Indulgence

For health-conscious people...

From: http://sg.news.yahoo.com/7-worst-junk-foods-065542688.html

7 Worst Junk Foods Ever

All of us like some sort of junk food. Yes, totally swearing-off junk foods is probably impossible but there are some junk food items that you should try to resist the most because of the immense damage they can cause to your health. The list of worst junk food items includes:

1. Burgers

Burgers are the unquestioned king of worst junk food choices. Burgers combine everything we shouldn’t be eating. This includes:
- Deep-fried patties that are heavy on trans fats, raising our cholesterol levels
- Sauces high in sugar and sodium
- Layers of cheese containing high amount of dairy fat
- Mayonnaise concentrated with preservatives and egg yolks

2. Candies

These are among the easily available but most sinful junk food items. For starters, candies are nothing but a concentrated form of sugar. Even those that claim to include some goodness of fruits are essentially just flavored forms of sugar. The high sucrose or fructose content ensures that you immediately get a sugar spike—this causes that typical feeling of goodness that makes candies admired by nearly everyone. Whether it is the lollipop, toffees or gummy bears, a couple of candies in any form, can spoil your entire day’s calorie control.

3. Sugary Cereals

These are sinful junk food items since they function under a false claim. Advertised as healthy breakfast cereal, cornflakes or other breakfast cereals coated with sugar aren't healthy. Having a bowl of plain oatmeal or porridge is better than having fruit loops that contains a high concentration of synthetic sugar—having high-sugar breakfast means being more prone to getting sugar cravings during the daytime.

4. French Fries and its Counterparts like Samosas

It is not just French fries but basically all deep fried snacks including the Indian favorites like samosas apart from eternal favorites like potato chips that are extremely detrimental to the health. These are supreme sources of cholesterol and Trans fats that work towards clogging the arteries. A single serving of French fries or a couple of samosas account for nearly 40% of your daily, recommended intake of fat. High in salt, many of these fried food items are accused of having carcinogenic properties. This means they are capable of causing cancer apart from making you prone to developing high blood pressure, obesity and cardiovascular problems! French fries and potato chips are loaded with Sodium that raises blood pressure. Many of the popular fast food chains have been found to serve fries that include Acrylimide—an established cancer-inducing entity.

5. Carbonated Beverages

Most carbonated drinks contain a very high concentration of synthetic sugar. A single, 300 ml serving of any popular cola-like beverage, equals your entire day’s quota of sugar. The ones sporting the sugar-free tag contain sweeteners like aspartame that are known to be harmful if consumed over a period. Aerated beverages tend to induce acidity and make us more prone to storing fat.

6. Ice-Creams 

Ice creams make it to this list of all time worst junk foods simply because of their inherent nature where the creamier, sweeter versions are like more. A single serving of most retailed ice creams is known to contain more than 15 grams of fat along with high amounts of sugar. The cold nature of the ice creams ensure that the overall metabolism is impaired for a few hours while the high fat content makes a direct contribution to the waistline.

7. Creamy Cakes

Many people seem addicted to having cakes for desserts or whenever they are feeling low. However, the enticing slice of cake contains plenty of features that make it one of the worst junk foods ever. Firstly, cakes contain a highly processed, uncooked form of carbohydrate. This kind of white bread has a high glycemic index which in combination with the high amount of sugar ensures that the blood sugar levels are boosted instantly. The high chocolate content and eggs used for making the cream ensure that cakes are concentrated with harmful fats. An occasional slice of cake doesn’t do any harm but eating it every few days, is injurious to health.

So unfair!!

Can't believe such thing is happening in one of the restaurants that I like.

From: http://temasektimes.wordpress.com/2012/04/23/wild-honey-restaurant-slammed-for-favoring-foreigners-over-singaporeans/

‘Wild Honey’ restaurant slammed for favoring foreigners over Singaporeans

Posted by temasektimes on April 23, 2012

The ‘Wild Honey’ western restaurant at Mandarin Gallery has been slammed by netizens for allegedly ‘favoring’ foreigners over Singaporeans.

One angry Singaporean Gary Tan posted on its Facebook asking why he was not given a corner table by the staff which subsequently was given to a foreigner who came after him:

Instead of addressing Gary’s concerns, Wild Honey’s director Guy Wachs rapped him for his complaint:

“We have an international staff including many Singaporeans and respect all people. We deeply regret your remark.”

When Gary continued to protest against the discrimination, his comments were deleted from its Facebook. According to Gary, he arrived at the restaurant at 9am in the morning and it was not packed at all.

The attitude of Guy Wachs peeved off many netizens who are now calling for a boycott of the restaurant.

Some responses on Hardwarezone forum:

“lets boycott them. they need us to survive. but we dont need them.” – strike

“wa, wanted to try at Wild Honey with my gf wan…after this i think i will not go liao.what kind of service is that…we also pay money wan leh.” – timberland

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Singaporean's xenophobic sentiments seem to be getting stronger nowadays. They always seem to feel that foreigners are favoured over locals, even when the matter may not be related to nationality issues.

I wonder if the staff had realised that keeping the corner seats for exactly 3 persons may not work if patrons keep coming in pairs. In fear of rejecting customers unnecessarily, the staff decided to accept 2 persons subsequently. Maybe the staff is indeed practising favoritism, we don't know.

Back to Wild Honey itself, I like how the place has an international feel. It serves many kinds of breakfast from various countries all-day. You can also browse the menu and food pictures through their iPad as well. I still cannot forget its egg Benedict and the smooth, flowing yolk.

Ok lah, I won't boycott Wild Honey just because of this small incident involving one staff. I think it's quite silly. If you want people to respect you, please show that you are worth the respect. 

Our 'Earthquake'

I'm sure all NUS students have seen the short mail reminder about ensuring adequate time for travelling during the exam period. Clearly we all know why.

From: http://www.todayonline.com/Hotnews/EDC120419-0000080/Train-breakdowns-worsen-exam-fever

Train breakdowns worsen exam fever

by Ng Jing Yng

Apr 19, 2012


SINGAPORE - With the universities starting their exams, some undergraduates like Ms Tan W J, 22, are sweating over the prospect of reporting late at the exam halls - no thanks to the recent spate of MRT disruptions, the latest of which crippled services between eight Circle Line stations for two-and-a-half hours and affected 18,000 commuters.

In fact, Ms Tan, a second-year business student at the Nanyang Technological University (NTU), is contemplating either asking her father to give her a lift or leaving her home an hour earlier than usual.

"I am very worried that something is going to happen that day ... there should be special allowance as many of us stay far from school and taxis will be hard to get during train disruptions too," said Ms Tan, who will be sitting for her first paper on Saturday.

Other undergraduates Today spoke expressed similar concerns that they could be barred from taking their papers for being late because of major train disruptions, even though SMRT will provide an excuse chit, like the one pictured, for affected commuters who request for it.

The Singapore Management University (SMU) has started its exams while NTU will do so on Friday.

