I exited Raffles Place MRT station one morning this week on the way to work when the turnstile I chose to exit from didn’t work. It just couldn’t read my EZ-Link card. So, I had to use the turnstile just next to it. By that time, a line of people had formed to exit from that particular turnstile. But even though everyone in the line could see I was a victim of a faulty turnstile, no one gave way to me. I had to wait by the turnstile till everyone in the queue had exited before I was able to use the turnstile.

I asked myself how much time I would have interrupted for someone to give way to me. 5 seconds, maybe? But it seems no one was even willing to give up 5 seconds of their day to help someone. And I’m talking about Raffles Place on a weekday rush hour, ok? I’d think most, if not all these people in that queue, are educated professionals in their own field. It seems Singaporeans cannot spare even 5 seconds to do a good deed.

Joe

I waited till today (29 Aug 2009) to apply for the new EZ-Link card because I wanted my card to be auto topped up via GIRO, which is what I’d been having with the old EZ-Link card, and was told by TransitLink staff that GIRO applications on EZ-Link cards started from 27 August. So, my wife and I happily visited a TransitLink counter today and was told by the staff that to apply for GIRO, I needed to “go online”. Wow, this is great. Internet convenience!

They pointed me to the EZ-Link web site and told me to (are you ready for this?) DOWNLOAD their GIRO form, fill it out and MAIL it to them to process the GIRO request. AND….that it’d take 21 days (!!!) to take effect.

Is it just me or does it feel like we have not moved out of the 70’s? Sheesh!

Joe

Anyone of you reading this and celebrating your wedding anniversary soon….first of all, congratulations for staying married. Next, I want to suggest to you what I think is the best wedding anniversary idea - ever! No, I’m not about to recommend the best restaurant, hotel or quaint little garden. The best wedding anniversary idea is actually for you and your spouse to renew your marriage vows again. And with each year, you say the vows with even more conviction.

Whoever has a better wedding anniversary idea than this, please tell me.

Joe

The recent episode of radio personality Chew Soo Wei (from 98.7FM) leaving MediaCorp radio because of “bad grammar and her accent” (although the radio station said the decision to remove her was due to falling listenership and not this) throws up an interesting point about these three terms - diction, slang and accent.

On the very morning I read about Soo Wei’s dismissal in the press, I heard a prominent radio deejay pronounce “Lorong Gambas” in an American way, ie. “Gam” (sounds like cam) and “Bas” (sounds like bess). Nothing wrong with that (the local - Malay - way to pronounce this road is, of cos, “Gum-Bus”), but in the same sentence, this same deejay then pronounced “Paisr Panjang” in the local way, ie. “Pan” (sounds like pun) and “Jang” (sounds like junk). If she were to maintain her American accent, she should have said “Pan” (sounds like pen) and “Jang” (sounds like gang). So, if it’s really true that Soo Wei was removed because of her bad accent, then a few other local radio deejays need to be removed too.

It’s easy to pick up an accent or speak with a slang. Doing it well is quite another story. But the true test comes with knowing where your roots are. If you adopt an American accent, then stick with American. If you wish to speak Standard English, then keep it consistently Standard English. In both cases, you need to watch your diction. Otherwise, you will just come across as someone who tries to be someone you obviously are not. Most times, it is excrutiatingly obvious.

Joe

I wrote a song recently with this line “When I tell her she looks good today, she says “Why, you mean I don’t look good yesterday?”.

And so, there was this Canadian expat who wrote to the local press (ST) this week (Eric Brooks - “Be Grateful Singapore”) saying how fortunate Singaporeans are because the Singapore government looks after them so well, better than any other country he knows (and he’s been all over the world). After his letter was published, a flood of other mails from Singaporeans were posted to thank Mr Brooks on this recognition. Except for this guy, Paul Chan, who seemed to equate Mr Brooks’ praising Singapore with saying that the Canadian government isn’t doing anything good. So, Mr Chan went into a rhetoric, reminding Mr Brooks of some of Canada’s good government programs. I mean, come ON, Mr Chan. Mr Brooks is NOT saying Canada is no good just becos he’s saying Singapore is.

Maybe I should change the words of my song now….”When I tell Paul he looks good today, he says “Why, you mean I don’t look good yesterday?”

Joe

When did you last have a good conversation with someone? Do you remember what it was that you enjoyed about it? There’s a high chance that your answer might be that the person/people you were conversing with gave you the time to express yourself and he/they actually LISTENED to what you were saying. Talk - anyone can do that. But listening ….now THAT’s where the real art is. May you have many wonderful conversations in your lifetime!

Joe

It’s a fine line dividing an opinion from criticism aimed in our direction. I guess one factor deciding this is how we feel about the person giving it. If it came from someone we dislike, it’s pretty obvious that it’d be viewed as criticism. Which is a shame, because the so-called criticism could well be a good opinion and it is our own inability to accept it that’s preventing us from making what could be a positive step forward. I too have been guilty of rejecting an opinion because of the party from which it came. But I know that if I want to be a better person, I should listen to every opinion/criticism I get and decide on its merit and not because it came from someone I may not like.

Joe