Tuesday, August 31, 2004
Singles

Let me,in my usual annoying habit,talk about something that is totally unrelated to the title of this post first.Of course,the reason why this discourse is not written in another post is because it's too short to warrant one but anyway,I just installed Microsoft's SP 2 for Windows.Yes,all 100MB of it.The download rate for the package is so slow,it took me over 2 hours just to download and install the bloody monster.I am using broadband.Well,I am sure there are a lot of changes that SP 2 brings with it but I rather suspect one of those will be that Big Brother is watching my every step now...but maybe I'm just being paranoid.But one of the irritating features,as those who keeps track of this update will know very well,is the fact that pop-up windows are now automatically blocked.Which is supposed to be a good thing...but it blocks just about everything.Including the pop-up comments windows on blogs and that is very irritating.It also prevents IE from opening another site on a new window.You have to manually disable the feature for each window.Of course,you can disable the whole thing permanently but one is rather weary of the stuff which we don't want to see pop-up...hmmm,weird,that almost sounds naughty.

It's becoming more and more unbearable to be a single on this tiny island state.There is the incessant amount of brainwashing on the telly,papers and other media.Have you seen the articles on the papers exhorting the virtues of SDU and how it is hip and cool and so very happening?It is so effective that I just rejoined the damn thing.Me and my weak mind.I hope they have some good cheap overseas travel programme.Oh,some time back,I think there was some TV advertisement talking about the wonderful feelings of being with a loved one...of starting a family...full of lovey dovey images.Phew.I guess the reason they stopped could be because the number of people suffering from diabetes suddenly shot up from all the saccharine shown on TV.And did any of you catch the special Singles section in the Today newspaper.The main point of the whole section is....YES,it's alright,no make that good,to use dating services.Even if the registration fee is $650(I am talking about the lowest commercial rate in town).I do earn a good living but hey,I've got better ways to throw money away.SDU only charges $20 you know(Sorry,Luna Esa,it is $20.You were right,I was wrong.Blame the website.)

Now now now.Before any of you accuse me of being cynical.I digress.I truly appreciate the feeling of being with a loved one.Of being able to share your happiest and worst times with that special someone who is there to share your joy and is there to support you when you need it.Likewise,you'd also be there for her/him when she/he needs you.Give and take.Love and be loved.This is a feeling nothing else in the world can give you and it is a feeling everybody should be able to enjoy and bask in.My only contention is,we don't need an advertising blitz to tell us that.Let us take our time and stop reminding us about it.There is a time for love and a time to be alone.When we are alone,maybe we just haven't met that someone or we just haven't earned it yet.But when the time comes for love,you'd know.Could take months...years...or worse,days but you'd know.I am not quite sure now why it's "important"(so government) to be proactive to meet people but at least,it's important(without the " ")to take the initiative when you find someone you like.That I know.What's my point?We already know what you want to say so stop forcefeeding us anymore of these messages!!!I've had it about up to my neck about this crap.Irritating.

It's not as if singles have it easy on this island state.How many of you have had the misfortune of having relatives or parents ask you about when you are going to find a girl/boyfriend and settle down?I've had a barrage of that and in my hour of need,I've always found that my Optic Blast is not working so I can only offer a weak smile.Cyclops is useless without his eyes,you know.And there is this particualrly irritating relative of mine who always likes to showcase her son,about how capable he is(officer in the navyduring his NS.So what?Killed some Indon pirates on his tour of duty,is it?!You guys are just like us army guys.Only you chow keng on a boat and we chow keng in our bunks),how he is so good in his studies(HELLO!Are you from Harvard or Cambridge huh?),how he worked internship and then worked full-time in a big MNC(he quitted later because he could not "handle the pressure"...hmmmm)and worst of all,how he's got a girlfriend and he's planning to marry(he's younger than me).Argh,I hate when they go,"Hey,XXX has a girlfriend and is looking to get married,where's your girlfriend?"Well,I am waiting for Jennifer Lopez to divorce so shut up already.Who and who are getting married have absolutely nothing to do with me so don't draw the links.You don't see me lamenting about how come I have relatives like you and not Bill Gates or LKY,do you?

Stranger still are the questions from friends.Some of them are just being concerned,of course, and have our best interests at heart.To those,I say,help us out by introducing some people to us.And if you can't,just let us be.Being single is not necessarily being unhappy.The unhappy days only come sporadically a year...note February 14th especially.Some of them are just kaypoh and just want to barge their noses into our private matters.To those,I say,go watch Singapore Idol.Those fellows crave your attention more than us.Could there be a third category who just want to somehow tease us for their own twisted perverse enjoyment?If there are,I say...things that are unprintable.To those still single,I say a word of encouargement,take your time and don't worry too much.That special someone will come and it's not always up to you.Even if you never had/have a relationship before and you're 30 or whatever,what does it really matter?I know there are a lot of people who feel that the fact that they never had a relationship throughout their lifes makes them a failure or at least feel like one.It doesn't,mates,it doesn't.

I think singles have had it hard enough here already.Look,we can't even buy flats until we are 35.They relaxed the rules a little yesterday I know (but they raised the bar in terms of getting loans)but did any of you watch the news last night when they asked some people on the streets about their thoughts on the rule relaxation?One moron actually said that it was unfair.They should not relax the rules.If singles want to buy property,they should buy private property.Leave the public housing for the needy.Huh?Brother,what are you talking about?Needy?What does that got to do with singles?The IMH didn't have a bed for you so they let you roam around town?Go drown yourself in a bathtub,brother.I didn't even know we faced discrimination from the public now.

Look,at the end of the day,I understand that declining birthrate is a concern.But it IS a concern in all developed countries(except the US.And you know how they avert that?Immigration policies...continuous renewal)so we are not the unique ones.We are certainly unique in our proposed solution though.Brainwash,brainwash,brainwash.Well,what if that doesn't work,what are you going to do next?Fine us?Cane us?Or capital punishment?You know what I propose then.Jail us in unisex prisons.We'd have babies behind bars.Howzat?The real solution should still be immigration policies even if there seems a general Sinagpore reaction to "stigmatise" these PRs.We don't want them here.They take our jobs.They attract(particularly the ang mohs) our girls awayThey have no loyalty when a war breaks out.My counterpoints will be then...of course they'd take your jobs,you silly bugger.What do you expect?They don't have to work,is it?They attract our girls?You can always got back out there and try to bag yourself an ang moh babe and a Chinese babe,right?They have no loyalty?In the case of a war,who's to say YOU won't be the one who runs?Bah...

Final word:Give the singles a break.