For those of you guys who are no longer studying, you might be laughing at me for putting up posts like this. But you know that has been a trademark of mine since I first joined NUS five years ago.
If all goes well, this should be the very last time in my entire life that I actually have to sit down and do formal written examinations. The truth is, when you're doing postgrad studies, no one really cares about your coursework grades, so long as you meet the bare minimum.
In my case, a CAP of anything above 3.5 is enough to see me through. My current CAP is 4.13, which means that I just need a total of 4.5 points from my final two modules to meet that target. In other words, a C+ for both modules oughta be more than enough.
But of course, I'm not aiming for the bare minimum. I'm aiming to fly. I'm aiming for flying colours.
First Objective: ME5706 Mechanical Engineering Oil and Gas Technology D-Day 211109
Truth be told, this module really feels more like a Level 1000 GEK module than a Level 5000 mechanical engineering postgraduate module. You get questions like 'Draw a drilling rig and label all the important components of the rig' and stuff like that. No kidding.
What makes this module tricky is that it's a closed-book module. While that factor substantially reduces the difficulty of the paper, it also means that it's a major test of memorization power. Forget one little detail, and you may not be able to properly answer the question.
In addition, you get all sorts of funny jargon that only this industry seems to use. You don't 'insert' a drill pipe and bit, you 'trip in' the 'drill string'. A broken pipe downhole is a 'fish', and a 'wildcat' is not an animal at all. You get the point. And they don't seem to bother about using SI units.
It doesn't help that I'm facing up against part-time fellas who work full-time in the industry. Yikes.
Second Objective: ME5301 Flow Systems Analysis D-Day: 011209
This is the final formal exam paper that I would have to take, even though it isn't the final chapter of this operation. This module is pretty much a scaled-up version of the Unsteady Flow section of the ME3231 module that I took in my third year of undergraduate studies.
The hard part, predictably, was the 'scaling-up' factor. Let's just say that I had to write a 100-page term paper for my continual assessment, of which 16 pages were nothing but C Programming code to simulate the flow in a pipeline.
And the sad part? I couldn't get the full output.
Ah, well Fudgie..... sometimes in life, you really just gotta let go....
Final Objective: Doctor of Philosophy Written Qualifying Examination D-Day: 060110
Otherwise known as the 'Written QE'. From what I'm told, it's really just a short and simple paper which most people can clear without much difficulty.
But of course, I'm not taking it lightly. This is all the more so considering the drawbacks of actually screwing up the paper, namely..... instant excommunication from NUS.
What a way to pile on the pressure.
If all goes well, this should be the very last time in my entire life that I actually have to sit down and do formal written examinations. The truth is, when you're doing postgrad studies, no one really cares about your coursework grades, so long as you meet the bare minimum.
In my case, a CAP of anything above 3.5 is enough to see me through. My current CAP is 4.13, which means that I just need a total of 4.5 points from my final two modules to meet that target. In other words, a C+ for both modules oughta be more than enough.
But of course, I'm not aiming for the bare minimum. I'm aiming to fly. I'm aiming for flying colours.
First Objective: ME5706 Mechanical Engineering Oil and Gas Technology D-Day 211109
Truth be told, this module really feels more like a Level 1000 GEK module than a Level 5000 mechanical engineering postgraduate module. You get questions like 'Draw a drilling rig and label all the important components of the rig' and stuff like that. No kidding.
What makes this module tricky is that it's a closed-book module. While that factor substantially reduces the difficulty of the paper, it also means that it's a major test of memorization power. Forget one little detail, and you may not be able to properly answer the question.
In addition, you get all sorts of funny jargon that only this industry seems to use. You don't 'insert' a drill pipe and bit, you 'trip in' the 'drill string'. A broken pipe downhole is a 'fish', and a 'wildcat' is not an animal at all. You get the point. And they don't seem to bother about using SI units.
It doesn't help that I'm facing up against part-time fellas who work full-time in the industry. Yikes.
Second Objective: ME5301 Flow Systems Analysis D-Day: 011209
This is the final formal exam paper that I would have to take, even though it isn't the final chapter of this operation. This module is pretty much a scaled-up version of the Unsteady Flow section of the ME3231 module that I took in my third year of undergraduate studies.
