:: cycle to the beach-day ::

looking at the great sunny and clear blue skies outside, a thought just came to my mind "let's cycle to the beach!"

cycle!

as an islander from singapore, every time should i head out to any beaches - to cycle was never an option, it was either the bus/train or to drive.

all it takes here to cycle to the beach (and a nude one it is) are just two road junctions and about 15 minutes worth of pedal-power. the green arrow in the map above is where i live and on the far left is where scheveningen beach is, with the 'naturist' one closer to home :-)



so, in an hour or so (depending on my mood and the sun!) I will need to do some workout, and perhaps find a nice spot to suntan - especially my white legs.

'till then,
x

:: do not rain on my parade ::

just as the weather is getting sunnier by the day (although sometimes dark clouds still looming by), my cough and fever have somewhat recovered. thanks to being home for 3 days in a row...not resting, but still working!

i hope that the weekend will be nice, considering this annual event (screams party!) in amsterdam - it's just too bad, that i do not have my digital camera with me anymore...*cry*, but i guess my mobile phone will do.

and i hope that its about time that i show some legs by wearing a bermuda :-) my legs are getting so white that its not funny anymore...:-P

looking forward for the weekend (sober!),
x

:: the loving story and definition of race ::

“

Almighty God created the races white, black, yellow, Malay and red, and he placed them on separate continents. And but for the interference with his arrangement there would be no cause for such marriages. The fact that he separated the races shows that he did not intend for the races to mix.

”

Johann Friedrich Blumenbach (May 11, 1752 – January 22, 1840) was a Germanphysiologist and physical anthropologist, one of the founders of scientific racism theories.

as i was working from home today, still nursing my sore throat and fever ...i chanced a documentary in BBC about loving vs virginia - a landmark civil rights case which ended race-based legal restrictions on marriage in the united states in the 60s.

that story has been made into a movie called "Mr and Mrs Loving" back in 1996 starring once-hollywood-heartthrob of the 80s- Timothy Hutton.

what interests me was the use of 18th century definition of race (quote above) which was used by the judge as he passed the judgement.

malay?

malay was definited as one of the 5 races of the world back then, and it was described as "Tawny-coloured; hair black, soft, curly, thick and plentiful; head moderately narrowed; forehead slightly swelling; nose full, rather wide, as it were diffuse, end thick; mouth large. upper jaw somewhat prominent with the parts of the face when seen in profile, sufficiently prominent and distinct from each other"

how i wish that i have thick and plentiful hair and narrowed head.

i didn't know much about my own race but without that study long time ago, perhaps the idea of being a malay race will never come about, perhaps we will be classified as 'others', like our eurasian counterparts back in singapore :-(

black/white/yellow/brown/orange/whatevers...love all, serve all,
x

:: how one author has soared my spirits ::

i bought "a thousand splendid suns" slightly more than a month ago - when i was back home in singapore. my plan was to read it immediately, so that i do not have to bring it back to the netherlands as my collection of books and magazines here have already warrant a container-cargo load on its own.

but circumstances back home did not permit, i had a funeral in the family, taking care of my mid-year errands (especially taxes - car insurance, road, housing, etc) and of course, the so-called "great singapore sale".

however, i digress.

i was aware of khaled hosseini's success with his first book, "the kite runner" - but it was only after 4 years after its released that i finally bought it. blame border bookstore's 3 for 2 book sales (when i do books, i hardly do them solo). i bought that book with me for my weekend trip to brugge, belgium - and in that same weekend, i was hooked. all i remember from the train ride from den haag to brugge was that i just had to make a quick train change in brussels, i was ravaging pages after pages of that book until i reached the hotel.

i finally completed 'splendid suns' last night - after 3 long nights before that, which has made me sick with fever and cough (i am still sick today and working from home).

as expected, khaled did not disappoint. it was haunting and riveting - i could not stop thinking about the characters in the book, the what-ifs questions, and at times made my heart soar 'till it lulled me to sleep.

yes, i know that these are work of fiction. but never before, have i been thinking about the people of Afghanistan until i read his books. i also learned more about its geography, wonderous history, its social-cultural aspects and religious/ethic factions of that country, years of wars until now - i often wonder about the lives of the people there.

khaled's books have appealed to that empty crevices within me. he did not preach nor politicise about the war, hunger, anarchy and oppression in afghanistan - he was just telling a story, that puts the violence, fear, hope and faith of that country in intimate, human terms.

