Merry Christmas, Happy Birthday Jesus and a Happy Rest-of-the-Year-Ahead

It's Christmas.

My family isn't Christian, so we don't go for Mass or celebrate Christmas as the day Jesus Christ was born. But we do celebrate Christmas in the sense that we use the occasion to exchange gifts and spend some family-bonding time together. Christmas is therefore  always a simple affair for us. This year for instance, we had a nice Christmas dinner at home on Christmas Eve, then on Christmas itself, we opened our presents and went out for a delicious Pizza Hut lunch at a nearby heartland mall. It was a merry Christmas for me indeed, and I hope everyone else had a merry Christmas too.

That today is Christmas has made me realize how close the end of 2011 is approaching. It's been quite an eventful year, for both the world and me. The world saw a few very serious and tragic natural disasters, political revolutions ignite in several countries (including, to a very small extent, Singapore) as well as the deaths of dictators, the world's most infamous terrorist and the well-respected CEO and co-founder of Apple Inc. On the personal front, I went on exchange to the UK, legally became an adult and embarked on my third year in university (plus a few other personal issues that I won't discuss here).

I read in the BBC recently of a couple of  national polls, one conducted in China and the other in Japan, that asked people to sum up 2011 in a single character. The top pick for the Japanese was kizuna (meaning bond or connection) and the top pick for the Chinese was kong (meaning control) - you can read more here and here. I reckon if I were to speak for the world, Singapore and myself (and hence I am speaking very, very broadly here), the word I'd use to sum up 2011 would be awakening. Awakening in the sense of maturity, and of trying to seize and forge one's future.

Well, this is probably going to be my last post of this year, as I will have little time to blog next week. I will certainly be back next year, to capture and record the unique moments in space and time 2012 will bring.

Merry Christmas, Happy Birthday Jesus and have a wonderful rest-of-the-year-ahead!

Homeward bound

Another semester of university has come and gone. Tomorrow, I will be returning to Singapore to spend my summer holidays. In the days leading up to my departure, I ate out a lot, and met up with many friends. Eating out is one of my favourite activities to do in Brisbane, though I don't do it often because eating out in Brisbane is generally more expensive than doing so in Singapore. For the past few days, I checked out a few new eateries and revisited many favourite spots, eating the dishes I enjoy before I head back home. Brisbane has a pretty diverse and good food scene and I have sampled a great many cuisines here. Next semester, I'll blog more about my favourite eateries in Brisbane! I also caught up with many friends over the past few days. A few of my friends will be graduating and leaving Brisbane, and though we will certainly keep in touch via social media, it is uncertain if we will ever see each other again.

This time of the semester is always the most bittersweet part. You realize that the people in your life come and go, and you yourself will eventually move on to embark on a new stage of life. You fix that by setting aside time to meet up or to do something, and enjoy yourself. Yet, you think to yourself if only you had spent just a bit more time with so-and-so or doing so-and-so during the semester.

Oh well. I will still be in Brisbane  a little longer (and am intending to stay on longer after that), and I will definitely make the best out of my time in Australia. For now, though, it's bye bye Brisbane, for I am homeward bound!

11/ 11/ 11

This post was made at 11.11pm on 11/11/11 :)

My spirituality

I went for my second Baha'i gathering today.

The gathering I attended is run by an Iranian Baha'i lady at her home. Anyone, from any religious background or nationality, is welcome. At the gathering, people sit in a circle and discuss a topic of the week for about 2 hours. The first time I came the topic was "Happiness", today's topic is "Spititual Freedom". The discussion is a casual, friendly one in which everyone takes turns to air their views. After discussing, everyone indulges in a delicious potluck dinner.

I'm not Baha'i. Actually, I don't have a religion. However, I'm not an atheist either. I'd say that I'm a spiritual but not religious person (if only census forms come with that option when it comes to filling that section on one's religious affiliation!). It's not easy for me to explain the spiritual side of myself, because it was only very recently that I got in touch with it. My spirtual journey first began with taking an introductory course in world religions at my university. It's an enlightening, comprehensive course that really broadened my mind, particularly the assignment that required students to visit three places of worship. I chose to visit a Pentecostal Christian Church, a Tibetan Buddhist Centre and the above-mentioned Baha'i gathering. All visits were wonderful experiences where I met many lovely people. It was also eye-opening to actually attend a religious worship session, instead of merely popping in at the house of worship. Now that the assignment has been submitted, I don't have to go for any more religious gatherings, but somehow today I decided to attend another Baha'i gathering. It seems to me that once I had started on my spiritual journey by taking the world religions course, I didn't want to just abandon it even after the course has been completed. No, I'm actually keen to take my spiritual exploration further and see where it leads me.

I decided to come again for the Baha'i gathering because this one left the deepest impression on me. I like how the Baha'i faith embraces diversity and does not teach that there is only one correct path (thus implying that all others are invalid). I like the atmosphere of the gathering: the warmth and kindness of the lady host, the attendees who are of diverse nationalities yet get along like a family as well as the casualness and friendliness. I like the potluck dinner at the end of the session, where everyone bonds over the dinner that was created from the home-made contributions of each attendee. I enjoy the sessions so far, and am interested to come for more such Baha'i activites in the future.

Much as I like what I've particpated in so far, I don't know if I'll be a Baha'i in the future (the other religion I'm particularly interested in is Buddhism). Maybe, in the end, I will be contented to remain spiritual but not religious. But like I said, now that I've begun my spiritual journey, I don't want to end it just yet. This is my quest for the meaning of life, and whatever the outcome, I'm sure I'll gain a deeper understanding of myself and the world.

The rejection

A few days ago, I got an email saying that my application for a summer research scholarship was unsuccessful.

