2 incidents happened on a train ride today. one is this commuter who screamed, yelled into her handphone and talked as if the whole entire cabin is empty. Telling everyone in the cabin she lost her trust in singapore medical field, i would forgive her that she couldn't find a cure for some disease or illness. but she's just someone who don't have a single public courtesy. At the same time, spitting the word "F**k" for about 28 times before she alights. you can see i am pretty turned off about this girl. i bothered to count how many times she uses the word. and the more fustrating part is she is standing not very far away from me. the conversation is possible to put into acapella notes. till a point i stood up and told my friend. " Now let us take a look at how this bitch looks like." those who were around me probably were shocked by my words as they moved aside when i stood up. but then again. why i didn't tell her off?

hmmm....

Another incident was this school girl fainted in front of this oh-i-so-glam-so-you-don't-talk-to-me look lady. this lady immediately changed and really cares for this probably exhausted girl. she helped to to carry this girl to a given-up seat. massage her forehead, despite messing up her expensive chanel top and DKNY pants. after all, there's still a soft heart in singaporeans. Now who says that singaporeans is a bunch of cold-blooded animals??


Not sure if this happens around your surroundings. but these has been happening to many of my friends which i think i need to address this strange phenomenom. the breaking-up season is in the house!!! it's always a phenomenom. you don't get one couple break up. you got a few or more if you knew many friends. one even conveniently blamed the national day red colour. *huh?*

my friend, if you really need to talk to someone on this. let me know. i will be your most loyal audience. i promised. call me.

oh oh.. my handphone is now on coporate plan.

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another session of Mr Brown : How to shape our young minds

Here's a bright idea: Tablet PCs. It costs just $3,000 and gives me one more reason to work overtime .



ONCE again, National Day rolls around and we, the citizens of Singapore, patriotically gather our families together, sing a few national songs and prepare to go on a holiday for the long weekend. I am proud to say that I have not travelled overseas during any National Day weekend so far. I cannot afford it. I dutifully stay home to watch the parade and ice-skating shows on TV and enjoy the fireworks from my window (jealous, right?).

It's a good time to do the family stuff that scores you major brownie points with the wife, like taking the kids for a picnic in the park, cycling on the beach and teaching them post-modern poetry.

I suspect the kids would rather be home chillin' with the Old Man than running around in the hot sun. We chill a lot, especially when Mommy's not looking. My three-year-old Faith and 10-month-old Isaac are both quite cool with sitting in the sofa with Dad and watching some silly TV programme. But the minute Mommy steps out of the shower, we need to engage in some kind of meaningful father-kid activity. I whip out the colourful books and flash cards and we switch from "TV-veg-out" mode to "Better-Parents-Than-You" magazine mode.

Look busy, Mommy's coming.

Then when she steps into the kitchen, we go back to our chillout mode, sinking into the comfy sofa. Creative play is tiring stuff for father and child. Of course, there are other times when we do the mind-developing EQ-nurturing stuff even when Mommy's not around. But you don't score points for those moments, because she did not witness it. Take my advice and try to reserve those moments for when the missus has line of sight. Make every point count.

I saw on TV news the other day how some parents looked when they were balloting for places in the primary school of their desires. It was sad, man. One father looked like he had struck lottery when his kid's name was called and another mother was on the verge of tears when interviewed about not getting a place for her daughter.

Is it THAT bad? Maybe I am some evil father who does not care for his kids' future but it is a school, people. The child is not going to be emotionally scarred if he does not get into the school that some famous MP went to. Some parents will move the family into an expensive estate to ensure that they stand a better chance of getting into Some Prestigious Primary School (SPPS), but they cannot spend time with the child because they need to work doubly hard to afford the mortgage.

Here's another reason to work overtime. A school plans to make their students switch from textbooks to Tablet PCs. Wow, great idea. Put handheld computers costing $3,000 apiece in the hands of children. Of course, we are told that the Tablet PCs are going to be a great replacement for heavy textbooks and the teacher can draw on his own PC and the kids will be able to see it at once on their own PC. (The teacher's previous computer knowledge was operating a calculator.)

Now, instead of having to squint while reading the blackboard, kids can get the same strain on the eye by reading pages and pages of text on computer screens — like we grown-ups do.

How do the two learning tools stack up?

Textbook: Does not cost a bomb, or run out of batteries, or break when dropped, or get viruses, or need upgrading. Tablet PC: Costs a bomb, runs out of batteries, breaks when dropped, is a virus magnet and in constant need of hardware and software upgrades.

Hmmm, the Tablet PC does look better ... as long as the battery does not die before an exam, or the hard disk does not crash before a test, or the teacher is not some technological retard who cannot compute his or her way out of a paper bag. Other than that, it looks like a great idea. I better start saving up for my kids' $3,000 Tablet PC fund now.

mr brown is the accidental author of a popular website that has been documenting the dysfunctional side of Singapore life since 1997. His children enjoy tearing and eating books, and pounding on his laptop keyboard. They must be Gifted