Recycling

There has been talk a lot these days about being GREEN and recycling and not wasting stuff. So these are my experiences recently about being a greenie in Singapore.

Some time back last year, there was this huge campaign to use less plastic bags. When I first came back from England, people thought I was nutters because I would have my own bag to carry my shopping. Actually it was a large bag where I dumped my handbag and my umbrella and my newspapers. Whenever I bought something, I would decline the plastic bag and then dump my shopping into my large carrier and happily went along my way.

Then, to my horror I realised that I didn't have plastic bags for throwing out rubbish! I remember asking a girlfried for her extra plastic bags because I really didn't have any at home. What a laugh she had.

There was a lull in this recycle effort for some time althought there would be some occasional call for the people to reduce, reuse and recycle.

Ah, but the Singaporeans have not met the great Malaysian recyclers!

In the office, I am known for my "kedekut" or stingy recycle ways. When we moved to this new office, I am so proud to say that everything has been recycled where possible with the exception of the partitions, airconditioners and lights - no need to say about the electrical wiring because all these items we didn't have in our old office. Boss did say something about it making the office look like really poor, but I told him that I am the great recycler and I don't really care about that rich image.

So, we recycled everything! The partitions that lost their connector posts would be sandwiched between tables. Tables that could not stand properly would have L posts drilled to the tops and legs for stability. Two printers with two non functioning duplex units had been canibalised into one good working duplex with the other parts given to the repair shop for spares. Files that had P&C information that was no longer needed were shredded and the bits sent for paper recycling. No need to say about the reverse side of the paper right? The file dividers were then put aside for reuse. Of course the files were put aside for future use. The totally rusty spring files with split or torn edges were also sent for recycling.

I use re-filled toners for all the printers in the office from a very reliable compatible toner refill company. BTW, I keep all these cartridges with the boxes and the packaging for him too! All pastic, paper, glass and metal will be sent to the recycle bins where possible.
In the office, we will use item until it is totally dead or cannot be used anymore. If the item can be salvaged or repaired, we will have it repaired to prolong its life for use until there is a point of no repair or return.

According to the building management, our office is one of the greatest recyclers!

.

Dog-ma

I recently because god-mother (or kai-ma) to a cairn terrier puppy - hence the nickname DOG-MA :p

This cutie pie was bought by Danny and came home to live with him on 25 April 2009 and was named LUCKY after many tries at a name that Danny's mother could say. They speak Teochew at home. The names I suggested were Ahti (little brother) or Nokia (small kid) but these were rejected. I figured an easy name would be great, but Danny had other ideas and finally LUCKY because mother would say it.

Lucky came about in a strange way and I am glad. One day - out of the blue - Danny called and said that he was looking for a puppy. For years, Danny hankered after a doggie. He was very happy to see Junior. But the doggie idea was totally out of the question because his brother BT was dead set again a dog. Actually I think BT is afraid of dogs. So I was totally stumped with Danny called and said it was now OK to get a dog at home.

Danny wanted a golden retriever because he likes large dogs - Junior is his idea of an ideal dog. BUT Danny has no idea how much training effort we have put into Junior. However Danny was practical about his choice of dog - it had to be small to fit into the requirements of HDB rules and regulations, hypo-allergenic, shed free and I guess easy to manage. A long list of requirements.

Anyway, we set off for a friend's pet farm and there was this cutie Cairn Terrier and I fell in love with it - actually I lusted over it and wanted it. My dear friend at the pet farm said: No more dogs for you - too many at home! BTW we only have a goldie (Junior) who lives illegally in an HDB flat and a westie (Torrent) who is totally legal and 3 cats.

OK, so since I didn't get this Cairn Terrier - Danny took him home and I became to DOG-MA!

Doggie benefits and love with no responsibility of pee and poo - NOT A BAD DEAL I WOULD SAY!!

.

Manja

What's this about some women who feel that they must dress provocatively and act all hapless and helpless to achieve their wants and desires??

There is this lady I know, no names mentioned, who is mutton dressed as lamb. She is already 40+ but she acts in this coltish, skittish, manja type manner. She is also always dressed in these skin tight, skin baring clothes that make her look cheap and sluttish.

To make things worse, she is short and insists on wearing extremely high heels to totter around precariously.

Her manner of speaking is also weird - she also tries to speak in this so-called provocative giggly manner where she tells you something then breaks out in giggles like it is so funny. She also has this way of dragging her words or draggy manner of articulating her speech, depending on how you look at it. There is only one way to describe it - manja manner.

So this would be a caricature of her in your mind - someone short who wears high heels, skin tight and skin baring clothes, and acts all manja around men. I guess you could say BETTY BOOP!

Someone in our office building mentioned to me that he thought she looked like a prostitute - his words, not mine. By her own admission, she said that there are times when she has been stopped going to her hotel room when she was overseas on business because the management thought her to be an undesireable guest.

Anyway, I guess you could say that she is eye candy for the men but I think she could have a better image of herself.

Enough said!

.

Bimbo stuff on television

There are 2 shows making their rounds on Singapore TV at the moment - The S Factor and Singtel Grid Girls. Last year, I posted a blog on Singtel Grid Girls and stated that the show portrayed women in bad light - as bimbos or sarong party girls whose whole idea in life is to snag themselve some ang=moh guy.

This year, I will state the same the same thing - the sponsors who agreed to fund these shows should have better things to do with their money.

In "The S Factor" the girls on show seem totally brainless from the trailers that have been showing. One girl said something like she has had 7 serious boyfriends, then the screen freezes and shows the expressions of these 2 women interviewing her.

Excuse me - I am not very keen to hear about how many serious boyfriends, or what part of your body you like the best, or your opinion that is so "brainless or senseless"!

I don't think I am particularly bitchy or nasty, but these 2 shows really portray women in bad light.

The girls don't do much to portray themselves in good light - they speak badly with the typical Singaporean accent Singlish, they don't pronounce words properly, they don't think of their answers or they speak with some stupid fake accent that does them no credit.

Sigh! - please take such horrible shows off the air. I am sure the money is better spent on other shows that put women in better light.

I rest my case!