Remembering the Christmas of yesteryears...

Christmas is just two days away and I thought I pen my thoughts on the good days of the 1960s. As a child Christmas was a time to enjoy some goodies, cakes and cookies but no presents. We were poor and besides we don't observe Christmas as we weren't Christians then. However, I would visit my neighbour's home just 100 metres away and soak in their festivities, and gawked at their lighted up and decorated Christmas tree. It would take the place of pride in the living room, and people would come and go wishing each other Merry Christmas. As I grew up in my teens I got to know Christmas as a time for merrymaking, playing guitar, making a few dollars performing at house parties and enjoying myself as such. My first big party after leaving school was to attend one gathering held at Shell House then in Collyer Quay. There was "live" music and I was there with my schoolmate and also my neighbourhood guys.

Later on in my 20s we would go to parties and nightclubs. Bookings had to be made in advance if you want to get a seat - and we would go in group of 10s or more couples. It was enjoyable and memorable. I recalled on Xmas Day morning as I was climbing up the stairs to get home at 6am and my mum and sister were leaving the house for the morning mass! Gosh...it was really getting caught crawling into bed well after bedtime!

One Xmas eve I remembered as I was trying to take a nap before the big evening of merrymaking. I chanced to turn the newspaper and read about a classmate who had committed suicide. It was shocking and I jumped out of the sofa. Couldn't sleep after reading that report as I tried to analyse why did she take her own life.

Raffles Place was the place to be for carolling. Church groups would perform on top of what was once a covered underground car park - the first in Singapore, flanked on one side by buildings housing the Robinson's department store and the Oriental Emporium.

Subsequent years Xmas became more subdued especially after I started a family. The gatherings were at friends' homes but there was exchanges of gifts, including giving to the children. It's been the same all these years, but I will still always enjoy Christmas more so now as a Catholic. The masses were great and so were the hymns. Merry Christmas!

2011...hopefully a better year

Alas the twelth month of 2010 is drawing to a close. There' so much that happened during the year and I must say several of which were events that I would have hoped they didn't happen. But given life's cycle it is inevitable that we have to accept the depatures of love ones from people to pets. Lest their passing will not be in vain, it remains for those who are still living to remember the lessons they taught us, be it about treasuring friendship and kinship, to unconditional love showered on us by our pets.

What have I done in 2010 that could be called a milestone? I'm not sure. Perhaps it is the sale of a house and the purchase of a house on the hill. Certainly not the trading on the stock exchanges as the market volatility somehow ultimately gobbled up the gains from the winning streaks. Am thankful that it didn't altogether wiped out the capital.

What can one look forward to in 2011? Perhaps with circumspect I would like to make my money word harder for me. Strategically planning for some moves that can point that way. There will be some tough decisions to be made, perhaps to the point of being gutsy but they will not be callous ones. Certainly can do with more blessing from God; will work hard to walk His ways. Planning more time playing my guitar and bring back memories of those days gone by.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Well Santa Claus is beginning to appear in the newspaper advertisements; Christmas trees are taking their places at the various retail malls while decorative bulbs are gradually crawling out of the leafy trees. Its not quite the end of the year, but in a matter of weeks I believe it is likely to begin to look like Christmas. Understandably the retailers can't wait to get their cash registers ringing...given that the year's economic recovery has been anything but smooth. Bonuses for employees - well there's talk about better payouts this year but it remains to be seen. The stock market is taking a drubbing today; some say this is expected given the rises in the past fortnight. G20 members are still struggling in Seoul to find a common platform acceptable for everyone. There's just too many rhetoric. The will to perform isn't there.

Somehow life goes on. Students are out in large numbers to enjoy their term end holidays - a much deserved one given that they waited a year for the final exams. Holiday-makers are always flowing in and out come whatever time of the year. The drinkers will get their pints and the drunkards will get their high.

