Surprise Announcement!

No - not that! This may not come as much of a surprise for some of you, but I'm afraid this blog is coming to another premature end! As of early St. Stephen's Day, I have been back in the auld sod! Yesterday, after a tearful reunion with my car (mainly because it wouldn't start due to a flat battery!), I finally made it back to the folks' house in deepest Mayo after an almost 5 hour drive. I almost caused a few heart attacks when I got there, but it was worth it!

The job situation was so bad and likely to get even worse in 2009, so really my options were somewhat limited, regardless of the situation with herself. I felt that situation became untenable last weekend so I had no option but to advance the timetable for withdrawal. Upon checking the Internet on the 23rd, I surprisingly got a cheap ticket on the 25th. I thought Christmas week would be out of the question, but I guess not many travel on the day itself. So, I took that unexpected availability as a sign and booked it tout suite! I flew back the same way I went out (via Abu Dhabi with Etihad) and overall the flights were pretty good (insofar as 15 hours on a plane can be!). Leaving herself again was not pleasant, but I feel it was the right thing to do in the long run.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained, eh?! Well, thanks for reading my blog and you can always look forward to the next time I resurrect it!! Now if anyone knows if there are any jobs left in the country, please let me know!!

Christmas - Singapore Style

Well, I can report that Santa came here and was pretty generous! I trust he will be the same as he moves westwards across the planet!

I can also report that Christmas Day is like every other day here. It is a public holiday, so people are off work, but that's the only difference that I've noticed so far. They try to talk it up on TV, but the locals don't seem to be that bothered about the festive season. Why would they, when most of them aren't Christians, I suppose? According to the CIA handbook, only about 14.6% of the population here is Christian. There is roughly the same number of Muslims and atheists, but all three groups are way behind the runaway leader (Buddhism) which has an impressive flock (42.5%).

The weather is very overcast, so it's not particularly hot today either. I don't think that there's much chance of snow though!

Ambassadors in Singapore Breathe a Sigh of Relief!

There was a "scare" lately here in Singapore over fake sub-par Ferrero Rocher chocolates. All the diplomatic missions were in a flap as it looked like the ambassadors would have to cancel their Christmas parties!

I'm glad to report that it turned out to be a false alarm and the hobnobbing was able to continue in earnest!

Happy Christmas Everyone!

As I gear up for my first hot holiday season (!!), I'd like to take this opportunity to wish all my fans, err readers I mean, a Happy Christmas and Merry New Year!! While you're all gorging on turkey, I'll probably be tucking into some festive San lau hor fun! At least I won't be eating leftovers for a week afterwards!

Santa will be here 8 hours before Ireland, so I'll report how generous he is this year tomorrow morning!!!

Aidan and the Temple of Doom!

I went on a different route for my walk yesterday evening and I came across this very ornate temple close to the flat. It was most impressive, especially the multi-armed god (possible Shiva!) on top of the cow that you can just see on the right of the third picture!

I presume it's a Hindu temple. There was an elaborate ceremony going on inside with some very enthusiastic participants. I don't think it was the Nativity play they were doing!

It's the Way You Tell 'Em

Speaking of Singapore and wars, the armed forces run an impressive set of ads here on TV to entice new recruits. They take their army very seriously out here and all Singaporean males have to do 2 years armed service on turning 18. It's just as well the ads are good; at least the conscripts will think they're on a winner up until they meet their Sergeant-Major for the first time!

One particular ad struck me as strange as it kept going on about Singapore's fine record in battle and so on. Now, Singapore has only been independent since 1965 and hasn't taken over any countries or repelled any barbarians since, so I was slightly amused. I believe this ''creative advertising" refers to peacekeeping and possibly humanitarian roles, which makes Ireland's army an elite fighting force too!

Rockall, Asian Style

Apparently, World War 3 nearly broke out here a couple of years ago between Singapore and Malaysia over 3 disputed "islands". Known as Pedra Branca in Singapore, they are back in the news this week again because someone wrote a book about the struggle for the sovereign territory.

I finally got a look at what the hullabaloo was about on the telly yesterday. Basically, it seemed to me that it was just 3 piles of rock which barely broke the surface! In fairness, one pile has a lighthouse on it so it was more significant. Like with Rockall, it's not so much what they are, but where they are. While looking at them, you'd think that it would hardly be worth getting your knickers in a flap over them, they have huge strategic value in the region. Because of that, also like Rockall, politicians have been sailing out to the rocks claiming them for their respective countries. However, no Singaporean politician has done a "Seán Dublin Bay Loftus" yet and shown his commitment to the cause by legally renamed himself with the name of the "islands"!

For those interested, the current state of play for Singapore is lost 1, won 1 (the main pile!) and the third pile is still disputed! Looking at the map, they are much closer to Malaysia and even Indonesia than Singapore, so the locals can count themselves lucky that the Brits stuck their oar in years ago and gave them historical grounds for victory!

Chez Nous!

For those of you interested, this is the flat where I have been staying! The red arrow marks the balcony from which the picture taken in the last post was taken. It doesn't look too bad from this angle!