The hard part, predictably, was the 'scaling-up' factor. Let's just say that I had to write a 100-page term paper for my continual assessment, of which 16 pages were nothing but C Programming code to simulate the flow in a pipeline.
And the sad part? I couldn't get the full output.
Ah, well Fudgie..... sometimes in life, you really just gotta let go....
Final Objective: Doctor of Philosophy Written Qualifying Examination D-Day: 060110
Otherwise known as the 'Written QE'. From what I'm told, it's really just a short and simple paper which most people can clear without much difficulty.
But of course, I'm not taking it lightly. This is all the more so considering the drawbacks of actually screwing up the paper, namely..... instant excommunication from NUS.
What a way to pile on the pressure.
Note: This is really not an advertisement. I'm not getting paid to say all this. No, really. I just think that this is pretty cool.
Last night I received a package from the United States.
Home address pixellated out. For obvious reasons.
Last night I received a package from the United States.
Home address pixellated out. For obvious reasons.
Once I saw the package, I instantly knew what it was: a ROAD ID bracelet. I had placed an order for it just a couple of weeks ago after my last identification bracelet (a local-made rubber bracelet) snapped while I was removing it prior to taking my wudhu'.
The ROAD ID, on the other hand, will never encounter such problems. I simply velcro it onto my wrist.
IC number, medical information, and next-of-kin information all pixellated out.
The ROAD ID, on the other hand, will never encounter such problems. I simply velcro it onto my wrist.
IC number, medical information, and next-of-kin information all pixellated out.
Well, it cost me a pretty penny. US$22.50, to be precise (that's about SGD$31.50). However, the way I see it, it's a worthwhile little investment.
Every SAF medic and SCDF paramedic is trained to look out for these identification tags, known as Medik Awas ('Medic Alert') tags. They allow first responders to instantly figure out your identity and crucial medical information (blood type, existing medical problems, etc) in case if you've been in an accident and are unable to talk to them.
Why such an identification tag is so important to me is that as you guys know, I often go jogging on weekday nights and Saturday mornings. I don't feel too comfortable about bringing along my IC while I'm running, and in any case I try to minimize my load where possible. Like it or not, there's always a chance that something might happen to me while I'm out on my runs, and I don't want the authorities to be scratching their heads over who I am and how to contact my next-of-kin should the crap just hit the fan.
So to all medics and paramedics, now you know what a Medik Awas tag looks like.
And to all those who regular train for long-distance runs and other events, you might seriously want to consider getting this sort of thing. Really.
Every SAF medic and SCDF paramedic is trained to look out for these identification tags, known as Medik Awas ('Medic Alert') tags. They allow first responders to instantly figure out your identity and crucial medical information (blood type, existing medical problems, etc) in case if you've been in an accident and are unable to talk to them.
Why such an identification tag is so important to me is that as you guys know, I often go jogging on weekday nights and Saturday mornings. I don't feel too comfortable about bringing along my IC while I'm running, and in any case I try to minimize my load where possible. Like it or not, there's always a chance that something might happen to me while I'm out on my runs, and I don't want the authorities to be scratching their heads over who I am and how to contact my next-of-kin should the crap just hit the fan.
So to all medics and paramedics, now you know what a Medik Awas tag looks like.
And to all those who regular train for long-distance runs and other events, you might seriously want to consider getting this sort of thing. Really.
I've got one 100-page term paper and two 30-page term papers to tackle in all. However, I just find myself having to really, really take some time off to talk about one incredibly hilarious piece of news that has been making its rounds around the world.
To sum it up: the Malaysian Tourism Minister has claimed that other countries have been 'hijacking' Malaysian cuisine and passing it off as their own. Among the dishes she stated are chilli crab, Hainanese chicken rice, 'all types of laksa', nasi lemak, and bak kut teh.
Okay, I'll leave you guys for a while to digest (no pun intended) what she said.
.........
WAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!
Please raise your hands if you didn't find that assertion as hilarious as it is ridiculous. The thing is, no one can ever really lay a claim as to exactly what food belongs to what country. As K F Seetoh of Makansutra has said when asked to throw in his dua sen on this issue, you cannot claim ownership of any food per se, but you can only associate food with a particular region.