I sometimes wonder just how many more Christmas will I get to enjoy? Never know. Guess it's a simple question but to give it a definitive answer is not easy. We as humans think we have the power to do many things but alas not over life. If we breathe, it's because someone up there allows us to do so. Otherwise we are just like the candle that can be snuffed out in one puff. Given the fragility of life, yet one wonders why we don't always treasure the time we have on this good Earth. Instead of ranting and complaining, we should be going out there to enjoy the surroundings and take things in their stride. At the end of the day, we should say: Oh what a beautiful day it has been!

Life's Journey

Having seen so many close friends, associates, relatives passed on in life, one somehow can't help but pause to think what legacy will I be leaving behind after I am gone. Perhaps no one will remember or talk about me. I am not a politician who may have introduced policies to change people's lives, nor am I a multi-millionaire philanthropist whose donations will be etched on the stones of buildings, not even a singer to leave a song for others to sing.

Perhaps all I have is my blog...even then it is not regularly updated. My rantings and writings may not even make it into a scrap book. My ideas and views are nondescript. But, and a big but, maybe people will remember me for what I am...just another person who led a normal life, yet is able to enjoy all that is around me, appreciate the beauty of life, music, art and all the challenges in work and business. Friends I have a few; some may disagree and say I have more than I can chew. Regrets yes I do have them, one of which was that I should have paid more attention to education when I was young. I could have taken a different route and who knows then I may not have to reflect on what is the legacy that I will leave behind. I may be a leader of sorts and be remembered by my followers. One consolation I have is that I still have friends who remember to invite me for their gatherings, old classmates whose numbers are fast dwindling as the years go by.
Family, who are closely knit though they may not always agree with my thoughts and views. But in a crunch, they will stand together as one. This is important for ultimately, it is not anyone else but the family that you go home to. It is the family that you leave behind as your legacy.

Freedom...at what price?

Many countries may have gone into the First World status, while others are at the periphery waiting to join the ranks of the economic elites. But even among these so-called rich nations, the question of Freedom for the people is still a subject that is widely challenged by the people. One question often asked is: Freedom..but at what price? Yes indeed can we put a price to freedom, but should freedom be equated to a value. One of the most common ires among people is the lack of freedom of speech, expression and assembly. We see in Thailand today the people demonstrating day after day in a mass expression of the freedom of assembly. Is this good for the country and for the people, or are they being manipulated by the rich, some even paid for their time to "exercise" their freedom? I won't go into whether there is justification in the street demonstration since the current government itself got into office through such parallel street politicking.

The point I want to make is should any nation be subjected to such inconvenience under the flag of freedom of expression, even at the cost of ruining the economy? Almost daily we read in newspapers about politicians and other social activists clamouring for more freedom, and governments proclaiming that they have given freedom to the people but some with caveats that such freedom should not be at the expense of social unrest. Indeed I suspect that some authorities are using this caveat to in fact draw the framework to the meaning of freedom that best suits their needs. Hence, they line up a list of out of bounds areas or subjects and imposed a sledge hammer policy to the slightest transgressions, to the point that it is perceived as intolerance of political freedom and personal freedom.

I don't have the answers; I believe even scholars will not be able to find a suitable answers. The probable answers I believe ultimately would lie in the hands of the people: at what price are they prepared to pay for freedom?

Human weakness...no place is safe

The recent scandals involving Catholic priests once again surfaces the weaknesses in humans. It is not uncommon to hear of human failings even at the highest of office in politics certainly as well as in the corporate world. And, certainly we should not expect too much of the religious who after all began life as a common man and is still human, whatever the frock that covers the body. In fact, at one Sunday sermon the priest right put it to the congregation when he appealed for decorum especially from women who turned up in church to take holy communion. He asked that they avoid wear spaghetti string T-shirts for "we priests are humans too...". The current scandals gripping the church indeed underscored what the priest said.

However, I can understand the sense of betrayal that the victims must have felt. I grew up with deep respect for one of my neighbours who was strict with his nephews. He was a regular at church and always seen as a person with an upright personality. One day while I was among my group of friends, I overheard him using the four-letter expletive matter-of-factly...and gosh how all my respect for this "Uncle" began to crumble. And as I grew into my teens, I even learnt that he was coveting a neighbour's wife. He would visit her when her sailor husband was away and she would go with him on his scooter for rides. Indeed I recalled my mum telling me how she once saw them walking hand-in-hand. There is a certain trust that we would place in a person, because of his office, or because of his title, be it CEO, teacher, priest, godparent for example. And the children who went to take refuge in the convent and other homes run by the religious would have thought that they have found the safest place on earth, only to be abused by the avarice of mankind.

