A Beauteous Sunday Morning

A Beauteous Sunday Morning
You won't believe how much this park is a hive of activity over the weekend. Even if each "activist" had staked its place sprawled over the ignormous multi-purpose turfed ground, there would still be space left over for the NDP. In fact I had wished part of it to be landscaped for more jogging paths, dotted with benches, trees, flowering shrubs and lots of water.

Soccerites were dribbling soccer balls past their opponents, softballers were swinging their bats or pitching softballs and frisbee hurlers were leaping to catch their frisbees.

Over at the "dog run" activity corner, doggy-owners , collaring and leashing their quadrupedalled canines, were walking them for a stretch and more. There weren't any shortages of dog types here, even though many couldn't be recognized at once because they had been shaven of their usually thick, overflowing hair.

Like the Chow-Chow or the Maltese or the Schnauzer or the Golden Retriever. The retrievers were in cream or gold and one must have pheromonic sex on its mind who upon sniffing out the behind of one of its compatriots, reared up and wanted to butt into him/her (whateva). YOU HORNY BASTARD! And you are a dog, dammit! This amorous advance only elicited a sharp, solitary bark from the offendee.

Reading the signboard posted on its gate provided fodder for a good laugh. As usual, in line with our need for rules and regulation, you need to produce proof that your dog has been obedience trained and personality tested for good temperament before a licence can be issued for you to allow your dog into the compound. A personality test can be had for 10 bucks on the spot.

A Belgian Shepherd , which isn't permitted on the premises without being muzzled, is frantically paced outside the fences by its master.

As the park is carved up into two by a bitumenous road, I had to ferry myself across to the other half. It was more secluded and greener on this side : ponds, luscious palm trees and an amphitheatre were some of its distinguishing features.

I sat on a bench and read the papers at the park connector. But when it got too hot (no pavillions here) I retreated to the gazebo.

We Have Reduced It To This
It was an unmistakable word engraved on a wooden signpost at the gardens. The word was "shoplet". We have wavelets, booklets and eyelets. In case you don't know, these are smaller and thinner servings of the originals.

Now get ready for eaglets, shoplets and foodlet.

I think I shall have to distinguish between what is a town park and a park because in some estates, the two are poles apart (have I gone into alliteration here?). Take Pasir Ris Park and Pasir Ris Town Park for example. One is a sprawling aboretum while the other is a miniature garden.

A Frustrating Time
Surfing and trying to do my work at LAN shops or internet kiosks at public libraries or cyber cafes have proved to be a BIG HEADACHE. Each establishment presents a different set of very trying circumstances.

There is nary one which offers a full comprehensive range of computer-related services like Microsofting, Internet Relay Chats, accessibility to the CPU for floppy-disk work if you have files stored on them which you need for printing out and emailing resumes as hardcopies or email attachment (depending on employers who may want a posted or emailed application), Adobe friendly online document reading, Instant messaging services, posting comments on blogs' chatterboxes and so on.

If you are just gaming, it is a wonderful world without the slightest hitch.

The following are just the tip of the mountain of problems I face. I can't log in or when I log in, internet explorer can't open. Repeated refilling of online applications have not resulted in data being updated. Some parts of the webpages disappear at some stations while they miraculously appear again on other terminals. Certain establishments offer only gaming, not printing or floppy diskette services. Others have chat channels being unable to connect.

Not all have Adobe Reader installed on their PCs and I can't download the freeware on some computers as the settings have been secured for only the administrator's eyes. If I can't read my bill online, I can't pay on time for my mobile phone services.

The hardware and software must be so buggy, bugs are eating up the entire network.

Niccolo Machiavelli
This past Italian statesman and writer is well-known for "Machiavellianism", an art of statecraft associated with deviousness, cunning, deceit and amorality for absolute political power , control and opportunism.

He may have lived his life in the 15th century but many of his doctrines seem to be very much alive in the political century of our times.

I Miss Singapore Idol
There isn't a goggle-box out here in the hallway, though every tenant has one in their rooms. I am beginning to miss "Singapore Idol", the news and all my fav programs like Oprah and the PrimeTime morning talkshow. I will have to do other stuff instead like read or something.

Wrong Seminar And Sudoku
Someone called me some time ago to register me for an investment seminar. Nearer the date, I was reminded again of my compulsory attendance. On the BIG DAY itself, I had other things on my personal agenda and had actually wanted to give this the miss. Despite everything, I went.

When I arrived, I was not only 15 minutes late but the seminar was half-way done and the audience was a roomful of silver-haired senior citizens. After all it was a seminar for 65ers for their reinvestment purposes.

The door gift of a Sudoku puzzle booklet proved handy. I read the tips for solving the puzzles and realised that the game was simply trying not to repeat any numbers twice in a row or in a column. I tried out one puzzle in the "VERY EASY" category and it took me a good 15-20 minutes just to get the hang of it.

When I tallied my solution with the answers given at the end of the booklet, it was a perfect match.

I think this will satve off dementia while I waste away like this, waiting out for a teaching job. In the meantime to keep sane, I am blogging, exercising , reading and living. I have just borrowed Professor Stephen Jay Gould's book and this is gonna be a helluva good read.