I took various pictures of the inside the last time I was here. If you're bored, check out the kitchen and living area!

What a Difference a Few Years Make

I posted the last time I was here about the scandalous treatment of Bangladeshi construction workers and how they lived on site during construction of the apartment building across from my flat.

Well, above is the somewhat nicer view from the same spot (apologies for the light - it was getting late when I thought of taking the picture!). I wonder if the yuppies living in the million dollar (500k Euro) apartments know or care about the poor fellows who built their swanky new pads?!

It would be interesting to know what percentage of the overall profits the developer got and what percentage went on wages to the Bangladeshis. I know the developer took all the risk (not much at that time!), but I'm sure that won't explain the huge discrepancy as well as greed does!

Thought for Food!

I actually like the food out here, it has to be said. Here is a short list of some of my favourites:

• San lau hor fun - still as good as ever!
• Sliced fish with ginger - served with rice (naturally) and an egg for some reason.
• Yong Tau Fu - this is basically a soup whose ingredients you pick yourself. You hand the bowl over with your selection and they combine it with noodles or rice and make it into a soup. Yummy!
• Fish soup - sliced fish in a broth. What else did you think it was?! They throw in veg and rice too.
  
• Seasame red bean bun - very tasty spherical snack. The sesame seeds really make this!
  
• Bo bo cha cha - also still pretty nice!
• Durian - the stinkiest fruit in the world, but I like it, particularly in ice cream.
  
• Custard, kaya, apple and mushroom bread - all good!
  

There are so many other things here that are good also, but these are the main ones that I eat on a regular basis. All can be had for very reasonable prices here, so it's a wonder I'm not piling on the pounds!

Films With an Extra Dimension

They have a few 3D cinemas here in Singapore, so I thought I'd take the opportunity today to see what all the hype was about. Unfortunately, the only thing on in 3D was "Journey to the Centre of the Earth", so I had to go and see it. Unfortunately, I had already seen in in 2D, but I was hoping that the extra dimension would improve it! It didn't! At least I'd be in a good position to note the differences between the 2 versions.

I didn't know exactly what to expect as I went in with my winter clobber on (they really overdo the air conditioning in cinemas here!). I was rather excited as the girl handed me the surprising robust Dolby 3D glasses with the slightly tinted blue and red lenses. That meant I had 6 eyes looking at the screen, but I soon got used to it! Now, because 3D works by projecting a different image to each eye simultaneously (which the brain merges into one 3D image), I was worried that 3D wouldn't work at all or very well for me because of my lazy eye. I basically only use my left eye, except for my peripheral vision to the right. However, I can happily report that it appeared to work. I can't say if it worked as well for me as a normal sighted person though, as I had no one with me to compare notes with.

I don't know if I expected to be in the centre of the action or what, but I found the whole thing a bit gimmicky and useless. It failed to add anything worthwhile to the story or to the enjoyment of the film. You understand why there are so many scenes of objects coming towards the camera(s) once you seen it in 3D though. Things like tape measures, yo-yos, birds and sails do appear to jump out from the screen into the space between you and it. Occasionally, depending on the angle, the actor appeared closer than normal also. And that was about it really, for me anyway.

Overall, given my excitement beforehand, I was distinctly underwhelmed and would re-assure you film buffs stuck in 2D land that you really aren't missing much...yet!

It's my Party and I'll Change the Plan if I Want To!

It was herself's birthday yesterday. Usually that means don't mention the war, but she took getting older remarkably well for a woman! We (read she!) decided that we'd go out for dinner to some flash place in the city centre. Since it was her birthday, I didn't mind taking the inevitable hit on the wallet!

We were supposed to be there for 8pm, but as usual she was late. That meant a change in plan to some Italian place in the vicinity. Great I thought; I won't have to wait as long to eat and it'll be cheaper!! It was on the way that she dropped the bombshell. Over here, apparently when it's your birthday you treat the person, not the other way around. Despite my protestations that it made no sense, that's the way it was going to be.

Anyway, we got to the place and had the meal (which was OK), during which she said we could always go to the swanky place on my birthday (coming up the week after Christmas!). Why didn't that surprise me, I wonder?! To cap it all, she took out a voucher and part paid the bill with it! Is it just me or is that rodent odour I detect?!!

TV Channel of the Year

It was announced the other day that the local TV channel had won the Terrestrial Channel of the Year in the Asian TV Awards. God, I really feel for the people of Asia if that crappy channel is the best the continent has to offer! Mind you, after seeing a few Malay, Chinese, Tamil and Vietnamese channels lately, the competition can't exactly be regarded as stiff!

Now I know why cable TV is so popular in this part of the world!

Grim Reading

I've being perusing the on-line ex-pat forums in a desperate attempt to find inspiration for the job hunt! However, rather than being inspired, I've ended up even more deflated! Luckily, I'm full of hot air, so full deflation is a while off yet!

