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What is your Plan De Vida Today?

 Singapore is so urbanised and densely populated, much more than the popularly identified current Blue Zones of age longevity - Ikaria on Greece; Loma Linda in California; Nicoya in Costa Rica; Ogliastra in Italian Sardinia and Okinawa, south of the main Japanese islands. Yet Singapore has attained number 5 in the world rankings for age longevity. I reckon each of the so called Blue Zones has unique characteristics that contribute to humans living longer than most.  Strong family relationships give inner joy. However, we cannot choose our relatives and how they behave - good or not so good - is not our personal responsibility.  Overseas migration has destroyed the safety of having family nearby. So the saying is true that having a good neighbour or friend is more important when family is living so far away.  Most of the Blue Zones see its people having their share of restorative hours of night time sleep and afternoon naps.  In Singapore, most residents do not drive private vehicles as

AI

  We may no longer require human beings or robots to read the news in broadcasts or telecasts.  Who still allocates a time slot, predetermined by others, to listen or watch what we can read ourselves, at our own leisure on other more accessible mediums? Instead of focusing on sharing common joy and values, our instant gratification electronic wifi controlled social media can simmer and dwell in arguments, self centred opinions and assertive pushing of agendas. The contemporary world is bristling with content in the virtual communication universe.   There is freedom to embrace, reject or ignore the views and impressions presented.   Yet, mutual understanding, compromise, tolerance and cooperation can be so much less between different cultures, societies and religions. The human being can overtax its capability and capacity in use of ears and eyes.  Transactions can be executed without leaving a seated position.  There can be blurred lines between mental, visual and physical reality.

Street Food Revisited

 Street food, with whatever label you call it, is the core of cultural dynamics you encounter in any society.  They are what is daily eaten and drunk by the populace, mostly without any pretension or hype, tending to true sentiments of a lifestyle not tainted by high margins, expensive rents and temporary fads.  Inflation has spiked - and street food preparation, labour supply, venue rentals and pricing have all been shaken to the core.  Even the record, of rather stabilised prices of hawker food in the sanitised food courts of the Republic of Singapore, has been affected.  Access to ethnically diverse food in major cities of Australia and New Zealand have put us pause in our tracks with smaller sized servings and price hikes averaging 25 per cent.  Culinary history follows the path of socio-economic evolution in the community.  Increased mobility, facilitated by better technology and higher standards of living, encourages experimentation, cross cultural influences and changing demands

Energy Market Dynamics - Australia

  What is still happening to the energy supply market across Australia? 1.  Huge  multinational energy corporates pay less in wholesale prices for gas and electricity resources from Australia, than retail consumers do within the nation - partly due locked in long term contracts allowed. 2.   Aging coal plants that are due to close soon are symbolic of socio- political issues in regions that have prospered in the past but now struggle economically to face a changing future. 3.    Renewable energy sources are not enough at this stage to replace coal  and traditional ones in sustaining supply to an inceeased population. 4.  The energy market in Australia has been totally outsourced by the Canberra Federal government to so called free market players in the form of only a handful of wholesalers like Aus Grid and Endeavour Energy - allocation has been made for monopoly by geographical areas. Only the Western Australian state government has been wise and practical enough to ensure their

The Coming Summer of Discontent

 The Mr Scrooge Predictions for the coming Antipodes summer 2022/2023.  1.   A new wave of Covid strains is likely to cause spike in infections across greater Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane soon. Case numbers will continue to be under reported, more people can experience long Covid and we are approaching the third annual anniversary of the arrival of the now increasingly unmentionable matter.  2.   Many eating places of varying set ups across Australia will be closed for a few weeks after Christmas. Shortage of vegetables and other fresh produce are likely to hit supermarkets and eating outlets across NSW and Victoria, as Christmas 2023 approaches, due to recent widespread flooding over many farms.  3.  The months long continuing dispute between Nsw State Government and train workers for Greater Sydney have risks of getting worse.  4.    Prices of daily consumption items will be going up further, like for petrol, groceries, human services, insurance premiums, utility usage and supply c

The Promise

  Human pyschology in approaching purchases - a deal, a package, a commitment, an arrangement or a perceived need - can be fascinating, bewildering or just being held captive. Try assessing whether you would enter into the following product arrangement. 1.    You pay upfront in money for a promise of services that you may never use. 2.     The annual charges increase every financial or calender year - and you will definitely be charged more if you had breached some detailed promise on your part. 3.     You are asked to disclose personal details of yourself, your lifestyle and your movements before the product is sold to you. There is no guarantee your privacy is protected in practice in the data base of such providers. 4.    Legislation makes it compulsory for you, your entity or business to have  or require the product. 5.  The people, software robot or website interface you deal with, after buying the product, have a different personality or customer interactive approach after

Compare The Pair

  The longest reigning royalty. The shortest ruling Prime Minister in a nation's history. Both were not given their roles in democratic elections. One talks too much, the other was so consistently discerning, in reflection. Both are called Liz. One has enjoyed the glory of Empire. The other aspires for power, Sire. One has long overcome episodes of family rife and public dissent. The other cannot handle six weeks of political turmoil and resentment. One met the last Queen, the other shook the hands of an inexperienced wannabe. One is a familiar authority recognised through generations. The other now seems more like a figment of a horrible reality, not imagination. Empires come and go, what makes good leadership more treasured than gold? The Autumn of Britain, 2022. #yongkevthoughts

Growing up in Penang

 The nostril arousing cooking aromas wafted through the house. It was a hands on encounter of delightfully trying to second guess the source of the ingredient utilised.  At times, it was irresistible to just go downstairs to see what Mummy was dishing up over the stove.  The equatorial afternoons can be oppressive outside. So on a public holiday or weekend, we would most likely be preserved behind closed doors with the air conditioning fully switched on. I would go through  a spectrum of reading material, which would reveal the wonder and complexity of the world outside.   Cocooned as I was, I could hear the cries of passing vendors, visitors to the house at the gate and at times, the rumblings of a budding thunderstorm.   Best of all was listening to the radio, with voice inflections, pronounciations and enchanting beats of music.  Friends from school would drop by on their bikes.  We would chat outdoors during the coolish evenings and rattle about several things, building up our indi

Mr. Lincoln Rose

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Why, How and What Not

 Why is is that Yum Cha is never served like on a sushi train, with diners sitting around a carousel and picking up the moving  tapa sized plates? Why are not more different culinary dishes served in small snack sizes late at night to accompany laughter, the party mood and small shots of alcohol after midnight? Why are not more non Japanese restaurants using the useful Bento boxes to showcase samples of their food? Why are serves of food still sticking to rather large bowls or plates - and diners wanting small serves are not catered for? Why does the asking price for simple street food dramatically rise in price with the addition of a piece of seafood? Why do we appreciate knowing the source and origin of ingredients used in our restaurant serves? Do we welcome complimentary serves of appetisers like Korean Banchan - or hot piping soups and free fruit platters at the start and end of Cantonese banquets? Must hot curries be accompanied by cooling yoghurts or pickled vegetable slices? Mu