Posts filed under 'Uncategorized'
Perpetual Unhappiness
Amidst all the laughter that i attained from watching Kumar, i think there’s more i sort of affirmed through his/her performance.
I think that herein Singapore belies a high concentration of unhappy people, individuals who are never satisfied with they’ve been given, who find every single loophole and negative to indulge in trivial arguements and complaints on, people who fail to realise to some extent, just how lucky we are.
While sitting in for the the debates by our ‘exuberant’ ministers, i listened to a barrage of complaints that hounded our dear HDB Tan, offering nothing but issues that were met with no solutions. However amidst the rambling on by Mr Tan on measures that the govt has already put in placed, he highlighted how in fact housing in singapore has evolved so much over the past 50 years, which i feel was the centripetal reason towards the advancement of SOL, sanitisation, job and everything else that our little island has grown to become.
Think about it, moving from a kampung to a flat, diseases uncommon, sanitation necessary.
But what we’ve come to expect is just something better, away from contentment. True enough issues like housing, CPF, yada yada yada have all come under scrutiny, and personally i think its just a vicious cycle of both the government and we ourselves who have led us into the mix, into a hole that we can never come out from.
Let’s put the issue of democracy aside.
We used to clamour for foreign talent, to aide us in our household chores, construction work and everything that we shunned. But as soon as they seem to be taking away opportunities for us that we used to forcibly lead them into, we complain.
True, the govt’s incentives of tax free years to international MNC’s and other business has indeed led to an increased growth in privitisation, overall business and an increase in our GDP. No doubt these business created for viable jobs and opportunities for us Singaporeans, and we definitely had the lion’s share of the possesion and chances back in the 80’s and 90;s,
Then we wanted more, wanted the 5 C’s and everything else in between.Asian financial crisis, 9/11, SARS, Lehman Brother and the debt ridden results of gambling lead to fingers pointing.
I think its safe to say that its become part of the culture to not expect the least, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
But i wonder somehow if we could just conduct a campaign on contentment amongst Singaporeans. And stop wasting on energy conservation, racial and religious harmony and electoral campaigns that never materialise(i’ve seriously given up and let the PAP rule)
I’ve had this conversation with my friends many a time, with mixed reactions. Truth be told there are some who clamour for the rich and famous lifestyle, whereas i’ve met many that in reality, never want to be rich, not for the reasons that many would see.
It all boils down to appreciating and accepting what we have. Working for that holiday, saving because you want the best for people around you and enjoying everything in and out of work.It makes the love, the friendship, the camaraderie all the more appreciative and special.
It takes me back to treating my friends on the back of my first paycheck, seeing my gf’s smile when i bought the tickets for her and just the general amusement when i buy that jug of vodka lime for friends i haven’t met in a long time. See, that’s not flashing my money cause i can be a miserly if i wanted to be, but it didn’thurt because the happiness far outweighed the outcry of an empty bank account.
I think that’s more or less vanished, the word contentment. At least i’ll try to stick with it.
Can’t get no satisfaction
-Soapfat
Add comment March 8, 2010
I’ve been spooning all my life
I’ve been listening to this band for quite some time now on and off and on basis, Spoon.
At some points its just the simplicity of songs like Don’t You Evah that i’ve come to appreciate, but i really like the whole Beck/LCD Soundsystem feel that i get from songs like The Way we get by and especially Stay Don’t Go
But my favourite track of all has to be Back to the Life, i see some semblence of blur combined with well i really don’t know what band comes to mind at this point of time, but the collaborance of the acoustics and electronics is really something to behold.
that’s the way we get by
-Soapfat
Add comment February 18, 2010
How deep is your love in the wet sand
Another beauty that passed by me while i was ipodding on the bus back from school. Wet Sand by RHCP, which led me to find out this cool clip from John that made me take out my guitar at 1am and learn to play it. It’s good to be back.
Add comment November 24, 2009
Fake Empire
No they’re not communist. Just a band that actually would be better to listen to during a nice gloomy day like the present.
Add comment November 20, 2009
Wednesday
Sometimes i wonder if i grew up too fast with nothing much happening in between.
Add comment November 12, 2009
Vicky Christina Hitler Penelope
It took me a while to actually figure i had this stored in the cobwebs of my hard disk, this after watching Der Untergang, a bio about the last days of Hitler, the SS and the 3rd reich.
sidenote: i’ve only been interested in two historical timelines, that of Roman Times and WWII, just because there were so many interseting tactics, seductions, governments and disfunctional beliefs that stemmed through and changed the course of times. As compared to boring old shit like the American Civil War and me love you long time Vietcong, there’s just so much culture, essence and a general pleasure i derive from reading and watching about these wars.
Heil mein fuhrer!
Back to where i digressed from. Oh Vicky Christina Barcelona.
It really feels good to be able to absorb movies when you are wide awake, pathetically eating lunch leftovers and sipping on concentrated apple juice. I love going into movies not expecting much, and turn out to be very amazed and excited by the prospects of seeing scarlet johansson, and the fact that this film was directed by Woody ” where on earth has he been ” Allen.
I guess my reasons for liking the film were the relations that it had with me, the situations, the familiar words and phrases that in some way or another sum up what i have always desired and have been working to.
In the movie Scarlet Johansson(Christina) mentioned a phrase that i’ve been repeating since last year.