i have to be honest about my attitude about afghanistan since i knew about her existence (during the cold war) - and that was i could not be bothered. i am glad that his books are bestsellers in many parts of the world, many people like me, are becoming more aware of the humanitarian issues facing the our very own planet. as a US envoy for UNHCR, the UN refuge agency, khaled has been championing this plight and have opened up million pairs of eyes to this worthy cause.

i would strongly recommend to read his books for anyone who seeks to find something so powerful that will make them discover the joys of reading again. his stories are harrowing yet exhilarating, stunning and heartbreaking and devastating yet inspiring.

you are bounded to be moved, even with the hardest of hearts - i can assure you that. my bedtime playlist in my iPod now is the audio book of "the kite runner" read by khaled himself.

and yes, there will be a movie soon, but read the book in the meanwhile!

ps: i'm a lousy book reviewer, there are loads online - just goggle it. my brain has been trained so much to write about 'facts' that it has lost much of its ability to write artistically.

:: happy 100th anniversary scouts! ::

yes, many many years ago, i was a scout and i still remember the scout's pledge and law!

ah...the memories back then :-)

:: national day (singapore) celebration ::

this sunday is the singapore-netherlands-association 'NDP 2007" celebration - and as usual, 'don't pay money, don't talk...." mentality still persist.

after last year's event - i have decided not to attend

my classmate used to be the president of this association, but after he has been re-posted to china, i do not feel welcome in this club.

the current president works in the same organisation as me, we bumped into each other during lunch sometimes - but there was never a welcoming 'hello' or any cordial nods of acknowledgment. F**cking elitist wannabe!

i am tired of being nice, i sent a 'well done' and 'thank you' email after the last event, but there is still not 'let's have lunch at the canteen soon' ' (don't get me wrong, i have initiated that many times over!)

my purpose of joining this 'club' was simple: as an overseas singaporean, its nice to talk singlish and relish our idiotic quirks and 'culture', get to know people from home, gossips, chats, have fun!

there are other members who also worked in the same giant organisation as me, some are nice - others are ...let's just say that i would not be caught dead being near them (notwithstanding the bad fashion sense and personal hygiene).

the sad thing is that the nicer ones are the 'unwilling' party, they are in the netherlands because they are married to dutch man/woman, and are really trying to feel at home, with new family and friends. i noticed that the assholes are usually the 'expats' here, and as an expat myself, i am ashamed.

they hardly 'integrate' with the local norms and ways of life, and adopt that 'since i will be here only for x years, i don't need to be 'local'. all i can say is that they are missing of good life experiences and journeys of 'self' - just like tourists who are happy with snapping scenic photos instead of trying out local food and go beyond the travel guide books - the "5 minute been there, done that" attitude.

i dont' need any association to tell me of my roots and identity. i am proud to be a singaporean (but never to the extend to trying so hard to tell everyone that we are number one in this and that, too much SPH newspaper propaganda and mass media sh*t at home have totally been erased in my memory)

i am a singaporean many times over, i wore in this ridiculous 'singapore' tank-top all alone in the busy street of amsterdam - shouted 'singapore' when madonna asked the audience where are you from in her last concert, and wore this stupid 'nike red t-shirt' during our global workshop.

i know home where my heart is, always will and forever here!

but i am also proud to know the differences between ayaan hirsi ali and rita verdonk, frans bauer and jan smit, why toppers are so famous here, and 'yankees' is drived from the names of dutchmen Jan and Kees!

majulah singapura!
x

ps: i am not generalising that every overseas singaporean in the netherlands are an ass, but the little numbers and encounters that i had have almost made me to stereotype (which is bad!) apologies to those who are not, i owe you a hug :-)

:: horoscope van de dag ::

"6 footer anyone?" - via Generator Land.

:: never been sick, till now ::

for the first time in two years, i am sick in the Netherlands.

i blame it on late nights (3.00am) reading khaled hosseini's "a thousand splendid suns" for the past few days. and also the lack of exercise (i have a gym membership here but have not been to it, except once!) and basically the weather (i was mislead by the sunny sun and only wore a suit to work yesterday, only to realise how chilly it was!).

the medicines to relieve my cough and fever were making me terribly drowsy, and i hit the sack at 8.00 pm last night and had a rather blissful sleep.so, while even so i am wide awake now, i have decided to work from home today. i am simply refusing to get dressed and go out of the house - maybe i should go to the gym and enjoy its sauna/steam-bath, and to exercise - when the time is right :-)

this summer has not been making me sweat, yet!

cruel summer,
x