And I fully agree. Burgers and hot dogs, for instance, are often associated with the US of A. But what if I were to say that these foods actually originated from Hamburg and Frankfurt (well, how did you think the words hamburger and frankfurter came about, anyway)? Are we going to have some German minister thumping his fist in the Bundestag and laying an exclusive claim to them, then?
For that matter, sandwiches are widely attributed to John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich. The story goes that he would ask his servants to bring him meat stuffed between two slices of bread during his protracted gambling sessions. Soon enough, his gambling kakis started asking his servants to 'Bring me whatever Sandwich is having!'
So I guess we all ought to start paying royalties to the descendants of Lord Sandwich. Wee.
Even spaghetti is not exactly Italian in origin. It has its origins in China, and Marco Polo was the one who brought it back to Venice (and the rest of Italy).
Like it or not, when it comes to food, no particular region or country can ever claim to 'own' any particular food. This is all the more so with Malaysia and Singapore, who both have a shared heritage. Much of the cuisine of the two countries is quite similar precisely because we both have large populations descended from faraway shores.
Roti prata (as is known in Singapore) and roti canai (the Malaysian name) both have their origins in India as a flatbread known as paratha. We don't hear the Indians claiming exclusive ownership of paratha, because they know that the varieties in Singapore and Malaysia were brought along by our Indian forefathers to our shores.
So, yeah, I find it amazing that the Malaysian Tourism Minister can actually lay claim to Hainanese chicken rice with a straight face. Bolded italics for emphasis.
And this.... is the reason why.
And laksa, 'it all its forms'? Well, I am fully aware of Malaysian varieties of laksa (I ate Penang laksa when I was in Penang), but last I heard, Katong is in the eastern part of Singapore. So I suppose our minister here wants to lay claim to Katong laksa as well?
Woah.... all this talk about food is making me hungry. And I've still got a few hours to go before I can eat. I've already lost 6 kilos from all this fasting.
Just in case you guys didn't believe me.
After losing a solid six kilos of blubber from performing my religious obligations, I feel like having a real fine Malaysian Ramly Burger later in the evening as a reward.
Whoops. Am I supposed to refer to it as German?
**disclaimer**
I have no quarrel with Malaysia, and I believe that there are dishes like Penang Nasi Kandar, Terengganu Nasi Dagang, and Sarawak Kolo Mee with true-blue Malaysian origins. And hey, Malaysian Ramly burgers pwn the stuff that McDonalds' sells any day.
I just find it absurd that anyone can ever really claim total 'ownership' of any particular food.
To sum it up: the Malaysian Tourism Minister has claimed that other countries have been 'hijacking' Malaysian cuisine and passing it off as their own. Among the dishes she stated are chilli crab, Hainanese chicken rice, 'all types of laksa', nasi lemak, and bak kut teh.
Okay, I'll leave you guys for a while to digest (no pun intended) what she said.
.........
WAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!
Please raise your hands if you didn't find that assertion as hilarious as it is ridiculous. The thing is, no one can ever really lay a claim as to exactly what food belongs to what country. As K F Seetoh of Makansutra has said when asked to throw in his dua sen on this issue, you cannot claim ownership of any food per se, but you can only associate food with a particular region.
And I fully agree. Burgers and hot dogs, for instance, are often associated with the US of A. But what if I were to say that these foods actually originated from Hamburg and Frankfurt (well, how did you think the words hamburger and frankfurter came about, anyway)? Are we going to have some German minister thumping his fist in the Bundestag and laying an exclusive claim to them, then?
For that matter, sandwiches are widely attributed to John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich. The story goes that he would ask his servants to bring him meat stuffed between two slices of bread during his protracted gambling sessions. Soon enough, his gambling kakis started asking his servants to 'Bring me whatever Sandwich is having!'
So I guess we all ought to start paying royalties to the descendants of Lord Sandwich. Wee.
Even spaghetti is not exactly Italian in origin. It has its origins in China, and Marco Polo was the one who brought it back to Venice (and the rest of Italy).