During the weeks of waiting for an email on the outcome of my application, I did tell myself (and everyone who asked if I would be staying in Brisbane over the summer holidays) that I may or may not get the scholarship. That there are many other applicants, some who may be more qualified than me. That for some reason, the Faculty and the professors assessing the applicants may not pick me. I told myself that I shouldn't be too hopeful. But still, in my heart, I continued to do so. I guess I just wanted the scholarship badly: if successful, I would get to work with some professors on a project topic I was really keen on and wanted to explore deeply in my further studies. I also felt that I did deserve the scholarship: I have good grades as well as some experience working with a researcher back in Singapore. Secretly, I expected to get the scholarship in the end.

So when I received my rejection email, you can imagine how disappointed I was.

I tried to shrug off the disappointment. I told myself it really didn't matter, that it meant that I could avoid the blistering Queensland summer, that I could return to Singapore and see my family, that I have so much to look forward to now that I get to spend summer in Singapore ... I even went out for dinner and had some comfort food, which sort of helped. But like before, I was trying to suppress my true feelings.That this rejection did hurt, that I was not merely disappointed but crushed.

My true feelings only burst forth that night when I spoke to my Mum on the phone about the rejection. As I talked, a tear trickled down, and then I started crying, ranting and swearing at the Faculty and the professors. Mum was somewhat surprised at what she probably thought was an over-reaction. She offered words of comfort and empathy, saying that this rejection does not reflect badly on me and that it was simply that there were other applicants who were better. I felt much better after my rant and a good talk with Mum.

Now, I've pretty much gotten over this. Sure, I still feel a little envious of whoever it was who got the scholarship. But in the end, it really doesn't matter that much. I feel a bit silly now for acting like it was the end of the world. Thinking about this more deeply, I think that the rejection was a sort of wake-up call. For some time, I have had this feeling that I'm becoming rather self-centred. As in, I have been too preoccupied with working towards my own personal goals and ambitions such as getting this summer scholarship, and as a result I think less about my family back home in Singapore. This rejection and the talk with my Mum made me realize that I may have eluded a personal goal I was striving for, but I still have a family to turn to when I'm down. A loving family that makes me feel better about myself, that does not have high expectations of me but trusts that I will perform my best in the endeavours I undertake, and is waiting to welcome me back home with open arms.

When I return to Singapore this summer, I want to go out and have a delicious meal with my family, like we would do every weekend. I would go shopping with my Mum and hang out with friends I haven't seen for ages. I will be there for my cousin's wedding. I will be able to come for the short visit to Hong Kong Dad's organizing at the end of the year, and while at Hong Kong we'd stuff ourselves with prawn won ton noodles and dim sum like we did on our last trip, plus I'd get to see my grandparents. And next year, for the first time since I started university in Australia, I will be present in Singapore for the Chinese New Year celebrations.

I'm really looking forward to coming home this summer now.

Mid-semester break

It's the end of the first week of the second half of the semester (and the first week of school after the mid-sem break), and I'm already longing for the holidays to start again soon. I had a good, productive mid-semester break. Productive not just in the sense that I got lots of school work done (well, I think I could have done a bit more but oh well), but I also got to do plenty of other things I've been wanting to do as well.

• I started on a new anime series - Puella Magi Madoka Magica. Awesome show, 2 more episodes to go (awww!). You know this anime's a hit when there are so many anime figurines of characters from the show flooding the market!
• I ate at some new places that have been on my to-eat-at list for some time, including this Nepalese restaurant in the Paddington suburb called Kathmandu Newa Chhe'n. Pretty good food, I must say, Nepalese food is similar to Indian food. Gotta go back to Paddington again to try some more of the eateries there that have received good reviews.
• I prepared and shared dinner with my neighbours. Three times. First time was penne pasta with pesto and garlic bread, next was spaghetti with garlic bread, third time we had a mix of Indonesian and Chinese food - Tahu Telor by my Indonesian neighbour (which I requested cos that's my fav Indonesian dish) and sweet and sour chicken (which I made, cos that one's a popular and well-known dish) and vegetables with oyster sauce (another dish I made). It was so much fun, sharing a meal together and talking over good food. We should definietly do this more often.
• Finally got to meet up with a good friend of mine, who was from the same primary school, secondary school and now university as me. We went to West End where we had Indonesian food for lunch, then we wandered around West End and then decided to have dinner at a Persian restaurant together as well!
• Highlight of the holidays - I finally went to Movieworld! With some of my neighbours and my neighbour's friends. Movieworld seems a bit small to me, but nevertheless, I had fun! I shopped, sat on the highly recommended Scooby Doo ride, watched a 4D movie, snapped lots of photos of the 4 o'clock costume parade and gaped in awe at car drivers performing jaw-dropping stunts. T'was an enjoyable da indeed!

Not bad, I must say, I got to do so many things in just one week of holiday (and it wasn't much of a holiday, I had some assignments to work on over that one week!). Now, if only the next holidays, the summer break, would roll around faster ...

I'm still here

I know.

I know it's been more than a month since I last updated. My apologies to anyone who has been following this blog and wondering if I abandoned it. No, it has not been abandoned, just neglected for so long due to my laziness, procrastination and preoccupation with a variety of stuff. I'm writing this entry to break that long lull, and also reaffirm my commitment to keeping this blog going, for I still have the need to capture those unique moments in space and time in my life. Much has happened since I last updated, and yet due to my laziness, procrastination and preoccupation with various stuff, I never got round to preserving those noteworthy moments in my life and my thoughts about them. The need to keep a record is even greater this semester, which is the beginning of my third and last year in university (unless I do my Honours year, which would mean an extra year). When I think about how it was not too long ago when I first entered university all excited yet full of anxiety about a new phase of my life, I get a little frightened upon realizing how time slips by so quickly. Therefore, now that the mid-semester break is just round the corner and I can finally take a breather, I resolve to update this blog more frequently with my thoughts, observations and of course those unique moments in space and time. I'm thinking at least one post a week, or one post per forthnight if I am busy (hey, I am a senior student after all!). But there will be entries to come, that's a promise to readers and myself.

