The World Is A Happier Place

pictures and graphs courtesy of New Scientist

Notice how Singapore has very conspicuously not provided any data to participate in this survey? Either by omission or non-participation, we're in the 'grey' area along with other 'ulu' countries like... Greenland and most of Northern Africa. In fact, the whole of South East Asia has been left out!

Maybe politicians up in the higher echelons of the government service are just too busy lately with the happenings in the region.

Malaysia: Anwar getting sodomised.. err.. sorry, the official word is the other way around: a 60 year old man forced himself on a 23 year old youth in the prime of his life. This seedy old pervert has to be thrown back into jail quickly! BEFORE he has the chance to garner more defectors into his opposition party preferably.

Singapore: According to the rumour mill at www.mrbrown.com the current BMT is all set to undergo a revolution to curb the worrying trend of low birth rates in Singapore. All able bodied young Singaporeans are to do their part for the nation in Basic Mating Training. Don't worry about rising living standards and record breaking inflation rates. The government needs more citizens to suck money from! The government realises that Singaporeans are worried about the ever increasing number of foreigners on our little island, but don't worry as they are just a temporary measure to suck on before the expected baby boom. Which will definitely come by the way, because Singaporeans are always so good in listening to instructions. 真听话！

Alright, hopefully all of those smoke screens thrown at the National Day Rally about how Lee Inc. is really giving back to Singaporeans by installing more ERP gantries and taking more money from them in these times of rising prices is for their own good worked. We need to forget that Temasek Holdings made a PROFIT of 13 BILLION dollars this year using funds provided by normal Singaporeans. Oh, if possible, please forget how the last general elections witnessed the largest showing of support for the opposition parties ever and our Prime Minister lost 1/3 of the votes in his own constituency to a young upstart female politician who no one has ever heard of.

Thailand: More riots. More invocations from the public for the King to step in and take charge of the government. In fact, I think if Thailand doesn't have its usual coup de'tat once in a while, the country might actually be even more unhappy!

With so much to handle, no wonder governments in SEA didn't have time to bother with such triffling surveys. Who cares how happy the people are? Pfft.



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Now playing: Eagles - Hotel California
via FoxyTunes

Goblin Shark

This is one shark I definitely hope I don't bump into when I go diving. It's kind of cute how the Japanese have named it after their mystical creature the Tengu because of its long nose. Anyway, keep those retractable jaws away!

Sam Png is a crybaby

There are certain things that I just can't handle too well. Things like the passing of a family member. Somehow mentioning them brings back memories of my grandparents and my eyes tend to mist up without fail at these situations.

Am I getting soft and letting my guard down again? Not now Sam... always onwards, always better, always stronger. Stay strong.

August Babies

*takes a deep deep breath*

Happy birthday shout outs to Rui Bao, Wan Xin, Mingwei, Aaron Lam, Mr Tan! Whew, imagine singing happy birthday to everyone all together.

Colin's Dead

The tragic story of Colin the stranded baby humpback whale has come to an end with its sad and inevitable death. Repeated attempts to get it adopted by passing pods have failed and as it got weaker by the day, breaking hearts as it tried to suckle on whale-sized yachts, chances of its survival waned. A whale whisperer was even brought in to ease its pain and comfort it. This really was a sad story.

To Glide Effortlessly

photos courtesy of Ong's amazing underwater camera.

Recent Convert

The recent diving trip was a revelation to say the least. Snorkelling and diving are just incomparable. You get to stay underwater only as long as your breath allows when snorkelling and most marine life avoid you when you dive under. Probably because you're making such a din and look like a menacing predator advancing on them.

The disparity in amount of marine life you come into contact with when diving is just amazing. As you glide along effortlessly underwater, it is like you have entered an alternate world and the fishes treat you as part of it. Was motionless as I watched a giant jellyfish float eerily by and then couldn't help but smile as a parrotfish kept nibbling on my fins. There was a shark circling a school of large bumphead fish while its cousin the stingray and blue-spotted ray skirted along the sea bed. Clown fish families amongst the sea anemone swan about in distress as the dive instructor fanned at their stringy homes. Not forgetting the yellow polka dot box fish, fearsome looking moray eel and large barracuda, shy sea turtle and multitude of colourful corals on the sea bed.

Divers Away!!!!

Really excited about the diving trip to Tioman I am leaving for tonight. Will we get to see turtles chomping on jellyfish?

Hungry Ghost Festival

Ah Gong, Ah Ma, Zhong Tai is finally back from the U.K. after completing his studies. I've brought my certificate today and you can look at it later when I burn it together with your money. I know it's in English, but I've written your names in Chinese on the back of it so that you know it's meant for you. Ah Gong knows our surname "Png" in English and you can see it on the front.

Thank you for watching over me the past 3 years. I'm sorry for being away from home so often the previous 8 years and didn't spend much time with you in your final years. Please forgive my failure to serve you and repay the kindness and love you gave in bringing me up as a child. I'm back, Zhong Tai is home. Job hunting has been alright, but I haven't accepted any offers yet because I want to try my hand at applying to be a pilot. You know how much I like planes, even as a young boy back in Lor. Ah Soo.

Take care Ah Gong, Ah Ma. We all miss you.


Translated from Hokkien thus the awkward structuring at times. I can just imagine my Grandpa sighing and asking why does a Teochew boy speak Hokkien and Cantonese but not his mother dialect? :P

Lucky

They don't know how long it takes
Waiting for a love like this
Every time we say goodbye
I wish we had one more kiss
I'll wait for you I promise you, I will

And so I'm sailing, through the sea
To an island where we'll meet
You'll hear the music, feel the air
I'll put a flower in your hair

I'm lucky I'm in love with my best friend...
Lucky to be coming home again.