Tuesday, October 31, 2006

Poverty and the dearth of solutions

Our mums were probably right when they told us not to waste food "cos children in Nigeria are starving". Yes they are. 6 million toddlers starve to death each year. And it's not only Nigeria. Indeed, the gross excesses of the developed world seem disgusting - even morbid - when juxtaposed against the 800 million who go to bed hungry each day (no, they don't drink glucose solution aka a particular opposition leader). While the rich splurge on cosmetic surgery to beautify their faces, 4 million 3rd-world babies die each year due to poor or nonexistent medical facilities. And just as we don't consider $2 to be a large sum of money, 1.1 billion people live on less than US$1 a day.

The cavernous divide is staggering - Even within the developed world itself: Anton Rupert, arguably South Africa's most prominent businessman, owes a business empire and is listed among the Forbes 500 wealthiest list. Now think about the better-known face of Africa - barly clothed, skin-and-bone stick figures, with no guarantee when their next meal will be.


An abundance of causes, a dearth of solutions

It is to these stick figure occupants of dystopia that the prospect of communism seems most promising, and Bolshevik "peace, bread, and land for everyone" seems most utopian. At the very least, they yearn for some improvements to their social environment, and the provision of affordable, accessible, and quality healthcare and educational facilities. But the question is: where's the money going to come from? There are no easy answers.

Humanitarian aid is, to governments and the poor alike, seems the best solution - after all, starving people often don't look further than their next meal. But it is merely a quick fix at best - it allievates the symptom but not its root cause. And above all, it doesn't teach the poor - and their governments - to stand on their own feet, but merely become reliant and dependant on aid. But the shrinking 1st world population can't always support a burgeoning 3rd world population, and when donor fatigue sets in, or when times are less rosy, this lifeline may just be cut off.

At worst, corruption makes humanitarian aid throwing money into a bottomless pit. The cash inflows might not even reach the poor. When distributed through government channels, all it may do is fatten the wallets of some - Just take a look at Nigeria's late dictator, Sani Abacha, who lived in splendour off US$4 billion in siphoned aid dollars. The alternative of going through NGOs somehow doesn't seem appealing to governments - logically so, since it means that no funds can be diverted to swiss bank accounts.

Economic development would be a utopian solution - jobs would lift millions out of poverty. But it is a seemingly impossible one. Foreign direct investment, the usual force kickstarting economic growth until the economic engines of countries can run on their own (this requires both capital and skilled labour, among other things) , is decidedly low given the astronomical risks - a whole spectrum ranging from political instability to corruption to dismal infrastructure. Even if they do, MNCs do wreck havoc absent a government immune to bribery - they frequently exploit their workers, and indirectly harm farmers by polluting the enviroment (the textbook example being Shell in Nigeria). They allow catastrophies like the Bhopal disaster to occur - life is cheap there, isn't it?


How to make poverty history

The quintessence of the problem is probably political. The possibility of any economic development will only come with the required political framework. Especially with a giant competitor - China - for the same market segment, there is no room for corruption or complacency in the developing world. Talent, and the political will to implement whatever ideas talent brings, are the keys in lifting countries out of poverty - but only when used in unison. The sad part of the whole issue, though, is that such talented, altruistic, and determined leaders are a rarity.

With the foundation stone of economic development laid, several things need to be done. One, their resources need to be used in a rational and sustainable manner as cash cows to jumpstart the economy - be it labour, oil, timber or natural wildlife and beauty (like Chile or Botswana). Two, labour-intensive industries must be promoted via the provision of infrastructure and a efficient and effective bureaucracy and possibly government incentives. Three, to avoid further exacerbating poverty, their swelling population must somehow be controlled. Extra babies can only mean that there is less to go around. Four, once some foreign exchange has been generated, better education can and must be provided to the masses - unless countries want to keep mining metal or sewing clothes and remaining poor forever, this is the only way to add value (in terms of skill) to labour and climb up to the next rung of industry (i.e. skill-intensive).

Perhaps an accusatory finger must be pointed at the developed world as well, for their protectionist policies, unfair trade laws, and protection. We have artificially cheap US cotton swamping African nations breaking the already fragile rice bowl of these African farmers. The failure of Doha is similarly worrying, since it means that the 3rd-world's exports will continue to face sometimes insurmountable trade barriers, thus hindering their economic development - what's the use of producing so many goods when you can't get them out of your borders?