Anyway, here're some updates on myself. Having completed my one semester of exchange with the University of Leeds, I went back to my university in Brisbane, Australia to resume my undergraduate studies. Not much about the city and my university has changed in the six months I was away. This semester, I moved to a new residential college. I could've moved back to my old one, but I figured that staying there fore 1 and a half years was long enough. Besides, I have enough of college food and after staying in a self-catered college for six months in Leeds, I decided that I definitely prefer to cook for myself. So far, I'm liking it here in my new college, and I'm closer to my neighbours here than to the neighbours I had in my previous colleges.

It's dinner time now, so I'll sign off here. There WILL be more entries to come, so keep an eye on this space. Till then!

Remembering my time in the UK

I'm back. Back home in Singapore that is. It feels great to be back and able to bask in all that is familiar: seeing landmarks and favourite hangouts, eating local food (the first local dish I ate being a bowl of Yong Tau Foo) and hearing Singlish-laden banter when out in public. At the same time, everything does seem a bit foreign. No surprise that a little bit of reverse - culture shock has kicked in, I guess, since I was away for a good 6 months. I'll settle down to life in Singapore pretty soon, but while I'm still making the transition, I thought I'd reminisce a bit about my time in the UK while the memories are still fresh in my head. So, here're the 5 things (in no particular order) I will miss about the UK and life there:

1. British-style Fish and Chips. Fish and Chips as served in the country where it came from usually consists of beer-battered white fish (often Haddock, sometimes Cod), hand-cut chips and peas (may be whole or 'mushy'). A very popular condiment that is provided for free in most eateries where Fish and Chips are sold is malt vinegar. I will miss British-style Fish and Chips, especially the malt vinegar that often comes with it. Malt vinegar is MEANT to go with Fish and Chips. Sour with a hint of malt, it kicks the ass of the slices of lemon that often accompany the Fish and Chips sold in Singapore. I will also have to live with cravings for Haddock fish.This is a white fish that is similar to Cod but with a sweeter taste, and in my opinion, is more delicious than Cod. Haddock is now one of my favourite fishes to eat, but I don't know if I can get it in Singpore, where fishes like Tilapia, Red Snapper, Pomfret etc are more common.






2. My favourite British foods. Before I came to the UK, I read/ heard somewhere that British cuisine is one of the worst in the world. Well, I decided to keep an open mind and tried a big variety of British foods during my time in the UK and my verdict is that British cuisne is not all that bad, really! Okay, it is not one of my favourite cuisines (that would be Chinese, Japanese, Meditteranean and Italian). There are stuff I just don't get or don't like e.g. black pudding (a sausage made from dried blood and pig fat often consummed as part of the full English breakfast. I think it's gross.) and Steak and Kidney Pudding. But I did savour some really good British dishes, some of which are very popular worldwide and need no introduction: British-style Fish and Chips, Chicken Tikka Masala (yes, that's British. Chicken Tikka is an Indian dish, but Chicken Tikka Masala was invented in Britain), Sticky Toffee Pudding, Steak and Ale Pie, Victoria Sponge Cake, Scampi and Chips, Scones and Ploghman's Platter. Special mention goes to the traditional English afternoon tea, my love of which has already been openly-professed and well-documented .






3. Travelling around the UK. I travelled a whole lot around the UK. I did quite a bit of travelling when I first visited when I was about 10 years old. In April this year, my Mum visited and she and I travelled a lot within Yorkshire county, then popped in at nearby Cumbria county to check out the Lake District. This month, after my exams, my whole family visited and we went to Wales, hung around a bit in London and even spent about six days in nearby Ireland. I enjoyed my travels around the UK, for I got to see the country quite thoroughly: little villages, small towns, huge important cities, the rural countryside, the moors, beautiful lakes, historical sites, mountains etc. Some of my favourite places would be Whitby (a seaside town on the Yorkshire Coast that is said to have the best seafood in the UK. I think the battered Scampi I had in The Magpie Cafe in Whitby was absoultely heavenly) and Ribblehead (a hilly, almost uninhabited moor located in the Yorkshire Dales that has a haunting beauty about it). Also worth mentioning as part of my travels in UK is my going to London to see the Royal Wedding. I'm proud to be able to say I was there, outside Buckingham Palace, to see the historical and fairy-tale wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton!


4. The city of Leeds. Okay, to be absolutely honest, Leeds as a city is not that great. It is not as huge, vibrant and diverse as London. In fact, it is just a small city. The tourist attractions within Leeds are pretty ho-hum. But Leeds is the place in the UK I will remember most vividly and sentimentally because this is where I lived and studied during my semester-long exchange. And even though it's kinda small, I did have places in Leeds I loved to hang around, such as the Leeds Union Student Union Building (better than the UQ student union!), Kirkgate market (my favourite Leeds tourist attraction and where I often do grocery shopping), Headingley (a suburb near my residential college that has a big student population, and where J.R.R. Tolkein lived in when he was teaching at the University of Leeds) and my favourite eateries (The Olive Tree Greek Restaurant, Hansa's, Las Iguanas and Salvo's Restaurant & Salumeria).





5. Learning about British culture first-hand. In my travels and in my day-to-day living in UK, I have learnt lots about British culture. I'm not really talking about culture in the terms of history and heritage, though I learnt quite a lot of interesting UK history during my one semester. More like, social culture: British attitudes, social behaviour, daily practices etc. It's fun to observe what the British are like and compare their behaviour with Singaporeans. One observation is that the British, especilly older people, like to address other people as 'dear' or 'love', as in "Have you had a good day, love" or "That's 10 pounds and 50 pence altogether, love". Another thing I observed is the common practice of thanking the bus driver before alighting from a bus, a practice that is also quite common in Australia. This is not common practice, in fact, something never practised at all, in Singapore. Finally, there is the pub as the watering-hole for the Brits. The pub, which is short for public house, is a small house people go to usually for drinking with friends or eating. Pubs are also where one should go to try authentic British cuisine. Pubs are extremely ubiquitous in the UK, just as hawker centres and food courts are in Singapore. Drinking at the pubs is to the British what eating and shopping are to Singaporeans.