I have always felt that in prayer, it should be a communication between Man and God. The priests and other religious are just facilitators. I have been put off many times by the high-brow attitudes of these people that sometimes put me in dismay. They behave very much like the Pharisees,and others behave like demi-gods themselves. If only they could leave religion to God himself, we could have averted all these man-made scandals.

Farewell our lovely Snowy

Snowy, a female Maltese, was born in Sydney, Australia. From the day we bought her she was a darling to everyone who came into contact with her. Her warm personality made her the one special dog that stood out from the others. She was very affectionate towards humans, never bit anyone and was a tough girl who fought for one year with the tumour above her left eyebrow and in her mouth.

She had a cheerful disposition and what I would call "a happy dog". She was delightfully playful, brimming with energy and knew how to prime herself to win everyone's affection. Even a cousin who was afraid of dogs, got so attached to Snowy after a visit that she cuddled her the whole day and offered to bring her to her home. That's how Snowy had been as a pet.

At our first meeting with Snowy we discovered that she loved to play hide-and-seek with anyone who was game to run around the sofa and chase her. Like a child, she would spin around and hid herself and dart from one side of the sofa to the other in glee. Whenever someone came home, she would gladly rush to the door and then darted back to pick up a ball to welcome you. She would be so pleased to see you home to give you a warm greeting with the ball in her mouth. How she learnt this trick, no one knew as we didn't teach. Perhaps she learnt it when she was put at the pet farm when everyone was away on vacation. She gave birth to two puppies, fathered by Goofy (who incidentally passed away a year ago on 12 March 2009). One puppy died after birth and the other is Richie who is one alone as an orphan, pinning for his mother.

Snowy lived a fulfilling life in many ways. She lived in apartments and in a detached house in Hunter's Hill (Sydney). She romped around Sydney from Bondi beach to other QVB and shopping areas. She eventually flew to Singapore which was to be her new found home. Like a true Aussie, she enjoyed sun-tanning on days when the sun was at its zenith and would sit in the blazing heat as if to get a good tan. She loved eating just about anything from chocolate to French fries, biscuits, and all types of tidbits. She was a sprinter as she darted from one end of the garden to the other...notwithstanding her short legs. What a girl she was...small eyes, cute face and cuddly body. She could even pirouette on her two hind legs to stand up and peek into our neighbour's house.

We had prayed for her to have some quality of life as the tumour grew from the crown of her eyes to her forehead. It was about half the size of a pingpong ball and we decided to let the vet removed it. He cautioned that it may trigger the cancer to deteriorate. Snowy went on the operating table on 12 March (which happened to be Goofy's death anniversary), came home that same evening to recuperate. The next day she was back to her normal self; with good appetite for food and was up and about. Her operation left her left eye exposed, as the skin had to be cut off. She was examined by the vet on 15 March and her progress was satisfactory.

Alas on 17 March 2010, around 8.10pm she was seen in the car porch, unable to walk and shrieking and gasping. She was rushed to the emergency clinic where the vet who operated on her came back to see her. Snowy was not her usual self. She was suffering and in pain. She was crying out intermittently. The vet surmised that she might not be herself anymore as the cancer could have gone into the brain. I thought: how could that be so when it was only five days after the operation? The decision had to be made to give her the final injection so that she could move on peacefully to Heaven. Farewell dearest Snowy...we'll all miss you dearly and remember you always. We are so sorry that you had to leave us in this way but we know we had to let you go if only to make it less painful for you.

The vet injected into her right leg; she cried softly and within seconds Snowy has left us forever. Bye Snow, Snow, bye...

Remembering Goofy...

