The Price of Intolerance

I love eating, it's good for the soul and the body
I eat when I'm hungry, drink when I'm thirsty
It's  fundamental to social gatherings
It's a good lead in to merry making

The search for food includes
when we are in hot pursuit
of all things business or pleasure
And desserts for good measure

The other day I felt a little sick in the gut
After consuming dinner in my cozy hut
It was the usual fare that I ate everyday
With fresh ingredients and dessert by the way

All kinds of whys popped into my thinking
Then I realized it could be what I had been eating
I had been a habitual eater of certain foods
Cos they were easy to cook and they tasted good

Not eating mushrooms would allay my discomfort
Don't eat grapes, to myself I need to assert
My stomach heaved a sigh of relief and contentment
I'm giving it a break from food intolerance

I'm not sure how long  I should stay away
Mushrooms and grapes were a mainstay
I think two months would be a good start
Before they get back on my supermarket cart

For now I'll have to vary my food consumption
Perhaps button mushrooms and green grapes for locomotion
At this moment I felt my stomach yelled at me
"I'll make you pay if you don't let me be."  :)

Ugly habits of Singaporeans 2

Today I went to watch the Adventures of Tintin

He was one of my favorite comic characters
Every single title that's in my collection bin

Had been read and re-read over the years

I didn't mind the munching and slurping noise

The boys next to me were  making

One even asked his friends in a loud voice

If they wanted more snacks cos he was buying 

I enjoyed the movie thoroughly
I was happy and relaxed, I must confess

When the lights came on eventually

Oh my, rubbish on the isles, what a mess

Paper bags, empty containers, unfinished food

Bottled water, soda cans were everywhere

Why are Singaporeans such an ugly brood

Well, not all of them, to be fair

Should schools here incorporate a social behavior class

Just so the young can learn and to be inculcated

What the value of common courtesy can amass

Then, perhaps a gracious society can be cultivated

I left the cinema feeling quite disgusted

Under their breath the cleaners mouthing off expletives

I don't blame them but had to make haste when I heard

The Hokkien and Malay swear words I found so offensive

What makes a good couple?

My rules for what makes a good couple. Not in any particular order.
1. Chemistry - It's all about PH balance
2. The ability to learn to give and take
3. Don't talk about the past unless absolutely necessary
4. Communicate - not just talk but listen well
5. Trust
6. Respect
7. Consideration

Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2011

Wow, what can I say
I was there all over the place
Edinburgh Fringe everyday
Hundreds of performers in front of my face

Livingston

Our show was well received
Reviews declared it a 'must see'
I don't care much for that as I only perceived
The audience's delight : that was enough guarantee


For many, the Fringe was a good platform
Performers of every kind converged in one city
Some professionals, many amateurs but all conformed
To the highest standard, as best as they can be


No one was a diva, everyone paid their dues
Directors, writers, choreographers, actors, comedians, singers
All did their part to promote their shows and to be in the news
All took turns to give out flyers

The Royal Mile

The Royal Mile was a great place to start any adventure
from the Edinburgh Castle one should wander
Shops, buskers, cafes were a common feature
And you'll wrestle for a walking spot with thousands of people


The highlands, Glencoe and Loch Ness was the only tour
we took on Sunday when we had no show
T'was breathtaking- the rolling hills and the valleys, for sure
made the journey awesome although Nessie was a no show :)

Princes Street

Highlands/Glencoe/LochNess tour

I loved the weather despite the lack of sunshine
12 degrees was the average temperature
Worked till noon everyday then exercised my legs and behind
I roamed the streets looking for nothing in particular


For me, the food wasn't really the usual fare
Not used to the oily fish and soggy fries
Meat sandwiches, meat pies were more than I can bear
Chinese, Japanese and Indian eateries were my only highs


Having said that, the booze were plenty and cheap
Scottish whiskies cost a little less than bottled water
Got my first one at the Library bar some 2 stories deep
Then Simon came along and my highs were free forever


Forever was a short 30 days at the Fringe Festival
I was happy to have covered many places of interest
The Botanic Gardens, the Zoo and Deep Sea World
And finally I climbed Arthur's Seat at 250 metres

Urquhart Castle

Atop Arthur's Seat

Such a fantastic time I have had in Edinburgh
Every year the quiet city was turned completely around
To allow creativity and imaginations to unfurl
All are welcomed and all kinds of shows can be found.