Like it or not, when it comes to food, no particular region or country can ever claim to 'own' any particular food. This is all the more so with Malaysia and Singapore, who both have a shared heritage. Much of the cuisine of the two countries is quite similar precisely because we both have large populations descended from faraway shores.
Roti prata (as is known in Singapore) and roti canai (the Malaysian name) both have their origins in India as a flatbread known as paratha. We don't hear the Indians claiming exclusive ownership of paratha, because they know that the varieties in Singapore and Malaysia were brought along by our Indian forefathers to our shores.
So, yeah, I find it amazing that the Malaysian Tourism Minister can actually lay claim to Hainanese chicken rice with a straight face. Bolded italics for emphasis.
And this.... is the reason why.And laksa, 'it all its forms'? Well, I am fully aware of Malaysian varieties of laksa (I ate Penang laksa when I was in Penang), but last I heard, Katong is in the eastern part of Singapore. So I suppose our minister here wants to lay claim to Katong laksa as well?
Woah.... all this talk about food is making me hungry. And I've still got a few hours to go before I can eat. I've already lost 6 kilos from all this fasting.
Just in case you guys didn't believe me.After losing a solid six kilos of blubber from performing my religious obligations, I feel like having a real fine Malaysian Ramly Burger later in the evening as a reward.
Whoops. Am I supposed to refer to it as German?
**disclaimer**
I have no quarrel with Malaysia, and I believe that there are dishes like Penang Nasi Kandar, Terengganu Nasi Dagang, and Sarawak Kolo Mee with true-blue Malaysian origins. And hey, Malaysian Ramly burgers pwn the stuff that McDonalds' sells any day.
I just find it absurd that anyone can ever really claim total 'ownership' of any particular food.
Just a little something to share with you guys.
Introducing..... BumpTop!
I downloaded this nifty little application recently. Basically what it does is to transform your desktop into a really cool 3D environment for you to work with. It doesn't take up a lot of system resources, and once you get the hang of it, it's really quite fun.
Basically, this is what my desktop looks like now:
Just a small word of warning, though: while I successfully installed it onto my netbook as well, it tended to crash every time I tried to restart my netbook from Standby or Hibernate modes. And considering how often I have to use such modes, BumpTop is a pretty major liability in that case.
However, netbooks are for mobility and not for showing off, anyway. And it works perfectly fine on my PC at home.
Go try it!
Many thanks to Aaron for alerting me to this killer application.
Introducing..... BumpTop!
I downloaded this nifty little application recently. Basically what it does is to transform your desktop into a really cool 3D environment for you to work with. It doesn't take up a lot of system resources, and once you get the hang of it, it's really quite fun.
Basically, this is what my desktop looks like now:
Just a small word of warning, though: while I successfully installed it onto my netbook as well, it tended to crash every time I tried to restart my netbook from Standby or Hibernate modes. And considering how often I have to use such modes, BumpTop is a pretty major liability in that case.However, netbooks are for mobility and not for showing off, anyway. And it works perfectly fine on my PC at home.
Go try it!
Many thanks to Aaron for alerting me to this killer application.
Well, I ran the Army Half Marathon two weeks ago.
My preparations for the event were pretty rushed, to say the least. Owing to my work I didn't have the luxury of training as thoroughly as I could last year. It didn't help that I had both reservist training and two separate flu attacks knocking me off my feet.
If anything, I had a barbecue the previous night with the medics from my reservist unit. It took plenty of willpower to control the amount of food I ate - suffice to say that running a 21 km race at 5.30 am the next morning with a stomach full of barbecued beef and chicken is not the best idea in the whole world. So was the idea of staying up late the night before. In the end, I rushed back home and quickly put my race equipment together.
Yes, 9 Div/Infantry. Capice?
My preparations for the event were pretty rushed, to say the least. Owing to my work I didn't have the luxury of training as thoroughly as I could last year. It didn't help that I had both reservist training and two separate flu attacks knocking me off my feet.
If anything, I had a barbecue the previous night with the medics from my reservist unit. It took plenty of willpower to control the amount of food I ate - suffice to say that running a 21 km race at 5.30 am the next morning with a stomach full of barbecued beef and chicken is not the best idea in the whole world. So was the idea of staying up late the night before. In the end, I rushed back home and quickly put my race equipment together.
