Does it mean I speak impeccable English, can be referred to as an English grammar handbook, spout bombastic English vocabulary, or authorized to correct your English? Barely. If I’m qualified to do anything, it is to show you how ugly my graduation photo and certificates are (name and id numbers have been unskillfully removed by me):

Thanks to CG for sharing this song with me, What do you do with a BA in English?

What do you do with a B.A. in English,
What is my life going to be?
Four years of college and plenty of knowledge,
Have earned me this useless degree.

I can’t pay the bills yet,
‘Cause I have no skills yet,
The world is a big scary place.

But somehow I can’t shake,
The feeling I might make,
A difference,
To the human race.

I received the following text message from my class representative:

“通知：周四没来拍照的同学请发一张个人生活照到＊＊＊＊＊，最好是风景照，照相馆的人会负责PS上去”

(Notice: Those who didn’t join us for photo-taking on Thursday, please send a casual photo of yourself to *****. An ideal picture would be one with scenery as background, as the photography studio staff will be responsible for using photoshop to place you in the faculty group shot.)

The powers of photoshop.

Or the Chinese power of enforcing everyone’s “presence” in an important group photo?

Realized this May 1st holiday was the first time I spent it in Shanghai. Made it a point to go out to look-see, and told myself, never again. Though I probably still will come next national holiday.

These pictures were taken in various Singapore bus stops, early February 2009, with a Nokia N95 8GB.

What is common in these three public service messages from the Singapore Police Force and the National Crime Prevention Council? Apart from the usual offence of being very tacky (playing with alliterations, feminine rhymes and syllable rhyme in Careless/Cashless, Reveal/Regret; and antonyms in Believer/Deceiver), it is also very SEXIST. Which is so typical and habitual of them/[insert any public service body]. I beseech you to look at such fallacies with open eyes and never allow yourself and your children get accustomed to it.

Stronger than the actual didactic crime prevention slogans, Singapore residents will come away with this misconception:

Who are victims of crime? Young women, middle-aged women, old women. They will be victims — of pickpockets, of robbers, of cheaters. They will be careless, they will reveal too much of their wealth, and they will be gullible believers of tall stories such as the infamous magic stone. Who are the criminals? Men. They will prey on young women, middle-aged women, and elderly women to steal, rob, and bluff.

Women = careless, foolish, helpless. victim.

Men = scheming, dishonest, evil. culprit.

Open your eyes.

Stereotypes are so yesterday. And really,
evil is woman.

Hah. Happy Women’s Day (8 March 2009)!

I’ve (very) recently bought my very first DSLR, a Nikon D80. Then bought a what-I-think-is-good-and-can-afford portrait lens Nikkor 50mm F/1.8D which I also hope to use for food pics.

Still experimenting, but I think my friends love the pictures heh. So by extension, I think they love me. HAHA

I love my camera(s)!

Haii, what a fluffy post.

Bought a HOLGA 120GCFN camera in Bangkok. Approx. 80SGD.

Didn’t have good shots for the first roll though Barely any lomo effects.

And only six shots were processed, when I was expecting sixteen. The rest were apparently too underexposed.

Nevertheless I think it’s a pretty fun toy Wish I laid my hands on it sooner.

After four years of sedentariness I got up really early last Saturday to join a dragon boat race! 首届上海高校外国留学生龙舟赛. The inaugural Shanghai colleges’ foreign students dragon boat race.

Was female captain for the day and may I say it was a very very stressful role to play, having to be involved in certain unnecessary (or necessary) politics. Can’t divulge much but let’s say it put my EQ to the test many a time when someone had to be out of the team so that someone else can be on it just because. Wasn’t just once, wasn’t twice either.

Nevertheless it was interesting to see how us students of various colours rowed together in this predominantly Chinese sport. But it was far more spectacular (or a spectacle) to witness the power of talking to figures of authority, because rowers were swapped practically in the middle of the lake, during the opening ceremony, despite the cameras and all the VIPs, just because someone was extremely displeased to be out of the team.

And then there was the middle-aged guy captain from a certain water-stingy country who took things in his own hands a great deal, asked for my opinion without any intention of respecting it nor heeding it, and now he’s harassing Grace for English help. Help.

Well the crude anger from a week ago has dissipated, and this race day is certainly a memorable one in years to come.