But to ask the the leader of any developed country, already facing economic stagnentation, to put millions of his farmers out of a job (and it's hard to create jobs for so many of them in the often saturated other sectors of stagnant economies) , and throw his popularity and votes out of the window, is probably asking for the moon. Even though promoting the development of the 3rd world can only benefit developed countries in the long term by serving as a growth engine and providing investment opportunities, elections, and the loss of jobs, and therefore seem more pressing. Again, selfish desire and shortsightedness jeopardises long-term common good.

That need not be the case. So do the vagaries of problems the 3rd world face. The obstacles to eradicating poverty need not be insurmountable. Political will and good ol' common sense and a dose of altruism are the keys. And they are in our hands. Are we brave enough to use them?

2nd para incorporating research from RI "RJC today" submission

Wednesday, October 25, 2006

Survival of the fittest - effective but cruel

This post is in response to the Wee Shu Min (da RJC girl) saga. In reply to Derek Wee's concerns (published in ST forum) on older workers being less employable, the latter ridiculed the former, calling him a "wretched, undermotivated, overassuming leech", saying that "if you're not good enough, life will kick you in the balls", "if people would prefer hiring other people over you, it's because they're better".

Yes, miss wee has a point but her bloody tone and insensitiveness doesn't help to put her point across. Of course derek wee should try every measure to make himself more employable, but i find her lack of compassion is also troubling - and given that she's the daughter of an MP, her comments are bound to make people talk and will probably have significant ramifications on her dad's career, whether fair or unfair, justified or not. Yes, she's an RJC humanities scholar, and he's probably learnt - but failed to apply - ethics (kantian, golden rule etc.) in philosophy class. Giftedness without empathy makes you a mindless, heartless, souless robot; talent without morals can only be a detriment to society - what if that talent is applied in the wrong manner? Just look at people like Osama: he's talented, no doubt, but this talent has been applied in perverse ways. I certainly hope that this episode is not an accurate reflection of her character and she is not devoid of a heart. If not, i fear for her - what goes around comes around.

The idea of survival of the fittest is a very efficient and effective one in terms of producing results, the trouble with it is that it's a very cruel system, lacking in empathy and pretty heck care whether each individual sinks or swims (i.e. you die, just too bad).The basis of capitalism is also survival of the fittest - and therefore it is sometimes cruel (think of polarisation), but society has implemented various safety nets to help those who fall behind in this race (e.g. social security, social welfare, unions, legislation on retrenchment benefits etc), as well as tried to ensure that everyone is given (as far as possible) equal opportunity. Of course the reverse of capitalism (i.e. communism) won't work at all because of man's selfish nature that undermines its premise of equal effort, therefore deserving of equal reward. At the end of the day, a balance is needed.

Related mrbrown podcast: The elite way to say sorry

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

Slacking

This post-CT period got a lot of time, finally got to do a lot of things i wanted to do for long long time but cannot do cos no time... Like play com, go shopping spree whole day, go chinatown jalan-jalan, go changi boardwalk, read wiki... But too bad haze so terrigible cannot go round take many photos...

The trouble is that i seem to be rather much a workaholic... feel pretty weird playing games, like "aiyah spend 2 hours not achieving anything", dunno why find it hard to relax leh... go holiday also like that, last time i went phuket in june i bueh tahan bring laptop to do work cos there's almost NOTHING to do in phuket (ok got lah but we spend so much time lazing around... u get the point)

This holidays will also be pretty hectic for me lah... 13-15 nov got prefect retreat, 21/22 Nov -2/3 Dec got exchange programme to china, 9-16 dec going on holiday to phuket / rachaburi (sp?) / chingmai (with some nice thai friends bringing us around), then christmas week got prefect training camp and maybe going back to my parent's hometown in ipoh as well (they were born there)... then got the weather studies project (VERY TIGHT TIMELINE), then maybe also have organising committee for obs... But the sad thing is that i miss the opportunity to go for 1 debate competition (VJC) cos i'll be overseas... NOOOO! Aiyah there will be other competitions lah, but i want and need the competition experience as well as a showcase opportunity.

I trust in the lord to bless me and carry me through!

Friday, October 20, 2006

Released: atomic bomb video

This is for those who requested the atom bomb video ky, joeltan, ernest, and i did for general science.

