my ajumma notes

TODAY has an interesting practice of publishing 'articles' by freelancers, people from different age groups, walks of life, etc. The one I'm going to talk about today is one such article, entitled 'Don't just slap down teen sex.' It is, as you might be able to tell from the title, related to that video saga. And the reason why I'm looking at this particular article is because it contains some, well, rather surprising ideas. Here are some (in red) : 1. If you take a sex video of yourself, you run the risk of having it being seen by more people than it was intended for, but that sort of risk should not be criticised by anyone. Her only fault was that she was careless. Hmmm... her only fault was being careless? The way I see it, if you take a video or even photograph and store in on your phone, computer, iPod, or whatever, you should jolly well be aware that it could fall into someone else's hands. Therefore, if you are willing to take that risk, and it ...

To carry on with the theme of handbags and romantic comedies, here is something from Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest : ZZZZZZZZZZ Gwendolen. This suspense is terrible. I hope it will last. [Enter Jack with a handbag of black leather in his hand.] Jack. [Rushing over to Miss Prism.] Is this the handbag , Miss Prism? Examine it carefully before you speak. The happiness of more than one life depends on your answer. Miss Prism. [Calmly.] It seems to be mine... ... Jack. [In a pathetic voice.] Miss Prism, more is restored to you than this handbag . I was the baby you placed in it. Miss Prism. [Amazed.] You? Jack. [Embracing her.] Yes... mother! Miss Prism. [Recoiling in indignant astonishment.] Mr. Worthing! I am unmarried Jack. Unmarried! I do not deny that is a serious blow. But after all, who has the right to cast a stone against one who has suffered? Cannot repentance wipe out an act of folly? Why should there be one law for men, and another for women? Mother, I forg...

Today, the resident shopaholic with no salary hit the shops, scouring Far East Plaza for a handbag to go with the dress for tomorrow's wedding. The husband helpfully asked, 'Why can't you just use one of those you have?' Which is a question he has asked several times before. Men just don't get it about handbags, do they? Anyway, after trawling through more shops than I have in a very long time, I didn't get it. Couldn't find what I wanted. Which should not be a suprise, I suppose, Far East Plaza being a hang-out for people half my age and younger. Oh well, it's true that I don't actually need the bag. It's not that I'm the bride's mother or anything. Ended up buying a t-shirt and hair clip (men don't understand hair clips either), which I'm sure I don't need , from this shop opened by a Korean lady. After chatting a bit about Korean winters, My Lovely Sam-Soon and Hyun Bin (leading man in the show), she kindly gave me a dis...

I was watching CNA on Sunday night and the newscaster said something like, 'Coming up next... DPM drops hints about when the elections will be held' (definitely not his exact words). And it turned out that all the DPM said was that it was very likely to be in the 'next three quarters'. Aiyah, no need to ask the DPM, lah. Ask any Ah Pek or auntie, or school boy or girl (one who is old enough), or me, former XXX-turned-housewife-cum-sometime-couch-potato and we would also say, 'sometime later this year'. Except the DPM would speak with greater certainty. And what's with this hang-up about when it will be held? Then there are these regular reports telling us that this minister or that said no, these (announcements about upgrading, better services, improvements or whatever) are not election goodies, just part of what we are doing for residents/citizens. Come on, what do you expect the ministers to say when you ask them, 'Sir, is your announcement an electio...

As I told Bear Hugs, I caved in and bought the DVD set of My Lovely Sam-Soon , succumbing to my great need to know what happened in the end . Needless to say, I have stayed up nights to finish the show (only 16 episodes anyway). I forgot to mention in my earlier post that this is a romantic comedy . One reason why I like good romantic comedies is how they put across views about life, relationships etc more subtly than those heavy-going, serious dramas do. Life, according to My Lovely Sam-Soon , is this: Life is to be lived -- to be enjoyed, tasted, experienced, in all its bitterness, sweetness, uncertainty, happiness. Some of my favourite scenes where this come across: 1. Sam-Soon occasionally has fantasies in which she imagines all kinds of funny things happening. She also has a few 'conversations' with her late father. In one, towards the end of the show when her relationship with Jin-Heon is finally back on track, she tells her father that she feels very happy and fortunate....

Ah, well, actually, I'm one of those who think that Valentine's Day is over-rated and too commercialised. These days, not only are you exhorted to 'celebrate' it by doing expensive things like booking a holiday overseas with your loved one, but also to get gifts/cards/flowers, etc for your friends/children/teachers/even grandparents! Just as an example, the boy's teacher was on medical leave yesterday and the stand-in encouraged them to draw Valentine's Day cards for their parents! I do think it's harmless to exchange cards, gifts and such, in the way it's done with great alacrity among, especially, young people. Better to express appreciation and affection for one day in the year than none at all, I suppose. In fact, I have to confess that I myself participated in this kind of thing during my JC days. Some of us even made gifts for our (married; Brit) Home Tutor (what the 'Civics Tutor' is called in my school). He must have thought we were mad. ...

