January 2004 Archives

Today marks the first year that I have wilfully NOT visited the family temple and graves, for ancestor worship and burning paper money.

Last year I thought I'd tag along just to help clean up the weeds and sweep away the dirt on my great-grandparents' graves. However I soon realised that everyone who was going was also expected to help burn paper money. On the way to the cemetery I started having second thoughts, and prayed silently for God to forgive me for whatever I had to do.

We nearly lost our way, and when we turned into a small lane leading to the graves, we found our path blocked by a huge rubbish container. So we made three right turns to get to the other side.

Just as we stepped out of the car, it poured suddenly. Stubbornly, my relatives tried to set fire to the paper, sheltering each bundle with our umbrellas. A few bundles started to catch fire, but most were put out by the rain. One clump of burning money got swept up by the wind, and landed smack on top of my left hand! I panicked and shook it off. Surprisingly I wasn't burnt or marked at all.

The graves visit last year was, in short, a washout. After that, I swore never to do anything related to ancestor worship again. Amen!

As Christians who are also Chinese, we face certain conflicts between tradition and religion. Also, when we refrain from performing certain rites, we risk alienating or prejudicing other people as well (though of course it is not the affairs of the World we ought to be concerned about). Where do we draw the line?

Now I am reading through a book, titled 'A biblical approach to Chinese traditions and beliefs'. Written by Daniel Tong, an Anglican priest in Singapore, it addresses issues I've started to become more aware of ever since I decided to believe in Jesus. The book offers alternative approaches for grey areas, but in obvious cases which would result in us undermining our faith, we still have to resist it and not be afraid.

It was interesting that I watched the Hutton Report (pdf) live on the BBC channel, then read about the BBC Chairman quitting - on the BBC website. Not many news corporations would be so forthcoming with information portraying them in a bad light. Of course, they don't completely agree with the report, but at least readers are kept in the loop.

A few years ago, I had to find out from a rival TV station that my company was retrenching staff. A couple of years before that, I stopped reading a major broadsheet in the UK when I heard it was owned by a media mogul who fired his editors for not writing what he wanted.

Ironically, by attempting to cover up information it could worsen people's impressions on the organisation. Nobody can own the 'truth'; if it's out there, it will come out sooner or later.

After many hectic weeks at work, I finally had enough time to sit myself down and figure out how to sync my mobile phone to my Lotus Notes calendar and contacts. I decided to use my Bluetooth connection to do it, and everything works together beautifully.

I also took the opportunity to install the smartphone/PDA version of Opera via the Nokia connectivity suite. 14-day trial, US$29, pah... I wonder if Mozilla will come up with a cheaper alternative. However Opera is more advanced than the pre-installed browser on my Nokia 6600. I managed to view normal websites without a problem (if you don't count the excruciatingly slow download time). Opera has a special feature which sizes down content to suit smaller screens. Here it is in action, on vantan.org itself:

Opera also allows you to view the website as it really is, on the big screen - however that means having lots of horizontal and vertical scrolling to do. But it is fascinating nonetheless.

There was an interview on Newsradio 93.8FM this evening with a spokesperson from a visually impaired association in Singapore. I didn't catch most of it, but my ears did prick up when they mentioned online text readers and how there is so much we can do to improve online accessibility for these people.

Duh, it's about time, I was thinking. The Americans and the rest of the first world have been proactive in enabling handicapped people to have as normal an online experience as possible. What is the point of being a technological hub when you leave your most helpless citizens behind?

In fact, about three years ago, my ex-colleague Adel Goh wrote about how she interviewed someone who said*, 'Why design for the blind? The Internet isn't for them'. Nothing much has changed since then. The local new media scene is still very much visually-oriented, and that is also because clients are much more impressed with a Flashy, tub-thumping website than a neatly coded (and labelled) one. Granted, the two categories are not mutually exclusive, but so far I have yet to see a locally-produced effort that qualifies for both.

In a way I wonder if this problem is a reflection of our society. Many people have commented over the years on how physically disabled persons in the United States are fairly independent, visible and mobile. Back here, I am curious as to why I never see any handicapped people - unless I volunteer at a Home. On rare occasions I'd see a few people escorting someone on a wheelchair or walking stick at a shopping centre - and that would be it. Is this because of our culture (shame/ not wanting to impose too much on helpers/ too inconvenient)?