Turkish Fright

I've had, for several months, a Turkish delight
Last night, I received a call with fright
The girlfriend called asking me to stop
Fucking her man round the clock

Should I know the hell about your man?
Well, he's tall, Turkish and not so tan
How rude of her to yell stop, I thought
I don't give a damn, that was my retort

Moments later, that bitch of a girlfriend calmed down
When I was about to hang up, she sensed my frown
Quietly she told me she loved the man 
And asked me to leave him alone if I can

Take him any way you want, I said
I'll have no lying scumbag in my bed
She knows of his philandering ways she confessed
Then ditch the bloody idiot, I professed

I was stunned, I was shocked, I didn't know
My fuck budd had a woman on hold
I asked at the beginning if he was seeing anyone
Negative, said he, so we started having fun

Often, a night cap at my place he'll be
Slowly he had developed feelings for me
Surely I knew that was a fact
Because of the food he would pack

Now at last his secret's out
I stopped talking to the bastard, gave him the boot
His text messages fell on deaf ears
I have no remorse I have no fears
It wasn't my fault my conscience was clear

( written in 2005 )

The small red dot

Singapore is a great place to be

No matter how small we are

There are always things to see

You'll know this if you have travelled far

Complaints about the country will never go away

No doubt they stemmed from dissatisfaction of every kind

But if one allows some gratitude to parlay

This can be endemic, creating ties that bind

No government in the world can compromise

To please every single member of its society

They do the best they can, I surmise

For people have characters of a great variety

But I do know one thing from observation

Of the 70 cities around the world I had been to

Singapore is definitely one of the top 5 nations

That offers security, comfort, health and education too

War-faring countries are starting revolutions

Some countries are trying to rewrite weapons' laws

Yet others succumbing to natural disasters

Poverty and civil wars adding to the horror and gore

Look around this little 'Kingdom'

We live without fear of our lives

So don't take for granted this freedom

That precedes everything for which we strive

I don't claim to disrespect anyone

Nor persuade others' opinions my way

In fact, it was a casual rebuttal

To too many complaints I heard a stone's throw away

So people, don't complain too much, don't make a fuss

We are lucky to be living here in Singapore

The government is doing its best, just trust

Things aren't as good elsewhere once you walk out that door.

Zombies in the morning

Morning rush hours on the trains are a sight for sore eyes

Whenever I commuted by trains I always found amusement

The myriad of expressions on the people would suffice

For me, that's reality TV, that's pure entertainment

Zombies in the morning

Oblivious  to the surrounding

Zombies in the morning

Neither seeing nor hearing anything

Some were sleeping with a big gap in the face

Their totally relaxed bodies spread out both sides

Then one let out a snore that jerked him up in a haste

Awakening yet another who was prepared to fight

Sleep was calling in on someone standing

Eyes closed, he was nodding gently, then lo and behold

His leg muscles couldn't carry his weight, his grip was loosening

I knew he had it coming when he knocked his head on the grab pole

A woman answered a call about five feet away

What a pong,  bad breath rushed past me with such might

The sea of heads was not enough of a deterrent, damn suay

And I thought nothing could travel faster than light

In such an enclosed area such as on the train

Body odor can be quite an epidemic I tell you

The bacteria permeated the air and cannot be constrained

ooh, help I am starting to have a migraine

By now I can't breathe, I can't move and oh, the pain

All these zomboids attacking my senses

I hope there won't be any delays of the train

Or I'll have to scream and suffer in silence

What did those zombies do the night before

Drinking, getting wasted or partying like there's no tomorrow

People often say live like there's no tomorrow

Well, I say live like there IS A TOMORROW.

I wondered if those zombies ever felt frazzled

Before the day began, they were already sleeping

But train journeys are still the fastest, despite the hazards

Just have to brave those zombies in the morning.

2011

The first two weeks of year 2011 are past
I jumped at the chance of going somewhere near
Broadway Beng at Genting Highland is a must
I'm so taking this first project of the year

Next comes Gingerbread Man the musical
I'm looking forward to more goofy choreography
I really enjoy all things theatrical
For the mental and physical creativity

It's been said "another year older, another year wiser"
The person who said this lived in antiquity
I like to think that another year older makes me wiser and bolder
To take on different challenges and responsibility

More to do and write in the coming days
For now I'm getting ready to pack my suitcase
To go to yonder mountain across the causeway
To mix business and pleasure as always