Yes, 9 Div/Infantry. Capice?
I had to leave home at 4.30 am the next morning so as to meet the 5.30 am start time. I ended up waking just 15 minutes before 4.30 am, which unfortunately led to my leaving home without breakfast. Luckily there was a Ramly Burger stall at the race carnival at the Padang, feverishly grilling burgers for morons like myself who left home without a bite to eat.
The race itself wasn't really as bad as last year in terms of the starting conditions. At least this time I managed to keep my feet dry throughout, which is crucial if you want to prevent yourself from getting blisters. And having all sorts of 'cultural performances' such as stilt-men and drummers along the run did make for a much more lively atmosphere than the Sundown Marathon.
Oh, and all the runners who ran past a certain water point set up by a Combat Engineers unit did a double take upon running past the point. Some poor dude dressed up as Optimus Prime was dancing by the sidewalk to the tune of Stan Bush's 'Dare'.
Something like this. Really.
'Dare', by the way, was from the 1986 Transformers animated movie. Just a bit of useless trivia.
Anyway, I was faced with a veritable traffic jam much of the way, and it wasn't until I hit Nicoll Highway (2/3 of the way) that I finally had enough space to maneuver. And by then, I had pretty much burnt most of the capacity of my ill-trained muscles, and it was already a major effort to keep up the pace, much less overtake.
So it was probably no surprise at all that I could only garner a 2:20:06 timing. Still not too bad, but that's about six minutes off my previous personal record of 2:14:11 set last year. *sobs*
The finisher's medal is always welcome, though.
Oh well..... I'll be running the StanChart Singapore Marathon at the end of the year.
Hope I can break the six-hour mark this time.
The race itself wasn't really as bad as last year in terms of the starting conditions. At least this time I managed to keep my feet dry throughout, which is crucial if you want to prevent yourself from getting blisters. And having all sorts of 'cultural performances' such as stilt-men and drummers along the run did make for a much more lively atmosphere than the Sundown Marathon.
Oh, and all the runners who ran past a certain water point set up by a Combat Engineers unit did a double take upon running past the point. Some poor dude dressed up as Optimus Prime was dancing by the sidewalk to the tune of Stan Bush's 'Dare'.
Something like this. Really.
'Dare', by the way, was from the 1986 Transformers animated movie. Just a bit of useless trivia.
Anyway, I was faced with a veritable traffic jam much of the way, and it wasn't until I hit Nicoll Highway (2/3 of the way) that I finally had enough space to maneuver. And by then, I had pretty much burnt most of the capacity of my ill-trained muscles, and it was already a major effort to keep up the pace, much less overtake.
So it was probably no surprise at all that I could only garner a 2:20:06 timing. Still not too bad, but that's about six minutes off my previous personal record of 2:14:11 set last year. *sobs*
The finisher's medal is always welcome, though.
Oh well..... I'll be running the StanChart Singapore Marathon at the end of the year.
Hope I can break the six-hour mark this time.
I read a rather.... intriguing letter in the papers recently. Read the following article, and ponder its implications.
Taken from The Straits Times Online, accessed August 14, 2009
Taken from The Straits Times Online, accessed August 14, 2009
........
Okay, my reply would be something like this:
Dear Sir,
I am currently a postgraduate student in the second year of my studies. Like most Singaporeans who cannot afford private transport, I take the MRT to make my way down to campus every day. I carry a large Vertikal backpack every time I do so. Unfortunately, it sticks out quite a lot since it contains my laptop, lecture notes, journal papers, reference books and a whole lot of other useless items.
Reading your article, I can't help but think just what an inconvenience it is to my fellow passengers to bring my backpack to campus and back home every single day. Also, as it is taking up standing room for one person, I can't help but ponder the fact that one poor passenger cannot board the train because of it. It appears to be a potential security risk as well.
As such, I presume that it is only fair for me to simply leave my work at home and go to campus every day empty-handed. I apologize to my fellow Singaporeans for the inconvenience and security threat that I have posed to them on a daily basis thus far.
