SIGH

HAS JOURNALISM SUNK THIS LOW?

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/man-dies--4-injured-in-ferrari-accident-in-bugis.html


The heading of this news article reads : "Japanese Woman in Ferrari Accident Identified".


But why is the mention of "Ma Chi" taking a big proportion of the news report?

Angrily and dismally irritated by the media reports and news articles these days. Seriously, no one is interested in - or cares about - his riches, how many condos he owned, which penthouse in East Coast he and his family live in, how many millions he's worth, where's he from, what sector he worked in, how 'handsome and tall and smart and successful and young' he was, how many years he has stayed in Singapore, how he was planning to apply for PR citizenship, his cremation, or that stupid red limited-edition Ferrari which was bought during the driver's 30th birthday. (seriously, just spare us the details. We don't care. And neither are we impressed. At all. Yawn.)


There is no justifiable need to glamourise crime.


Readers are not interested in the Ferrari driver who not only was speeding (and, according to eye-witnesses, was reeking heavily of alcohol), but also illegally ran a red traffic light. 
The things that are of key concern are the innocent lives of those taken due to one's man reckless display of grandiose splendor.

The 20-something-years-old Japanese passenger in the taxi.
The 52-years-old taxi driver who has been making an honest living for the past 10 years as a taxi driver, with a son (due to take A levels this year) and a daughter who's planning to go to university soon, but whose plan has to be put on hold due to this family tragedy.
How the taxi driver suffered massive haemorrhage in the brain, liver, and lungs, and was given only half a day to live by doctors, but yet held on with determination while in a comatosed state for more than 39 hours.
How are the families of the victims coping; the loss of loved ones during Mothers' Day.


I totally despise the local media. While it's undeniable that mass media is an universal tool for conveying messages (including those hidden one) in countries all throughout the world, and given that our society has a pro-foreigner policy (which isn't really up to us to decide anyway), but still, this is a little too overboard.

Has journalism sunk this low? 

Distastefully pathetic.


To think that my first, serious ambition is to be a journalist.

Shudders.


And, most importantly, this is not how respect from citizens is earned.

LOVE

A special bouquet.

=)

MEANINGFUL WORDS BEAUTIFUL VOICE

Have always like this song. The first time I heard it (so young I can't remember when), I was enchanted by this 1982 one-hit wonder. The lyrics, too, is mindbogglingly profound but yet so painfully simple; so much so that every so now and then, I would think back of this song to remind myself of what's truly important.

(parts of lyrics)

(quote)

'I've no doubt you dream about, the things you'd never do.

But I wish someone, had a talk to me, like I, wanna talk to you."

"Oh, I've been to Georgia, and California, and anywhere I could run."

"But I ran out of places and friendly faces because I had to be free."

"Please lady, please lady, don't just walk away.

'cause I have this need to tell you, why I'm all alone today.

I can see so much of me, still living in your eyes." 

"Oh, I've been to Nice, and the Isles of Greece,

while I sipped champagne on a yacht.

I moved like Harlow, in Monte Carlo,

and showed them what I've got."

"But I, took the sweet life and never knew that, I'd be bitter from the sweet."

"I'VE BEEN TO PARADISE, BUT I'VE, NEVER BEEN TO ME."

(unquote)

Sad song of wistful and much-too-late regrets. And I think it's an awesomely beautiful song which holds such amazing truths.

Not letting go of what is important. Knowing what is important. Prioritizing.

No one lays on their deathbeds wishing that they had played more. Partied more. Earned more money. Traveled more. Or studied more.

RECIPE TO HAPPINESS

"Happiness is good health and a bad memory."

- Ingrid Bergman

MOVE BUT DON'T LOSE

Went to the stadium this morning.

The sky was clear and bright. The field patch was irresistibly inviting with lush cheerful green grass. The day looks promising, and the morning birds chirped perkily. People were on route to work and, for some lucky few, were beginning to rouse from their sleep.


And the moment hits me. Ya know, one of those moments when you get all philosophical and wistful and weepy and all. 

It came hitting, just like that; BAM!  

