talked about pretty much the same issue. He has been struggling to come to terms with himself, and the invisible pressure that he faces from society can really be too much to bear even for the strongest individual.

On the other, I am so glad I have survived and are now in the stage of my life where "it is better". I do not have any fears of judgment from anyone about my sexuality because this is who I am, and I make no apologies for it. But I cannot stand by and not share what I've been through. I want to let every individual, gay or otherwise know that humanity will shine through, each and every time.

Don't be afraid to be yourself, and be who you are. Because you are beautiful just the way you are.

I am a thankful boy...

..for the great things and people that have entered my life and made it the way it is today! What prompted me to write this? Its this video here:

This video is made for this year's Pink Dot! And it reminds of the many different times in my life, and the different stages I had to go through to be who I am today. A gay man who is very comfortable with my sexuality, have my friends love me for exactly who I am, have my mother who tells me that my happiness is more important than anything else in the world, and to work in a company where my heterosexual boss can joke around with me. I am grateful.

The first scene of the clips reminds me of Jeremiah. He's this very peculiar friend of mine, and peculiar here carries no negative connotation. I knew Jere in PRIMARY SCHOOL! (Can you believe it) but it wasn't till junior college that we got close, close enough for me to come out to him, and it was with much fear. I will never forget how he defended gay men in camp. Jere told me about the jokes and things that his army mates will say, and oftentimes, even I would let it just pass and allow them to make derogatory remarks. But not Jere. He told them that not all gay men are like that, one of his besties (that's me!) is nothing like what they say, and it is through little actions like that, that people can stop viewing gay people through tinted lenses. So thank you Jere!

And its not just him, all my friends have been nothing but loving - too many to name, but you know who you are. You've all been through my ups and my downs, listened to me cry over man, or men (depending on when you knew me), and it was never with judgement nor disapproval, aside from the disapproval that I allow myself to get hurt. There's so much love from so many of you. You've even been through my coming out process with my mom.

It was not actually a coming out process because mommies always know. Trust me. And it started out really as a power issue which then led me to officially come out to her, and boy was it nasty. After a couple of weeks of not talking to me, and me writing a very long and heartfelt letter to her, she asked me one evening what I would like to eat for dinner. Its her way of saying things are going to be fine now. Eventually she told me that she wants me to be happy, and she cannot bear to be like the other moms who forced their sons to get married, and end up with 3 unhappy people and a broken family.

Every time I recount this story I will tear, like how my mom told me, after a very messy breakup, that even if the sky falls down, she will hold it up for me. How can I not be thankful to an incredible mommy like her. And my other family members too!

And things today can't be any better. My mom loves fabby and we practically live together for more days of the week than I can count, and he's been the sweetest boy (he made my mom a Mother's Day card), my work environment is loving and accepting. I can't think of a better personal life yet.

So dear friends, won't you join me this June 18 at the Pink Dot, so that we can show everyone that there's nothing wrong with my love, it is the same love as your love and the same as everyone's else. And tell all the gay people you know that you love them for exactly who they are.

Love,

Scotty

The week

Sometimes routine can be comforting, and its nice when things have sorta settled into a nice rhythm. Of course this cannot come with the usual taken for granted bullshit, and one must always be appreciative, and I am thankful that this is indeed what's happening.

Grateful that after such a long journey, I'm not walking this path alone anymore =)

- late dinner with the boy. ayam penyet FTW -

- a packed shelf with too many little things -