Author: Grievous

Getai… very noisy meh?

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What should really be assessed objectively, is the need to act on complaints.

Anyone with any knowledge in science knows soundwaves does not just travel upwards (maybe only heated air does), but travels outwards in an expanding ball (in 3-D) or in a circle (in 2D) from the source and decrease in strength over distances. That is why you get a symbol like this for sound at certain places -> ((( o ))). Also, while someone at the same distance at lower floor may get a lower impact from the noise, that is only provided that they have obstructions between them and the source.

Above which I don’t suppose Audrey Ang of the Police Force was suggesting that Richard ‘Seah Lan’ was intolerant. She was simply stating a FACT. After all, why is it that the RC are also in the same opinion?

I am not saying that the majority is right, but we only need to look at just why no other person complained… not forgetting those who stayed nearest to the source itself!!

And before I end, let me just say my friends say I am handsome too, even when I ain’t. So, let me ask, so what if you friends says you are tolerant?

It is my considered opinion that the editors of the Stooge Times Forum need to be shot for repeatedly publishing idiotic letters like this. I agree that the person should get a right to respond, but when the Forum Editors repeatedly reply to my friends and I that they have limited space on the Forum page itself when they reject our letters, it is mind-bogging when one sees them publishing a letter like this. (The same goes for the Editors for ‘Voices’ on TODAY.)

There’s a whole lot of such letters every now and then. You only need to take a look at some specimens here.


Getai noise should be assessed objectively

April 21, 2007

I REFER to the letter from Ms Audrey Ang of the Singapore Police Force (‘Police took action on getai/auction noise’; ST, April 19) in response to my earlier letter about getai noise.

Ms Ang wrote that ‘On Feb 5, on receiving Mr Seah’s first call at about 7pm, police officers arrived at the scene at about 7.10pm. The officers assessed that the noise was within acceptable levels… The organisers were also reminded to end by 10.30pm. There were no other complaints that night’.

I had complained about five times that night, from about 6.30pm until 10.45pm, just before the getai ended. But it seems that only one of my complaints was recorded. And despite having been reminded, the organisers still ended the getai late.

In my earlier letter, I pointed out that there are objective and scientific ways of measuring sound levels, in terms of decibels. Why is getai noise assessed subjectively by police officers? Are these officers aware that noise travels upwards and what might sound acceptable at ground level is much louder on higher floors?

Ms Ang called for ‘mutual tolerance and consideration’, implying that I am not a tolerant person. Likewise, a writer of a letter published on the ST Online Forum accused me of being intolerant towards Chinese culture.

My friends will testify that I am normally tolerant. I have no objections to getais, auctions and other cultural or religious activities.

I used to live in front of a temple where festivities and noise were a lot more frequent. In my 10 years there, I complained only once – when during a wedding the music was unusually loud.

I call the police only when getai noise is very loud and remains loud past 10.30pm. This happens several times a year, not just during the Chinese seventh month.

The problem of getai noise is not new. Why can’t the police solve it despite working closely with the parties involved?

At my meeting with the police and Residents’ Committee members last year, the police were helpful but the RC members spent much time giving excuses, justifying the noise and accusing me of intolerance.

Richard Seah Siew Sai

Yet another idiot justifying her own selfishness and kiasuism…

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With idiots like these, is it a surprise why the Tali-PAP continues to be in power? In fact, I ain’t surprise that another 10 years down the road we will still be protesting about mini$terial pay when the PM draws S$ 7 million a year. That’s not even mentioning that the logic is almost the same as the way the Tali-PAP justify their pay… kekeke…

There is absolutely no reason to reserve a seat using tissue-paper packs. It is not an ingenious system because not every person on this planet uses tissue paper. Above which, tissue paper is environmental unfriendly, as the bleach uses to make white tissue paper pollutes the environment. (Just why the heck you need to make it white is beyond me because Starbucks uses recycled paper to make their serviettes and never bothered to make it white.)

Whatever the case is, first in first out. The person who came earlier to queue for their food, should to sit down and consume their food first. No pack of tissue from some kiasu lil’ bitch like Lame-da Yan should deny them a seat and a place to consume the food. And if she actually really thought about the cause and effect, she wouldn’t even have written this immensely lame and stupid letter. After all, the real cause for ‘seat chope-ing’ is simply kiasuism and / or people being inconsiderate.

  • Cause
    There isn’t already enough seats to go around in any particular eating place to serve all the people in the same area, coming out to eat at the same time. The shortage of seats is exacerbated when some people takes their own sweet time to eat, and then chit-chat away even after they are done oblivious of the fact that some other people – whether they have bought their food already or not – are hungry and waiting for a seat. Most of the time these shitheads deliberately leaving a mouthful of rice or drinks to create the impression they are still eating.

  • Effect
    The kiasu people like Lame-da Yan now start ‘reserving’ seats first, which solves the problem for an individual, but does not solve the problem at all because some other poor sod still don’t get a seat if they don’t have tissue paper.