Exams for undergraduates at the National University of Singapore (NUS) begin today. And yesterday, NUS sent an internal circular reminding students to "plan your schedule to ensure sufficient travelling time".

When queried, an NUS spokesperson said that such reminders are sent out regularly before examinations. Nevertheless, the spokesperson explained that examinations may start later - by up to 30 minutes - because of unforeseen events such as traffic situations. However, if the undergraduates are late by more than an hour, it is a strict "no" - not even if the undergraduates produce SMRT's excuse chit.

According to SMRT, passengers can request the chit from any station staff, which would serve as proof for affected commuters. The practice has been in place for some time, an SMRT spokesperson said.

Responding to Today's queries, NTU said its practice is similar to that of NUS. Nevertheless, the university would consider making alternative arrangements for late-comers in the event of a major train disruption, said NTU registrar Chan Kwong Lok.

At SMU, undergraduates who are late beyond an hour must provide "valid evidence" to support the unforeseen circumstances in order to be given special exemption, its spokesperson said.

Apart from students, workers, too, find themselves in a fix when the trains break down for an extended period.

Ms Yang Qian Ting, 23, who was caught in yesterday's disruption, was stuck at Buona Vista MRT Station - even though she had a job interview at Labrador Park.

Adding that she had to call her interviewers to explain her situation, she said that SMRT "could have made announcements much earlier so that we can plan alternative routes".

Employers Today spoke to said they would excuse their workers for being late because of major disruptions.

Mr Allan Lim, who owns start-up Alpha Biofuels, said he would accept SMRT's excuse chit from their workers as proof. Association of Small and Medium Enterprises president Chan Chong Beng agreed: "At least there's a (piece of) paper ... It's much better than having suspicions on whether the (excuse) is genuine or not genuine."

Yesterday, the MRT network suffered a major breakdown for the fourth time in six days. For 2.5 hours, train services were disrupted between the One-North and Bishan stations.

SMRT's preliminary assessment indicated an electrical earth fault, which disrupted power supply to the communications backbone network located at Botanic Gardens Circle Line Station at about 7.40am, said SMRT spokesperson Goh Chee Kong.

SMRT activated 70 free bridging buses between the affected stations and deployed an additional 100 staff on the ground to assist affected commuters.

However, commuters at the Buona Vista and Bishan stations were upset over the lack of information and clear instructions from the authorities.

In a media statement, SMRT interim CEO and executive director Tan Ek Kia apologised for the inconvenience. He said the SMRT is working with its contractor and the Land Transport Authority (LTA) "to investigate the cause of the problem to prevent a recurrence".

Noting the recent spate of disruptions, LTA group director for vehicle and transit licensing Colin Lim said the transport operator "will be required to provide a full report on the incidents including its plans to resolve the underlying causes". He added: "LTA will review the report and work with SMRT on the plans to rectify the situation." 

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It seems pretty ironic that trains are still breaking down consecutively even when the inquiry is going on. In fact it seems that no matter how much maintenance is (claimed to be) done, there is always something breaking down somewhere. I guess this is how electrical systems work - they can fail suddenly without notice, like my computer or other technology products. Due to the delicateness of electrical systems, even a small fault can result in a big problem.

Luckily I usually travel to school by bus, which runs on petrol. So it's definitely more reliable than trains haha.

This reminds me...I think I better back up my data soon. My computer has been performing too well these few weeks, after a massive problem of blue-screen-of-death, sudden shutdown, boot-up failure some time ago. By the earthquake-analogy, something bad may be happening soon...

See my face

I definitely do not belong to this category of people haha.

From: http://news.omy.sg/News/World%2BNews/Story/OMYStory201204120503-326686.html

Facebook朋友越多越自恋

华盛顿 WASHINGTON

美国西伊利诺大学一项心理研究显示，拥有自恋特质的人，越会频繁更新自己的Facebook动态，好让朋友们时时注意到他的存在。此外，这些人也很在意自己的面簿朋友人数，喜欢加入新朋友，即使不熟或完全不认识，也无所谓。

这所大学的教授说，那些自我感觉良好的人，面簿正好满足了他们的心理需求。

另外，加拿大的一份研究报告则指出，在Facebook上发布负面的情绪或感受，会让你变得不受欢迎。

研究人员表示，这是因为人人都喜欢有自信，散发正面能量的人。

男女在面簿上的不同习惯

男性：

喜欢透过个人的资料来宣传。
偏好在网站上张贴文章。

女性：

喜欢上传美丽照片来展现自己。
较喜欢与朋友互动及回应贴文。

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I wonder if the title is really true, or it's the other way round - "越自恋,朋友越多". Although I've taught not to simply believe the conclusions of such sketchy surveys, I still find it interesting to read such articles. I think there is no correlation at all, just that this kind of people stand out so much and it makes them an interesting subject to study.

Do you have such friends in friends in Facebook? This study is conducted in America so it may not be very applicable to Asians, who are more conservative and less open.

Personally, the reason why I use Facebook regularly is to obtain information, interact with people, look at pictures, etc. I rarely share information, so I'm not really contributing to the FB network lol. I only share what I want others to see, such as my travel photos etc. No unglam pictures that other friends tag! Heh heh.

不能没有你

Wah I'm so guilty of this one hahaa...

From: http://news.omy.sg/News/Local%2BNews/Story/OMYStory201204050501-325048/2.html


本地网民1天　上网近10小时

看电邮、查资料、打电玩，新加坡人每天平均花将近10小时上网，比日本、印度、澳大利亚和中国的网民还多，而年轻人上网时间更长达12个小时。

如果一整天不上网，60%的人会感到浑身不自在，有些人甚至愿意花一百多元上网一天。

安全软件公司Symantec旗下的Norton今年2月在新加坡、日本、印度、澳大利亚和中国针对网民展开调查，每个国家有500名年龄介于18至64岁的网民参加。

调查结果显示，新加坡的受访者上网的时间每天平均达9.4小时，在这5国中高居榜首，印度和澳大利亚分别以8.4小时和8小时排在第2和第3位。

年龄介于18到34岁的新加坡人耗在上网的时间最长，平均达12小时。

人们上网的5大用途是查阅和回复电邮、浏览网页查找资料、购物或做银行转账、使用社交网站和玩游戏。

在这当中，人们以浏览网页查找资料花掉最多时间，每星期平均为14.6个小时。其次是使用社交网站，每周平均用了12.4个小时。

习惯长时间上网，突然不能上网还真不习惯。10个受访者当中，有6人表示会无所适从，因为若不能上网，许多工作就无法完成，也联系不上亲友，非常不方便。为了上网，每5个人当中，有2个愿意出180元上网一天。

不过，调查也显示，本地网民的网络安全意识挺强，76%受访者宁愿放弃获得100万元的机会，也不愿让陌生人从网上获取个人资料。

九成受访者也认为，为电脑安装网络安全软件是必要的，而近半数认为基本网络安全是足够的。

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Indeed I can't live without a computer. Unless I'm on overseas trip, I'll make an effort to use my computer everyday. Out of the top 5 reasons for computer usage, I spend the most time looking for and reading up information, followed by social networking, which includes assessing Facebook and reading/updating blogs. This is exactly the order that the article mentions. I guess I belong to the typical lot.