What's more, I still see many people parking in handicapped lots - despite the threat of fines, wheelclamping or both (we call these the 'Socially handicapped', who are also 'visually handicapped' when they tell officers that they didn't notice the huge sign next to their lot.).

Regardless of how reality ties in with our virtual behaviour, it is something that has to change. And soon.

* - Time has eroded my memory but I do recall that was the gist of the interview candidate's statement.

Our stay at Cebu has been great so far. It was bitingly hot at first, then it started to pour. It rained today again - from morning till evening. Fortunately like true Singaporeans we spent most of our day at a mall, then feasted at a seafood grill in Plantation Bay itself. Business is good - so good that we couldn't book a tour of the city.

My little cousins are looking over my shoulder as I'm typing this.

They still aren't going away.

Their names are Rachel, Stacey and Andrew, who can do the 'John Travolta'. They keep on giggling. All right, they're gone now. I'm in the queue for the pool table. Can't wait.

We're flying off to a resort in the Philippines in a few hours' time. I might not be accessing the Internet, so things will be a little quiet over here.

In the meantime, here's wishing all my Chinese readers Gong Xi Fa Cai :-D

I attended a couple of farewell dinners for Mark and Kristen this week (yes, I really love the couple, can't bear to be without them, yadda yadda). And this evening I finally got to meet Andrea. I first discovered her blog via an online directory, then noticed her site had photos of this couple I met at the Alpha course at St George's. That's how I discovered Kristen's blog. It's a small world, isn't it?

Anyway, we took lots of photos. The following were all taken with my handy Nokia 6600. Hubba, hubba, tell me they're good.

Well, the e-filing saga has ended (so I hope) thanks to a few telephone conversations with the Income Tax folks. I produced my print records, and they waived the fee. Hallelujah! Thanks anyhow to the kind souls who offered their help.

My plight was reported to a senior IRAS official, who happens to be a friend of a friend. I might be having lunch with him after Chinese New Year - he'd like to hear how the system can be improved. Which is great. Any system, no matter how revolutionary, can always be fine-tuned in the years ahead. Users' habits and demographics will change, so there is no one perfect system which will always stand the test of time.

The other thing I might be working on (time permitting) is my department's intranet home page. Not only was I excited when our Deputy Director (a pleasant lady) told me I was selected to do the revamp - I found out I was going to work with her counterpart from Marketing, who is my favourite boss of the month for simply being so clear in her directions and kind with her words. The sort that gets you on a high because you suddenly see your goals materialise in front of you, and you work not because you're forced to, but because you want to.

Oh well, enough gushing from me. It's time to catch the remaining minutes of the Wolverhamption Wanderers v Manchester United humiliation (I loved the Straits Times' headline: 'Dunces with Wolves').

Check out the new single from Tears For Fears (Real/Windows Media).

It might not be a mind-blowing smash hit, but it is quite easy on the ear. The pace and rhythm are very much like Sowing the Seeds of Love, down to the 'air drum' effects and hand clapping. I don't quite like the repetitive piano chord progressions but maybe I'll get used to it.

The chorus line is happy and catchy. Roland sings and hoots like the New Radicals lead. The terse strings give the 'high heaven' effect, which is a nice touch.

Overall, it is a mature effort. I imagine that Roland wrote the verses (melodic, minor) and Curt wrote the chorus (carefree, major). If you listened to their individual efforts you might know what I mean.

I feel vindicated. After a night of intense paper-sorting, I located the printout of my 2003 Income Tax e-filing consolidation page!

And my memory didn't fail me - I did file early enough, two weeks before the deadline. Ha!

I burst out into song and dance, praising God whom I had an inkling was going to reveal something to me, but only after I had suffered and toiled and sorted out all my stray documents (yes, I was worked up for days). Lesson learnt.

There may still be a problem because the consolidation page was the second last step (it had Print and Submit buttons and I certainly hope I submitted it after printing!). I don't have a printout of the confirmation page and I hope that was because it looked really inconsequential and didn't have a Print button. Was this the same for everyone else?

I nearly forgot about the Asia Weblog Awards 2003 largely because it took a while to count the votes and I have a pretty short memory. Well, we didn't make it to the top 3 best designed weblogs, but then again I didn't quite put winning in any blog competition on my priority list. Thanks for the nomination and votes. My code stands validated.

