F1 weekend

Edit 01:
Oops... someone's not happy with our F1 after all. But then again, Ferrari didn't have a particularly good race, so I'm not surprised.
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Considering all the concerns I have over PW as a subject, it looks like in real-life we S'poreans can bring big, ambitious, even audacious projects to life, and make the world gawk and pay attention after all. I'm referring to last night's F1 race through our city streets glammed up with the beautifully-lit skyline backdrop of the finncial district. I've never seen our city look so gorgeous before, and I guess it's because I've been taking it for granted.

Or perhaps the TV functions as a pair of Emerald City glasses, making things appear more glorious than in reality? I was watching the race on my living room set, just an ordinary one mind you, and already the visuals were just stunning. The Supreme Court, Fullerton Hotal and the sight of those legendary supercars growling through the intricate lattice of Anderson Bridge just blew me away. What a grand first impression to leave viewers around the world, especially if they'd been watching it all on HD. That would have been unreal!

Regardless, many people seem to be giving ecstatic reviews of this weekend's excitement. Granted the Americans and Canadians were only interested in the results, but at least Alan Henry of UK's Guardian gave us a glowing report in his reporter's blog.

It was nice to be described as fast, efficient, and systematic, but it was also excellent to hear other words describing how innovative, gutsy, and even "magic" our ability to pull this one off was. These aren't words we would commonly associate with ourselves, knowing we (and other people) tend to view ourselves as rather staid and conservative. But there you are, concluding the first-ever F1 night race in spectacular fashion, when we S'poreans want something, we'll go all out to make it happen and a half.

PW kids, are you paying attention?

Know-it-all

We certainly do have dilligent kids. From the essays I've been grading, it's quite obvious that they've been studying. Oddly enough, it looks like masses of them have been studying the same things. I've encountered the same facts, the same examples, even the same stock phrases faithfully reproduced in essay after essay. So there's no question that they are a truly hardworking bunch. But, sigh, if only GP rewarded hard work alone, each of them would get a stellar grade.

As I've said before, having knowledge is a good thing, but the more important thing is the ability to select the relevant bits of knowledge and use them to solve the chosen problem. Simply providing a list of facts that have some relationship to an identified topic isn't going to get anybody top grades.

One problem is that many of the other subjects the kids are taking push the idea that if they would just memorise, they will pass score. Their track record shows that they're right, and we in GP get drowned out; the lone voice in the desert crying, "Think! Apply judgement! Argue your case!" But in the end, it's still easier for the kids to deliver a bunch of facts, and wonder why they are just barely passing. Or not.

It must be scary living as a teenager today, though. I get the impression that they are actually living vicariously through their textbooks. 'Cos even when the information from their notes and textbooks are outdated or even goes against what should be common daily observations, the notes and textbook 'facts' -- in an occasionally warped and twisted form -- still come out in their essays. If it's in the textbook, it must be right. Can't argue with that logic.

So I'm not all that surprised that our kids know squat about contraception, a real-life issue. It doesn't come up an any subject that they're preparing to take an examination in, so it isn't important. It isn't in the textbook either, so, y'know, like, whatever. As for 'experimentation' there's enough info in the old sec 4 bio textbook to figure out what goes where, but it kinda' ends there. Hence, the few teenage pregnancies a year. The other teens are probably too busy studying. Probably.

Renovation works in progress (I)

The new place is now a mess of wires, and everything that could be dismantled or unbolted off the walls and floor has been carted off by the gremlins.

The major noisy work will begin Monday, but in the meantime the house has been quietly gutted in preparation.

Today was also our first appointment as sellers of our current place to meet our buyers at HDB. Necessary approvals and permits acquired, we are now committed to the sale. Our buyers intend to move in without renovations, but that will have to wait until we finish ours first.

Mel leaves Ma for MA

So here we are at the airport again, this time to see off Mel. Us and a small horde of people, family, friends, students, all gathering for a brief hug and group photos; something to remember her by until she returns next year. That's Mel, drama till the end.

Guess she heard about the industry's move to take in only graduate teaching staff and wanted to get an early leg up.

Of course, our Boss mentioned other things apart from our qualifications. He's also talking about what and how we should be teaching our kids in his latest big speech: something about our curriculum shifting more towards skills and values in addition to knowledge.