I do check mails everyday, but it doesn't take long because most are junk. There are few mails that require my reply or initiation. In fact, I always look forward to receiving non-junk mails haha.

I don't play computer games anymore. Be it those that require installation like Warcraft/free MMORPG, or those online browser types like in Facebook.

I don't shop online too. Is buying movie tickets or concert tickets considered online shopping? Haha.

Ok I check my bank account online every now and then. But that's not my main reason for using the computer.

Anyway the article missed out one of my main reasons for computer usage - watching dramas/programmes/youtube. This takes up a lot of time too. Occasionally I watch TV through the computer. Although I've a real TV set in my room, I rarely use it hahaaa. So wasted.

Of course there is one more very very very important reason why I have to use a computer, why I get so frustrated when my computer fails to work properly, why I spend so much time facing the screen even when eyes can't take it anymore.


School work lah. No choice. There is no such thing as teacher giving out worksheets/workbooks in class anymore. Needless to say, projects...

The Harmful Water

Who would have thought the harmless-looking transparent liquid spill on a seat is...

From: http://news.omy.sg/News/Local+News/Story/OMYStory201203271510-322775.html

地铁车座惊现腐蚀液　烧焦美女臀

女郎晚上下班后搭地铁，坐在疑被人放置腐蚀性液体的座位，臀部被烧焦入院。

事发时，女郎在莱佛士坊转换地铁，一上车看到有空位就坐了上去。谁知坐下后，就感觉裤子湿湿的，发现座位上有液体，以为是水，也不以为意，换到对面的另一个座位。

不到一分钟，她的臀部突然传来阵阵的灼热感，原本打算在政府大厦下车，但想早点回家，决定忍一忍。

岂料到了多美歌地铁站，臀部的灼热感变成刺痛，她再也忍不住，马上下车到女厕查看，骇然发现右臀“烧焦”。

伤口巴掌大，恐需换肤；专家：腐蚀液可能是硫酸；SMRT：已交警方处理。

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It's pretty scary thinking that someone could bring sulphuric acid into the MRT and spill it. And this is a nasty chemical to have...

Usually people will avoid sitting on seats with liquid spills, but sometimes we just sit down without noticing it. The nastiest liquid I've sat on is aircon cooling water. It was leaking from the aircon vent above a bus seat, but I didn't notice it because the liquid was absorbed into dark-coloured SMRT bus cushioned seat. I only realised it until some dripped onto my head. The worse thing was, the cooling liquid was really smelly (reeks of metal) and it stained my shorts too. A visible wet mark could be seen at butt area. It was pretty embarrassing to walk around too. Luckily I was on the way home at that time otherwise...

Ever since then I became wary about liquid spills on public seats, especially those below aircon vents. Look carefully before you sit.

Love me or Give me Money

Wah didn't know this haha...

From: http://news.omy.sg/News/Local%2BNews/Story/OMYStory201202291510-315862.html

4年一次闰日　女性示爱日遭拒可索赔

今天是4年一次的闰日，也是国际“女性示爱日”，遭拒女生可索赔！

根据网上资料，2月29日是欧洲贵族圈里流行的“女性示爱日”，这一天女人可大胆表白，男人原则上必须答应，不然就得支付一定数额的“伤心补偿费”。

这个日子的典故，可追溯到1288年，当时苏格兰女王颁布法令，宣布在闰年的2月29日，女人可向男人示爱，男人拒绝就得掏出1英镑（在700多年前可是大数目）的“赎免费”，或对求爱失败的女方赠送绸缎衣服。

据说，从17世纪开始，这个风俗普及欧洲。西风东渐，近年来也在中国成了新流行。

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Looks like girls can pluck up their courage to confess to their loved ones on this leap day. And what a cheap way to get monetary compensation...

Guys seems to be at the disadvantaged end haha. One simple solution: Shut yourself out on that day.

Missed this rare opportunity? Wait 4 years later. By the time things might have already changed. =p

Weekly dreaded affair

This reminds me of the times when I used to dread PE lessons.


Sports for all students with new PE syllabus
14 February 12, The Straits Times by Fabius Chen

ALL Singaporean youth will be able to play at least three sports at a recreational level by the time they leave secondary school.

That is one of the main objectives that the Ministry of Education (MOE) has set as part of its role in Vision 2030 - a project jointly led by the Singapore Sports Council (SSC) and the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS).

Launched last July, it is a blueprint for the Republic's sporting future.

In line with this, a new physical education (PE) syllabus will be rolled out in phases, beginning in 2014. It will include a one-hour increase in PE each week. At present, primary school pupils attend between one and 11/2 hours of PE weekly, while secondary school students have one hour.

Ms Liew Wei Li, director of the MOE's student development curriculum division, said the ministry wants to get every child to lead a physically active lifestyle through participation in sports.

With that in mind, it will identify a set of core sports which every student will be well versed in by the time they leave secondary school.

Students will be taught progressively, starting with modified games at the primary level to full-fledged sports at the secondary and junior college/centralised institute level, a ministry spokesman explained.

He added that it is part of the MOE's view of sports as an 'important part of holistic education', which can inculcate the values of 'respect, teamwork, integrity, responsibility and resilience'.

'We're quite firm on seeing how we can develop character through our PE programme,' Ms Liew noted.

The MOE's initiative is part of just one of five preliminary recommendations that the Vision 2030 committee has come up with, designed to allow Singaporeans from all walks to life to get involved in sports.

Other initiatives under the same category - labelled Opportunities - include getting private corporations involved in the local sporting scene, as well as increasing the participation rate of the elderly.

Two other key areas - Access and Capabilities - contributed another six and eight recommendations respectively.

The Vision 2030 team announced all 19 recommendations at a media briefing yesterday, after seven months of consultation with close to 2,500 people, both face-to-face and online.

The next phase, according to committee members, is getting the public's views on the preliminary list, before implementing the finalised plans in May.

'The first step was a divergence of ideas,' noted MCYS Acting Minister Chan Chun Sing. 'For the second phase, we want to seek convergence and prioritise the ideas which are most useful to take us forward.'

But whether the initiatives are aimed at increasing participation (Opportunities), reaching out to the public (Access) or increasing the talent pool of athletes and officials (Capabilities), the ultimate goal of Vision 2030 is one of synergy.

'The first phase showed that there is a great diversity of (sporting) interests,' SSC chief executive Lim Teck Yin noted.

'Vision 2030 seeks to at least facilitate these.

'We want to provide opportunities and access for all segments of society to pursue sport in Singapore.'

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Since primary school I don't really like to attend PE lessons. I find it a hassle to change into the PE attire, make our way to the school field or basketball court, then return to the classroom sweaty and smelly. Most students just wear their PE attire inside their uniforms and then take them off conveniently in the classroom when PE starts. However it's quite uncomfortable to wear double layer of clothes and it can be difficult to conceal the PE shorts completely under the normal shorts. It's simpler for girls since their skirts are longer haha.