Life. It revolves on. Life never stops moving on. It's either you catch up, or lag behind. 


But most importantly, in the busy midst of playing catching up, don't forget to stop and smell the flowers once in a while.


Prioritise and find the things that truly matter; and when you do, don't lose sight of them. Hold on tight and never trade them in for anything else. And, DON'T LOSE YOURSELF.

Don't win the battles, but lose the war. 

WAIT!! THAT'S A.... ... ...

  

Over the last weekend I was out running an errand when this peculiar piece of weird-looking blob on the pavement caught my eye.

Curious piqued, I stepped nearer for a closer look. And gasp!! THIS PIECE OF BLOB IS ACTUALLY THE CORPSE OF AN ILL-FATED FROG!!!

I was truly disgusted, but yet at the same time, amazed. It is impressive how the outline of the corpse still remarkably resembles a frog. It is beautiful too, the intricate details which can be so easily overlooked without purposeful observation - the gagging eye, the telling triangular shape of a head, the folds of the limbs, the webbed feet. Oh my, it is so awesomely intriguing (albeit a tad morbidly) that I find myself gagging in amazed wonder.

Poor frog. It must have died a painful death. My bet is that it got ran over by a vehicle. Geez! I can't imagine! SPLAT! Just like that. Ouch.

EVENTFUL DAY

Title says it all.

Saturday was an eventfully packed day. 

Went out with the parents at 9am to 'fetch' Grandma's new maid home (Grandma had a bone fraction repair operation a couple of years back, and has difficulty walking till today. In addition, taking into consideration her old age [she's more than 85], the doctors had decided against another operation to remove the metal rods. Hence, the rods are still currently residing inside Grandma's body and a fall would be disastrous).

At 12pm, there was a massage appointment in line. I had a good 60 minutes body massage, followed by 15 minutes of hot treatment. Man, the massage feels sooo good (though it did hurt a little, but it's what makes it good!). The hot treatment was heavenly soothing and indescribably relaxing! Oooooohh! The masseur was amiable too. We had a good chat about massages and agreed unanimously on how alternative medicine / therapies is a 一门学问 - something utterly pitiable if it's lost with the passage of time and generations. She was mildly surprised to learn that I'm trained in Swedish massage, and that I have an interest in TCM and 推拿 and the likes. We had a pretty good chat; so much so that she even threw in a facial massage for free (it was not part of the package)!


At 2pm, I was at the nearby mall recontracting my phone. Finally, my mobile line is eligible for recontract! YAY!


And finally, at 6.30pm, there was a house-warming function to attend. The food was sumptuous, the hosts were gracious, and the company was awesome! 




Reached home at around 11pm, and that concludes Saturday. Busy, but totally worth it!

CONTRAST

 

BACKDATE ENTRY :

A couple of months ago, the younger brother, the family dog, and I headed down to the nearby convenient store. The primary objective was to make some grocery purchases and the second was to, well, walk the dog. THE. BIG. FAT. DOG.

On our way back, taunting dark clouds - which seemed to have manifested out of nowhere - loomed threateningly overhead. Wanting to get home fast lest we get caught in the untimely thunderstorm (no umbrella!), we made a not-so-wise choice - opting to cut across a bare open field. Not the wisest of choice, I admit, and heavens forbid if we were to do this kind of thing again!

And so, we ran and ran, with me occasionally squealing girlishly in fright at the mere display of divine temper from the skies. At the first bolt of lightning streaking across the sky and the subsequent thunder, the lot of us paused and stood momentarily still; senses heightened for approaching danger, ready to assume the 'lightning crouch position'. The younger brother was freaked out by the devious weather too, and kept urging me (and the dog) to run faster in seek of shelter.

It was then, I looked up at the seemingly-mocking sky, and realised the hidden, unspoken beauty behind the fiery wrath of Mother Nature. The dark clouds; emanated glowingly by gentle rays of empowering light. Calming sunniness and volatility. Dim and bright. Dark and light. Beauty and wrath. Oh, the contrast! It blows me away. Totally.

Anyway, yeah, the three of us survived to tell the tale!