I'm a little puzzled 'cos we've had a curriculum like that all along, in a little known, obscure compulsory subject we offer at JC level called... the "General Paper".

Because...

Once in a while, especially when I'm drowning in essay marking, I need to remind myself why.

Hi society, hi stakes

Wah! Even "social escorts" in S'pore need a uni degree to qualify. Everybody else how? No business awreddy! Li'ddat how to compete?

Is this already in our market?

I wonder if anyone's thought of bringing in the FitFlop to our market yet? Apparently they've been selling like mad in the US for about a year or so, and there's every reason to believe they will do just as well here.

Here's the concept: it's a trendy flipflop (a.k.a. rubber slipper) that looks sporty, feels comfortable to wear, and promises to provide an additional workout as the wearer walks by adding some resistance to each stride. So, toned calves, thighs and glutes while you walk to the wet market, anyone?

As far as the workout goes, 20/20 trashed that idea with its own independent study, but people still love them for their comfort and design. The only drawback I can see is the exorbitant pricetag of about US$50 a pair. But consider how those awful Crocs have invaded our fashion scene: when they first arrived they were also selling high, and whoever brought them in first would have got the biggest share of the pie.

The FitFlop should be a hot seller since we seem to wear flipflops all year round. If anyone's looking around for a new business opportunity, this one might just be a winner!

Edit 01:

Arrgh! Should have researched a bit more. They're already here!

Another applicaton of CERN's atom smasher

CERN scientists must be happy 'cos they have a new pickup line: "Wanna check out my Large Hard-on Collider? It'll give you a Big Bang like you've never had before!"

I tried to work in something about a "black hole" somewhere, but it just sounded rude.

Feel free to add on if you want.

Swamped

... blub... blub... blub...!

Hafari for tiles

Tiles go on the floor, tiles go on walls. Tiles serve different purposes and come in various textures and a multitude of colours. Tile shopping is a big headache 'cos if we didn't know what we wanted, we wouldn't know what we wanted. The options are just too much for novices like us to handle.

Not to say that we wouldn't have got it right eventually, we're not completely aesthetically impaired after all, but the selection process would have taken a lot longer if we didn't have Linewerkz to help narrow our choices down for us.

William brought us to Hafari on Balestier to buy tiles for our kitchen, bathrooms and a small foyer area for the entrance of our unit. I didn't get the name of the first sales rep who attended to us but she was all bright-eyed and eager to show us around. What impressed me about her was her ability to switch from Mandarin to perfect English with a little hint of an unplaceable accent, but quite plainly not Singlish. But while she was cool and professional, she passed us on to her colleague, Thomas, whom William knew personally.

Animated with his explanations, in possession of excellent product knowledge, willing to take a chance with his recommendations, Thomas was easy to talk to and we could trust his taste in the matching of tiles to our design. As June said, it was a relief to get service from someone who had the passion for his trade and someone who firmly believed in the worth of his product. Someone who can make the consumer happy that the purchase was money well spent.

A scruffy sendoff

One more leaving the fold. Mel's got a year's study leave to read her M.A. in the UK. We'll just have to enjoy the peace and quiet until she returns next fall, even more littlemisssmartypants than ever.

Scruffy Murphy's was a great choice for our little party. We booked ourselves into the private lounge and just kept ordering food indiscriminately off the menu -- except for veggies, Jo-jo and Derek, who were slightly more particular.

Food's good. Mostly an Irish pub menu featuring finger foods including yow! spicy wings. Let's see, we also ordered things like the portobello mushroom salad, eggplant lasagna, and I remember downing more shepherd's pie than I intended -- that good. Various orders of burgers filled in the gaps for people who had gaps left to fill.

We were very happy that Lucy and TSL joined in the festivities, 'cos usually they leave the rioting to us. This evening we welcomed them into the mob, and hope it won't be just a one-time thing.

Bye, Mel! Have a great trip, and don't forget to come back!

In other news, we now officially hold the keys to our new place. No time to waste, the renovations begin Monday.

Life follows the Sims

It's like playing the "Sims", except it's for real. The design for our new house is in, and tonight our friendly electrician dropped by to discuss how we wanted to locate our lighting points, cable TV and telephone access, power outlets and switches.