Overzealous preoccupation with work has taken a lot of my attention away from this weblog. I mean, I've only done like, three possible mockups for the new look, and it is nowhere near completion date. Like I said, I'll probably wait until MT 3.0 is out before I do anything drastic. Until then, if it ain't broke, I won't fix it.

In order for me to transfer my domain name to a more reasonably-priced registrar, I have to fill up a fax form (there was an online processing error, my old web host doesn't want to help me, and my outgoing registrar says they can't touch my account which is still technically under my old web host).

In order for me to avoid being treated like a criminal, I have to fill up a paper income tax form due to what is most likely a technical glitch.

Whatever happened to e-empowerment???

I like to think of myself as a dutiful citizen. I've been paying my taxes well within the deadline for three years. Well, at least I think I did that last year.

I just received a letter, nine months after the tax filing deadline, stating that I did not file my income tax and have therefore committed an offence under Section 62 of the Income Tax Act. What's more: under Section 94, I might be fined a maximum of $1000 unless I file my returns and pay a $100 fee within 14 days. If I don't comply, I face a court summons.

Oooh, I'm shaking. With outrage.

On my side, having filed my taxes with no major hiccups for the last few years, I might not have printed out the confirmation notice this time. Besides, even if I had done so, I might not have kept the printout since it's been nearly a year and I've moved house.

However I am wondering why it took IRAS nine months to notify me. Not only do I have to dig up all my old records, I now have to scramble to meet a 14 day deadline (make that 13).

Anyway, I thought I had better log in to efile.iras.gov.sg to check my status. The website is down, and it isn't looking pretty. The officer I spoke to on the phone said that was because the e-filing period was over. So I have to re-file my returns on paper.

Ironically, despite e-filing my returns every year, no payment has ever been required from me because I haven't earned enough. I believe I am innocent and there has been a mistake, yet it is assumed I am guilty. I even e-filed early this year so I could get bonus points! I have also spoken to other people who have also been overcharged by mistake, but found it too troublesome to lodge a complaint or listen to an automated voice telling them to wait a while longer.

It may be time to write a letter...

Check out the new Tangs website. Though some segments are in Flash, the site is generally easy to navigate. Some thought has gone into product promotion, though they should provide ALT text for large images.

Yes, I was at Tangs today. I picked up a Sony Ericsson Bluetooth headset for my Nokia 6600 phone. I was about to get the only available Nokia headset, but realised it is not entirely wireless - you still have to clip one part of it onto your shirt, and attach the other half to your ear. I might as well stick to my wired hands-free kit! [Later I learnt there is a wire-free Nokia earpiece but I don't think it's available in Singapore yet.]

So I settled for the newer, smaller and somewhat more expensive HBH-65 (read review). After charging it for several hours, I successfully paired it with my mobile phone (which incidentally has already been paired with my new laptop). Loud and clear. And it is quite a neat little device, much shorter than its predecessor. I can listen to my video clips as well as phone calls and it sounds as sharp as it does, directly from my handset.

Oh, happy day...

I might be a victim of credit card fraud. Looking at my latest online statement, I noticed an unusual entry: Payment of US$13.95 to Blumountain.

First, I thought, hey, I haven't subscribed to the ecard service for 2 or 3 years - since I received my very first credit card (even then, I don't think I used this particular card, which I applied for later).

But before I notified my bank I thought I should verify whether I really was still a member. So I tried logging in. Now at bluemountain.com, members log in with their email address. I tried every email address I ever had, including now defunct ones, and nothing worked.

Then I noticed that the company name on my itemised statement wasn't 'Bluemountain' with an 'e', but simply 'Blumountain'. The annual subscription fee on the legitimate site, was US$13.95 however. Could it be a variation of the company name?

I visited blumountain.com and was hit by a popup ad and a redirection to an entirely different domain. I started to feel a little worried and notified my bank.

To be continued...

Bush hails downfall of Sauron, asks for UN aid for Mordor reconstruction

Opinion: As You Can See From My Name-Brand Clothing, I Am Not Poor

And I could see this coming: (Singapore) Opposition to Issue All-Nude Benefit Calendar. Warning: may contain explicit Members of Parliament.

One post in three days. That has to be my worst record ever since I renamed this blog 'The Daily Weblog'. Blog, I'm sorry I haven't done you justice. I really have a lot of work to do. You'd be so proud of me, if only you weren't my blog.