Simply put, the real solution in places where it is always crowded during lunch hours, is to be considerate – i.e. just eat and fxxk off. If you want to chit-chat, go to a coffee outlet like Coffee Bean or Starbucks where the demand of seats is lower, or go back to the comfort of your air-conditioned office. Anyone who ‘reserves’ a seat with a tissue pack in a hawker centre / coffee shop / food court is just another asshole doing the same selfish thing in reverse and should just pack their lunch and eat in the comfort of their own cubicles in the office!

And before I end, the system of Bento Box @ Jurong Point and Marche isn’t similar to denying someone a seat with a pack of blasted tissue because it is the management of the place that assigned the table, and the flip cards are placed there so that all the patrons can go get their food at the same time and there will never be someone holding a plate of hot food looking for a seat. You paid a price for a premium service and so you get some privileges. That is hardly comparable to a free-for-all hawker centre or a food court, you stupid lame bitch!! I wish you would stop being STUPID!


Tissue system’s a time saver
Letter from Linda Yan Zhangting

I REFER to the letter, “Stop tissue-paper reservations” (April 16).

I cannot fathom why people are so irked at the use of tissue packets to reserve tables. Would they feel better if a person was sitting there instead? Either way, the end result is the same — the table is reserved.

In fact, it would be more inefficient if someone reserved a table while his colleagues went to order their food, then later queued for his own food. Wouldn’t his colleagues then have to wait for him to finish his meal? This means the table would be occupied for a longer period.

Doesn’t it make more sense for everyone to order their food at the same time while using a packet of tissue to reserve a table?

This system is actually ingenious, convenient and efficient — I cannot understand why it is being labelled as one used by rude, inconsiderate and uneducated people.

Another solution would be for hawkers or food centres to provide flipcard signs that say “Reserved” or “Available”. Some food places, such as Bento Box @ Jurong Point and Marche, are using this system.

And when you think about it, this is actually similar to the “tissue booking” one.

Think of those who lunch alone – they will have a hard time getting a seat if they cannot use some means to reserve one while they order their food.

I wish people would take some time to think about the cause and effects of the issue before making a fuss.

“薪”廉政府

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‘一任清知府，十万雪花银’。

此谚出自 “儒林外史”， 原意是： 即使是不贪赃枉法的清廉知府，一任三年下来，仅例所应有的各项陋规收入也有十万两银子的进项。如果是黑心贪黩的知府，那就不知要捞多少了。

但用来形容新加坡的政府部长也相当贴切。当然，不是用原意来解释的，因为原意是用来讽刺贪官的，用到他们身上是完全不适用的。任何人胆敢说新加坡的政府部长贪腐，根本就是无中生有来诋毁诽谤他人名声。而且大家要记得，这不负责任的行为是必须面对可导致身败名裂，倾家荡产的法律诉颂。就算你原本富可敌国，最终也只能以破产或流亡收场。谨记，饭可以乱吃，话不可以乱讲。有前车可鉴，诸君请好自为之。

那我既然说了原意不可用来形容他们，但又说贴切又是怎么一回事？

诸君想想，新加坡部长的薪金，一任后财富相对的价值可否相当于古代的十万雪花银? 我想，每年平均一百多万的薪金，可能比古代的十万雪花银还更多呢！那还未加上两任之后能领的退休金喔！

所以，新加坡世界级的清廉政府，应该有个 ‘非常新加坡’ [Uniquely Singapore] 的称号。本座称之为：　”薪”廉政府。

“薪”廉政府是什么咚咚？薪当然是指薪金。廉是指： 廉价，廉洁，廉耻。您往下看就明白了。

  1. 黄永宏说，他如果不当部长，那他当外科医生 [surgeon] 的薪金是部长的五倍。他说，我们的部长是 “value for money”，也就是说货真价实的。其中就是说他已经廉价出卖他自己来服务国家人民。此乃 “薪”廉 的第一解释。

  2. 每当加薪时，人民行动党一贯的解释就是部长需要有高薪才能杜绝贪污腐败，要有此薪金才会绝对廉洁。新加坡政府之所以廉洁和有效率就归功于这。此乃 “薪”廉 的第二解释。

  3. 这也是说，人民行动党的部长们的廉耻的价值是昂贵的。也就是说只有如此高薪才能令有能力和有廉耻的人材服务人民和国家。而且只有高薪能够让其不会埋没良心干些偷鸡摸狗的勾当。此乃 “薪”廉 的第三解释。

读者诸君，您说，将之称为 “薪”廉政府 可否是 ‘非常新加坡’ 呢? 呵呵…

Shanghai – 东方明珠塔 + 上海博物馆 + 城隍庙

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东方明珠塔 is a major tourist attraction of Shanghai. At 468 meters, it is the tallest in Asia and the 3rd tallest in the world. There are several types of tickets, and how many place you can go in the tower depends on the one you bought. For e.g. the RMB 100 one which I bought allowed me to go up to 263m, and then back down to 90m, before it takes me back down to the basement to visit the Shanghai Heritage Museum. Of course, if you decide you want to go further up at 263m, there’s a ticket booth which allows you to ‘top up’ your ticket.