Instead of pointing and clicking with a mouse, we were verbally trashing out our options, making and taking suggestions and advice, and otherwise negotiating our way around what will work to our satisfaction and to the Linewerkz concept.

William was also on hand to assess what needed to be hacked and dismantled from the existing premises. The false ceiling, false beam and the kitchen setup will have to go to make way for the redesign. The existing display cabinets that limit our already small floor space will have to go too. What were the previous owners thinking when they talked to their designer back then? Destroy! Destroy!

We're expecting a mad weekend as we go shopping for wall tiles, laminate flooring (to lay over the expensive but egregiously coloured granite floor tiles, which are an utter waste to hack but at the same time impossible to live with), lighting fixtures, and anything else that will get everything ready for work to commence this coming Monday. The process of destructive creation is about begin!

Our immediate neighbours next door are a bunch of FTs housed there by their employer. They happily cannibalized the old fridge the previous owner of our unit left behind for them. Hmm... not really sure why I brought that up.

The Xmac is [out]

How is it that evenings like this one have become so scarce? I'm taking an enforced break from responsibility, decisions, frenzied activity and controlled panic -- elements of which in different combinations have coloured my so-called off-duty hours of late. If it isn't office deadlines, it's been housing, finance, legal headaches that have been slowly eroding my stamina and enthusiasm, turning me into the walking zombie I am today.

Just so happens I found a window of opportunity to sit in front of the TV and laugh hysterically at the weirdness that passes for "America's Got Talent" or shed tears of joy when an actual talent gets discovered. Never know what emotions will get dragged up to the surface next on that programme; just buckle up and enjoy the ride. Else I'm camping out on Face, or contemplating the fate of my creatures on "Spore", or updating this blog with the latest self-indulgent drivel.

And for one night this week, maybe even practice what I've been preaching and hit the sack early for a change.

And the award goes to...

Time to announce the winner of the "Who wants to design a house for Xmac" contest: After much debate, handwringing and sleepless nights, we decided to award the contract to Linewerkz.

Designer and part-owner, William Tan, won us over as he was able to give us the confidence that our project was in good hands. He impressed us with his ability to deliver on his promises during our initial meetings, and was prompt and precise every time. We felt assured that he would take personal responsibility for the entire project from design stage to the coordination and overseeing of the various phases of the project until the official handover. His willingness to work with our other sub-cons and ensure that what they install conforms to the theme and image he has drawn up for us is definitely a plus-point. But other than that, he proved to be passionate about his projects and takes pride in both his work as well as the company he represents. He gives us the assurance that six weeks from the start of works, we'll be able to move in happily.

As far as the concept and design goes, it's all the straight-line geometrics that both June and I like. Steel and glass balanced off with the warmth of wood; bright, open and airy spaces; a high-tech, modern look overall. Sweet. We found William to be flexible and accommodating in the way he customized the details to our suggestions, but he was firm about the integrity of the design that really is his baby.

And at this point, I add a note of gratitude to May, whose interest-free personal loan is paying for our home reno.

New house: 'Before'

New House
Today I converted almost all my liquidity into a fixed asset, which the slideshow above depicts. The shots are no great feats of artistry, merely an archive of the 'before' of the big renovation project. I believe we've decided which designer to go with based on the strength of his vision. And if all goes well, the 'after' shots will show an amazing transformation. Or at least there'll be a more spacious look and a more unified theme holding the entire concept together.

Interior conflict

Oops. We may have started a price war between two interior designers, both of whom are in the running for a contract to renovate our new digs. We like the concepts both have presented so far: lots of clean, geometric lines; very urban in the use of glass, wood and steel for a fresh, classy city-dweller look.

Both are competing with each other to deliver a quotation we can accept without everyone going bankrupt. Considering how little we can actually afford, we can see that both guys are working really hard to secure our patronage.

It's going to be tough making a decision between the two. One has matched our price requiements already, while the other will let us see his new proposal tomorrow. Ultimately, we have to remember that it's just business and nothing personal, but we'll soon have to make a decision to let one go. That's just how it has to be.

Thai visitors

June's Thai colleagues dropped in on business, and we took care of their R&R like we did the last time. Apart from the opportunity to break from routine, these corporate visits mean that it is our duty to eat well and to find things to do in the name of keeping our visitors entertained.