So ends the chapter of my life that was spent living in UK. When I look through the list, I realize that it is little things that make my stay in the UK so memorable. The tranquility of a traditional English afternoon tea experience, the joy of slattering my Fish and Chips with malt vinegar, being called 'love' by someone who is a complete stranger, a walk through the beautiful English countryside, a morning or afternoon in spent in University ... all these minute details make up the bulk of my stay and thus play a large part in defining it. There are, of course, the 'bigger' things, most notably the opportunity to be present in London to see the Royal Wedding in April. It was a semester spent deeply immersing myself in UK culture, way of life and I even got to be present at a key moment in modern British history! All in all, it was a time very well-spent and enjoyed, and that's what really matters.

UK, you will be missed. From the bottom of my heart.

A return to Harrogate - dining at Betty's

"There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony
known as afternoon tea." - Henry James

Yesterday I visited Harrogate, a popular tourist destination in Yorkshire county somewhere north of Leeds, for the second time. The first time I went was in April, as part of my tour around Yorkshire with Mum. The experience I remember most fondly from the first trip was dining at Betty's Tearooms (see website here). Betty's is a very popular tea room that specializes in English - style afternoon tea, teas, coffees and desserts, and has outlets in several parts of Yorkshire (the main and original one being in Harrogate). I enjoyed Betty's so much that during my short stay in Harrogate in April, Mum and I went to Betty's 3 times altogether. Seeing how I will be returning to Singapore soon and leaving Yorkshire county next week, I decided that I must go back to Betty's one more time, to experience once again the magic of dining at Betty's.

I took a bus in the morning from Leeds to Harrogate, which took about 55 minutes. Interestingly enough when I arrived at Harrogate I could still pretty much remember how to get around, even though it was about 2 months since I first visited. I turned up outside Betty's at about 12 noon and already there was a long queue forming outside, which just goes to show how popular the place is. I didn't have to queue long, though, and managed to get a table in the Veranda Cafe section. My purpose for visiting Betty's was clear: I was going to have their popular and famous afternoon tea one more time. For those who don't know about it, afternoon tea is an English tradition that basically consists of some dainty sandwiches, a scone with jam (usually strawberry) and cream (usually clotted cream) and a small selection of little cakes. Not to forget a pot of English tea brewed using tea leaves, with sugar and cream/ milk on the side. Nowadays, people don't have it all the time, more like a treat. For myself, the afternoon tea set was my lunch. If I were to follow the tradition and have a lunch followed by the afternoon tea, it would be too much and I would not be able to finish the afternoon tea.

I didn't have to wait long for the food and drink to arrive. First came the English tea, served in pretty metal crockery. The beautiful 3-tiered cake stand with the food came a few minutes later. This is how the full traditional English afternoon tea looks like:

Very lovely and elegant, isn't it? That's what I like so much about Betty's: it's not just their lovely and tasty (though admittedly expensive) food, the place oozes a kind of Old World charm. From the smart black and white uniforms worn by the staff to the vintage teapots that decorate the wall to cane-woven chairs and marble-top tables, dining at Betty's takes one back to a time when life was less hectic and people were able to put aside work for a few hours and socialize over tea and dainty light bites. These days, tea, if eaten at all, is often biscuits or cake
(usually from the supermarket) and a cup of tea (made using a tea bag). Nothing wrong with such an afternnon tea, but there is no doubt that the traditional afternoon tea that was taken regularly in the past holds more cultural symbolism and is not merely a means of quickly satisfying mid-afternoon hunger pangs.

Anyway, I started with the tea, which came first, followed by the cake-stand of food. Before eating I took plenty of pictures of the lovely set of tea and food, to the amusement of people sitting near me. They surely thought that I was some weirdo foreigner who has never seen tea, sandwiches and pastries before. Well, it is precisely because I am foreign to British culture and way of life that I find the afternoon tea so fascinating! Back in Singapore, we do have our local light bites and snacks that are eaten mid-day (or any time of the day, really) but we do not have an afternoon tea tradition. Here's a close-up of the food on each tier:

Dainty little finger sandwiches. Common sandwich fillings used include egg-cress-mayonnaise, smoked salmon with cream cheese and cucumber. The ones featured in the photo are roast ham sandwiches and smoked salmon with cream cheese sandwiches.

A scone, sliced in half, with strawberry jam and clotted cream on the side. Until I came to the UK, I had no idea that the proper way to eat a scone was to cut it in half, then spread jam and cream or butter on the cut side. I used to eat scones simply by picking them up with my fingers and biting into it, like an apple.

I tackled this plate last: a chocolate macaron, mini fruit tart and mini financier. I can't decide which one I like best, all are a lipsmacking joy to eat.


I took about 1 hour for my afternoon tea. Why not? My afternoon was free, and I wanted to slowly savour the lovely and tasty food as well as the atmosphere of the tea room. As it was so popular, Betty's was crowded. Several patrons ordered afternoon tea too, while others had sandwiches or main meals. Whatever it was they were having, everyone was clearly enjoying their food and their experience at Betty's. I think that's the key reason why Betty's is so successful: they are able to offer a very pleasant overall dining experience: good and beautiful food, elegant decor and excellent service (I've got to hand it to the staff for putting up with my taking lots of photos of not just the food but also a few shots of Betty's decor and tantalizing displays of sweet treats, no one said a word about it even though they must have been amused or bewildered by my antics!).