In the eye of the storm

Yay CT's over... can slack and vegetate in front of com and play com and slack and read and play piano and go out and slack.

I opened up and fixed my old PC (with some help - 1 ram bay was dead, the video card screwed etc. etc. - DUN USE WINDOWS), so now can play all the games (which don't work on Mac). But damn unreliable and damn slow, so i koped some RAM from an old unwanted faulty laptop and jam it inside. Still very unreliable and slow compared to my mac though...

But it't only the eye of the storm - this happy-go-lucky lull won't really last long. My holidays are quite packed, will be overseas for quite some time (in and out in and out for almost 1 month straight)... got to do some work and reading and photography and exercise (haha)... and of course, CT will come back and haunt us in 6 days

I hope i did ok for CTs :-). Yes CTs are not the quintessence of academic studies or GPA in RI, but they still count a lot. Frankly there's plenty to worry about (english word limit, chinese everything, geog nat veg part (a) which will make part (b) wrong if i get it wrong... and of course the killer maths paper)... but i just leave it up to god and pray everything'll be ok lah.

Tuesday, October 17, 2006

Give thanks



There are many, many things we have to thank god for - not least because we have sinned, fallen short of his glory and am undeserving of grace. But God so loved the world that he died for me and you, given us his grace, love, restored our relationship with him, and given us the gift of eternal life. And for that, I thank him.

I must also thank the lord for all that I have, all that I am. He could have put me into some improvished African family only to starve to death, but no, he has put me in a loving family, in a relatively peaceful and prosperous part of the world, and given me a multitude of gifts - physical, intellectual, and so on.

I am also grateful for how he is always there for me, how he picks me up when I fall and helps me when I am in need. I can feel him in my heart and talk to him. He gives me strength, gives me hope, and always makes a way when there seems to be no way, lighting up the path like how he led the Israelites in the desert with a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.

The mind-blowing thing about it all is that I deserve none of this - but by his love and grace and mercy, he has forgiven my sin and assumed the punishment on my behalf. Thank you lord.

Sunday, October 15, 2006

Uniquely Singapore: on the right track



From sunny Haiwaiian beaches (yes, even bikini babes) to shop-till-you-drop Bangkok to artsy Paris and its Eiffel Tower, great tourist destinations all have a unique brand, something they are famous for, and perhaps a stereotype firmly etched in the minds of billions worldwide. For Singapore to join this league of great tourist destinations, it must follow suit.

Mention "Singapore" to almost anyone overseas (apart from our neighbours), and you'll probably get "fine city" or "very clean and green" for a reply (and maybe occasionally "oh? that authoritarian place where they caned michael fay?" or "which part of China is it in?" as well). That doesn't sound like a very exciting tourist destination, does it? Well, that's the sad truth - in the recent past, at least. Average tourist stays in Singapore tend to be around 3 days or less (that's really short in comparison to other cities). Singapore used to be just clinically efficient and really boring to tourists with nothing much special (how's some "NO SMOKING: FINE $1000" signs for landmarks?) - after all, you can't expect rows after rows and malls after malls of the same shops ubiquitous in every bustling metropolis (not Bangkok's cheap bargains and fake goods) to be a tourist magnet, can you? For sure we had other things like Sentosa and Chinatown, but if Orchard Road is Singapore only "must-go" attraction, we're in pretty big trouble.

It's no secret that tourism is a lucrative business (tourism (including sex tourism) contributes to some 20% of thailand's GDP, directly and indirectly). And just as the other pillars of our economy and prosperity (value-added industries, commerce etc.) are threatened by other countries who might, in the future, be able to do it better and cheaper, the government finally realised what we're missing out on.

Singapore is a diverse melting pot of cultures East and West, complete with a whole contrasting spectrum from bustling malls to sunny beaches to lush green parks, and embellished with mouth-watering food. Emphasizing this diversity, while retaining the "clean and green" and "everything runs like clockwork" brands would probably be the best way to go. The "Uniquely Singapore" marketing campaign is indeed on the right track.