A year had passed since Goofy, my pet Shih Tsu, left the family for a better place. His name is still top of mind for everyone at home. At meals, at casual conversations, Goofy invariably becomes the subject of discussion. We remember him for his playfulness, his energy, his loving care for his family and of course his habit of identifying spots in the house to mark his territory. Truly he is special. He was no pushover for if he was not happy with the way he was treated, he knew how to use his growls. Yet there were a few moments when he was naughty but above all, he would always be lovingly missed by everyone who knew him.

Yesterday, the day that Goofy passed on, 12 March, and his wife Snowy underwent an operation to remove two tumours - cancerous tumours one above her left eye and the other in her mouth. Snowy is a tough dog and within 12 hours of the operation she was up and about today. Her looks is somewhat disfigured after the operation, but she didn't lose appetite for food.

Till today, mention the name Goofy and his dear son Richie will be all perked up and wagging his tail to look for his father. He would go to the front door and wait...in vain. We sometimes wonder if Richie understands that his father had gone to a place to rest and never to return until the day when we will all be able to meet again in some distant place...

Her Stylista

It's so refreshing and encouraging to know that the entrepreneurial spirit has not been dampened by the economic environment. Not even the financial fiasco in Europe, not the woes of the Icelandic bank could deter young people from taking a shot at doing their own business. I was particularly pleased to see Her Stylista at blogspot which was started by a "bunch of people" and it displayed a whole line up of latest fashion/clothes for young people.

As I hear from the grapevine that it has got off to a good start since the business was launched. Mails were coming in from across continents, inquiring. And I thought that was a good start. If I recall my forefathers used to tell me about how early Chinese settlers who spread out across Asia especially Southeast Asia would toil as labourers. As time passes, they began to save some money and small businesses were started. Several of these grew and became institutions in their own right, with their influence spanning across several countries.

I hope such stories can be replicated in this age of modern technology. I look forward to the people behind Her Stylista telling me, well we started on 8 March 2010as a fledgling enterprise and over a period of time we have grown.... I shall wait eagerly for this story to be told.

Meantime, you may want to look up herstylista.blogspot.com

So much happened over the Chinese New Year hols

Like all festivities, Chinese New Year is no different. You invite friends over for a good meal and drinks, and vice versa. The challenge is how do you keep up with the widening circle of friends accumulated in the course of your business and work. Next is how do you ensure that you are able to keep up with all the feasting and yet stay fit. It's just as well as today is Ash Wednesday, as it means having to fast and abstain. So we get a break in-betweeen the sometime senseless nibbling away at the food and cookies spread out from day to night.

But amid all the celebrations, it is interesting to read about how a senior Hamas commander was assissinated in Dubai. The operation, according to accounts in the newspaper, was apparently carried out with the precision of an well-organized body, with the assailants coming from different countries disguised as tourists. No doubt the finger is pointed at the Mossad. It's killing like these that no one claims responsibility unlike those terror acts carried out by the extremists where they would proudly raise their hands to own up their deeds. But while one deputy leader was killed another was captured by US and Pakistan forces. The Taleban denied their leader was captured though the captors are beating their chests to bare their success. Amid all these fireworks in the international arena, a lesser known leader in Sri Lanka is facing trial for purported acts of treason. Fonseka, who lost in the war-ravaged island's presidential race recently, was a new twist to the otherwise happy ending to the years of struggle between the Colombo government and the Tamil Tiger insurgents. Meanwhile, the world is waiting with bated breath on the release of Aung Sung Su Kyi by the Burmese military junta, as neighbouring Thailand's court grapples with its delibrations on whether there's case to confiscate Thaksin billions. Indeed, there's so much happening around the world politically that economic events have to take a back seat.

Chinese New Year

Alas the Chinese are busy spring cleaning and stocking up their homes with all things new, almost. From new pyjamas to brooms and dustpans, households would get themselves a new set to begin the new year. Superstitions undoubtedly tend to get the better of most folks, especially the elderly. The Chinese are steeped in traditions though in these modern times we see an affront on age old practices such as wearing of red or other bright coloured clothes during the festive season. The younger generation preferred black and this invariably dominates their dress code, whatever the day or time of the year.

