The last few weeks, I’ve been eagerly following the proceedings of the whole AWARE fiasco. I mean this was just too good to be missed. Its a train crash basically. You want to look away but you can’t. I wanted to write something about it, but the whole thing was quickly spiraling out of control and I didn’t really want to be drag into it. Much more fun to just stand by the sideline and enjoy the show.

Also mostly I am just a lazy bastard who is too lazy to update my blog.

Like most men, when there’s a catfight, we mostly like to stand by the side and encourage the combatants all the while hoping for the accidental nip slip.

There are many people who’d like to frame this argument as a case of the liberals versus the fundamentalists. And when the new exco was voted out- replaced by the old exco who instantly became the new new exco, there’s some who went so far as to proclaim this as a victory of good over evil.

Really?

Take a deep breath and get a grip, you didn’t change a goddamn thing.

I mean whichever side wins, nothing changes really. Life will go on before as we all get screwed over by the elites. The elites are equal opportunity fuckers. They’d fuck you liberal or fundamental. Look at it this way, if the fundamentals win, there will be no conversion by the sword.

There will be no Singlish Inquisition. No gay dude is getting his intestines ripped out in the public square and singapore will not be a theocracy.

The liberals win- so what? I am not walking out the door with a sudden admiration for the male behind, singapore is not going to become Sodom and nobody is going to get turned into a pillar of salt.

I was watching the AWARE EGM on youtube and even I am embarrassed.

These 2 groups of women who are fighting each other- weren’t they supposed to fight for the rights of women? And here they are fighting each other with little regards for the rights of the gays or the fundamentals. If you can’t even respect the rights of each other, than really I find it hard to take you seriously if you tell me you’re fighting for the rights of all women.

I have 2 sisters, so growing up, I’ve been a witness to many a catfight, so I know a catfight when I see one.

Women are having it too good in singapore. A woman living in singapore don’t have to give way to nobody. They are used to it. Used to having their own way. Us men knows it. How many times have we heard the phrase- “Give in, be a gentleman. Apologize to your sister/ girlfriend/ mother/ wives etc.” Right or wrong, the woman is always right.

So when you have two women having an argument, its a case of irresistible force meeting immovable object. Both sides never knew how to compromise because they aren’t used to compromising during arguments.

Its why arguments between 2 women almost always gets ugly. They escalate things and in this case, boy did they escalate things. The dial when from 1 to 11 in a nanosecond.

All the nastiness could have been avoided if only they took the time to explained their positions before the hijack ever took place. Someone could’ve easily voiced their opinion over the direction that Aware has taken lately. That would’ve started a dialogue that perhaps led to aplace where both sides can come to an agreement. At worst, they could’ve just agree to disagree. But now that the fiasco has reached this stage, there’s no going back.

I guess its just how women are. When they are pissed with you, they never like to tell you why they are pissed with you. Instead they do something to piss you off hoping somehow by pissing you off you might get a clue. Jeeze, you’d think they learned that never works by now.

And when women fight, the objective is seldom ever to resolve things. Its always a fight to the death. Men fight- its always mano a mano. Strictly between 2 guys. No man wants to get caught calling for backups. Its worst than losing the fight. In this case, calling for backups means you’re being a pussy. But when women fight, it will involve the whole village. Everyone must take sides. And as we can see from the Aware fiasco, it when from a fight involving 2 opposing camps of women from Aware to a war between liberals versus conservatives, gays versus fundamentals.

Even now the fire has yet to die down. Labels being thrown around as if it was the Great Singapore Sale- gays, fundies. homos, steeplejackers and what not. Don’t these people know that beyond the labels lies a living breathing person. A complicated person that is seldom easily explained by a label. Its like by giving a person a label, it makes it easier to stereotype that person and to hate that person without actually knowing that person.

People need to realize beyond all the labels, we are just people, we are just singaporeans. Respect others if you want others to respect yourself.

I don’t know if this Aware thing will be the beginning of a new age of understanding and dialogue or a dark age of mistrust and hate. And right now, it looks like the latter rather than the former. Even after the old guard regained control, there wasn’t any shaking of hands, a promise to let bygones be bygones and an agreement to disagree. Instead it just looks like both sides circling their wagons, licking their wounds waiting for another opportunity to go another 13 rounds.

And the worst thing to happen out of this entire sorry episode- an opportunity by the government to justify their authoritarian slant- as if to say singaporeans are not matured enough to settle their own issues and that the government must continue to look over our shoulders controlling every aspect of our lives.

In the end not only has Aware not advance the rights and status of women, but they’ve actually managed to set society back another 10 years. Thanks a bunch, I hope you’re all happy now. For an organisation called Aware, they don’t seem to be aware of anything.

Of all things, the one millionth word in the english language could potentially be the word “noob”. Read it here.

Zbrush 4 coming in august- free for registered users, woot!!!

The first time I ever laid eyes on the sea, it was love at first sight. There’s something magical about the sea’s ability to put your mind at ease and to put you in a place where you never want to go home. The sound of the crashing waves, the smell of the salty air, sun on your skin, sand on your feet- the blue of the sky fading into the blue of the sea, there is nothing I like better than taking a stroll by the sea and just let the crashing waves gently caress your feet.

If I have one dream, it would be to someday retire to a place where I can live by the seaside. If singapore had better beaches instead of the sand pits that we have now, I would most probably have ended up as a beach bum.

Over the Easter holidays I took a short trip to Redang with some friends. It was my first time there and to date, it is probably the most beautiful beach I have ever been to. Someday, there will be other beaches which will be even more beautiful, but for now, this will do.

The worst part about travelling is  the travelling. When people tell you its the journey that counts, its probably because they have never sat on a bus for 11 hours and than have to get on a ferry for another one and a half hour.

But at the end of it all the sight that first greets you when you step of the ferry however makes it all worthwhile.

On hindsight, 3 days 2 nights is definitely not enough to fully enjoy all that Redang have to offer. But then again, it never is. I would have been quite happy to spend 1-2 months there- snorkelling, swimming everyday with a bit of beach volleyball and lots of ogling the beach babes.

Canoeing, the banana boat ride and forest trekking are just some of the things that I never found the time to do.

Having been to Phuket and now Redang, I think the biggest thing Redang has going for it is that it is not as developed and built up as Phuket. Personally I think Phuket has become too touristy and the proliferation of sleazy bars and pubs lining Patong beach really spoils the ambience in my opinion. I still prefer my beaches to be pristine.

Its been 3 days since coming back and I still miss it.

Nothing like ending the trip with a gut busting feast. Its the singaporean way.