After my wonderful afternoon tea, I popped in to Betty's bakery, which is located next to the tea rooms. This is where Betty sells its famous edible goodies, teas, coffees as well as Betty's souvenirs. The bakery was crowded with customers as well. It took a long time, but I finally decided to buy a tin of biscuits for my family and friends back in Singapore as well as a few postcards of Betty's. I then explored Harrogate and shopped a bit. The initial plan was to go home in time to prepare for dinner, but I ended up staying in Harrogate longer than expected and decided to eat at Harrogate. No prizes for guessing where I went for dinner. Betty's is famous mainly for its huge selection of teas, coffees and beautiful desserts, but they also have a nice selection of main meals for lunch and dinner. I opted for a rosti, a Swiss potato pancake, which was topped with roast chicken, grilled tomatoes and some cutney on the side. In case you're wondering why a Swiss dish is served at an English tea room, it's because the founder of Betty's was a Swiss man, so Betty's food has some Swiss influence such as the use of Swiss chocolate. I got the rosti because I remembered my Mum ordering it for dinner and declaring it delicious. It certainly was. To finish, I ordered a small pastry for dessert. I know, I have had quite a number of sweet treats that day. I told myself that while I am at a famous confectionary like Betty's I will give in and savour as much sweet treats as I can, then avoid buying desserts elsewhere because they probably won't be as well done as Betty's!

All in all, my second time at Harrogate to dine at Betty's was just as enjoyable and memorable as the first. Betty's was actually not the place where I had my first traditional English afternoon tea, that was in Benson's Restaurant in Stratford-Upon-Avon (which was also a delight, and before I left I bought a dainty and pretty little antique tea cup with saucer from an antique shop to commemorate my first afternoon tea). Another place I visited for afternoon tea was The Queen's, the oldest hotel in Leeds, where I had a great afternoon tea that included some Yorkshire pastries in the retro Queen's Bar. Every afternnon tea experience was wonderful, but I think I will remember the ones at Betty's most fondly. If I had to describe the whole Betty's experience in a word it would be this: beautiful. There is beauty in the food, the decor, the atmosphere, the smiles of the friendly and helpful staff and I am sure it is this overall beauty that makes people like myself come back to revel in the aura of a meal at Betty's.

Thoughts on Singapore General Election 2011

It's 9.53pm here in the UK. At this time, I should be doing my work, but I've no mood for that as the excitement I worked myself up to over the announcement of elections results a few hours ago has yet to die down. So I figured that since I'm not in the mood for work and the memories of the announcement results are still fresh in my mind, I'd pen some thoughts on the event.


First, here are the final results:

No. of seats won by People's Action Party (PAP, the ruling party of many years): 81
No. of seats won by Worker's Party (WP): 6
No. of seats won by all other parties: 0

% share of valid votes held by PAP: 60.14%
% share of valid votes held by WP: 12.82%
% share of valid votes held by all other parties: 27.04%

No. of constituencies won by PAP: 25
No. of constituencies won by opposition parties: 2 (Hougang and Aljunied, both won by WP)

More info on the breakdown of the results can be found here: http://www.ge.sg/#map


And now for my own thoughts on the performance of the various political parties:

PAP

So. The PAP has been returned to power once again. They have also retained a majority over the number of seats in parliament. For those hoping for a major change in the political landscape, this will of course be a big disappointment. Personally, I did expect the PAP to retain a majority over the number of seats, but I expected that majority to be much smaller than it was previously. On the other hand, PAP's percentage share of valid votes, which stands at 60.14%, is smaller than previous elections (66% in the 2006 elections and 75% in the 2001 elections). Thus, it can be concluded that over the past 10 years, PAP's share of votes have been declining. Those hoping to see a lot less of PAP around in parliament can take heart in this.

Number of seats and votes held by PAP aside, another election result issue that has got quite a lot of people quite hot under the collar is that Tin Pei Ling of the Kate Spade and I-don't-know-what-to-say-*stomps feet* fame is now a Member of Parliament. All thanks to the PAP winning Marine Parade GRC, where Tin is contesting. Perhaps it's because of the presence of heavyweight PAP candidate Goh Chok Tong, the Senior Minister. Whatever the reason is, PAP's win is a surpise several reasons: 1) Tin is pretty unpopular among quite a lot of Singaporeans, because they think she is too inexperienced and immature to be an MP yet she is riding on the coat-tails of Goh 2)Goh himself has been receiving quite a lot of flak, at least in the online world 3) The party competing with PAP in Marine Parade, National Solidarity Party (NSP), has a star candidate called Nicole Seah who may be quite young and new in the political scene but has impressed so many people over the weeks with her passion, sincerity and maturity that she is the second most 'liked' Singapore politician on Facebook after Lee Kuan Yew. When discussing the PAP's conquer of Marine Parade with my Mum, she said that there was no way Seah, however popular she was, could have won, because of the presence of Goh, the Senior Minister who has years and years of experience in the political arena. That may be true, but it pisses me off to no end, and I'm sure a lot of other Singaporeans feel the same, that Tin is now an MP and taxpayers would be contributing to her hefty annual salary (so that, as a few commentators have remarked, she could buy more Kate Spade bags or even upgrade to a Hermes).

WP
PAP may be the ruling party once again but this election has seen a stronger and more WP emerge. WP's victories this election are significant for 2 reasons. Firstly, for the first time in the history of Singapore elections, an opposition party has captured a Group Representative Constituency (GRG) - Aljunied - from the PAP. This is all the more significant because the PAP team contesting in Aljunied includes the generally well-resepcted Foreign Minister George Yeo. Secondly, Singapore now has more politicans from the opposition parties in parliament - from 2 seats previously to 6 seats now. Kudos also to WP for keeping its stronghold Hougang, even though the previous head of team of Hougang, Low Thia Kiang, left to contest at Aljunied, leaving Yaw Shin Leong and his team to hold the fort there.

