kunwei2005

Because of the 1886 workers' riot, good we have an extra holiday in Singapore, and many other countries. May day is not observed in US, even it originated from Chicago. China goes even further. May day is now a week of holiday, to boost the tourism and related service industries. China used to award excellent workers with May Day Work Medal, which is a very high spiritual honor. We went to IKEA again. Because it is a furniture store for working class, it fits well for this holiday:p. So many people. Long queue to underground parking. Long queue to enjoy the IKEA restaurant. Long queue to play the kids bubble yard.

Singapore is an unique place with mixture of western and eastern culture. With 70% Chinese, it is still an oriental country. In the central city area, the feeling is modern and westernized. Occasionally, there are some very historical building reminding people the colonial history and the first generation of immigrants from China. Even it is located in tropic, there are still some subtle weather changes. Sometimes it rains and t-storms very often. Sometimes it is windy and cool. Most of the time it is hot and humid. Now it is the most hot and humid time in a year. I still remember the feeling when we came out Changi Airport one year ago.

MIT学校主页4月24日的画面(见图).内容是关于MIT一门视觉化文化的课程, 其中一个主题是"Throwing off Asia", 关于日本西方化过程中对亚洲的否定和侵略. 其中关于中日甲午战争的图画, 纯粹是日本军国主义的宣传画, 图里的中国军队被极度丑化, 更有一幅日本军队斩首清军俘虏的嗜血成性的杀人图画. 除了画面, 网站对画面的解释也是极尽颠倒黑白之能事. 同样的野蛮行为, 在二战期间更是登峰造极, 竟然以砍中国人头比赛. 在中国学生的抗议下, 现在这个视觉化文化的网页已经关了.

看了一遍人民出版社出的 . 书一开始的那个编者按, 真的好搞笑. 洋洋洒洒的几十页, 对封建糟粕, 农民起义之类的按照无产阶级历史观胡扯了一通. 里的人物实在是太多了. 有名有姓的几百号. 大家的出处大都很清楚, 特别是魏国的干部, 一般都是革命干部的后代, 代代相传下来. 比较奇怪的是蜀国的几位上将, 出处很含糊. 尤其是关公, 怎么就练了一套无敌刀法. 有的倒霉蛋, 一杯咖啡的工夫, 就被砍了脑袋. 别的出处不详的大多是有一身蛮力, 倒也解释的过去, 包括张飞, 许诸, 典韦. 过去打仗也没什么技巧, 就是讲究个势. 一般如果有奇兵从两翼杀出, 敌人自然会打乱阵脚, 互相踩踏的. 正面打仗, 一般是上将先上来互砍. 如果将军被砍, 小兵们大都会四散撤退, 趁机掩杀一阵, 也就大获全胜了. 比较精彩的还算赤壁大站, 吴宇森正在拍这部电影, 期待中. 还有诸葛亮七擒孟获的故事, 实在是没什么意思, 大概和历史背景有关系. 元朝的时候, 老百姓对痛扁蛮夷的故事应该比较感冒. 里头对中华文化里的奇门遁甲, 五行八卦的描述也是很引人入胜的. 当然, 编者按里肯定对次是鄙视否定了一下. 华佗的医术, 也够大长今学一壶的.

Received a letter dated Apr 20 from ICA, asking me to provide my wife, parents and siblings' detailed CV. This is new. It is not mentioned in the ICA SPR application checklist. I have to go back the ICA building, wait in the queue, and submit those CV papers. Luckily, I am in the express line this time.

During the lunch break, I planned some own chores. I bought a massage chair. The CD player inside is music-skippy. I called and was told to go their service center and get replacement. I drove there by reading the map. The streets in Singapore is very hard to follow - all the roads are winding. Because of the historical reason, the street names are in Malay, very long and hard to follow. Even worse, the name can be used on different roads around the same area. Anyway, I found it. It is located in an industrial park. Singapore used to have lots of industrial parks, now move to Science Park. Most industrial park buildings are in the 70's or 80's conditions. In another words, they sucks. When I was looking for the building, I was lucky looking around - My car was moving backward on its own! Should it be? I found a lift and it was under maintenances. Cheer up, climb 7 floor in such a humid noon!

Giraffe, lion, hippo, New York City Zoo, which movie reminds you? Madagascar, right? Strange enough Disney made such a similar movie after Madagascar. Besides friendship, Lion King (I, I1/2, II, ...) father and son is again the topic. Is it a Disney side product or Madagascar tame clone? Anyway, it shows after Ice Age II in Singapore. No brilliant idea, no good box office.