In fact, I believe that we should take this reasoning to its logical conclusion and bar backpackers and foreign tourists from boarding the train at the Changi Airport MRT station. It seems unfair that we allow their luggage to take up standing room that other paying passengers can otherwise utilize.
While we're at it, morbidly obese people, pregnant women, wheelchair-bound passengers, and leg-injury casualties on crutches should all be barred from boarding the train as well. After all, when you think about it, they all have the 'footprint' of two (or even more!) people.
I hereby urge the relevant authorities to place these thoughts under consideration. Thank you.
*********
Get my point?
Okay, my reply would be something like this:
Dear Sir,
I am currently a postgraduate student in the second year of my studies. Like most Singaporeans who cannot afford private transport, I take the MRT to make my way down to campus every day. I carry a large Vertikal backpack every time I do so. Unfortunately, it sticks out quite a lot since it contains my laptop, lecture notes, journal papers, reference books and a whole lot of other useless items.
Reading your article, I can't help but think just what an inconvenience it is to my fellow passengers to bring my backpack to campus and back home every single day. Also, as it is taking up standing room for one person, I can't help but ponder the fact that one poor passenger cannot board the train because of it. It appears to be a potential security risk as well.
As such, I presume that it is only fair for me to simply leave my work at home and go to campus every day empty-handed. I apologize to my fellow Singaporeans for the inconvenience and security threat that I have posed to them on a daily basis thus far.
In fact, I believe that we should take this reasoning to its logical conclusion and bar backpackers and foreign tourists from boarding the train at the Changi Airport MRT station. It seems unfair that we allow their luggage to take up standing room that other paying passengers can otherwise utilize.
While we're at it, morbidly obese people, pregnant women, wheelchair-bound passengers, and leg-injury casualties on crutches should all be barred from boarding the train as well. After all, when you think about it, they all have the 'footprint' of two (or even more!) people.
I hereby urge the relevant authorities to place these thoughts under consideration. Thank you.
*********
Get my point?
With National Day just one day away, I just can't help but think of all the National Day songs, that I had to sing when I was just a little tyke. Five Stars Arising, Count On Me Singapore, Stand Up for Singapore..... you name it, I had to sing it. Strangely enough, I had to sing the last song during my BMT Passing Out Parade as well. I didn't pass out singing it, though. Heheh.
Okay, forehead-slapping lame jokes aside, I feel that it's a bit of my civic duty to introduce all my dear readers to six alternate National Day songs that have been making the rounds in cyberspace. Some are alternate versions of existing national songs, some are alternate versions of commercial songs, and some are entirely new songs altogether. So let's take a look at them, counting down to my favourite at #1.
#6. Things So Singaporean by Ann Hussein
Vocals by Ann Hussein
Lyrics by Judith d’Silva
Best part of the song:
The crowds in VivoCity
On weekends are just crazy
We love to shop we love to eat
Bring your tissue to chope your seat
This was a truly original effort by Ann Hussein and Judith d'Silva (I hope I got their names right) who actually came up with the song some time last year. It was only recently that their effort got noticed by the local papers, and apparently, it has been taught to kids in quite a few primary schools.
My personal take on this is that it's a tad simplistic, but the catchy tune is not to be sniffed at. And hey, when was the last time I ever composed my own song, anyway?
#5. A Love Song for Singapore by Mr Brown and Friends
No high-quality Youtube embed was found, but here's the original Mr Brown podcast.
Vocals and lyrics by Mr Brown, Ivan, and Mark.
Best part of the song:
The city’s changing every day
I saw a new gantry on the way
That is why I sold my car
Why the bus-stop so damn far
Drums, guitars and vocals by Isk and Hosni
Additional vocals by their friends
Best part of the lyrics:
The National Pledge/We Are Singapore section of the medley
Isk and Hosni are a couple of Mat Rock punksters who like making punk covers of famous songs and posting them on Youtube (Jason Mraz's 'I'm Yours' was especially well-covered by them, go check it out on Youtube).
Anyway, for this National Day they banded together a few of their friends and got them to help provide some vocals for this effort. Even if you never actually liked the national songs, I think you'd agree with me that this is one solid punk effort.