WP's victories are a small step towards full democracy for Singapore. It is thanks to WP, the only opposition party to win any seats in parliament, and its impressive performance this elections that Singapore has more opposition party members in parliament to check on the ruling party (or to borrow Low's analogy, to be a co-driver that smacks the driver so as to alert him of any bumps on the road). WP's ability to hold the fort at Hougang, capture Aljunied from a team consisting of some PAP heavyweights and also attract some well-educated and impressive candidates like Chen Show Mao (who is now an MP after his first election contest, way to go dude!), ultimately shows that the party has become a force to be reckoned with over the years.

Other opposition parties
If WP was the opposition party with the best performance, the opposition party whose performance was the biggest disappointment was the Singapore People's Party (SPP). SPP's Chiam See Tong, a very well-respected and loved politician, suffered a double loss this elections. Not only did he loose Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC which was new ground for him and his team, his wife who was contesting at Potong Pasir (a ward that for many years has been the SPP's stronghold) lost the ward PAP's Sitoh Yih Pin. Chiam had taken the same political gamble as Low of WP, by leaving his stronghold to contest at a new GRC so as to try and win more GRCs for the opposition, but unlike Low he failed. I feel quite sorry for Chiam. He took the challenge of stepping out of his comfort zone and stronghold in Potong Pasir to contest in a new ground, and he willingly took up this challenge for the opposition cause in spite of his frail health! I've seen some videos of Chiam addressing his supporters and it touched my heart to hear how this man, who admitted to not being brave, is still plodding on in spite of his weak health to do what he does because "I love Singaporeans." I had really hoped his party would win at least one GRC. If he does decide to retire now in view of his health, at least he can do so with dignity, and the knowledge that he tried his very best for what he believed in. We Singaporeans salute you for your tireless efforts, Mr Chiam.

Another party whose performance turned out to be a disappointment is NSP. As mentioned, NSP's star candidate, young Nicole Seah, had garnered a lot of popularity over the weeks. In fact, Seah was such a popular figure that one of the commentators of Channelnewsasia called NSP the "Nicole Seah Party". Anyway, it was disappointing to see Nicole's team loose to Tin Pei Ling's team in Marine Parade! With hindsight, it was a politically suicidal move to pit Seah, no matter how well liked she is, against the PAP team with a heavyweight like the Senior Minister in it. She should have contested in a Small-Medium Constituency (SMC, where one candidate is pitted against another from a different party, unlike GRCs where it is one team versus another team). Y'know what would have been epic? Seeing Seah and Tin pitted against each other in an SMC. I bet Seah would be swept off her feet by the number of votes for her, and Tin would be left stomping her own feet in misery.

Overall verdict on Singapore General Election 2011

Whatever one feels about this year's election results, there is no denying that the 2011 election is a landmark one in many ways. What's most significant, in my view, is that Singaporeans are more politically engaged than before. No one can make that popular generalization of Singaporeans being politically apathetic now, for this election has seen so many people participate actively in the election - by discussing it and sharing news with others, openly airing their opinions, volunteering with political parties and even stepping forward to join the opposition, something often viewed as a risky domain!

My feelings towards the results of this election are rather mixed. On the one had, what with all the talk about PAP's poor campaigning this year, how large segments of the population are fed up with PAP's bungling and arrogance over the years and how the opposition has put forward more impressive candidates this year, I expected PAP to loose a considerable number of seats in parliament and more than just 2 GRCs this election. Turns out that save for lost of a GRC previously held by PAP and a few more seats in parliament to WP, the political landscape hasn't changed much. On the other hand, WP's wins, while modest compared to PAP's, are significant in their own right. Overall, Singapore is a step closer, albeit a small one, to being a full-fledged democracy.

PAP may have won but no doubt they are shaken by the loss of a few more seats in parliament to WP, and more significantly, the first-ever loss of a GRC to an opposition party. In his post-victory news conference, Lee Hsien Loong, who was the Prime Minister before the elections and now still remains the Prime Minister, said "We hear all your voices". Let's hope he and his PAP really, really takes heed. Should they ever forget, they now have 6 co-drivers in parliament to smack them on their heads so as to ensure they stay on the right track.

Do you hear the people sing?

If the Singapore General Election 2011 were to have a theme song, it would surely be 'Do You Hear the People Sing?' from the musical Les Miserables.

For weeks, I, along with many other Singaporeans, have been following closely all the campaigning, commentaries, drama etc associated with this year's election. You can tell there is something significant about it because interest in this election is particularly high. Popular blogs and websites discussing socio-political issues have been covering the various rallies and speeches closely, and their coverage have attracted a great many readers. On Facebook, friends of mine who have previously never expressed interest in politics or had an opinion on politics are sharing elections-related news, commentaries and parodies. Now, this is most interesting in the Singapore context, because Singaporeans have commonly been described as either politically apathetic or afraid to touch politics even with a ten-foot pole.

Why the sudden surge in interest? For one thing, for many Singaporeans, this is the first time they have a chance to vote. In previous elections, many Group Representative Constituencies (GRCs), which are sort of like districts, experience walkovers i.e. they were uncontested. This election, all but one GRC was contested by the opposition parties. For the ruling party, this means they are suddenly no longer assured of having a majority in parliament. For Singaporeans, the presence of a contest means that they will have a chance to take part in the electoral process. And many, such as my Mum and Dad, have never had the opportunity to do so before.

