Bloredom

A friend of mine saw a poster at a bus stop in Singapore today that wanted to tell us how to have a good marriage. Have a closer look, it’s definetly worth it. ;-)

“In order to have a good marriage we are well-prepard for a lifetime of happiness by learning to:

• Communicate with each other
• Meet each other’s needs and expectations
• Enhance in-law relations
• Manage out finances

Are you and your partner prepared? Log onto www.family.gov.sg/marriagepreparation to build your marriage for lifetime.”

Thank you, Singaporean government… ;)

Update March 2009: The Singaporean government finally released the “Marriage Central – Real Love Works” webpage (http://www.marriagecentral.sg). It’s definitely woth a visit… ;)

(Date of the original post: October 16, 2006)

It’s sunday and I’m just sorting all my newspapers which I’ve been picking up during my trip so far. Among those was also the following ad (for a golf championship at Tanah Merah Country Club). Such a pity that I’m not in Singapore on the 28th of February… ;)

@ Vik: Since we had to ban all these great pictures of the IAF, don’t you think we should try to re-open our category again? ;)

;)

… and one thing’s for sure: “I’ll be back” ;)

My new favorite T-Shirt. States the obvious.
(Also refer to this hilarious SPIEGEL Online article)

Ok, I never said that everything we are writing here is self-explanatory. Neither should everything be self-explanatory. So sometimes I just enjoy writing down things / posting images that, just by looking at them, bring me and the people with which I’m sharing these memories, back tons of sweet memories.

So guess what I now accidently found out during my most recent stay in Singapore (remember: being in this city has always and will probably always cause an imense buffer-overflow of sweet memories in my head):
When you top-up-your ezlink card you can access a “check card-details” function which logs the past few MRT journeys you’ve been doing:

08. August 2007: A journey that ended in Woodlands at 10:13 pm, just a couple of hours before I was flying back to Germany.

And if you go back in history a bit more: 29. Februar 2007, roughly half a year earlier: A journey from Bukit Batok at 2:58pm back to Chinese Garden, also short before I was flying back to Germany. *Sigh*

As if it were yesterday…

Unbelievable how two data entries, probably the most simple form of information, can bring back so many old memories…

“It was one of those days when it’s a minute away from snowing and there’s this electricity in the air, you can almost hear it. And this bag was, like, dancing with me. Like a little kid begging me to play with it. For fifteen minutes. [...] Video’s a poor excuse, I know. But it helps me remember… and I need to remember… ”

(American Beauty)

Wait, how is this called? Right, …, sentimentality. And I haven’t even started writing about all the meetings with my friends which I still have here in Singapore. Most of those meetings were quite memorable, …, in many ways…

OK, I have to go to bed now…

… ;)

And yes, I’ve double-checked it. The picture doesn’t violate any third-party copyrights so that some stupid lawyer can come along to sue me again…

Update (since V. asked about it):
The picture shows the Esplanade, Singapore’s waterside concert hall alongside Marina Bay near the mouth of the Singapore River and THE landmark building of Singapore. Second Home, here I come… :)

Update 2:
Also refer to this post.

Da lese ich heute morgen beim Frühstück in der Kritik zu “I am Legend” in der “Welt”, warum Manhattan Island eigentlich immer so häufig fachmännisch von der gesamten Grand Garde der Hollywood-Regisseure zerlegt wird:

“Eine oberflächliche und dennoch richtige Antwort lautet: Der hohe Wiedererkennungswert ist schuld. Im Grunde wäre der zwar auch in Rom oder London gegeben, aber nur für New York gilt, was einst der Regisseur Milos Forman festhielt: dass jeder Bewohner dieses Planeten zwei Heimaten hat – seine eigene und Manhattan.”

Klar, Manhatten ist ganz nett, aber damit verbunden fühlen? Eher weniger, ebensowenig wie mit Düsseldorf (noch), Williamsburg (wäre logisch) oder sonst einer Stadt. Lediglich Singapur, …, *seufz* ;)

Wie wär’s daher wenn im nächsten Jerry Bruckheimer-Streifen “Stirb Langsam V” Bruce Willis sich auf der Orchard Orchard Road Feuergefechte mit indonesischen Terroristen leistet, am Brunnen in der City-Link Mall nahe einem weltklasse Foodcourt das Gallonen-Spiel spielen muss um dann zum Raffles Square zu hetzen um noch rechtzeitig das öffentliche Singtel Telefon abzunehmen. Klingt für mich nach dem nächsten Kassenschlager (und meinem neuen Lieblingsfilm) :)

Stattdessen kommt ein fiktives Singapur lediglich vom Namen her in Fluch der Karibik 3 vor. *Gähn*… Zu schade dass es über Singapur sonst noch keinen guten Film gibt (von “I not stupid” mal abgesehen). Ich sollte doch Filmproduzent werden…

Changi Airport: Home, but not home (this time).

Although it’s also a bit funny: You arrive at a place and already find Singapore Dollars, an EZ Link Card and even a Singtel SIM Card in your pocket, …, not to mention the knowledge of the place and a bunch of funny memories in your head. :-)

With “From Third World to First” from Lee Kuan Yew currently being on my night table I can’t do different than naming him as my Vorbild. Strong, fierce and sharp-minded, …, the ideal Vorbild if you ask me. ;)

[singlepic=52,320,240,,left]

“I’m not guided by what Human Rights Watch says. I am not interested in ratings by Freedom House or whatever. At the end of the day, is Singapore society better or worse off? That’s the test. What are the indicators of a well-governed society? Look at the humanities index in last week’s Economist, we’re right on top. You look at the savings index, World Bank, we’re right on top. Economic freedoms, we’re on top. What is it we lack?
[...]
We demand a right of reply, that’s all. And if you go over the line, if you defame us, we’re prepared to sue you, go into the witness box and be cross-examined. You can brief the best lawyers and demolish us. If I’m involved, I go to the witness box. And you can question me, not only on the particular defamatory issue, but all issues in my life.”

“It’s in you!”, …, that’s the current advertising campaing with which the Singaporean Army is targeting its potential 18-20 year old new heroes. In fancy and enormously cool advertising banners in the local transportation system Singapore’s youngsters can’t do different than joining the army.

“The Army – Our Decisive Force” www.armycareers.gov.sg

Auch auf die Gefahr hin, dass hier niemand versteht, was an folgendem Video-Beitrag jetzt eigentlich so komisch / bemerkenswert / merkwürdig ist, so ist doch zumindest der Akzent äußerst putzig… ;)

Worum es geht: Eine Wahlwerbung der PAP Partei hier in Singapur, die nun schon ununterbrochen seit 1959 regiert. Zu sehen ist Herr Lee Hsien Loong, damals wie heute aktueller Premierminister von Singapur (und mindestens so gutaussehend wie George Clooney oder Gerhard Schröder anno 1998). Im Gegensatz zu deutscher Wahlwerbung kann man hier wirklich sagen, dass sowohl positive als auch negative Aspekte weitgehend ehrlich (wenn auch verschachtelt) im Voraus angekündigt werden.

Dazu auch folgender Artikel zum Thema.