Activity-wise I think primary school is the least stressful. We played around with cones and beanbags. Sometimes skipping ropes and hula hoops etc. At Primary 5 I got a fierce PE teacher and that was when I start to dread PE. Not to mention the NAPFA test which I always did badly at.

At secondary school my worst fears came true. PE became a weekly dreaded affair as we had to face a group of strict PE teachers who also double as discipline masters. Right from the first lesson we were drilled to pass NAPFA, especially 2.4km run which most people fail. Most lessons were spent on running and running. Those who fail to make the mark have to continue the running practice, while the rest get to play other stuff like soccer. There were just so much NAPFA-based trainings that I don't remember learning other sports.

In JC it became less dreadful. There was lesser emphasis on NAPFA training. I guess that's because most of us are already quite 'trained' in secondary school. One reason that kept me motivated to do well in NAPFA is avoiding BMT PTP haha. We had more chance to try other leisure sports activities, though most of my classmates weren't enthusiastic about PE lessons and often skipped them, especially at the end of a tiring day.

For a non-sporty person like me, PE lessons seem mostly physical drills and training. I hardly learnt any sports during these 12 years of compulsory PE.

Thinking about it now, I wished I had been more enthusiastic in PE. It isn't that dreadful actually...

Strange sounds all over the world

Another creepy phenomenon that leads people to wonder if Doomsday is really approaching.

Some weeks ago, people from different parts of the world reported that strange noises could be heard from the atmosphere. The source of noise cannot be determined, but it was pretty loud and definitely not something natural. It can be heard even when there is no train stations nearby. The coincidence is that the strange sound was heard by people around the world at the same period of time.

If you are watching this on a quiet night, please don't creep out...










You can find many of such videos in youtube. A search in Google will give several related happenings, and this occurrence is 'serious' enough to have made it into mainstream news reports.


Where exactly does this weird noise come from? No one is able to explain that till now. Some say it's a hoax and these videos are fake. Whereas some argued that it is real as they have heard the noise personally, and there is no sign of the videos being doctored.

Some also noted the resemblance to 'War of the Worlds' movie, where loud mechanical sounds were heard before alien spaceships emerged from beneath the ground. Is this a sign of alien invasion? Some described that the Earth is groaning because of all the environmentally harmful acts that humans have done. And there is always a group of people who predicts that great disaster is befalling us.

Fact or crap? You decide...

没素质

It started out with this small incident on the train:




And it has escalated to a verbal war between the two "countries".




Really buay tahan listening to the professor's nationalist comments. Even if he has experienced unpleasant encounters with Hongkongers, the name-calling and generalization of the entire population is pretty extreme. What's more, he expresses his prejudice in a matter-of-factly manner. Before he points his finger to others, perhaps he should reflect upon the behaviour of his own countrymen as well.

Anyway the professor was so engrossed in his verbal attack that he missed the point that the parent did not show any remorse for dirtying the train.

Quite a lot of countries allow eating or drinking in trains, though it is of good manners to do it discreetly without dirtying the area. These people might experience a little culture shock when they ride trains in cities like Hong Kong and Singapore, where eating or drinking is prohibited. Nevertheless it is important to respect the local culture and abide by their rules when visiting other countries.

With the influx of PRCs into Singapore, and the rising discontent with foreigners, will this kind of incident happen here as well in the future?

The professor cited examples from other countries to support his flawed logic. And that includes Singapore, which is also strictly governed by rules like Hong Kong. His '没素质' implication angered many Singaporeans too.

你认为法制多的新加坡是个没素质的社会吗?

The Ambassador

Our beloved creature goes abroad. =)

From: http://news.omy.sg/News/Local%2BNews/Story/OMYStory201201170500-305173.html

本地观众不满日本节目　把鱼尾狮变吐芥末怪物

日本电视游戏节目恶搞本地的鱼尾狮，把代表新加坡的鱼尾狮丑化成口吐芥末（wasabi）的怪物，本地观众看了觉得气愤。

看过该集节目的网民“JellyLegs”在STOMP网站上指出，这是一种侮辱。

这位网民指出，新加坡的鱼尾狮闻名世界，尤其是在日本，在当地的广告和游戏节目中经常可以看见鱼尾狮出现。

最近，他听说鱼尾狮在受欢迎的日本搞笑综艺节目《Lincoln》中出现，但是，他看了节目后赫然发现，鱼尾狮在节目里成了可笑的怪物，令他觉得有被冒犯的感觉。

对此，其他网民也表示愤怒，指责该节目的制作单位太不敏感；但也有人指出，美国自由女神像也经常被拿来开玩笑，不必为此耿耿于怀。
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I felt amused when I saw the merlion in the game show. And I don't see a reason to get offended by this, since even Sgeans use 'merlion' to mean 'vomit' sometimes. In fact I think the idea is pretty creative. It beats just putting a flowing pipe at the top of the stairs, as it would be so boring.

You can see the video and more screenshots from this original Stomp link.

http://singaporeseen.stomp.com.sg/stomp/sgseen/what_bugs_me/899588/merlion_becomes_wasabispewing_joke_on_gameshow.html

Anyway if you look at the pictures (or video), the merlion is spitting some colourless liquid. How did the Stomper come to the conclusion that it is wasabi?! It is most probably just hot water, deduced from the video which shows someone get scalded.

What people around the world know about this little red dot is probably just our merlion. Look at tourism advertisements on SG and there is always a merlion somewhere, although MBS is gradually gaining recognition. At least our national icon is unique enough to create an impression among foreigners. Just treat this as free publicity for SG haha.

Even the top has problems

I am aware that Orchard Road is highly-rated in the world but I didn't expect it to emerge top...


From Straits Times, 10 Jan 2012

Poll: Orchard is world's top shopping strip
By Ng Kai Ling

Orchard Road has beaten 29 other premier shopping strips to become the world's best shopping street in a survey by a French marketing consultancy.

Ninety mystery shoppers, sent out to 400 retail outlets in 30 cities by Paris-based Presence Mystery Shopping, rated Orchard Road highly in all the judging categories.

Orchard Road scored a total of 89 points out of 100.

The four categories were: the cleanliness of the street and the retail outlets, the quality of the retail staff and the friendliness of passers-by.

The mystery shoppers who came here said Orchard Road stood out for its "wide and clean pavements and diversity of shops", and noted the availability of bins and benches.

They also felt welcomed by the sales staff in the shops.

Orchard Road was one of only two shopping strips in Asia in the top 10. Tokyo's Ginza was ranked ninth.

When The Straits Times took the news of Orchard Road's pole position to the shopping strip itself yesterday for a street poll, two opposing views emerged.

In one corner were tourists, who gave Orchard Road the thumbs-up, praising it for its cleanliness and the standard of service they had received.

In the other were Singaporeans, many of whom said the variety of shops was disappointing, and that they had received better customer service in cities such as Taipei, Hong Kong and Bangkok.