At 263m, there isn’t really very much to see when the skyline consists of buildings and more buildings, shrouded in mist or smog. I walked around snapping a few photos and then head off to the next stop at 90m.

In reality, the lift stops at approximately 110m when you come down from 263m, in which you take a walk through their space exhibits. There is really nothing much to see at this level, even though there is a roller coaster which was claimed to be the highest in the world, and some other games that would make you feel sick if your stomach is weak (for e.g. the F-14 Arcade Module). Following the route leads you downwards and you now get a view of Shanghai at 90m without being behind the glass.

I was a little disappointed, but fortunately there is much more to see at the basement at the Shanghai heritage museum, in which you get to learn the history of Shanghai and get to see replicas of what old Shanghai looks like from the late 19th Century to the early 20th Century before the Communist Liberation in 1949.

It took me about 40 minutes to walk through this museum before my growling stomach forces me to depart for lunch.

My next destination was the Shanghai Museum [上海博物馆] (not to be confused with the Shanghai heritage museum at 东方明珠塔). It is located near 人民广场, which is near my hotel, and just 2 metro stations away from 东方明珠塔. If I remembered correctly, there are 6 levels with different exhibits. That includes artifacts from the Bronze Age up to the early Han Dynasty era and the barbarian tribes, ceramic / porcelain artifacts, to more modern stuff like calligraphy and also a history of Chinese coin making. I also learn a bit more about Chinese history from there.

After 2 hours snapping photographs and reading stuff that interests me, I gave in to my tired legs and took a short walk back to my hotel for a rest before I head off to my next destination: 城隍庙, a Taoist temple allegedly built since the era of the 3 Kingdoms by Sun Quan [孙权] of Wu in memory of his late mother.

According to the Shanghainese, if you did not go to 城隍庙, then you have not been to Shanghai. That simply means I will need to go to Shanghai again because when I got there the temple has closed for the day. I couldn’t do much except to walk around the area in the vicinity and took night view photos of the shops.

So here are the photos. And yes, you won’t see me in them. I don’t usually take photo of myself.

* Click on the picture to view the album
And it doesn’t work in Opera so give up…

Shanghai – 南京路步行街 + 新天地

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南京路步行街 is right where my hotel is and 新天地 is one of the places recommended by friends and locals.

南京路步行街 gives me the feeling of being in Orchard Road with a Chinese feel, except without all those stupid cars choking up the road. This is where you can see the ‘darker side’ of Shanghai, or perhaps China itself. This is the place that made me called Shanghai the city of paradox.

There are pimps who would harass anyone foreign looking and invite you to their premises for sex services. Unlike in Singapore where they won’t bother you further when you walk away, they might follow you for some distances before they give up. They might even offer to help you take photographs, just so you will go to their premises to take a look. According to them, the prostitutes are RMB $100 for one session, or RMB $200 if you take the girl back to your hotel for overnight. The pimp will say anything to entice you, like telling you that the girls are university students trying to make a few quick bucks. It is almost funny to hear them say, “Ma-sa-ge? Sex Ma-sa-ge?”

My personal recommendation is that you don’t take up the offer at all, unless you can’t control your pecker. After all, god knows what they’ll do to you when you get there. While it is not difficult to find the police [公安] on 南京路步行街 itself, the multitude of people there almost ensure that any criminal would have gotten away before they can do anything. I was harassed by one such pimp but I couldn’t take a photo of him, as I didn’t want to get beaten up.

Along with the sex trade also comes ‘beggar syndicates’. Some of these operates in pairs and there are certainly more than one pair operating on that stretch and they would plead with you to buy them a meal claiming that they came from some other provinces and had not eaten for days. Don’t be taken it and just walk on with a poker face. Alternatively, if you can speak Chinese, just look at them in the face and say, “怎么又是这招 ?” [Translation: “Oh, this trick again?”]

Then there are the other kind of ‘beggar syndicates’ – the kind who carries a child around and tries very hard to look pitiable. My friend from Beijing told me not to be taken in and just ignore them as I would ignore those who begs for meals. In her words, just ignore this kind as some might actually be quite well off, and the child might possibly be kidnapped from other provinces.

At night, when the shops are closed, there’s a ‘pasar malam’ being set up. There are people selling all sorts of stuff – including the Muslim minorities from the northwest selling barbecued mutton. They are like satay, except that the meet comes in bigger pieces and are at RMB $2 a piece, if I remembered correctly. Unfortunately, it was very cold at night (roughly about 7 deg. C), and I was too tired and too lazy to take photos. Not to mention that the pimps are also still out at that time.

新天地 is very much like well, Clarke Quay. There’s a lot of Western style restaurants, pubs etc there. In one of the pubs I went into there’s even a Filipino band. My friend working there calls it the Mohammed Sultan of Shanghai, except that it’s just much more successful. And of course, it’s a tourist attraction as you can see tour groups from Hong Kong and Japan every now and then at the place. So well, I got really not very much to say about it.

As usual, here are some photos…


Shanghai II – 南京路步行街 + 新天地

* Click on the picture to view the album
And it doesn’t work in Opera so give up…

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