Nevertheless, it is breathtaking to see the crowd that throngs Chinatown during the run-up to the New Year. Red is still the dominant colour be it for banners, greeting cards, and even CD music covers. The street-side calligraphers are still making a quick buck with their deft strokes of the Chinese brush as they pen words of good fortune for the initiated. These scrolls, if I may call them, will be pasted on the doors, or on the huge pots or urns used for storing the padi. As you squeezed your way around the stalls, amid the cacophony of flute, cymbals and drums accompanying the vocals blasted from over-sized speakers, invariably one will be struck by the changing face of society. Caucasians are easily noticeable, not to mention Muslim women in their headscarves (or tudong), as they too joined in the rush. The strong aroma of roasted pork wafted through the humid air as the stall operators hollered at the top of their voices to draw the crowd's attention.

Pussy willows, tangerine Nien kau, pomelos are undoubtedly the evergreen items that stood the test of time. Once a must for the New Year but now a "no no" item are the range of firecrackers and fireworks that governments from across the continents have banned their indiscriminate firing. Singapore was among the first to ban fire crackers and today even Beijing has put a stop to it albeit I suspect the firing of crackers is still very much prevalent in the countrysides and in some secondary cities.

I was listening to the clanging of cymbals by a Chinese orchestra as I was writing this blog, and my mind was transported to the 1960s when my parents would get into a frenzy putting orders for various new year pastries, sweets and other iconic goodies. I would be assigned the menial task of spring cleaning the windows, lamp shades, fans and light bulbs with pails after pails of water to wash away the cobwebs and dust. A red banner cloth would be hung prominently outside the door, a symbol to show that we are celebrating the new year. A week before the big day, my mother would begin to wrap the red packets or hongbao, before plunging into the kitchen to prepare for the big reunion dinner feast on New Year's eve. But like all things traditional and Taoist, as a prelude to the reunion feast, offerings would be made to the ancestors in the afternoon. Its a ritual that I enjoyed as a student, as I went through the ceremony offering joss sticks and burnt paper offerings into one huge bonfire to signal the beginning of the celebrations. Happy New Year!

Now that I'm a year older...oh no!

If the predictions of geomancers and other so-called experts who read into the future and the Chinese horoscopes are to be taken seriously, then year 2010 is a year of where the winds of change will be blowing. If there is any modicum of truth in their predictions, then nimbleness, flexibility and adaptability are characteristics which will be highly valued if we want to ride the ups and downs of their predictions.

As the fireworks and fanfare begin to settle, I can't but be reminded that I am another year older. Oh no....yes now that I am a year older I have to seriously look into my future. The biological clock is ticking and I don't know if I will join the paths of actor Patrick Swayze (of Dirty Dancing fame) and find my life fizzled just the way a gust of wind would put out the playful flicker of a candlelight, or will it be some other calamity that will snuff out my life, be it the widely publicized H1N1 flu virus or some other modern day viruses. Would it be better to go with some dignity and pride as a respectable contributor to the country's economy, or to grey and join the ever increasing flange of tottering elderly table cleaners and public cleansing workers? They are a discarded group of spent bullets, to be cast aside after having provided the lustful shooter with the bang and the adrenalin rush at the firing range. I recall the days when my grandma and grand uncles and aunties were able to relax and enjoy their last days among the hordes of grandchildren and other family members. Having done their turn to bring up the family, they were able to enjoy their retirement and reap the harvest of the seeds they planted in their early ears. But what has happened in today's economy? The elderly becomes like the water buffaloes, still pulling the plough for the farmers, forced to put every ounce of energy to work in the name of economic progress. Alas those who drew up the policies would never have to slave till midnight or later because they are the ones who would have the wherewithal to retire gracefully while the buffaloes wallow from sunrise to sundown. What can be done to help the grandpas and grandmas, to give them the rest they so deserved? The solutions are there but unless policymakers are prepared to change their mindset this grey workforce will have to stay nimble, adaptable and flexible until the winds of change blow in their favour.

I am but a voice in the wilderness, not to be heard. I will be before long, if I don't steer life's journey with some skillful forward planning, I may have to resign to joining their ranks when my time comes.