To chew or not to chew...

Singapore has banned the sale and import of chewing gum since 1992, but a new research may force the government to reconsider its policy...

clipped from www.reuters.com

CHICAGO (Reuters) - In a study likely to make school janitors cringe, U.S. researchers said Wednesday that chewing gum may boost academic performance in teenagers.

Many U.S. schools ban chewing gum because children often dispose of the sticky chaw under chairs or tables.

But a team led by Craig Johnston at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston found that students who chewed gum during math class had higher scores on a standardized math test after 14 weeks and better grades at the end of the term than students in the class who did not chew gum. The study was funded by chewing gum maker Wrigley.

Imagine how the Singaporean parents will react!

Singapore Math is respected world-wide. It is considered "the most powerful approach to primary math instruction in a generation" by a U.S. institution for educators. It is about the curriculum, says the institution.

I'd say, it is the kiasu-ness of the parents and the ridiculous number of tuition centers around. Check how the support was recently created to ensure parents can still afford paying for tuitions in during this crisis period.

In this republic, tuition is among the most important in Maslow's hierarchy!

So if all the 'hard works' are undone by a bunch of gum-chewing American kids, we can have a serious riot here demanding supply of chewing gum...


PS. I don't wanna get into trouble here - so just wanted to make sure everyone is aware that there is no indication that the ban of sale and import of chewing gum will be lifted.

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On sex-ed in Singapore

Having only legalized blow job less than two years ago, Singapore with it's latest buzz around sex education amazes me.

TODAY newspaper has a topic on sex-ed provided by a non-profit organization, AWARE (which itself has been on the news recently).

Some excerpts from the article are:

"Anal sex - can be healthy or neutral if practised with consent and with a condom."

"Pre-marital sex - people might place pre-marital sex as negative, but it is really neutral."

The "AWARE Comprehensive Sexual Education: Basic Instructor Guide", from which the excerpts were taken, was copyrighted in 2007 - the same year as when the oral and anal sex were legalized.

The guide, as TODAYs wrote, has been posted online. If this is the correct guide, the topics include virginity (as a state of mind?), pleasure (sex is a pleasure act), fun (sex is meant to be fun), orgasm, and so on.

A very good move, in my opinion. It's just I don't expect that from a country where even some websites are blocked.

The neighbor Malaysia is definitely way behind, as only last year it was considering sex education in National Service.

So as I posted before: is sex education solution or problem?

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Speed clicking

The world record for speed clicking may be 15.5 clicks per second, but no one beats average Singaporeans in speed clicking the close button in elevators. And the clicking rate gets faster when they see someone walking towards the elevator...

I must be exaggerating and somewhat stereotyping, but the fact is it does happen (plus, the elevator at my work is indeed dumb.)

Seriously, the way these people press the close button reminds me of the Olympic Decathlon game back in early 1980's - somehow. And they do so with innocent look - the same look as when they block your way out of the elevator.

Aargh.

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On armpit sniffing

Just as hair pulling is not enough, there is armpit sniffing... oh wait, it's other people's armpits!!

I wonder how he does that... sneaking or by force? Either way it's so weird, that the guy might as well enjoy being caned...

clipped from www.reuters.com

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - A Singapore man with a penchant for sniffing women's armpits was sentenced to 14 years in jail and 18 strokes of the cane for molesting his victims, a local newspaper reported Friday.

The 36-year-old, who the Straits Times said was mentally unstable, had previous convictions for drug and sex-related offences.

He molested 23 women over the course of 15 months, smelling their armpits and touching them in lifts, staircase landings and their homes, the paper said. He was caught after a housewife reported him to the police.

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Busy

Been busy like bees - mostly over the weekends, with works, guests, and trips. I went to Genting, (yup, again) with guests, spent a weekend observing my team going through a teambuilding activity, interviewed an MBA applicant (and completed the evaluation), and went to Singapore for the Police concert (they rocked!). My parents are visiting at the moment.

Here's Tari's hand during the concert (and some other pictures below):


And other things that occupies and just can't get out of my mind. I hope to settle many things in the next few weeks.

I've missed reading blogs for weeks now, but created a lot of drafts. Yeah, those unfinished, useless drafts that sometimes I didn't even remember what I was trying to say. Not that I have much to say -- Tari can attest to that.

Some photos I took in the concert.

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Good coffee

Since Rizal of Café Salemba wrote today about good coffee (with economics spin), I feel obligated to share my happiness to finally find the good coffee I like - Taster's Choice from Nescafé. This is one of those things I haven't been able to find since we moved to KL.

Last week when I went to Singapore and had the time to do things I usually don't when I have to go there, Tari and I went to Mustafa Shopping Center. We spent some quality time until 2 AM at Mustafa (kids are with their cousins and grandma). I went home with my Taster's Choice. She got her iPod Nano. We were both happy.

Yeah, I'm not that sophisticated.

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