The Janitor, The Immutables, Relationships, Security, Privacy And Bugbears

In the beginning, as part of my "interaction with people" and not to be seen as "anti-social", I tried striking up conversations with The Janitor. After a while and spending a good part of the day conversing, I begin to see a pattern emerge. It was about digging deep into my personals, being evasive about himself, trying to raise the rent and rattling a list of "dos and donts" in the house. He was nit-picky , womanish , a real blimp and wimp. That is when I put my foot down, cut off all communication and watch him rot into his own lonely self, moping about the house.

There are three immutables in life. These are stuff I am dead serious about. Number 1, money. I don't use money as a form of extortion, intimidation or withholding tactic. Money is someone's bread and butter. Pay a person on time and do not delay this. Number 2, love and relationships. I do not trifle with someone's affection or love. When I am settled with someone, I do not seek another. Number 3, work. I put my heart and soul into my work and I do not stint on effort, time or hard work.

I am working at my relationships with fellow gays. It isn't easy trying to meet with people , holding a conversation or maintaining contact. I meet them over a meal, drink or outing. You will be surprised most aren't very into "relationships" either, as can be seen from the relunctance, the pre-occupation with work or school (I know some aren't but pretend to be) and so on. I say despite all the busyness, time must be carved out for friends, not only when you are free and think it expedient.

Not that I totally agree with all that they practise. I may be gay but there are pretty a lot I can't identify with them. Like how aromatherapy, branded goods, toiletries, fashion clothes, beauty, looks and bods all seem to be major thingies in their lives.

Singapore is on the verge of implementing "privacy" laws. This is long overdue. I mean anyone, from your employer to your landlord, has your personal particulars while we don't have theirs. Doesn't seem like a fair deal. If we ask me which of the two I pick to be less secure, printed or broadcast, I choose printed. A print is always lying about and its trail more easily sniffed out in hardcopy. Broadcast, on the other hand, compromises only when data is shared or hacked into.

I am sure we have dreadful encounters with all kinds of unnecessary, inane and absolute inconveniences. Take for example this brokerage which wants me to fax out a portfolio statement they generated in the first place. Or how some community club are still wooding the newspapers between two strip planks, the margin of which eats into the words and incapable of holding a Saturday bumper-thick edition. Even the daily free newsheets or classifieds are not inserted so you read in dribs and drabs. Can they sacrifice the 80 cents or 85 cents worth or is this too much to bear? On the other hand, a regional library actually stocked tonnes of copies of "The Sunday Times" on its little news-stand.

Oh well, I am sitting here in a spanking ritzy LAN outlet on the 9th floor of the Cathay Cineplex and time is running out. I have exactly 5 minutes more before this thing shuts down. More on bugbears in the next blog.