Another Workday... #3

One morning while walking out to catch the bus to work, I passed by an elderly couple sitting by the roadside ("Elderly" in this post is defined to be having a head of white hair already).

The man was standing and shouting at his wife. The man shouted sentences of which snippets I caught were "...I already am doing my best to earn money...", and "...what do you want...".

Although the story behind the argument wasn't clear, it was a pretty dramatic and shocking sight to see such an elderly couple arguing over money matters.

They should already be retired and enjoying their retirement life with their children (if they had any).

Somebody once told me that this song that I listen to, by Chris Rea, is simply a song that "I am too young to listen to".

Is it? I do not know. You be the judge.

Chris Rea - Fool (If You Think It's Over)

A dying flame, you're free again
Who could love and do that to you
All dressed in black, he won't be coming back
Save your tears, you've got years and years
The pains of seventeen's
Unreal they're only dreams
Save your crying for the day

Fool if you think it's over
'cos you said goodbye
Fool if you think it's over
I'll tell you why
New born eyes always cry with pain
At the first look at the morning sun
You're a fool if you think it's over
It's just begun

Miss teenage dream, such a tragic scene
He knocked your crown and ran away
First wound of pride and how you cried and cried
But save your tears you've got years and years

Fool if you think it's over
'cos you said goodbye
Fool if you think it's over
I'll tell you why
New born eyes always cry with pain
At the first look at the morning sun
You're a fool if you think it's over
It's just begun

I'll buy your first good wine
We'll have a real good time
Save your crying for the day
That may not come but anyone
Who had to pay would laugh at you and say

Fool if you think it's over
'cos you said goodbye
Fool if you think it's over
I'll tell you why

Just FYI, this song is from 1978.

Evening Run... #1

I went running in the evening.

I saw my neighbour's cat lazing along the corridor on the way out.

I petted the cat's head and it grinned at me.

I ran past some Gurkhas doing their daily runs.

I heard the wind in my ear.

I saw some kids playing at the fitness corner.

I saw kingfishers standing in the bed of a canel, hunting for fish in the fast-flowing waters.

I saw people getting off a bus, going home.

I saw some boys on bicycles.

I felt a sharp pain on the back of my neck when I reached home.

I tried to go to sleep early.

Another Workday... #2

Over the past few months, I have been training up my skills in the art of "bomb disarmament".

And I am getting good at it.

Just Another Week...

Here's a roundup of notable events that occurred during the past week:

1) I was waiting for the lift one fine morning to go to work. The lift doors opened and a pile of barf on the floor greeted me.

Oddly enough, the barf didn't stink as bad as I had expected it to.

2) I saw a mynah hunting for food beside a drain. It hopped onto the grille to cross the drain. One foot (sic: claw) disappeared between the metal grilles and it momentarily lost balance.

Fortunately the mynah didn't get injured and hopped away in one piece.

3) I was walking up behind a resting cat, and it heard me only when my foot was beside its head. It jumped up in surprise.

I ran away.

4) I saw a little boy (probably 5 or 6 years old) taking a leak a few meters away from a bus stop, pissing onto the fence surrounding a school. His mother sitting at the bus stop saw him drop his pants, and shouted at him not to piss into the school.

The boy refused to listen and continued to give a golden shower to the grass growing under the fence. I walked past him and saw his shiny bottom like a fresh peach under the glaring sun.

4) A co-worker asked me if I had already applied for PR (Permanent Residence).

The Boy and The Watch

So it was one fine weekday morning at the bus stop.

A little boy (who often comes to the bus stop with his Father) ran off to catch his school bus. He left his watch on the seat. His father was not around; presumably he had left already.

I pretended not to notice the lone watch on the seat, but there was no one else around at the bus stop. So I picked up the watch and kept it.

******************** The Next Day ********************

I brought the watch along with me, hoping to catch the boy with his dad.

Indeed, a few minutes later, the man came with his son. I walked over to the man:

Me: "Did your son lose a watch yesterday?"
Man: "Yes."
Me: "What color is the watch?"
Man: "Err... black."
Me: "What's the brand of the watch?"
Man: "I don't remember."

At this juncture, I took out the watch and held it in front of the man. His son was a few meters away playing when he noticed me. When he saw the watch I produced from my bag, he immediately walked over and reached out with his hand to take the watch from me.

I stood there looking at the two of them. 2 seconds passed. Silence. They made no eye contact with me.

I walked away in silence.

Extend concession fares to pre-enrolment poly students

Again, this is an interesting letter which was written to the Straits Times Forum on 23rd February 2009. The letter is reproduced as-is, with comments from me in bold letters:

I APPEAL to SMRT and SBS Transit to extend student concession rates to those who have been given places in polytechnics but have not enrolled yet.

OK.

Under the present system, they are not eligible for student rates until they enrol, which will be in late April. On the other hand, students who opt for junior colleges have already started classes and are eligible for concession rates.

You are missing the point here; you missed out a "thus" in between your words "... are eligible...".

In these trying times, it is a burden for parents to have to pay the full adult fare for their teenage children.

Concession are for students who are studying. You will have to justify the following questions:

1) Why does your child need concession when he/she does not need to commute to school every day?
2) Why does your child need to travel so often every single day, such that it has become "a burden" for you?

Angela Vander Straaten (Ms)

If your child is working part-time somewhere, your travel expenses shouldn't be a problem. If your child's not working, but yet is travelling so often every day while waiting to enrol in April... . Somebody's not telling the whole story here. 'Nuff said.