Housewife Tricia Chong, 31, could not believe Orchard Road had come out tops.

She said: "The service staff in Hong Kong are more motivated. They even learn languages like English and Chinese to converse with their international customers."

Hairstylist Winnie Goh, 30, said Orchard Road could do with more brands, especially mid-range ones.

She added that she has shopped in H&M in Tokyo, and that it took a couple of years for the label to come here.

The sentiments of tourists were in sync with those of the mystery shoppers.

Mr Thierry Moret, the 52-year-old Swiss chief operating officer of luxury watch brand Chopard, who is here on business, said: "The service quality here is excellent.

"Basically, in Asia, service is always better than in Europe. People are more friendly and smile more."

Ms Claire Sutherland, 40, who has been to the Champs-Elysees in Paris, London's shopping districts and New York's Madison Avenue, was all praise for Orchard Road.

"Ion Orchard is the most beautiful shopping centre I've been in... Orchard Road is top in the world, with top stores that are easy to get to in a big, wide street," said the Australian journalist.

Retail analysts said the survey findings reflected the effort and investment made to transform Orchard Road into a world-class shopping street.

They noted that in a 2008 makeover costing S$40 million (US$31 million), Orchard Road was spruced up, with wider pavements, benches, lamp posts and even recycling bins.

Paid for by the Singapore Tourism Board, the improvements were aimed at elevating Orchard Road to the level of famous shopping streets like the Champs-Elysees.

Ms Letty Lee, the director of retail services at real estate consultancy CBRE, said: "It was a conscious effort to raise Singapore to the top.

"Now, in terms of appearance, Orchard Road is really on top."

Singapore Polytechnic Business School senior retail lecturer Sarah Lim also agreed with the mystery shoppers.

She said: "It's a very pleasant walk down Orchard Road, and with major brands on the facades of the malls, it looks impressive."

She added: "The strong results in service also showed that our investment in customer service training is showing results."

---

However Orchard Road seems to always hit the news with all its problems. Every now and then there are articles or letters complaining about the situation in Orchard. Let's see what I can think of:

Flooding (aka ponding): Ever since the 'big flood' in 2010, Orchard Road has undergone major and minor floods every now and then. It's always that same few low-lying shopping malls. The news never fail to make a big hoo-ha each time, as citizens point the finger to PUB, the government, PAP, ministers, and everything they can criticize.

Congestion: As the shopping street is getting more and more crowded, narrow routes such as the Orchard MRT underpass and the Wisma-Taka corridor often experience human jam, especially during holidays and festive seasons. People even fainted in the congestion before.

Sewer Leakage: At the Orchard MRT underpass near Tangs side. The stench can fill up the entire passageway and what's more it's underground and the ventilation is not that good.

Power Outage: A recent case in Ion Orchard. Seems like the infrastructure in Orchard is so prone to breakdowns. Too much usage?

Bird Nuisance: A daily occurrence around 7pm around the Somerset stretch, when the birds are having a great evening meeting. Not only do shoppers have to bear with the loud chirping noises, they have to also beware of 'dropping bombs'.

Traffic Jam: During peak occasions or when accidents happen. At least the problem here is not as serious as CTE.


Are Singaporeans too whiny or foreigners fail to notice the downside of Orchard Road? Service-wise I can't really tell because I rarely shop and the service Sgeans get may be different from what foreigners get.

You vomited. Please pay the Vomit Surcharge.

Cabbies really have a tough time eh?

From: Straits Times, 2 Jan 2012
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/seasia/how-much-to-vomit-in-a-taxi-in-singapore/488461

How Much to Vomit in a Taxi in Singapore?
By Elizabeth Soh

On New Year's Eve, taxi driver Tan Pin Lin started his shift at 5 p.m. with 10 plastic bags, boxes of tissue paper and a prayer that no one would puke in his cab after a night of partying.

As he wrapped up his shift at 5 a.m. yesterday, he counted himself fortunate: Only one passenger had vomited.

He said in Mandarin: "I think I'm very lucky that the vomiting one was my last fare. If not, I would have had to take time out to clean the taxi, lose earnings and then try to find passengers who don't mind the smell."

Taxi drivers regularly have to deal with drunken passengers who refuse to compensate them for the cost of cleaning up after making a mess in the vehicles.

Although some embarrassed passengers do pay up, cabbies say others are too drunk to do so, or simply refuse to pay the 20 Singapore dollars (US$15.4) to get the taxi cleaned.

Besides being set back 20 Singapore dollars every time it happens, the cabbies also stand to lose the 30 to 50 Singapore dollars they would have earned had they been out driving instead of being stuck in a petrol station washing bay.

The cost of picking up a drunken passenger who pukes is thus at least 50 Singapore dollars.

The number of passengers who have had too much to drink doubles during the December to February festive season, a Straits Times poll of 50 cabbies found.

Eric Low, 41, who drives the 5 p.m. to 5 a.m. shift seven days a week, said he picks up perhaps three vomiting passengers in a normal month, and up to four a week during the Christmas and New Year period.

Cabbies say that as more nightspots open, the number of "hurling" passengers can only go up.

They say that when they have a passenger who has thrown up on board, the standard practice is to ask for a flat payment of 10 to 20 Singapore dollars - on top of the fare - depending on how bad the mess is.

Faisal Nordin, 47, said: "If they throw up mostly in a plastic bag and just some gets on the mat, I ask for 10 Singapore dollars and take an hour off to clean up my taxi at the nearest coffee shop.

"But sometimes, the whole seat is covered with vomit and it's so disgusting that even after two hours of cleaning, the smell is so strong no one will take my cab."

If this happens, especially early in a shift, cabbies stand to lose up to 300 Singapore dollars for the rest of the night.

They are not protected by any regulation that entitles them to compensation from their passengers.

Hong Chin Chye, 60, who has been a cabby for more than 20 years, said: "I ask nicely a few times, but if they say no, I can't do anything. The most I can do is to ask for their particulars and write a letter to them the next day."

The legal route is to file a claim against the passenger at the small claims court. If violence or assault is involved, cabbies can go to the police.

The Straits Times understands that the Land Transport Authority regulates taxis' operating standards but leaves such issues for cab companies to sort out.

ComfortDelGro, Singapore's biggest cab operator with a fleet of about 15,000 taxis, said it does not have a policy on compensation, but it does offer its cabbies free cleanups at its workshops.

However, the cabbies said they would rather head to the nearest petrol kiosk for a cleanup than to drive to a workshop.

ComfortDelGro's spokesman said there were 50 such cases reported last year.

Prime Taxi general manager Eric Ang said the company would write up to three letters to the passenger requesting compensation, but it cannot do much else unless the cabby decides to sue the passenger.

Of the 50 cabbies surveyed, 45 were in favour of a "vomit surcharge."

R. Saravanan, 40, said: 'These passengers put us in a difficult position. If we pick them up, we get a mess. If we don't, they take down our license plate numbers and report us for avoiding them.