Secondly, and more importantly, people are so heavily emotinally invested in this election because they want to see change. For years, there has been an accumulation of grouses against the ruling party (PAP), which has held on to power for decades. PAP, unfortunately, does not take kindly to criticism and occasionally resorts to suing and jailing those who openly speak out against it. You can imagine the climate of fear that creates. Recently, though, people have been more vocal about their unhappiness. The online media has become a platform where many express their frustrations and dissatisfaction. Certain government policies and blunders of late have also neatively impacted large segments of society, most notably the policy of allowing a overwhelmingly huge influx of foreigners into Singapore, causing many who previously supported PAP or didn't care about politics to question what was going on with the country. People are pissed, really pissed by now,and the opposition parties are taking advantage of the electorate's unhappiness to contest many GRCs.

In short, this election reflects an awakening of sorts for Singaporeans. People are tired and frustrated with the status quo, and they want to see change. And this has lead Singaporeans to overcome the climate of fear and do things they previously would never have dared to: speak out against the PAP, openly support opposition parties, discuss and debate politics etc. The change in attitude is really quite astounding. As a Singaporean (but one that does not have the chance to vote this year, unfortunately), it is fascinating and heartening to see my countrymen unite and rise above fear, to stand up for themselves for the first time against a party that has long ruled the country with an iron fist.

"Do you hear the people sing?
Singing a song of angry men?
It is the music of a people
Who will not be slaves again!
When the beating of your heart
Echoes the beating of the drums
There is a life about to start
When tomorrow comes!"

I hear it all right. I can hear the expressions of frustration and longings for change, the music of a people who don't want to slave away under the PAP regime any more. I can hear the rapid beating of hearts, of those caught up in the fervour of aspirations of a new life about to start with the dawn of a different political landscape when (the day after) tomorrow comes. You can be sure that all eyes will be on the actual voting this Saturday, and the announcement of results afterwards. You know this election is something special, because you can hear the people sing. Loudly.

An awesome April

Today's the last day of April. Before May rolls around in a few hours' time, I thought I'd dedicate a post to what has been a special, wonderful and memorable month for me.

Turning 21

First of all, April is special to me because I was born in April. This April is particularly significant because I turned 21. In Singapore and many other countries, I am therefore officially an adult now. A woman, at that. Thinking back about my growing up years, I have indeed 'grown up' in many ways: I have gained more self-confidence, independence, street-smarts and assertiveness. The ways I think about topics like politics and social issues have changed too. It's an achievement, to be sure, but somehow, while I'm proud of how I changed for the better in several ways, I also find myself hankering to retain the child and teenager in me. Perhaps I'm just being nostalgic, but youth has a kind of aura to it, an aura that is partly grounded in innocence. Innocence may have the negative connotation of naivity, but the cynical and sometimes world-weariness that accompany the rise to adulthood is not all that positive either, it it? Right now, even though I'm officially an adult already and in some ways already act and think like one, I still have quite a bit of childishness about me, reflected in my personal preferences, interests and quirks, and I intend to retain them! I think there's such a thing as a healthy dose of childishness. Heck, I believe that in some ways, I will always be young at heart.

Travels in the UK

Whatever it is I feel about turning 21, the occasion is without a doubt a cause for celebration. And celebrated I did, not just on D-Day itself but the whole month. But first, there was some exam preparation to be done. If I had my way I'd rather spend the whole of my Easter holiday having fun, but with exams round the corner that was just not possible. So the first two weeks were spent on some intensive revision, the rest of which would be done during the study break in between the end of holidays and the start of the exams.


The fun began in mid-April, when I embarked on some travelling with my Mum, who visited for a while. Travelling around the UK was part of the British project mentioned in the previous post, and it was also part of another personal project to mark my turning 21. My UK travels this month were significant in that for the first time, I was heavily involved in planning and organizing the trips Mum and I took. Mum helped, of course, but mainly when it came to finance matters and hotel reservations. Otherwise, I did quite a lot of the researching or scheduling when previously my parents would do it. Anyway we covered most of Yorkshire, the county Leeds is in, this holiday, as well as some of the nearby county of Cumbria where the famous Lake District is. In Yorkshire, I aimed to see, experience and live in the countryside (something I've always wanted to do, having grown up in a city-state all my life). So most of our time was spent in the Yorkshire Dales, the huge rural countryside area of Yorkshire famed for its beauty and nature. We spent hours exploring the vast and lovely countryside, savoured the bleakness and stark beauty of the moors, stayed in villages, ate in county-style tearooms, sampled local produce etc. A most rejuvenating and enlightening experience on the whole. Lake District in Cumbria was just as wonderful and beautiful. We took lake cruises, popped in at lakeside villages and also travelled along the coast of Cumbria to see the sea.



The Royal Wedding


Then Mum left and I was off on a trip I signed up for to London. Talk about a change of scenery! After about 2 weeks in the rural countryside, I found myself in the hustle and bustle of one of the world's most important financial capitals. What's more, when I arrived, London was particularly buzzing because the wedding of Prince William and his university sweetheart Kate Middleton was about to take place. The event was generating a great deal of hype, not just in UK but worldwide (though I think it was particularly big in USA and Australia), and it was this event that brought me to London in the first place. Why not, I figured, since I happened to be in the right country at the right time for what is certainly going to be one of the highlights of 2011.

The trip I signed up for was a whirlwind 2 day one that left me really drained at the end but in the end it was all worth it because I saw and experienced what I wanted. I was there at Buckingham Palace at 7am and when I arrived the place was already packed with people, some of whom camped overnight just to secure a good viewing position. The members of the royal family as well as Will'n Kate would only appear at about 10am, which meant a 3 hour wait for me and my friends. It was a cold, dreary day and there were forecats of rain (in the end, no rain fell, thank goodness)and my friends and I were so tired from having to wake up early and the hectic schedule of the day before. I think most of the crowd felt tired from all that waiting too, and to keep spirits up, some people orchestrated mass cheerings of 'WE LOVE KATE' and 'HURRAY'.

