326 - 15.9.26 - 2: Returning to normal?

-








Oyster Bank, Tanjong Pagar


Trump thought that a quick visit to Ireland would strengthen his Irish American voter base for the mid terms, instead he was ambushed by Uachtaran Connelly who, being a menopaused woman, told him genocide was terrible and then made him sign the guest book on the world's smallest desk. Then Irish people, virulent pro Palestinian supporters and have been livid about the genocide taking place in the Levant now for the past four years, went to bat for the Gazans and Lebanese by staging a demonstration in Dublin, followed by several imaginative ways of telling the US and Trump what they thought of him. 

Trump did not get the political capital he was hoping to make. Instead he got inflatables and humiliation - and the Irish, as usual, took the upper hand and told him where to get off.  Very proud of the people of my adopted land. 

Well, yesterday, I went for my run. Then we commenced with eating at Yishun Mall, then I followed Jac to Lentor Mall to change Ma's diapers, and then I did my Duolingo, fell asleep for a bit, went for a swim and then went to Tanjong Pagar with Jac.

Singapore. This place.

I was talking to Jac and said, you know what - I don't know anything about the history of South East Asia. I think I am going to do that - do some history of South East Asia reading while I'm here. The place is just as baffling to me as it always has been. It is so fucking complicated. I feel like for some unknown reason the history of Europe is more coherent, even though it has the same amount of complicated ethnicities and nations and tribes, etc... 

Singapore. Maybe I could start with this story of Singapore. Before colonialism - look I'll just focus on Miriam and the Myna. And that will be that.

It is almost 1030 now. 

So, I will do some editing and them some writing. Then I'll do some admin and then go for a swim. Then around 3 pm we'll go to Sheng Siong. 

I had breakfast with Oisin today and I said to him, as we walked back, that I now feel like I have arrived. These is a definite coda to all of the shenanigans which began in March. What a year eh... what a life. I told Ma that I can't quite believe that I did everything. This is my year of resting. 

Well... let me see. I think some editing and then some writing and then some piano playing and then some swimming. We head at 3 pm to Sheng Siong. 

Let's see 

11 am: Editing
12 pm: Writing
1 pm: Piano
2 pm: Swim
3 pm: Sheng Siong
6 pm: Dinner
8 pm: Admin
10 pm: Sleep

And so the days passes. I actually don't know if I'm jet lagging anymore. It's all so pointless at this stage.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Geylang sepaku Geylang

-
Image
Geylang Serai is the place i feel most at home in Singapore. Possibly because a vast majority of the population are still Singaporean and i speak the language they speak there - Malay. Also, it hasn't changed that much. OK, it has, but i'd like to think it hasn't. We ate at the new market there which used to be a little better than an open sewer. But it was our open sewer and we loved it. Geylang was heaving with people getting ready for Ramadan. On the table we have sup kambing, otak-otak, nasi padang and rojak. Drinkswise we have lime juice, Kickapoo and teh. It is hot - really hot. We are all pespiring and we can feel our clothes stick to our skin and bellies and thighs. Our hair is continuously in our faces, dripping and sticking too. The only thing that brings relief is a soak in the pool or a shower and an airconditioned room. No wonder when the boys came back, the first thing they said was, ah, it's great to be back in th cool weather again!. Singaporeans love th...
Read more

19.3.26 - 74 - Eulogy: What will survive of us is love

-
Image
I wrote and read this for Pa at the service. It was in long hand, but I have it here typed out now. It is peppered with verses from the New Testament, because I was asked by the priest to refer to Jesus occasionally, so I made that concession. Big shout out to Ben and the Christian Community whom I spent many a delighted evening reading and discussing the Bible during Bible study class. =========================== Thank you everybody for coming here to honour the life of husband, father and legend which is Eric Sim Chin Seng. Pa crossed over on the 16th of March at 7.30 am. He went peacefully and gently. He breathed his way slowly past this life and on to the new one, leaving his bark, his body, which carried him and his indomitable spirit and endless capacity to love, for 81 years, to say farewell to one last time. This tribute is to you, for you, Pa, who always walked in the sacred steps of Jesus Christ and lived the best life which could be lived. Part I: John 1:14 "The word be...
Read more

The Central Business District

-
Image
The Thinker in the OUE building Yesterday i attended a talk which was organised by some environmentalists here. It was held in the NTUC building which was in the middle of the business district. It has been years since i have been here, so i set out early to walk about the place. Everything is very very large  I arrived during rush hour and people were simply pouring out of the MRT. The crowds were swarming down escalators and out of offices - but they were not overground. No, they were underground, at the MRT. In fact thee was no one above ground. For the business district at rush hour, above ground was eerily quiet! There must be dozen of buildings which look like these To think that hundreds of thousands of people work in places like this. I used to work in a place like this. Admittedly these buildings are far more swishy and very sleek. It was like being in some espionage film set in the future. There were rehearsals for the National Day Parade and Sarah...
Read more