The gist of what I read is that I'm screwed! Not only have you not got a prayer of getting a job that a Singaporean can do, the attitude of the natives leaves a lot to be desired. Similar to Ireland, they don't mind the foreigners doing the menial work, just as long as they stay away from the good jobs that are their birthright!!

I detected a nasty undercurrent of resentment among the on-line fraternity, but that doesn't really surprise me to be honest. They'll never wins awards for character out here anyway, that's for sure!

Government Housing

Despite property prices having gone crazy over here, that highly paid government haven't being sitting on their hands or on their private yachts in the South of France!

The mystery of how the ordinary pleb gets a roof over his head has been solved! The government built HDB flats can be had for as little as €38,000 for a 2 bedroom unit. I saw a news report the other day about a new development and very nice they are too.

This being Singapore, the world's foremost lover of red tape, the purchase price and the buying procedure are tightly controlled by the government with a myriad of rules and regulations. There is a complicated, but, it has to be said, fair policy for selecting recipients off the housing lists. Once they are ensconced in their little nests, there are even more rules and regulations; they can not rent it or sell it for 5 years and even then, they better have a good reason!

Since it's government subsidised housing, they don't want to have speculation in this market, so not only is the original purchase price strictly controlled, but so is the resale value. This makes it difficult for anyone to make a quick buck out of the government's generosity. It also quells price inflation in the public housing sector that would take many out of the housing market. Sensible policies, just like we had at home during our boom!!

Suits You, Sir!

Speaking of shopping, one thing you notice when you're shopping here is the number of sales assistants there are. This is especially true in electronics shops, where you can't turn sideways without bumping into one! I don't know how they can all make a living, but I guess they do! Herself reckons that each of them is an expert on a certain type of gizmo. By the looks of things, retailers like Harvey Norman seem to have an expert for every gizmo they sell!

You'd think that service would be great with so many employees milling around, but you'd be wrong. If you're not buying their gizmo, they couldn't care less as it's not going to be a commission for them. It is quite strange to walk unhindered amongst a gaggle of indifferent sales assistants, but I guess it's worse when they won't leave you alone!

Christmas Crush

We went down to the main street in the centre of Singapore (Orchard Road) yesterday evening as herself wanted to do even more shopping. And boy, was it thronged?! You'd swear it was the last weekend before Christmas or something! They had the place done up well with plenty of lights, as you can sort of see from the first picture.

There was people everywhere and herself even got a headache from the crowds. I found that the shopping gave me a pain in the behind! I was surprised that the police force was so out of date though. The second picture shows Officers Charlie Chanius and Brucius Lee about to escort some troublemakers to the Colosseum!

I should have stayed in the flat, but it was nice to get out and about for a change. Pity it had to be out and about among the clothes shops! She had to pick possibly the only shopping centre in Singapore with no book or electronics shops, so there was absolutely nothing for me to go off and look at (I tried!). So, I spent almost all the time traipsing after her, including the longest 45 minutes of my life in one particular shop while she agonised over a few dresses. Still, the talent was good, so it's true what they say about an ill wind!

If You Thought Our Pork Was Contaminated....

...then spare a thought for The Philippines! Just read on the paper that they found a strain of Ebola in some of their pigs last week!! Now while it supposedly wasn't a strain that was dangerous to humans, I think I'd take my chances with the Irish pork first!

Better to catch cancer in the distant future from dioxins than die a horrible death from haemorrhagic fever in a few weeks! It's times like this that I'm glad I don't eat meat!

In One Door, Out the Other

You wouldn't want to be superstitious going to the cinema here. Went again last night with herself. It was nice to get out of the cell, err, I mean room for a change! We went to see the remake of "When the World Stood Still" with Keanu "Brando" Reeves. A brilliant vehicle for him as it required him to star as a wooden alien! Or, was that his interpretation of the role?!

The film was OK, but the more I thought about it, the worse it got, so I stopped thinking about it! The central premise was good (and valid!), although the execution was somewhat wishy-washy. A couple of familiar faces from the 'Prison Break'' and 'Mad Men' TV shows made their big screen debuts and interestingly, the part-Chinese Reeves spoke in some pretty obvious beginner's Mandarin in one scene. There was no noticeable sniggering in the theatre from the Mandarin speakers, but they even subtitled the Mandarin in Mandarin so it couldn't have been that good! You'd have thought an advanced life form would have spoken Mandarin as well as it/he spoke English! Another amusing thing (for the people of South Galway in particular) was that the huge alien robot was dubbed "GORT" by the gung-ho Yanks!

When the film was over, they herded us out the emergency exit directly and out of the theatre area altogether. They always do that here and I guess it makes sense; it does make the old student trick of seeing a couple of films for the price of one more challenging!

Good Point!

Herself asked me yesterday if was I mentioning on my cover letters that I held a Long Term Visit Pass. I hadn't thought of doing it was the honest answer. As she pointed out, that will tell prospective employers that obtaining an Employment Pass would be a formality as I've passed the stringent educational, legal and medical tests for getting into Singapore.

That should make them less apprehensive about taking me on. I shall shall have it in big bold letters from now on! I don't think it will want to pay me any more money though!