” i don’t know what i want, but i know what i don’t want “
It just takes me to the phase that i am in at the moment, where i am just trying to find my ground, look around and just deem what’s right for me pursue at the moment. It sort of strengthens me and my belief that there are higher pursuits in life that i want to attain but just am not too sure about at the moment. It also reminds me on the things that i do not want to become, like a douchebag, a mindless inspirationaless zombie or someone who can make 1001 faces with the fats of his tummy.
So besides having the obvious satisfaction of seeing Penelope Cruz and Scarlet making out in the darkroom, i kind of realign myself to Juan Antonio in the mo
vie, otherwise known as a hairier version of Don Juan. It’s not the suaveness, the flirtation or the whole creative art vibe, but rather just the belief that only unfulfilled love can be romantic.
In an essence it doesn’t just apply to love but in everything that i aim to do, the love for music, love for adventure, love for everything non-chinese to me.
I guess the passion that ensues, the whole summer loving feel is something that i’ve always looked forward to.
Strange enough that these words are coming from me, but i just feel that it would really be fantastic to head off to a faraway land and get to know and love someone you probably know nothing about, have perhaps not many interests in common or even the barrier that is we call language.
In a way love would precede all expectations, it would cross all the boundaries and it would be something communicated not with words but just a mutual attraction and understanding between two complete strangers.
Maybe it’s me and the people i have gone out with who make me realise that you just really got to look out of your own concentric circle that is Singapore to find the true meaning, purpose and direction of life.
To think through passion and emotion than through thoughts, something the film brought out time and again.
Lose all your inhibitions, sense of time and sense of perceived values.
Which can also be summariesd into the words. Fuck Life.
Sometimes i wonder what pains me more, the fact that almost no one i go out with ever becomes something more. Or that every person that i’ve ever genuinely been intersted in and she the same, always has something that i just can’t break through. Whether its her own epiphany, realisation of the complications that is the world or just an own personal foolishness, i would say that my heart has gone deep enoguh to be broken as of yet.
I guess all i can do at the moment is stare ahead and learn to play the spanish guitar.
2 comments September 13, 2009
The hazards of love
The decemberists caught my eye because they did 4 different versions of their cd title single ” hazards of love”, a different rendition and feel for each song ” the hazards of love “.
This is the 4th version of the single.
It made me think of the weird moments we can’t describe when we are on a date, or in a relationship.
For example, that weird moment we all have when our date goes to the loo, leaving us stranded alone at a table, at the bar with no one to talk to. The moment where thoughts rummage through our mind like wildfire, where both parties probably ask themselves what’s next in line, what we think of that person and of course what’s there to talk about when we actually get back to our dates.
There should be a word, a terminology to describe this moment perhaps.
It’s like a natural buffer of an excuse for us to think and ponder, but if your date continuously goes to the toilet for some strange reason you have to worry because 1.) She has a real bladder problem 2.) She really doesn’t like you
Sidenote. Always wondered what happens when two people with braces kiss.
Sidenote of a note, who said poker face was thrashy.
Woah oohhohhohh
-Soapfat
3 comments September 4, 2009
Noel gallagher
I think the past two weeks can be summed up like the inspiration that is Noel gallagher.
It seems that lyrics and writing have been coming back to me slowly but assuredly. It’s cheesy to say but i can feel an emotion in between every voice and every word that i hear, that i write. Every songs seems to be slowed down now for me to pay attention to, and i feel that my words have been flowing from the heart rather than from the mind at the moment.
Yesterday i received a special note that made me pause for a second, that made me rethink the way i feel about a certain situation.
Strange isn’t it, how a supposed personal portal for you has become somethign that restricts you from saying how you exactly feel. Hello new media.
So back to the point, strange situation. Safely described as impossible is nothing. To want what you can have. To be a stubborn bitch.
In about 3 weeks time the reality of a hectic schedule will set in and i probably will not have much time to think let alone feel for other situations. Welcome to life, or what’s left of it.
pardon me while i burst into the flames
-Soapfat
Add comment August 31, 2009
Make my monday
With all the external activities occuring, it has never occured to me that the monday blues would actually set in for me while at work.
It’s an essential aura the creeps into everyone around you it seems. Everything just seemed slower for once, not even miss south africa prancing in her swimwear could take away all the angst that was ridden within the cubicle i’m confined in.
Taking the metro back got me reminiscing the whole purpose of life issue, something i’ve been trying to avoid. I got sucked out of any form of creative juices today and was more contented with completion of menial tasks back in the office.
I can’t compose, edit or even write at the moment. Somehow i’m getting different aspirations, different ambitions each and every minute of every hour and it scares me sometimes that i really do not know what i want.
2 comments August 24, 2009
Morning view change
Sometimes i wonder if i change my point of view too often, perhaps it occurs because i seem to be experiencing something new and different every week at every opportunity and it reflects on the way i perceive ideas, ideals and idiots.
My values on stuff like religion, respect and beer will forever hold true to me, but i’m wondering if everything else has not been set in placed yet.
Sometimes i feel i based things too quickly, taking every single positive as a moment that can’t be let go. I know better myself, not to *cue cliche saying of all eggs in a basket. Because i’ve done that before and it has lead to nothing but despair in the bathroom.
Meeting the rocker over brandy with a korean girl in the dorm for about 5mins was something we haven’t done in a while, singing alicia keys/coldplay while acting like stevie wonder was just setting free everything.
let time pass to see what’s in store then.
But everything changes if i could, turn back the years if you could
-Soapfat
Add comment August 23, 2009