One highlight was the five of us polishing off an entire Peking duck along with a number of other dishes at the Mouth Restaurant in Chinatown. We also took them on a whirlwind evening tour of Sentosa where they took a cable car across to the Jewel Box to rendezvous with us and M2 again. Spent the rest of the evening sipping Singapore Slings at the Long Bar.

Saturday was shopping for souvenirs at Mustafa's followed by an excursion to the Bird Park where neither June and I have been since, I don't know, forever. The place is greener than I remember, the enclosures now almost completely blended in with the natural landscape. Fed some lories and watched the pelican show, but other than that we didn't see much else due to time considerations.

Our tour service extended to taking them back to their hotel to collect their luggage before seeing them off at Changi.

Hmm... if ever I was considering a 2nd career...!

Happy birthday Linc

How disappointing that we neglected to bring our appetites with us when we went for dinner at the Rice Table. Seven of us finished off most of the first round of dishes, but over-ordered on the second round. Although the food (a variety of Indonesian-style nasi padang dishes) was good, we could only stare guiltily at the leftovers while we sat gorged full, though achieving far below our vaunted potential. And it was all the more tragic because we were at an all-you-can-eat buffet.

Regardless, we still had a profitable evening meeting up with Linc to surprise him with a cake. Though his candle went out with no problem, the tiramisu cake that Wayne and Ton_y bought had frozen solid. It proved impossible to cut with the dinky toy knife the confectioneries thoughtfully provide for this purpose. So Linc got to take the whole cake home with him. Happy birthday, indeed!

Photo credit: Mel

Spore infection

As a game, Spore kicks butt -- mine in particular. A peacenik pacifist approach to conquering the galaxy is doomed to failure and I am watching my empire crumble to dust against a hostile alien intruder and learning that sometimes the best defence is indeed a good offence.

Time to rebuild anew, perhaps with a better strategy that balances diplomacy and trade with self-defence and a mind bent on colonial expansion. Doing favours for other galactic civilizations does no good at all when an implacable foe arrives at the back door guns a-bristlin'.

Spore, first and foremost, is a creative tool for designing creatures and their accoutrements; their buildings and vehicles that they will use to explore and influence their environment as they climb the evolutionary ladder. There are so many shapes to play with. Each part allows its dimensions to be further toyed with, and they all snap together in so many different ways, in perfect symmetry too if desired. With a tool this simple to use, any Philistine now has the power to be an artist. You can check out my designs, for example.

But it's no fun just designing stuff. Our designs have to be tested to see how they respond to some form of context -- in this case, the game environment -- and to see if our creations live up to our expectations. The fun thing is, everything we create goes on the "Sporepedia" to be shared with other Spore players around the world. So apart from stock designs, the creatures and things that populate my game environment have been created by other players, while my creations might show up in theirs. How cool is that?

As for the game itself, the first four stages of evolution are quite easy to achieve. Just gather enough resources, tools and population to bludgeon all competition into submission. "Bludgeon" in this case could mean either overwhelm them with violence leading to extinction or with such a degree of love and warmth that they capitulate out of sheer weariness and agree to become your BFF... forever.

The game truly begins when your creatures evolve to the spacefaring stage. Compared to the tiny tidal pool from which your first single-celled organism eventually outgrew, the galactic map is huge, with a near limitless number of places to explore, missions to accomplish, colonies to establish, friends to make and enemies to destroy; and all the time growing and evolving the capacity to dominate everything. Or be dominated. It's an equal opportunity universe.

Spore: First Contact

Spore has been keeping me busy for two nights already. It's like having a virtual Lego set with so many diferent bits, each as customizeable as we are able to imagine and the possibilities are endless!

The badge above lists the things I've created so far, and I don't think I have been very creative at all. I just hastily threw some bits and pieces together, tweaked and aligned them so that they don't look too weird, then chose the colour scheme from the stock palatte (though there's a custom palatte for players with way to much time on their hands).

Apart from building things, which in itself is fun, there's a game to play too. Too early for a proper review now. I'm just about ready to launch into the main part of the game: galactic domination. That should hold my attention for another couple of days or so...

Will report back when the galaxy is mine! Mwa... ha... ha...!