Year Summary for 2015

Singapore is not a great place for book bargains. However, I have had some luck with book sales that travel around and set up in shopping mall atriums. (Atria. Happy now, Firefox spellcheck?) If I were the roadrunner, this would be the perfect trap for the coyote to set up. I would fall right in … Continue reading Atrium Book Sale

Singapore is not a great place for book bargains. However, I have had some luck with book sales that travel around and set up in shopping mall atriums. (Atria. Happy now, Firefox spellcheck?) If I were the roadrunner, this would be the perfect trap for the coyote to set up. I would fall right in … Continue reading Atrium Book Sale

The sign says “QUEUE FOR TAXI”. I wonder whether it means “[This is the] queue for [getting a] taxi” or “[Please ] queue [here] for [a] taxi”. In one case, ‘queue’ is a noun, and in the other case, ‘queue’ is a verb. Actually, I think ‘queue’ is probably a verb. Not that it really … Continue reading Queue for taxi

In English, ‘there’ is an adverb. In Chinese, ‘there’ can be a noun. Or at any rate, can be analyzed as one. 那儿很热吗? Nàr hěn rè ma? There very hot [question particle]? Is it hot there? Same with ‘here’. 是的。 这儿很热。 Shì de. Zhèr hěn rè. Is [particle]. Here very hot. Yes. It’s hot here. … Continue reading ‘There’ is a noun.

In English, ‘surely’ and ‘for sure’ are adverbs and ‘sure’ is an adjective: If you ask, you will surely get a discount. If you ask, you will get a discount for sure. If you ask, you are sure to get a discount. In Singlish, ‘sure’ can be an adverb even without ‘for’, and you would … Continue reading ‘Sure’ is an adverb.

Let this banner teach you to quit while you’re ahead. “No MSG added” is fine, but “in all our food” doesn’t make sense. In fact it almost makes it sounds like there is MSG… in all the food. Original: No MSG added in all our food. Recommended: All our food is made without MSG. No … Continue reading No MSG?

Haq-Insaf’s Eating House is a good place to get Indian food at West Coast. This is the back wall of the inside of the eating space in their shophouse unit. Three things about it struck me. It’s really festive. You can’t visit this place and not feel cheerful. The whole place is always decorated for … Continue reading Genuine if totally opaque multiculturalism

The front of the box says: Children may be awesome and scary to this direct but simple eight-feet reptile animal. After the fuel battery is activated by the salted water, the metal magnesium plate (3PCS) can successively provide the spider with 4-6 hours of power. Do to it is too real-like, the player may stop … Continue reading Salt Water Giant Arachnoid

According to the Chinese zodiac, most of 2015 is the year of the 羊. The word 羊 (‘yáng’) can refer to both sheep and goats, hence the confusion over what to call this zodiac year in English (sheep/goat/ram). Wikipedia kindly informs me that the most accurate translation of ‘yáng’ would be Caprinae, a Latin word … Continue reading Happy year of the Caprinae!

This sign should say ‘Pork Rib Rice’. The fact that it doesn’t proves that it’s not just children learning to read who confuse the letters ‘b’ and ‘d’.

This is an advertisement for a movie called Sunflowers of Inferno, which I know absolutely nothing about but which looks like an anime film about a Van Gogh painting… further proof that the world does not make sense in the slightest.

Singapore is not a great place for book bargains. However, I have had some luck with book sales that travel around and set up in shopping mall atriums. (Atria. Happy now, Firefox spellcheck?) If I were the roadrunner, this would be the perfect trap for the coyote to set up. I would fall right in … Continue reading Atrium Book Sale

This is an advertisement for a movie called Sunflowers of Inferno, which I know absolutely nothing about but which looks like an anime film about a Van Gogh painting… further proof that the world does not make sense in the slightest.

My monthly morning meeting snack: A grande latte from Starbucks and a curry puff from Old Chang Kee.

The sign says “QUEUE FOR TAXI”. I wonder whether it means “[This is the] queue for [getting a] taxi” or “[Please ] queue [here] for [a] taxi”. In one case, ‘queue’ is a noun, and in the other case, ‘queue’ is a verb. Actually, I think ‘queue’ is probably a verb. Not that it really … Continue reading Queue for taxi

This just seems unnecessary. Here’s a Google Streetview image of the same corner from another angle. I guess it’s supposed to keep cars from driving over the corner? And I guess it probably effectively does that. It just looks absolutely ridiculous.

Let this banner teach you to quit while you’re ahead. “No MSG added” is fine, but “in all our food” doesn’t make sense. In fact it almost makes it sounds like there is MSG… in all the food. Original: No MSG added in all our food. Recommended: All our food is made without MSG. No … Continue reading No MSG?

Haq-Insaf’s Eating House is a good place to get Indian food at West Coast. This is the back wall of the inside of the eating space in their shophouse unit. Three things about it struck me. It’s really festive. You can’t visit this place and not feel cheerful. The whole place is always decorated for … Continue reading Genuine if totally opaque multiculturalism

According to the Chinese zodiac, most of 2015 is the year of the 羊. The word 羊 (‘yáng’) can refer to both sheep and goats, hence the confusion over what to call this zodiac year in English (sheep/goat/ram). Wikipedia kindly informs me that the most accurate translation of ‘yáng’ would be Caprinae, a Latin word … Continue reading Happy year of the Caprinae!

Although I’m sure the architect would be horrified to hear it, I always think of this as “that condo near West Coast Highway that looks like french fries.” http://www.reflectionsatkeppelbay.com.sg There are so many new buildings in Singapore that some of them of course have strange designs, but I like The Interlace better. I also like … Continue reading Reflections

This sign should say ‘Pork Rib Rice’. The fact that it doesn’t proves that it’s not just children learning to read who confuse the letters ‘b’ and ‘d’.

I bought this copper-edged plaque at a craft show in Philadelphia when I was living in New Jersey. It’s a quote from Albert Camus that says: I finally learned in the midst of the deepest winter that there was in me an invincible summer. The plaque was made by Barbara Hinchey (who, it seems, in … Continue reading Invincible

I live in this tall building. When I come home, to get in, I wave my access card at the sensor for the gate at the bottom, open the gate, walk to the lift—um, that is, the elevator—and push the ‘up’ button. Typically an elevator door opens right away. It used to be that sometimes … Continue reading Barriers to entry