More needs to be done, of course, to make Singapore a much more interesting, fun, and vibrant place for tourists (and locals alike). We probably don't want to replicate Thailand's or Amsterdam's red-light districts, even though prostition and sex tourism is a guaranteed tourist magnet, because of the vagaries of problems it brings, but there are means other than "red lights" to bring vibrant colour to Singapore. Unquestionably, just as Paris has its Eiffel Tower, and Sydney its opera house, there needs to be ONE distinctive, recognised, and remembered Singapore landmark. In this respect, the recent Marina bay developments (Integrated resort, Singapore flyer, Bayfront avenue, Esplanade etc.) as well as their counterparts in Sentosa (Integrated resort II, revamping of Sentosa attractions etc) are much needed. Besides, I'm pretty convinced that the slew of govt measures ($100 entrance fee etc.) and social stigma are sufficient to deter almost all but the richest Singaporeans from both casual and hardcore gambling at the casino, thus minimising harm while maxising gains - it's no secret how profitable casinos are (that's why gambling odds are never in the player's favour) and how lucrative taxing them can be.

Of course not everything's about the big picture. The devil's in the details - every tourist must interact with cities on a personal level. That goes to say, how frontline service staff and on-the-street Singaporeans deal with these tourists do matter. There must be some warm personal touch to service excellence on the part of frontline service staff, and on-the-street Singaporeans must give the tourist a generally pleasant expericence (e.g. by being helpful when asked for directions, not swarming into the MRT without letting alighting passengers get out first) to leave a good impression on the tourists - like legendary Thai hospitality ("the land of a thousand smiles"). It's not only about 4 million smiles and coordinated flower blooms whenever delegates come to town.

Not that I'm saying the MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences/conventions, and exhibitions) market is unimportant - it's highly lucrative, especially since business travellers aren't on the same shoestring budget as tourists are. Singapore needs to capitalise on its famed clockwork efficiency and business-friendly environment, adequate and state-of-the-art facilites, as well as value-added services (like some of the things they did during IMF/WB - I don't mean ensuring roads are newly repaved all the time but rather things like ensuring big shots are taken care of from the moment they step out of the plane and nice "singapore goodie bags" and "singapore tourist guides" for all business tourists) to gain that edge.

Singapore is just beginning its metamorphosis from a boring city to a vibrant one, from a run-of-the-mill city to a unique and distinctive one. The uniquely Singapore train is on the right track. Next stop, "Uniquely Singapore, a great tourist destination".

Link: STB Visit Singapore website

Wednesday, October 11, 2006

The heat is on: CTs


Left: everyone's worst nightmare

Only 1 more day to CT now... sian lah. stress lah... especially that stupid chinese and msp... My chinese must get 80 for CT (including that 公函/私函 test) to get 4.0 (because of a screwed up semester 1, and a so-so ca)... die lah, how to get? Especially when there are so many 词/详读课文/成语/惯用语/谚语 to learn, and i almost never read chinese books (now starting to regret chucking all the 小读者songlaoshi gives out and the 我报my mum gives me one side without reading at all)... I hope they moderate up 10marks. And then i want academy for science (most likely chem) and geog so must do very well for both... Then english... walau, i dunno my CA how lah, cos of a so-so drama challenge (the class assessment portion). The maths even more sian, always lose marks cos careless - i noe the content but everytime calculate salah or forget this forget that, then all the questions related one and no follow through marks so part (a) wrong only lah then u gg. I want to do the daniel chew 6-prizes leh... WALAU NO MORE TIME TO MUG (but i suppose everyone also lah, or worse, i noe some pple can't be bothered)

Actually my emotions to ct quite conflicting lah... want more time to study (only had 1 week after all the assignments and projects were cleared) so want it to be later, but at the same time want to get it done with quickly, a little bit tired of school and mugging liao.

There's also the question of why I place such expectations on myself. But honestly, I have no answer to that, other for the fact that I'm a perfectionist (desire for and happiness deriving from personal achievement and challenge + desire to be "proded" and gain respect/attention/etc this way). Might have inherited it, or developed it somehow (haha nature vs nurture debate), or both. But whatever the case, my brain seems to be wired this way, and I can't get away with myself for slacking/slipshod work/underachievement, hence the stress. Got good and got bad lah, but i choose to live this way and am happy like this.

Well, I guess i'll just trust in the lord to carry me through lah. As the song goes, "god will make a way, when there seems to be no way", and as jeremiah 29:11 "for the lord plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future". He has done so, and i thank him for his amazing grace, which all of us sinful humans don't deserve. And i trust in him to continue to do so, for his love and grace is unfailing.