Elsewhere, people have been doing exciting things. Jason Kottke is going to review one new magazine each week. I always like reading the comments his readers leave, because they're choc full of interesting information. Here you can find out what sort of mags you can possibly pick up in Manhattan.

Also, while I was missing in action, it appears that Britney Spears got married and divorced in about a day. As if the champagne binges weren't bad enough. Or losing It to Justin Timberlake.

Lastly, I guess now is as good as any time to announce that I have firmly made the switch to Mozilla Firebird, both at work and at home. It's faster than plain ol' Mozilla and has almost everything I want in a browser. Unfortunately not all websites are designed to comply with anything but IE, which is a nuisance. I might elaborate on that another time (cracks knuckles).

On Jan 6, 2004, my all-time favourite band Tears For Fears will be launching their new single, 'Closest Thing To Heaven' Their forthcoming album, 'Everyone Loves a Happy Ending', will also be released later this year. [Independent , EOnline articles]

During that period of time I've listened to the individual efforts of Curt Smith and Roland Orzabal (website may be down). Frankly I didn't think much of Curt's first single, 'Calling Out', and I gather he didn't think much of his first album, 'Soul on Board', either. Roland's first solo album, the bare-bones and aptly-named 'Elemental' was a bit of a drop from the harmonious and triumphant 'Seeds of Love'. He did have a few good tracks in my opinion, namely the anthemic 'Power', the dreamy 'Brian Wilson Said' and the rousing 'Goodnight Song'. I didn't think much of 'Break It Down Again', and don't understand how it ever became a hit.

Still under the TFF name (which caused some dispute), Roland released 'Raoul and the Kings of Spain', which I felt was a richer, more melodious effort, complete with haunting choruses, acoustic guitars and rock. Raoul is, not so coincidentally, the name of Roland's son.

Roland's final album to date, named 'Tomcats Screaming Outside', is an appropriate representation of the nature of the music within. His constant experimentations lent a drum and bass overtone to some tracks. Overall it is part ethereal, part rock, part synth - part everything. One track, 'Hypnoculture', sounds like it came right out of the first Deep Forest album. Sounding more cheerful than the norm is 'For the Love of Cain', which has references to the biblical Genesis.

Meanwhile, Curt moved to LA, remarried, had a kid and built a smashing new house which was featured in a lifestyle magazine. Dandily, he called his new band 'Mayfield', so people could say, "Curt is Mayfield". I bought his album, 'Aeroplane', and some of his songs grew on me. If you've ever been to Bath in England, as I have, you might appreciate 'Snow Hill', which was where the lads grew up. Other favourites of mine are 'I Don't Want To Be Around' and 'Mother England'.

Generally, Curt's music doesn't leave me with the same feelings of angst that Roland's did. If TFF as a duo produced bittersweet music, as some say, I'd think Roland was the 'bitter' part and Curt was 'sweet'.

In thirteen years, Curt has matured greatly and will probably no longer play a peripheral role in songwriting for TFF. Not to say he wasn't a good songwriter in the first place- the few songs he co-wrote with Roland and other band members, were top hits: for instance, 'Seeds of Love', and my all-time favourite, 'Head Over Heels'. Roland has, true to character, constantly developed his music and is not afraid of sounding different with every album he's launched.

Despite being less prolific than Roland, Curt's music has a lower 'skip factor' (a term I coined, determining how likely one is to skip tracks in an album because they sound unpleasant/your parents are going to get a heart attack). You could get through 'Aeroplane' with a smile on your face, thinking of sunshine and green fields.

What will the new single / album sound like? Don't expect it to be another synth-pop 'Everybody Wants To Rule The World', from the way their individual efforts have turned out. I expect something more alternative and brazen.

Look out, World. Here they come again!

Happy New Year. I haven't quite decided what my New Year's resolutions are going to be.

I'd like to be more punctual - but if everyone else isn't, then I'd just wait around like an idiot (which happens frequently enough already).

I'd like to lose more weight. And stay there. But Christmas and New Year were just over - and there's Chinese New Year round the corner. How could I possibly resist it?

I'd definitely like to further strengthen my relationship with God - though that shouldn't be treated like a new year's resolution but a lifelong pursuit.

I think I'll think about my resolutions a little longer.