#3. The Mosquito Song by Mr Brown and Friends
Vocals and lyrics by Mr Brown and Friends
Best part of the song:
Mosquito bite me
Now my ka chng itchy
I ask my friend to scratch me
Scratch me deeper down below
Sung to the tune of Kit Chan's 'Home', The Mosquito Song is rude, vulgar, and incredibly funny. Okay, some may say that it doesn't actually qualify as a national song as it doesn't refer to anything about Singapore, but hey, it's worth a thousand laughs.
#2. Le Kua Simi? by Mr Brown and Electrician
Lyrics by Mr Brown, Marc Nair and Samantha De Silva
Music Video Producer: Mr Brown
Music Video Cinematographer: Ryan Kwok
Music Video Editor: Shirley Eng
From the album Liddat Also Song (okay, this was a joke)
Best part of the song:
Find more ger at the bar
When they see my new car
You can feeling the tetno beat
My bass tube si beh tua
Electrico's 'What Do You See' is a refreshing new national song that was released this year. But hey, there's always Mr Brown and his gang to up the ante. Heheh.
To begin with, 'Le Kua Simi?' itself can be roughly translated as 'WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT?!?!?!'. Think of some Ah Beng who rudely cut you off in traffic and exclaiming that at you, and you get the drift.
And with lyrics like 'when patience is a virgin, you must wait long long time', who can resist the pull of this song? Solid music video shot in HD, too.
#1. We Live in Singapura by Hossan Leong and NCH Productions
Lyrics by Edmund Tan
Vocals by Hossan Leong
Music Video by NCH Productions
Best part of the song:
IMF, must smile more
Want to protest, go indoor
LRT not so fast
NEWater they laugh at us!
It was a close call between 'Le Kua Simi' and this song for the position of #1. However, I have decided to grant #1 to this effort, which was actually presented by Hossan Leong during a live performance (I guess you guys have already figured that out) back in 2006.
The reason why is because I think this is the one song that truly resonates profoundly among all of us. Not only is it a brief recap of Singapore's history (Sang Nila Utama saw a lion, alamak, name the village Singapura then run very far...), but it is also an overview on life in Singapore currently (IR locals have to pay, foreign talents are okay, housing estate get upgraded by contractors who go pok kai....).
And I see this as two separate efforts, really: one was the lyrics creation/ performance by Edmund Tan and Hossan Leong, and the other was the killer music video by NCH Productions. A lot of effort and love was placed into it, and as such, it deserves to be #1.
Okay, forehead-slapping lame jokes aside, I feel that it's a bit of my civic duty to introduce all my dear readers to six alternate National Day songs that have been making the rounds in cyberspace. Some are alternate versions of existing national songs, some are alternate versions of commercial songs, and some are entirely new songs altogether. So let's take a look at them, counting down to my favourite at #1.
#6. Things So Singaporean by Ann Hussein
Vocals by Ann Hussein
Lyrics by Judith d’Silva
Best part of the song:
The crowds in VivoCity
On weekends are just crazy
We love to shop we love to eat
Bring your tissue to chope your seat
This was a truly original effort by Ann Hussein and Judith d'Silva (I hope I got their names right) who actually came up with the song some time last year. It was only recently that their effort got noticed by the local papers, and apparently, it has been taught to kids in quite a few primary schools.
My personal take on this is that it's a tad simplistic, but the catchy tune is not to be sniffed at. And hey, when was the last time I ever composed my own song, anyway?
#5. A Love Song for Singapore by Mr Brown and Friends
No high-quality Youtube embed was found, but here's the original Mr Brown podcast.
Vocals and lyrics by Mr Brown, Ivan, and Mark.
Best part of the song:
The city’s changing every day
I saw a new gantry on the way
That is why I sold my car
Why the bus-stop so damn far
Another purely original effort, this time by the comedic genuises that are Mr Brown and Friends. The tune may sound more amateurish than the previous song (they used a guitar and a chair!), but then again, there's no doubting the heart that went into making this song. Its message resonated strongly with me - in spite of all the rants and complaints we may all have about everyday life in Singapore, at the end of the day, we're still in love with it.