The fun began at about 9.30am with some parades by marching guardsmen in their big furry hats and red uniforms playing band instruments, then some celebrities who were invited to attend the wedding ceremony at Westminster Abbey turned up in their finery. At aorund 10am, members of the royal family left Buckingham Palace for Westminster Abbey, waving to the cheering crowds as they went by in their armoured vehicles. Excitement reached fever pitch when the Queen and then Kate Middleton passed by. I caught a glimpse of the Queen in her sunny yellow dress and matching hat, waving to the crowd withher white-gloved hand. As for Kate Middleton, I caught my breadth when I saw her, for even though I only caught a glimpse of her as her car went by, it was enough to strike me how stunningly beautiful she looked. I was pleased to see that she wasn't wearing one of those boringly common tube-top wedding gowns, but a lovely bodice with elegant long sleeves made of lace. I later learned the designer of the wedding dress was Sarah Burton, creative director of the Alexander McQueen fashion house. Kate's look was complete with a veil covering her face and a beautiful smile.

Seeing the members of the royal family and Kate Middleton perked me up, and the rest of the day passed by relateivley quickly. The wedding ceremony was a private event for invited guests only held at Westminster Abbey, but an audio of what was spoken and sung was recorded and played live, so we heard Will'n Kate exchange vows and rings. Everyone at Westminster Abbey then returned to Buckingham Palace in fancy cars and horse-drawn carriages accompanied by smartly-attired cavalry men on black horses. At about 1.30pm, the newly-weds, the royal family and the Middleton family appeared at the balcony of Buckingham Palace to wave at the crowds. A thumendous roar of joy and a flurry of flag-waving greeted their appearances. Then some people started chanting 'KISS, KISS, KISS', impatient for that intimate moment so many were waiting for. I missed the first kiss, there was a forest of raised arms with cameras and furiously waving Union Jacks in front of me. I did manage to catch a glimpse of the second kiss, and it made my heart flutter and I went crazy cheering along with everyone. There was a a bried fly-by of military planes to salute the new Royal couple, who would now be known as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Then all too soon, everyone on the balcony left and it was time for the crowds at Buckingham Palace to leave and for the nation-wide partying and celebrations to begin.

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All in all, it was a very memorable, fun and well-spent April for me. Many thanks to all who sent well-wishes, gifts and surprises, they were most touching. Such outpourings of love are what make events unforgettable, and I'm sure Will'n Kate would agree too.

And there goes half a semester

I can't recall when exactly I arrived in the United Kingdom to begin my semester-long exchange programme, but I do know that it was sometime in late January. This means that I've been living here in the UK for 3 months already, therefore I've another 2 months left before I leave. Or to put it another way, my time here is more than halfway done.

The UK is a popular destination for many students all over the world who want to study abroad. My motivations for picking the UK are largely personal: my parents did some of their studies there, and I had once visited the country as a child and had a good time. What surprised some people about my going over to the UK for exchange is the city in the UK I lived in. Leeds is by no means a small town or minor city, but it is not as well-known as London, Manchester and Liverpool. Several people I know have never even heard of it. As for the university I go to, the University of Leeds, it has some international renown but is definitely not so prestigious as to be in the Oxford-Cambridge-London School of Economics league. Looking back, I do wonder why I picked this University in particular, and why I was so eager to get a place. The reason I gave back then was because I was really interested in their School of Politics and International Studies, which is funny because in the end, I did not take any modules from that School.

Don't get me wrong, I don't mean to suggest that I regret coming to the University of Leeds. On the contrary, I have had a great time studying in this University and living in Leeds. It's just that I find it interesting that my initial reason for coming here does not hold any more, which begs the question, why an I here in Leeds? Perhaps it does not really matter, for ultimately the purpose of my coming to the UK on exchange is to experience British life and culture more deeply than a tourist would. If so then which British city might not be so important, for as different as they may be in terms of size, economic importance, richness in history etc, they are all essentially British in character. Leeds is one of many British cities, but one that will always be special to me not just because I studied and lived there for a while, but also Leeds is the starting point of my journey to discover British life and culture.

Sadly, it seems that I won't have much time left to do so. Hence, I am determined that for this Easter holiday, I will immerse myself as deeply in the UK as I can. It's a good time to do so, especially since Prince William's wedding is drawing closer and to mark the historical occasion, people celebrating all things British. So, I will be eating as big a variety of British food as I can, learning to prepare some British dishes, travelling to the British countryside ... and ultimately will be there at the Royal Wedding to celebrate with everyone else. Six months is too short to thoroughly know a country, but considering how my time here will be coming to an end soon and how now is the best time to explore the various aspects of British life, I am determined to make good use of my holidays. Let the Easter project begin!

First Post

Aura: a "presence in time and space, (a) unique existence at the place where it happens to be" (Benjamin, 1935).

If you thought there was something familiar-sounding about the name and title of this blog, then it is likely you are either familiar with cultural critic Walter Benjamin or his essay "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction". Benjamin came up with the concept of aura, which refers to the particularity, authencity and uniqueness of an object or physical reality. That's just the very basic and general idea, and I won't dwell further on aura as defined by Benjamin lest I bore anyone (including myself, having written and submitted an essay on the very topic a few weeks ago and not wanting to revisit the whole thing again in all its complexity). But anyway, the idea of unique points in time and space sort of struck a chord in me, and I decided to create a blog to chronicle and cherish such moments. I don't have the most interesting life, but I do have many experiences and memories, as well as thoughts, I want to preserve. It would be nice to share them too. Hence I decided to carve a space out of the vast bloggersphere and call it my own.

This post has its aura, to revisit the term again, in that it is the first entry in this blog. Ehhhhhh... YAY :D I suppose another significance is that today is the last day of university before the month-long Easter break begins. Then it could also be said that today's special because it's April Fool's Day 2011. On a more personal level, April is a special month for me, for reasons which will be explained in later entries. Wow, this one post is loaded with aura all right.

That's all I'll say for now. Keep an eye on this space, for more to come!