The Chinese Low Educated but Highly Skilled Professional

I spent 10 hours on my bicycle and managed to break a handlebar, strip a very important nut and mount my brakes the wrong way. After the chaos, I decided to leave it to the professionals and brought my bike to the nearby bicycle store. While cycling to the store, it was creaking and squeaking the entire way.

When I was there, it was manned by the full crew, an old chinese man, lady and a old grandmother. After handling the bicycle to the old man he gave it a one over and said to me:

"Ah boy arh, you rammed into a wall before?"

I did hit a van at full speed a few weeks before but I never told him before.

"See see, the front fork is bent! One more time and you can't ride it anymore! Never mind, still can ride but must be careful."

I gave it a once over and.... couldn't see anything. Walking towards the rear of the of the bicycle, he looked at the nut only once and said

"This nut is a special nut, from a Raleigh"

And it was. It only took be 2 hours for me to find it out on the internet. He then looked at the bicycle as a whole, looked at me and said

"You fixed this bicycle yourself right? See la, this thread is stripped. Boy ah, must be more careful next time."

He fixed the brakes, back axle and found the nut after searching the entire store for it.

Total cost: $13. And $10 was for a plastic red rear light.

When I cycled back, the bicycle was like new. No creaks, groans or scrapes at all. Excellent. :)


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A strange encounter of the Other Generation

The people one meets on the streets.....

I was approached by an old man today to assist him to carry a chair to his table.

Old Man: (speaks in prim and proper english) Young man, could you assist me in carrying a chair to my table?

Me: Oh sure sir. Over here?

Old Man: Yes, thank you. Say, its that an army shirt you're wearing, what battalion are you from?

Me: Er....

I was wearing my Singapore Polytechnic Polo Tee. But we continue to chat for a while about the army.

Old Man: (eagerly) So, have you joined the NS yet?

Me: Nope, not yet.

He misread me and thought I was skiving my role. Naturally, I defended myself.

Old Man: Skiving the army! Why I never...

Me: No no no, I said I haven't gotten the letter yet!

Old Man: Oh oh, good good. Remember, Singapore is just a red dot, we all have to defend this country.

Old Man: Remember hor!

After rambling along for a while more, he left us to our food in peace.

Friend A: ..... That was a strange man

Friend B: Yea, what a loony

Me: No, just a lonely one.


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Woe woe woe

I am frustrated and it has to do with the quality, or more specifically the lack thereof, of my bicycle.

The problem is simple to understand;

Quality Chinese "Engineering" that saw me go through two sets of pedals and a set of clotters in a month. The first set of pedals gave way when I was pedaling back from the store at Lavender, the second is giving way as we speak. Is it a general thing or did I just win the lottery?

Assembling by an "Expert" team of workers that managed to forget to grease the seatpost and front stem of my bike, or basically anything at all. After the first day of my ownership (and a drizzle getting back) I find my bicycle chain covered in rust. Also, while attempting to fix my bicycle after knocking the handlebars askew, I find that the interior front stem is covered with rust with nay a grease in sight. The dirty four letter word, Rust rust rust rust.

"Quality" components like screws that strip faster then the experts from Playboy, leaving me with no steering whatsoever and leaving me with only the option to push my bicycle the 4 miles to the nearest bicycle store on foot to get it repaired.



For a bicycle that is reputed to be a workhorse, this is piss-poor performance. I don't pamper my bicycles but expect it to keep up with me in my daily routine. As it is, a $50 Martin or Urata MTB is much more reliable (and attractive) then my Flying Pigeon. If I wanted a project bike, I'll get a knocker Raleigh from an ah pek and start from there. In fact, that sounds bloody decent to me now.

Bleedin' heck.


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In the pursuit of good spoken English

Frequency Modulation 88.9

BBC World News

I find it only fitting that to speak the Queens' English, it is only proper to learn it from those who invented it the language.


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One in a million, really

Photography by: Samuel Koh

One in a million, what are the odds, that we are alive in such a time and place;

We are called for greatness, everyone of us;

To make a difference, no matter stature or rank;

And to benefit other people, whether young or old.

...

If only we first make the choice to take the first step, to turn the wheel, to ignite the fire.



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Endjoy

End-Joy

The uplifting, happy emotion that comes from seeing a long drawn project nearing a successful completion.

Also, an alternative term for suicide.


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Steady on men

never was there such An Accomplished Day then today.

the School;

the Production; Looked Over and Improved

the Teacher; Listened, Questioned, Shocked

the Squad; Comment, Thought, Implementation


the Store;

the Front Porch; Categorized, Arranged, Secured

the Hall; Painted, Lighted, Ventilated

the Rear; Lighted, Ventilated, Planned


the Relaxation;

the Dinner; Flavourful, (Small) Portion, Closing

the Game; Irritation, Transpose, Set Back


the House;

the Room; Discussion, Debate, Direction

the Squad; Direction, Deduction, Selection


the Ride;

the Road; Fatigue, Training, Strength


the Home;

the Bed; Rest, Relax, Recharge


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The Greatest Book in the World!

While browsing for books at Bras Basah Complex, an interesting book came into my purview.

It was all moldy and worm eaten, falling apart and dusty but it's title, highlighted in Gold remained;

"The Greatest Book in the World"

Indeed a most eye catching phrase, bold and brash words reaching out and demanding it's just audience.

Interested, I picked up the tome and turned past the first page, finding myself reading.....

the Bible.


Gotcha!

But a pleasant surprise nonetheless.


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The strangest things

Baptism

1. A religious sacrament marked by the symbolic application of water to the head or immersion of the body into water and resulting in admission of the recipient into the community of Christians.
2. A ceremony, trial, or experience by which one is initiated, purified, or given a name.

Originates from the Greek work "baptizo" and which originated from "bapto" which means to dip. Evidently, it was used in the second part of a ancient Greek process for pickling vegetables, the first being to boil the vegetables and the second to dip the vegetables in vinegar to change the composure of the vegetable and to kill the bacteria within. Similarly as Christians, when we go through water baptism, we go in with our sins and leave a changed person, leaving our sins behind.

So, have you been pickled yet?


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Stories that transcend time

Mansfield Park, arguably Jane Austens' best work and now firmly in my favourites list.

I bought an unedited version, complete with arcane English words, phrases and speech. Set in the early 18th century, it brings us to a gentler time, a time of manners, culture and uprightness where ladies wore petticoats, horse carriages abound and fathers were addressed as Sir. This story is now in it's 195th year of existence, but remains surprisingly readable and the characters actions, motives and weakness, shockingly modern.

The heroine is Miss Fanny Price. Fragile and pure, sweet and sensible, yet firm and unyielding in conduct and position. She does not give way to evil for pleasure but stands up to it firmly as it backs down before her. Everyone else plays a supporting role to her, ironic as in the main part of the book she is silent as a mouse, neglected, overworked and under appreciated. Yet with quiet strength she manages to persevere and win her place in the sun where she so rightfully deserves. The story ends well, almost wearyingly commonplace as the hero once again marries the heroine and all is right with the world. But after her many trials and tribulations, tests of courage, fortitude and willpower, the ending is justly rosy and not with a sigh of relief that all is well with her. A timeless classic well worth a read.


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