#4. National Day Punk Medley by Isk, Hosni and Friends
Drums, guitars and vocals by Isk and Hosni
Additional vocals by their friends
Best part of the lyrics:
The National Pledge/We Are Singapore section of the medley
Isk and Hosni are a couple of Mat Rock punksters who like making punk covers of famous songs and posting them on Youtube (Jason Mraz's 'I'm Yours' was especially well-covered by them, go check it out on Youtube).
Anyway, for this National Day they banded together a few of their friends and got them to help provide some vocals for this effort. Even if you never actually liked the national songs, I think you'd agree with me that this is one solid punk effort.
#3. The Mosquito Song by Mr Brown and Friends
Vocals and lyrics by Mr Brown and Friends
Best part of the song:
Mosquito bite me
Now my ka chng itchy
I ask my friend to scratch me
Scratch me deeper down below
Sung to the tune of Kit Chan's 'Home', The Mosquito Song is rude, vulgar, and incredibly funny. Okay, some may say that it doesn't actually qualify as a national song as it doesn't refer to anything about Singapore, but hey, it's worth a thousand laughs.
#2. Le Kua Simi? by Mr Brown and Electrician
Lyrics by Mr Brown, Marc Nair and Samantha De Silva
Music Video Producer: Mr Brown
Music Video Cinematographer: Ryan Kwok
Music Video Editor: Shirley Eng
From the album Liddat Also Song (okay, this was a joke)
Best part of the song:
Find more ger at the bar
When they see my new car
You can feeling the tetno beat
My bass tube si beh tua
Electrico's 'What Do You See' is a refreshing new national song that was released this year. But hey, there's always Mr Brown and his gang to up the ante. Heheh.
To begin with, 'Le Kua Simi?' itself can be roughly translated as 'WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT?!?!?!'. Think of some Ah Beng who rudely cut you off in traffic and exclaiming that at you, and you get the drift.
And with lyrics like 'when patience is a virgin, you must wait long long time', who can resist the pull of this song? Solid music video shot in HD, too.
#1. We Live in Singapura by Hossan Leong and NCH Productions
Lyrics by Edmund Tan
Vocals by Hossan Leong
Music Video by NCH Productions
Best part of the song:
IMF, must smile more
Want to protest, go indoor
LRT not so fast
NEWater they laugh at us!
It was a close call between 'Le Kua Simi' and this song for the position of #1. However, I have decided to grant #1 to this effort, which was actually presented by Hossan Leong during a live performance (I guess you guys have already figured that out) back in 2006.
The reason why is because I think this is the one song that truly resonates profoundly among all of us. Not only is it a brief recap of Singapore's history (Sang Nila Utama saw a lion, alamak, name the village Singapura then run very far...), but it is also an overview on life in Singapore currently (IR locals have to pay, foreign talents are okay, housing estate get upgraded by contractors who go pok kai....).
And I see this as two separate efforts, really: one was the lyrics creation/ performance by Edmund Tan and Hossan Leong, and the other was the killer music video by NCH Productions. A lot of effort and love was placed into it, and as such, it deserves to be #1.
About me
PROFILE
Full Name: Muhammad Fadzli Bin Hassan
Age: 26
Date of Birth: 25th June 1983
-
My full profile can be found
- here
The Original Blog:
The Web of Fudge
Other Blogs:
Dela Cruz
Diana
Elizabeth
Ian Finian
Jon
Kynn
Maygalai
Mr Loba-Loba
Penelope
Phaedre
Stephanie
The Dean
Yana
Zara
Last posts
Archives
- November 2005
- December 2005
- January 2006
- February 2006
- March 2006
- April 2006
- May 2006
- June 2006
- July 2006
- August 2006
- September 2006
- October 2006
- November 2006
- December 2006
- January 2007
- February 2007
- March 2007
- April 2007
- May 2007
- June 2007
- July 2007
- August 2007
- September 2007
- October 2007
- November 2007
- December 2007
- January 2008
- February 2008
- March 2008
- April 2008
- May 2008
- June 2008
- July 2008
- August 2008
- September 2008
- October 2008
- November 2008
- December 2008
- January 2009
- February 2009
- March 2009
- April 2009
- May 2009
- June 2009
- July 2009
- August 2009
- September 2009
- October 2009
- November 2009