a place to reveal | a place to hide
If Melbourne is to Australia,
and London is to UK,
is Singapore to Malaysia?
Sorry, Metblogs, not since 1965. Or do the people at Metblogs know something that we don’t? Hmmm…
Thankfully, it’s not Singapore — China!
UPDATE 18 April Micamonkey highlighted this to the powers-that-be at Metblog. It’s rectified!
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She’s almost gone.
The lady who announces which station you are approaching.
Her voice is commanding yet soft.
Never intrusive.
Informing passengers when they should prepare to alight.
Warning them not to get caught in the gap between train and platform.
SMRT, in all their wisdom, have decided to update the announcements.
In her place, a younger voice.
One that has strange enunciation, intonation and rhythm.
One that grates the ears.
An announcer that makes me want to reach into the speakers and yank the wires out.
There have been online complaints. (Ask Google.)
If SMRT replied, I missed it.
Thankfully, this new girl hasn’t ousted the dame completely.
She can still be heard… for now.
Just in case they decide to do away with her entirely, I recorded a few of the announcements.
Here they are for your downloading and listening pleasure.
(.wav files, all less than 300 kb)
UPDATE Alvinology posted a video clip, a deleted scene from Tan Pin Pin’s excellent documentary, Singapore Ga Ga. If you’ve wondered what the old voice of MRT looks like, take a look.
But if you want the voice to remain faceless, watch the documentary instead. (Actually, watch it in any case. It’s fantastic!) Tan Pin Pin interviews Juanita in the film, but you only hear her voice either on a black screen or over scenes on the MRT.
You can get Singapore Ga Ga at OBJECTIFSfilms. I’ve also recently seen it on sale at Kinokuniya at Takashimaya.
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I went for another installment of Pedal Ubin on Saturday. I turn up often enough that some of the Toddycats mistakenly think that I’m one of Pedal Ubin guides. Heheh. Nah, I’m just along for the ride.
Saturday was my first experience at the relatively new Ketam Mountain Bike Trail. I mistakenly read it as “Ketam Mountain” “Bike Trail”. Whoops! Still, the trail’s lookout point - according to my GPS paraphernalia - is about 30m above sea level.
Even though it was a rainy and cloudy day, we could just about see the tall buildings of the Central Business District, almost 18km away!
Another reminder that Singapore is a small place. Nevertheless, I wondered how this was possible.
So, Google Maps to the fore. I drew a straight line from the lookout point to the CBD. Lo and behold, there was nary a tall building in the way. While the CBD structures are much taller than HDB flats, I never expected such an unobstructed view.
One of the reasons is that there aren’t that many buildings in the line of sight to the CBD to begin with. How is this possible?
Paya Lebar Airport.
Combined with the relative height of the lookout point and the low-lying buildings in the Paya Lebar/Geylang/Kallang vicinity, these factors make for a direct view of Singapore City.
Click on the screenshot below for a closer look at the lay of the land or visit the Google Map.
Must return on a clear day. =)
“Congestion taxes on vehicles plying on busy roads are a routine course of action in Singapore. The maximum time to reach any corner of Singapore is 20 minutes as traffic is not allowed to flood the roads,” he added.
When was the last time the Founding Father travelled by public transport? Or in a car without police escort? Didn’t I just spend an hour getting to work this morning? Here I was thinking that Bishan is the center of Singapore, the place nearest to every other corner.
Next thing he’s going to tell us is that there are no beggars in Fantasyland Singapore.
Or has he done that already?
Similar PostsI wrote this some time ago, when this Mr Brown meme was all the rage. Two things: (1) I didn’t feel it expressed all I wanted to say and (2) August isn’t the only month for national pride. Come to think of it, there’s a third point. (3) I really wanted to make this an audio clip with nice background music and all. However, I couldn’t find anything suitable nor do I have musical talent. So, even though I still feel that it’s inadequate, here goes…
Hello.
I eat Mee, Nasi, Prata and Devil Curry.
I am a(n?) NSman. Although, we all still call it ‘reservist’.
(Why this comes straight after food? I’m not sure.)
My best friends are mostly in the Civil Service. Thankfully, they are not mindless robots.
I have been through JC and Poly. Which one is better is besides the point.
I wasn’t accepted to a local University*. Strangely, I now work for one.
I read newspapers for a laugh, and read blogs for serious, considered views.
People mistake me for Indian or Malay sometimes. If they hear me talk, they might think I’m a foreigner because I speak relatively well. My country once officially labelled my kind “others”.
Even though I’m an Other, I’m no stranger to this place. It is home.
My name is Kenneth Pinto. And I am Singaporean.
Technorati Tags: singapore, iamsingaporean, national day, patriotism, identity
* I just realised today marks my third year here.
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