Monday, October 09, 2006

Kim Jong Il: Armed and dangerous and possibly suicidal


The eccentric Kim Jong Il (or "The Sun of the 21st Century" / "the great leader", as he prefers to call himself) gatecrashed (unwelcomedly, of course) his way into the nuclear club with his long-threatened nuke test today. It is estimated that NK has enough material to make several crude n-bombs... hardly commensurate to its level of economical and general technological development.

The irony of his self-awarded title "the great leader" immediately becomes apparent - and grossly so, when you juxtapose Kim's nuclear ambitions against the poverty and suffering of his starving proletariat - whose welfare he can't be bothered with at all. The morbid irony of the situation (and I say morbid because many North Koreans die each year from starvation brought about by Kim's isolationist and self-marginalising actions) is when you consider North Korea's government's communist fundementals (in spite of their self-declaration DPRK - since when can their word be trusted?) - this is a hardly equal distribution (and in fact a waste) of wealth, not that North Korea's motto of a "prosperous and great country" (강성대국) has much truth in it (let's exclude them counterfeit greenbacks).

Kim's actions are probably suicidal, or at best, masochistic. His long game (not that commiting suicide and bringing 23million poor people down with you is a trivial game) of brinkmanship (from isolationism to NPT to taepodong to nukes) has never served to make him much allies, or friends, or trade partners, except china, who is friendly to NK, but grudgingly so. At best, most countries dole out humananitarian aid to the oppressed and starving under Kim's authoritarian government - but this risks Kim diverting these funds to his nuclear effort.

This brinkmanship is ultimately unsustainable in the long run. His nuclear pursuit doesn't come cheap - from paying pakistani scientists for help and exported technology to refining the uranium/plutonium, there is no doubt nukes cost a bomb. This a drain on NK's stagnant medival economy - and like a tree slowly rotting away, or a upside-down pyramid, there is no doubt Kim's regime will one day collapse. There is a limit to how much starvation the people can take before revolting or dying en masse if Kim's iron hand makes any revolt impossible. Of these, the former is the more optismistic - but however optismistic, it will take far too long and cost far too much, in terms of actual lives and wasted generations.

Kim's brinkmanship has so far been calculated to drive wedges between other countries, especially between China (communist) & South Korea (any instability north of the DMZ will affect it very adversely) and Japan & US (both of which really hate N Korea). But this might be the last straw that tips the balance - it's now up to these countries to take harder measures against Kim and bring him back to the territory of sanity. Soft measures have proven not to work. It's time to take the hard ones.

A peaceful agreement or disarmament pact with NK, while at the same time joint-development of NK's economy would be the utopian solution. But i can say with much certainty that it is a mere strand of hope that won't materialise. NK is indeed a tricky mess for the world to clear up. Doing nothing is not an option. Sanctions and even more isolation will just make kim more rebellious and defiant. A localised strike on Kim's nuclear factories will is a receipe for disaster: remember nuclear fallout? Full-scale military action, on the other hand, is pretty undesirable. Not that it will take much for kim to capitulate, but that the risk of a nuclear reaction (pun intended - remember mutually assured destruction? ) and the destabilisation of the Korean peninsula, including possible harm to S Korea's economy, is way too high. The cost is also high - in terms of both lives and money. But if this proves really necessary, the temptation to impose democracy with a magic wand ("ta-da" and it's done) with insufficient follow through must be resisted. Just look at Iraq and what a terrible screw-up it's been. People who have been living in a dictatorship all their lives can't just adapt to democratic reform instantly.

Kim Jong Il is a heartless lunatic, corrupted by the absolute power he inherited. It is the duty of the other nuclear states to remove him and his nuclear ambition and the threat he poses. Let the oppresed north korean proletariat escape the clutches of this tyrant, and have an existence of greater value and dignity than mere props for Kim's insanity. Let the malnourished north korean babies grow up on more than force-fed propaganda and scraps, with hope of a future. The cost of failure is the continued suffering of NK's 23 million people - people with the capacity to feel pain, not merely a statistic, i must stress.