"If there's a surcharge, they may be more careful and puke into a bag instead."

Marketing manager Claris Ang, 34, threw up in a cab on New Year's Eve after a night of drinking at Clarke Quay.

She apologized and paid the cabby 20 Singapore dollars to get his taxi cleaned.

She said yesterday: "I felt very bad seeing the taxi uncle's face fall after I threw up. The smell was so bad he nearly vomited himself, so the least I could do was to pay up, since he'd probably have trouble getting passengers after me."

---

If you drink, don't drive.

So drunkards take the cab instead. And then they puke and make a mess of the taxi, causing income loss, discomfort and great inconvenience to the drivers.

If the passenger doesn't compensate, there is nothing the cabbie can do, except to 'suck thumb'. Most of the time the drunkards aren't in the right state of mind to apologize or compensate.

Implementing 'vomit surcharge' may be a good idea. But how do you enforce it?

Sue/Report the passenger? Nah, too much hassle. The same reason why taxi drivers often don't pursue the matter when passenger escapes without paying.

Some cabbies might choose to avoid taking up drunken passengers, leaving them to sleep on the streets, and then receive complaints for the unsightly behaviour, or for 'spoiling the image of SG' as some would claim.

People drink, creating troubles for themselves and surrounding people when they get drunk.

Like smoking and gambling, such bad habits are still widespread despite the ability to cause serious health and social problems. Moreover the innocents are often involved too.

I just don't understand.

Despair

No idea what to cover for Servbot Library, so I'll bring a combination of the two biggest news this week...





Wah lau...like that also can...

K-cult

Looks like many K-pop fans were offended by this article, which spoke up so vehemently against the Korean wave and its entertainment scene.


From The Straits Times, 8 Dec 2011
Sick of K-pop cult
Adeline Chia

In David Mitchell's 2004 novel Cloud Atlas, there is a futuristic segment set in Korea where a corpocracy rules the land. Advances in bioengineering have allowed human creatures called fabricants to be bred as workers. Physically, they are perfect specimens - with identical, beautiful faces but without any higher consciousness. When they run out the course of their productive lives, they are destroyed.

I found this section of the book particularly disturbing. It is a chilling study of how a capitalist totalitarian society exploits the weak and turns humans into robots for money. Everything looks happy on the surface but beneath, it's maggots and rotten meat.

Recently, I got a taste of Mitchell's dystopian view - at a K-pop fan meet of superband TVXQ.

What's a fan meet? It is a shrunken version of a concert, with only a handful of live performances. Interspersed with the song-and-dance numbers are screenings of music videos and sanitised Q&A sessions.

To any disinterested observer, it was a blatant rip-off. To the fans, it was like communing with the gods. It was a uniquely depressing experience but during the show, I could not put my finger on the reason.

Could it have been the dead-eyed way the pop princes answered questions from stuttering fans about their favourite Singaporean food? Or the well-choreographed dance moves they executed, without a glitch, to songs scientifically engineered to stick onto your brain like a leech?

Then, it dawned on me. They are fabricants. Singing, dancing fabricants.

But I am being unfair on TVXQ. They are not the only K-pop group to have infiltrated the consciousness and fantasies of teenagers in Asia and beyond.

A lot has been made about the Hallyu Wave, the unstoppable South Korean pop culture tsunami that has washed up on the shores of the world, conquering music charts, television ratings and the wall space of adolescents' rooms.

I am heartily sick of it. Every bit of it. The manufactured sounds, the ersatz emotions, the clone-like stars, the cult- like, weepy fandom.

My more moderate friends point out that teen idols from the East and the West were never the vanguard of musical experimentation. Neither did they inspire devotion from level-headed people.

Before your Super Juniors or 2AMs, there were cheesy boybands such as Backstreet Boys in the noughties and The Partridge Family from the 1970s.

But of all the decades of cashing in on teenagers' hormonal urges, the K-pop phenomenon seems the most coldly cynical and formulaic. Compared to the uniformity of the Korean stars, Backstreet Boys seem like veritable bastions of individuality.

Part of the reason is because the Korean record labels have gotten their star-making formula down to a T.

This seems to be the drill: Train some nice-looking kids in a star factory. Assemble a group of them. Give them a name that is an abbreviation for something or just a random collection of letters and numbers.

The girls must have stick-thin arms and legs and the boys must look a bit like girls. Next, produce a song that is the demon child of Lady Gaga and Black Eyed Peas. Throw in Autotune, hip-hop beats and strong synth lines. Make a video that is a mini movie, featuring the stars doing synchronised dance moves while the back-up dancers gurn at the sides.

Voila! You have a viral hit.

For the record, I have nothing against pre-packaged happy, shiny music. In fact, I think there is something heroic and wonderful about the wilfully plasticky and fake.

But my quarrel with K-pop is not only with the aesthetic aridity of its products but with how nasty it can get. For one thing, the Mafia-like way the record companies exploit their stars and audience is chilling.

The industry has long been stalked by controversy around "slave" contracts that tie trainee stars to long exclusive deals with poor pay and little control.

Incidentally, three of TVXQ's five members took their record label to court because their 13-year contract was too long, restrictive and gave them little profit. The boys won and left to form their own group, JYJ.

Admittedly, it is hard to feel sorry for pop stars ("It's sad to hear that being adored by millions prevents you from taking public transport"), but in my rare maternal moments, I worry about these starlets who are worked to the bone and whose careers last as long as their good looks. Then they are discarded like rag dolls.

Then there is K-pop's effects on listeners. It turns functional people into crazed addicts, acting in robotic idolatry.

Recently, watching a sea of red lightsticks keeping beat to a song made me and my companion grab on to each other. Eyes wide in terror, we communicated wordlessly for fear of persecution. Our faces said this: "Are we at a cult gathering?"

K-pop is also unique in inspiring extreme behaviour from fans and generating psychosis. Cyber-bullying and online smear campaigns are common practices by anti-fans who target a certain entertainer they hate.

Sometimes, anti-fans turn into stalkers or criminals. Yun Ho from TVXQ famously had an anti-fan spike his drink with super glue and had to have his stomach pumped.

Those are just the haters. There are those who profess love by cutting themselves and writing letters in blood, before sending their bloody epistolary packages to their idols.

Admittedly, these are the extreme cases. But I also wonder if anti-fan behaviour is encouraged by the record labels to generate more publicity for their artists.

Who knows? Still, it is undeniable that K-pop exerts a hypnotic pull. It is unstoppable. It is a virus that spreads like fire over the radio, on television and in ringtones.

I know this because I had to do research for this article and listen to a lot of fabricants perform their music. Before I know it, the melodies have wormed their way into the folds of my grey matter, made my synapses misfire, caused me to lose control of my wrist on my computer mouse - till I am clicking on the same video in YouTube again and again, staring glassy-eyed at my screen, alone, at four in the morning.

"Resist!" the sentient part of my brain cried softly. To which Super Junior cheerily replied: "Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry..."

---

Shall not comment much about this article, otherwise I'll be killed by Jupiter and Mango haha.

