Singapore Mirror - October Happenings

Sometimes strange things happen for a reason or for no reason but they always say everything happens for a reason. A good or bad person comes into your life maybe at the work place or is your neighbour and then he was gone. He could be an angel or the devil in disguise. Some people or events were probably put there to test you. 

Nothing stays constant. Nothing lasts forever. The earth is rotating. Today you are ahead, tomorrow behind and vice versa. Liverpool were great champions in a certain era then Manchester United assume that position. Therefore, if you are a person, a company or a country that is consistent in your delivery, performance, character and culture, then you are close to being constant. It will take a lot of hard work, effort and yes, self reflection. Do not look at yourself in the mirror for vanity but for reflection. That is why we have to mull over things looking at Singapore with a Mirror. 

Snakes

The last time I saw a snake, it was near Punggol Promenade but it was dead. Maybe ran over by a cyclist or killed by a person. This one looks normal especially the head so probably not deadly. Before this, I saw a viper at Sungei Buloh hidden on a tree but that was a nature reserve. One day on the way home, I saw a few police cars parked at the road side next to Punggol Park with lights flashing. I thought it was a police road block. As I got near, I was surprised to see a huge monitor lizard lying in the middle of the road. It must have just swallowed a big meal.

What I am saying is that we are getting rid of the last inhabitants of our island country. I was glad when my son took a video of 4 or 5 otters swimming and coming onto shore somewhere along the stretch of river walk at Punggol. Is our rapid urban development causing humans to encroach into animals' space such that even macaques, wild boars, snakes and monitor lizards coming more often into contacts with humans? We are lucky not to have Tigers or Leopards.

Recently, I went to Isetan Scotts to get something and drove up to park on the 8th level. The car park lots are rather small and when I found a suitable lot, I parked and got out but saw something slithering along the ground. It was a small snake and it slithered below my parked vehicle. I thought it would be wise if I shifted my car further away on the opposite side. I got back to check that snake but it was moving fast and a few shots I took from my mobile phone turned out blur. When I got near, it raised its head. I got just one shot and here it is.

I saw it slithered below another parked car and finally it went onto the tyre rim on the driver's side. Not wanting the owner to get surprised if the snake had been hiding somewhere in the car, I tried to dislodge it by kicking the tyre several times to no avail. I waited for some time as I have no idea if it was just a harmless snake or worse. The owner have not turned up yet and I did not see any security personnel. So I left a note on the windscreen simply saying that I saw a small snake slither onto the rim of your driver side tyre.

Later, I realised that when the owner eventually collected his car, found and read my note, he or she will probably dismiss it as a joke from a friend. I continued to feel concern when I got home because when I expanded the image, I thought the head of the snake looked triangular. I learned from young that snakes that are colourful or have triangular heads are poisonous. The snake would probably have dislodged itself once the tyre spins perhaps.

How did a snake got onto the 8th floor? Probably from another car that brought it there? Or could it be hiding in some pipes as I saw some renovation there? Whatever it was, make sure that before you get into your vehicle, just kick the tyres and slam the doors to dislodge anything hidden in and around it wherever you are.

As an adult, I have always thought that snakes have no legs. In fact, they don't. So why did the Bible in Genesis 3: 14 says: "And the Lord God said unto the serpent, because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life." This absolutely made no sense and I could prove the Bible wrong. A week later, I saw an article splashed on the papers - they found a fossil of an ancient snake with legs! The legs are not like our legs or animal legs. They were like centipedes'.

Dengue 

It has been so many years and lives lost while thousands were hospitalised yet there have been a surge in mozzie breeding in homes and worse construction sites. We can go on blaming the rainy season or hot weather and by now we have almost 19,000 cases and six deaths this year. NEA reported that they have carried out 4 million inspections of homes and 9,000 construction sites. 34 contractors were charged. This is insalubrious. Do you think it is possible for NEA to comb every home and construction sites. When they are checking at one place, another place is breeding. So much has been spent on the campaign. Have we learned anything? Why are we still so complacent? Please everyone do something about it. Do not just leave it to the domestic helper. You do not want mosquitoes from your neighbours' breeding ground to kill you so do not breed mozzies that kill others. If you are a construction there is no excise. Or do you just keep on blaming the weather?

Ashley Madison 

There have been quite many who spoke or have written against it and there is some ongoing petition too. Well, this is at least symbolic. The dating website encourages extra marital affairs. Discreet fun they may call it. Firstly, there is no such thing as discreet fun. When Hotel New World collapsed, the businessman and a woman who was not his wife came down naked and both survived. They were all over the national papers. It was a most discreet place in a hotel room ain't it?

Even before we had casinos, there were gambling dens (you should watch this documentary every Monday on Channel 5 "There Was A Time"). There was a time (no pun intended), whenever I golf at Batam, the ferry may have 2-3 flights of golfers, the rest were gamblers. Now those who do not gamble have till this day not been to any of our casinos. Of course there will be some who do not but may end up doing so. This social ill will haunt us later. 

Do you think that those that are not looking for an affair will suddenly do so? Affairs can be had any time, anywhere from the night clubs to a colleague or an ex flame. Dating websites just make it more convenient. So why are they coming here? Because they planted cookies onto your computers and they know what websites you visited, what you like and what you are looking for. There is probably a ready market. The government cannot always protect us. Banning it is only symbolic. We have to grow up as a people. The only protection is through education and opening up our minds.

They claimed to have 20 million members worldwide. They claimed that since June in Japan they have 500,000 members within three months consisting 68% men and 32% women out of which 68% of the women are married. Don't go to Japan now, the hotels will all be overbooked! Meantime, it takes someone willing to make them successful. It will sound like a great Bruce Lee teaching - Knowing is not enough, you must apply. Willing is not enough you must do. In other words, do not get curious. Have you not heard that curiosity kills the cat? To me there is no need for the government to do this or that. If you so much as entertain that thought or worse get involved in it, ask yourself a simple question - is this how you want your children and another generation to accept these lifestyles?

The Anonymous Legion

I actually find them very "sud" and it can be unnerving. Quote: "We are anonymous, we are legion. We do not forgive. We do not forget. Expect Us!" They wanted to infiltrate the Singapore Government websites and databases. Reasons: Among other things, the primary objective to protest the implementation of internet licensing framework. By now, most of you have read about it. I read that they have already hacked the Straits Times for misreporting what they said. As a Singaporean, I am concerned. They may accidentally add a few more zeros to my CPF. I was hoping that they hacked into the ERP. Just kidding. Anyway, I didn't say this. I heard it from friends.

Volunteer Corps 

I am some what concerned that we are thinking of these avenues of giving volunteer corps power to fine litterbugs. This will create friction among people. To be an appointed full time policeman or NEA officer is one thing but a volunteer corp? Already a key chain peddler was fighting with a security guard recently. Another was a case of an old man who thought he was Wong Fei Hong. Then there was this guy who spat at women.

I take this opportunity to wish you all Happy Halloween.

I would also like to wish Manchester United and their fans Happy Halloween and all the best to David Moyes as their new manager.