Further reading:

Of blocks and boards





Of blocks: Last thursday marked a pretty momentous occasion for most of us - we moved into the new Raja block. Gone was the old classroom block, it's privacy, the lovely admin block garden, and of course all the memories... good and bad... inside it. But it is time for change - the old block (since the early 1990s) shows visible signs of ageing... from broken door windows (2K, 2J) to vandalised tables. Spanking new raja block is quite nice lah - especially the cosy project rooms (too bad the locks were installed the wrong way and we can't use them...see photo of mark and jonlim guitar-ing away in the room (that was before they found out about the locks and told us not to use)) But the downside is the long flights of stairs and the distance from the astroturf and the daily traffic jams. But i shouldn't be complaining... just think of some of the teachers who have to struggle up to 7th floor with their bulk (built in or otherwise) if the lift breaks down.. FIRE DRILL... HAHA. But seriously, from an architectural standpoint, the block's design is both aesthetic and functional, though i would have preferred more finished surfaces (i.e. tiled not concrete floors etc.)

Of boards: Just found out today that i got in to ripb. First a big thankyou to everyone who helped me during my campaign. Next 2 years in ripb will be pretty fun but challenging and perhaps stressful i guess. But first thing mrs lim asked me was "so no more 3.94 ah? Need to reorganise my time lah... will be dropping malay and possibly squash in favour of ripb/debate/science/photography. Hope to maintain GPA. But i suppose the board will be a really good and valueable experience for me :-) And i thank the lord for giving me this opportunity

cheers.

Sunday, October 08, 2006

Haze

As I type this, the PSI is 140, the stench of something burning hangs in the air, and mediacorp even put a little PSI indicator on the top left of my TV... visibility this afternoon was less than 1km, I couldn't even see the start of Changi runway 02L from PIE...

Blame it on the wind blowing in from Sumatra, and blame it on the slash-and-burn subsistence farmers in Sumatra who practically live hand-to-mouth. But u can't change the weather, and these farmers don't know the consequences of this traditional practice passed down for generations. In the first place, they wouldn't be there if they had better jobs. But many a time these "better jobs" entail moving into crowded, unsanitary and unpleasant squatters - and their lives will be no better.

I tell you who to blame... Bambang and his squad of inept, corrupt officials, and all their predecessors (i'm not saying all are corrupt and inept, but that there are sufficient corrupt and inept ones to pull down the whole system). While gleaming skyscrapers greet any visitor to Jakarta, look harder and you'll find poverty and misery - from the garbage-scavenging slum-dweller to menial labourer. While the economy has grown 5.6% in 2005, this has benefitted only the upper strata of society and perhaps a much squeezed middle class. Contrast Indonesia's many millionaires with the 27.1% of its population living below the population living below the poverty line, and you'll soon see a textbook example of extreme polarization. Inflation skyrocketed during the Asian Financial Crisis, and has recently dropped to a still-astonishing 17.1% in 2005 - and as we all know, inflation affects the poor consumer the worst, and not the multi-millionaires whose cash is happily stowed away in foreign currencies. Add to that corruption, which hinders economic development in favour of self-gain, diverting funds meant for the poor and the poor's welfare (eg education in rural areas) to the pockets of greedy officials - as they say, a large potion of foreign direct aid during the 2006 Boxing Day tsunami "disappeared".

So you have a pack of poor subsistence farmers, given poor educational opportunities, and poor job options, that simply have no other way to survive but slash and burn... Little political will exists to make them aware of the severe ramifications of slash and burn, and to implement and enforce legislation against slash and burn farming while at the same time providing these farmers a way out (lamentably, it is not the interest of any populist politican to invoke change against their traditional way of life...such is the self-annhilatory nature of democracy)... and this forms a potent molotov cocktail; haze becomes a fait accompli. All it then takes is the right weather conditions (a dry spell and winds blowing NE - e.g. La Nina, occuring every few years) to detonate this molotov cocktail, spelling PSI-140s for Singapore and Malaysia, and hopefully a wake up call for Bambang to stop NATO-ing about his "vision for change" and get down and dirty

Hello

So... i finally decided to start a blog... well, i need somewhere to rant and organise my thoughts, right?

But be warned, this will probably will be filled with chucks of whining and complaining and bitching (uniquely Singaporean HAHA)... about everything and anything, from crazy dictators helming medival economies to self-annihilatory economic systems, to more down to earth topics like school and Singapore.

Well, just a little about myself for those who dunno me... I'm a christian (now with Mt Carmel.. though i stay in Changi), currently sec 2 in RI. i have pretty much a reputation for being a perfectionist... and i love: science, geog (esp urban planning), debate & PPE, photography, and architecture. I use mac! it's much better than windows... haha


Ok that's all...
nigel