Anyway Straits Times received a lot of letters that strongly disagree with the author's view. When I read the article last week, I was surprised by its highly-critical tone and choice of words used. It's a pretty bold move to associate K-pop with 'cult' and describe the artistes as 'fabricants', especially when there are so many ardent K-pop fans in Singapore.

I think the author has just made so many enemies with this single article...

To non-K-pop fans, do you agree with the article? Haha...

黑白画映

We know that this cute black and white bear is an endangered species. Here are some facts about them.

- Pandas are native to only China.

- It is believed that only about 2000 pandas are living in the wild.

- There are only 2 known species of panda. The black and white Giant Panda we commonly know of, as well as the dark and light brown Qinling Panda. Red Panda, which looks like a raccoon, is not a panda species. (Just like how Guinea Pig is not a pig)

- China used to give pandas to other countries, but now only loans for 10 years.

- Panda is used for diplomacy and establishing good relationship between China and other countries.

- All pandas in zoos around the world have a Chinese name.

- There are no pandas in Africa and South America zoos.

- Pandas have a very high upkeep cost. They have a huge appetite and eat lots of bamboo in a day.

- Pandas are not very active in breeding. Researchers have even resorted to using panda porn videos to stimulate them.

- A pair of pandas Kai Kai and Jia Jia was initially scheduled to arrive in Singapore in the second half of 2011, in view of the opening of River Safari in the first half of 2012. There is no news about their arrival yet.


Pandas can be quite a playful lot. Witness their mischief in this video:



Pardon the hysterical laughter by the person behind the camera.

Give me I also don't want

We complain that there are too many foreign waiters, waitresses, shopkeepers, bus drivers, cleaners, etc. This is especially so for employees in the frontline service industry, whom we can easily observe. However before we start grumbling about this 'foreign dominance', let's think a little further. Can Sgeans replace these foreigners? Nah...


From Straits Times, 28 Nov 2011
Revealed: The Jobs That Singaporeans Shun
By Jalelah Abu Baker & Royston Sim

With their modest wages and unsociable weekend shifts, they are the jobs that Singaporeans shun.

Waiting tables, cleaning and working in telesales or as a retail or warehouse assistant are the least popular positions among citizens, 10 recruitment agencies told The Straits Times.

Workers continue to turn such jobs down despite a recent government bid to encourage firms to hire more Singaporeans rather than rely on foreigners.

Their main reasons for shunning these jobs are that they pay too little or involve awkward working hours.

"Singaporeans don't like to come back to work during the weekends or do shift work," said consultant Kristen Lee of recruitment agency Kelly Services. "Salary-wise, they can't accept the rates as well."

Last month, the Government beefed up guidelines on fair employment practices after it emerged that certain firms had been deliberately hiring foreigners over suitable locals.

Employers were told to make sure job advertisements were open to Singaporeans, work with educational institutions and recruitment agencies to attract citizens and develop skills of their local staff members so they can take up higher-end positions.

But recruitment agencies and companies said that while they are willing to hire Singaporeans and give them priority, a handful of jobs are consistently shunned.

Only a minority take up these positions, said Lee. It is hard to find citizens who do not mind low pay with little career advancement.

She said that even Institute of Technical Education graduates have high expectations these days. Many continue studying for a diploma to upgrade themselves.

David Ang, executive director of the Singapore Human Resources Institute, said: "The education level of Singaporeans has gone up, and so have their expectations. Also, parents invest in their children and expect them to take up respectable jobs."

Wong Shin Shin, human resources manager of Halcon Primo Logistics in Jurong, said her company has struggled to hire locals to work as warehouse assistants, even though they are paid about 30 per cent more than foreigners.

According to a salary guide by Kelly Services, warehouse assistants earn up to $1,700 a month.

Wong said her company has put out job advertisements for three months, but the response has been poor.

"Locals feel that it is a low-level, manual job, and that they have no prospects," she said. "Some locals come in, work for one day and then walk off. They say it is not the kind of job they want to do."

Jeffrey Ng, who owns Cleanex Maintenance Services at Orchard Road, said it is hard to find Singaporeans willing to work as cleaners.

"They demand better conditions, a five-day week and a location near their homes," he said. "It is difficult to accommodate. On top of it, sometimes, they don't want to do toilet washing. They want easy jobs with high pay."

Ng has about 190 cleaning staff, about 5 per cent of whom are from China. They earn between $800 and $1,200 a month.

Counsellor Sheena Jebal has seen companies offer jobs to unemployed people who are picky and find excuses to decline them.

She said one employer was offering $2,000 instead of the market rate of $1,300 to hire a Singaporean as a lorry driver to deliver pastries. But there were no takers, said Jebal of non-profit group NuLife Care and Counselling.

One unemployed man asked whether he could start later because he had a function to attend.

Another said he had no money to take public transport to work. The firm offered to give him an extra $50 a day for a week, but he declined.

Jebal said other reasons for Singaporeans turning down jobs include the distance they would have to travel to their workplaces and reporting to work early.

---

Let's face it. SG is an affluent country, and Sgeans have high hopes and expectations. Being in the center of development, entertainment and prosperity, we wish to enjoy life as much as possible. Who wants to slog his/her life in work till retirement?

We value weekends like gold, because it's the only common time we can spend with our family and friends. We hate to wake up early in the morning and travel so far to our workplace. We want high paying jobs so that we can spend on what we like, such as big houses (large HDB flats with wide rooms that can place many furniture), cars (taking public transport is dreadful), food (sick of eating at hawker centre/food court everyday), overseas trips (SG is boring and has nothing to see), as well as other material needs. We dislike stressful and demanding jobs, yet reject mundane and repetitive ones.

Sacrifice sleep? Lose weekends? Low pay? Tiring job? NO WAY!!

Even the unemployed are thinking, "I need a job but I still want to have a life." The unemployed in SG must be very lucky; they still can afford to be picky.

If that's what Sgeans willingly give up on, then don't complain if foreigners pick the remnants.

This is Home Truly

A seasonal phenomenon that happens every exam period.

There were news recently about the space crunch in SMU study benches. Heard from the provost that Utown is packed and there are many other non-NUS students using the areas too. Wanted to find a place in Central Forum for project discussion but all the tables were occupied. Friend is ranting in FB about how he has to go to school library early to secure a seat before it fills up.

I can't really tell the proportion but it seems that more students prefer to study outside than at home. I must be one of the minority who prefers (and insists) to study at home. Unless I've no choice but to stay in school for hours waiting for the next lesson/activity to start, I would always choose to return home and mug. Somehow I feel that my mugging efficiency drops when I study outside. (Maybe it's not the case, it's just psychological.)


Reasons why I don't study outside:
- Easily distracted by surroundings. There are people talking, making noise, walking around etc.
- Dirtiness. The good thing is most NUS benches are quite well maintained. Most tables I come across look clean. However the same can't be said 'elsewhere'. Imagine a bird poo/lizard shit staring at you studying.
- Discomfort. Seats are usually hard and stiff. It's hard to rest and relax at times.
- Lack of information access. If you bring along your laptop, smart phone, all the relevant notes and textbooks with you, it should be fine. The problem comes when you wish to lighten your load, forget to bring certain stuff, laptop battery goes flat with no available electrical socket nearby, etc.