Sara was first to spring off the bus, surprising even herself. She and Auntie Sophie hugged each other tightly with tears in their eyes. Then it was Sam’s turn and he practically collapsed on her in a heap of tears. And Sara saw in her mind’s eye Auntie Sophie holding Sam each night. He never cried but he couldn’t sleep, and goodness knows how long the dear woman had to hold him each night till he fell asleep. Sara understood. Sam had never grieved for the mother they had both loved and lost, and now he was finally starting to, for both her and the other woman he had loved and lost. The wedding lasted some three days and nights. Sara had never had so much fun in her life, and she could see that Sam was in much better spirits too, what with all the dancing and singing. And they were warmly embraced into the merry-making, laughter and love of the huge extended family. Auntie Sophie was both laughing and crying at the same time, ‘ You know, I lost all hope for her. I thought, my poor gir...

Rejuvenated by her long afternoon nap and a night of 3 straight DVD episodes of Desperate Housewives , Sara decided to go in early to work on the flowers. ‘Hey, Sara!’ Lily, her colleague who had the misfortune of sitting right next to the door, was there even earlier. ‘You were off yesterday afternoon?’ ‘Yeah, I wasn’t feeling well.’ ‘ This guy came three times to look for you.’ Sam? He must have finally read her SMSes. ‘Emmm… dunno who he is but I think he’s working around here because he was wearing the pass.’ Mr No Ring. She realised then that they hadn’t actually introduced themselves to each other. Did he want her to ‘find him’ yesterday? ‘He’s so cute,’ she gushed, ‘He was, like, looking all over the office and he asked me where is the lady who carries the Bottega Veneta. I told him you went home. And, you know what, he asked me for your name! Eh, who is he, ah?’ There was nothing much Sara could tell, much to Lily’s disappointment. Indeed, she knew next to nothing about him e...

Well, friends, a Valentine's Day surprise for you. I've written a story and I will post it in 3 parts, the last on the day itself. This isn't a 'love story' because a) don't know how to write one, b) haven't figured out how to develop one in a short story. It's more a story about meeting and opportunities, since they always say that the falling birth rate is partly due to Singaporean women not meeting men and getting married. This story is purely the creation of my imagination so any coincidental resemblance to any real person or situation is just that - purely coincidental. Hope you enjoy it. Sara stared at the street scene, which had nothing particularly interesting, but she was in the mood for nothing more than just staring at, well, nothing in particular. She kept playing the conversation she had had with her sister-in-law that morning over and over in her mind. ‘Sara,’ Diana was shaking her head, ‘I couldn’t take him anymore. I don’t know what ha...

A parent writes in the Forum of today's ST: 'Recently, I spoke to a primary school principal about the heavy workload of students. One of the arguments she offered was that students in Singapore have no source of stress other than school work. So, schools load them with work to increase their stress and help them become more resilient people.' Now, that is quite a revelation, isn't it? Well, sorry, Principal, but I don't agree with that reasoning. First, I doubt it is true that 'students in Singapore have no source of stress other than school work.' Increased school stress will just hit those students with many other non-school problems doubly, triply, etc, hard. Second, what are schools and education all about? If I may just quote the PM: 'The Ministry of Education aims to help all our students to discover their own talents, realise their full potential, and develop a passion for learning that lasts through life ... Education is about opening doors for ...

My current favourite drama serial - My Lovely Sam-Soon - which, alas, comes on only once a week. Sam-Soon is a Bridget Jones-ish character - overweight, 'plain' (she's supposed to be plain but I think she looks ok and, in fact, some camera angles are rather flattering for her), and looking for a man who will marry her. She works as a pastry chef. I'm not really into K drama but I really like this one. I stopped watching the one I mentioned before, Love Story in Harvard , after a few episodes. The male leads spoke astoundingly horrible English, and they were supposed to be the top students in their Harvard law class (!!) and the story was becoming unrealistic. I like this Sam-Soon show because it is a refreshing departure from the other Korean but Taiwan-style melodramas about star-crossed lovers (though younger and wearing nicer clothes in the Korean ones) and people with various illnesses. Sam-Soon is not a slim long-haired 'pretty' girl, and her man, good-lo...

[pic taken from www.csmonitor.com ] "If Aiko becomes the reigning empress, and gets involved with a blue-eyed foreigner while studying abroad and marries him, their child may be the emperor," says former Trade Minister Takeo Hiranuma Mr Hiranuma was speaking at an anti-women-on-the-throne rally . I've commented before on the issue and I guess it's really up to the Japanese to decide on what's to be done in their own country. However, I cannot help but ask, what if whichever male who ascends to the throne gets involved with a blue-eyed or any other colour-eyed foreigner while studying abroad and marries her, and their child is in line to be the emperor ?