Reasons why I study at home:
(Basically it's the opposite of what I've mentioned above...)
- Quiet environment. No strangers to distract me. Some people might be distracted by their family members but my family is more of the quiet-type hehe.
- Comfort. Where can be more comfortable than your own home? This is the best aspect a home can offer, but some people see it as a downside, when it comes to forcing yourself to study. The bed must be the prime culprit.
- FOC. I don't have to buy drinks to occupy a seat in Starbucks or Mac. If I'm thirsty or hungry, the kitchen is within my reach. No need to spend time and money on transport.
- Privacy. Unlike outside, if I want to use the toilet, I don't have to worry about leaving my stuff alone. Laptop won't get stolen and notes won't get blown away. I can stretch my body freely, make some noise (of accomplishment), adopt an unglam posture without scrutiny by others.

I think most people study outside because their homes cannot provide a conducive studying environment, not because they really want to study outside with a bunch of strangers. Does this mean that people who study well at home are more disciplined because they can resist the temptations from all the comfort available at home? Or are they just lazy to travel out of home?

Whatever the case, we should be thanked for not adding on to the space crunch or causing convenience to genuine patrons to cafes and fast food outlets. Hehe.

Angry Birds

With so many mischievous kids around, I guess teachers often get angry easily.

From: The Straits Times Forum, 11 Nov 2011
'Shut up' is only the tip of rude iceberg


LIKE Madam Alicia Hock ('Teachers should stop saying 'shut up' to pupils'; Nov 4), my son's teacher in Primary 1 admonishes the class with words like 'rascal', 'stupid', 'sickening', 'nonsense' and belittling phrases like 'You've got the cheek to tell me this'.


When I raised the matter with the school, it did not help. The teacher continued her impolite ways and I wonder how such teachers can impart values to pupils.


The problem can worsen for pupils like my son, who has learning difficulties and attends a support programme in school. He has problems grappling with mainstream subjects and completing worksheets on time. Yet the special circumstance appears to have been lost on the teacher who penalises my son, as well as pupils who cannot complete worksheets, by making them stay back in class instead of going for PE lessons. When I sought the teacher's assistance in offering more help for my son, her reply was that she had 28 pupils to consider in class.


So the burden of offering extra help to my son falls on me, a single, working mother. It takes me at least three hours daily to complete my son's workbook and that excludes preparing him for bite-size fortnightly assessments for English, Maths and Tamil.


While I hope that the holistic strategy promised by the Education Ministry for Primary 1 will ease the teaching burden, I have my doubts when I think of the struggle my son and I must endure merely to complete his homework.


T. Arunachalam (Madam)

---

This is a reply to the letter I've posted last entry. It highlights other 'pride-hurting' phrases used by teachers on students.

'Stupid' is pretty common. That's just stating the fact. Recalling some things I used to do in school, it feels rather stupid. I make stupid mistakes. Well, we all do too. However there are some who find it hard to accept, and feel greatly hurt when such words are used on them. No matter what, the most important thing is to recognize our own mistakes, learn from them and move on.

On the other hand 'Idiot' is less common. I remember a teacher in secondary school who used 'bloody idiot' to scold students. I think this is much stronger than 'stupid'. Probably we were still less matured then, so this phrase didn't have much impact. If a university lecturer were to use 'bloody idiot' on students, I think it will create a big hoo-ha. If someone scolds me 'bloody idiot' now, I'll be more hurt than when scolded the same phrase during secondary school.

Looking at the synonyms of 'stupid' - dumb, fool, moron, etc - we have an idea of the degree of insult and belittlement of each word. Which word are you the most (or least) sensitive to?

When people get angry, they need to vent their frustration through words. Teachers are human too. Let's take it with a pinch of salt.

Not to mention students who are totally immune to such words, and persist in their mischief despite repeated scoldings and warnings. Kids don't think words as deep as adults eh? That's good in a way too.

关起来！

Realised it has been a long time since I came across this phrase.

From Straits Times Forum, 4 Nov 2011
Teachers should stop saying 'shut up' to pupils


WHEN I was a pupil more than 30 years ago, it was common for teachers to tell their classes to 'shut up' when they wanted to quieten us. Because it was a routine admonishment, it took me many years before I realised it was impolite.


So when I started work as a polytechnic lecturer a few years ago, it was 'please be quiet' instead. To be sure, the phrase was less effective but far more sensible than the alternative.


But I was dismayed when my son, a Primary 1 pupil, told me that his teacher frequently resorted to telling the class to 'shut up' when the pupils spoke too loudly. How can a teacher impart the values of proper behaviour when she is unaware of her own behaviour?


I am certain Primary 1 pupils understand the meaning of the more polite reminder to 'please be quiet', or the gesture of putting a finger to the lips.


If the noise persists, there must be other ways to instil order. Consider this example by an American teacher who uses a jar of marbles to correct misbehaviour or reward proper behaviour.


She takes out a marble when the class misbehaves and puts one in when pupils behave well. When the jar is filled, each pupil receives a reward like ice cream.


Surely, primary school teachers can craft equally creative ways to instil class discipline.


Education Minister Heng Swee Keat recently announced a policy focusing on character building and positive values in teaching.


I hope all teachers, starting from those in Primary 1, can take the first step by banning 'shut up' from their vocabulary in school.


Alicia Hock (Madam)

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I guess the consciousness that 'shut up' is not a very nice thing to say has led people to use alternative less-rude commands such as 'keep quiet' or simply 'shhhh'.

'Shut up' hasn't been used by teachers and instructors in higher institutions since my secondary school days. They were occasionally used by student leaders to show their frustration towards inattentive group of students, and between classmates to express their intolerance towards 'lesson-disruptors' and busybodies. Compared to the more widely used vulgarities, I think 'shut up' is relatively mild, and will not arouse much displeasure and anger among people.

Even during NS, notorious for the indiscriminate use of vulgarities and hurting remarks, 'shut up' is hardly used, at least from my personal experience. Even if I'm faced with a group of noisy brats, the first utterance that comes to my mind would be 'keep quiet'.

I can't remember clearly how often 'shut up' was uttered by teachers during my primary school or kindergarten days. But surely, such command was indeed being used.

Whether such commands are effective in quieting down a hyperactive crowd is another story. Rather than the choice of words, I think the loudness of the commanding voice is a more important factor, especially towards kids who are still oblivious towards the connotation of 'shut up'. Of course saying 'shut up' instead of 'keep quiet' to adults will have a much greater impact.

As kids grow up, it is necessary for them to recognise the right situation to use 'shut up'. We probably don't remember how we did it through the process. It just comes naturally as part of social-learning, as we interact more with people around us.

If that is the case, does it matter if teachers use 'shut up' to primary school students?