The end of a (mini) golden age

*taps microphone* 

"Testing one, two, three...."

There's nothing like a little adversity in life to put a lot of things into perspective.

Six months, thousands of job applications, loads of rejections, twelve interviews, forty-five blog posts and a significant dent on life savings later (and to the relief of many) - I am finally employed.

Chasing dreams is expensive. Even with all the risks taken, there's no guarantee the perfect dream will find you. But the thing with obsessive dreams is that the mind relentlessly thinks of clever ways to help you get closer to related opportunities which in turn will make you go actively looking to find them. And quite simply stated, only an active effort takes you where you want to go (or even close). Passive effort that involves any type of wishful thinking, negativity or prayers does not help.

It is during times like these when the importance of saving up for a future, managing desires when buying things and not wasting resources become more apparent. It is also during times like these when different people (family, friends and even strangers) reach out to you in ways you never expected, showing bigger sides to them. It is also when you feel immensely grateful for everything you already have.

Admittedly, these six months, despite the struggles and emotions, were a good break from the stress of having a full time job. I finally completed my long overdue memoirs of Nepal (http://shugoestonepal.blogspot.sg/), gave Hip Hop and Zumba a shot, found the perfect places to volunteer and keep my passion for animals and nature alive, improved my cooking skills, read a few good books, watched cable TV to my heart's content, did some soul searching and bug fixing, went around sight-seeing, made new friends while volunteering and looking for jobs and even strengthened a few old friendships.

Counting horseshoe crabs for a population survey done by the Singapore Nature Society. Very interesting creatures, they were, much like fossils. But they didn't like us one bit, coming and intruding on their lives

Culturing bacteria for food was fun too - half a cup of store bought yogurt (left) makes one liter of decent homemade yogurt (right)

Towering super trees at Gardens by the Bay - a brilliant feat of Architecture and Science

A significant portion of our recyclable garbage is now thrown into recycling bins and it has become a good habit

"BOOOOOOOOOO" (from the crowds)

Sheesh. Let me finish off this last sentence.
With my batteries fully charged, I look forward to the next new chapter in life!

"WE DON'T CARE!!!!" (from the crowds)
*Shu gets kicked off the stage*

Michelle Obama's speech at the Democratic National Convention was incredible! The sincerity, the content, the delivery and the choice of words were all a win and merged to create the perfect effect on the audience. Even though it was politically driven, I was so moved by it that I would have certainly voted for her cause if I were an American citizen! I imagine a world with more First Ladies, leaders and even Presidents like that would be a nicer place to live in.

This cheery song that caught my ears has been running in circles around my head this week. She's got a lovely voice. 

That green bed brings a whole new meaning to bed bugs

Welcome to the World of Introverts

Darn. I am supposed to be studying for an assessment tomorrow. While attempting to gulp down facts from a 150-paged manual on reptiles, my brain refused to cooperate. When I told it to cut the act and focus, it was literally blogging away inside my head. Being the bad multi-tasker, I had to step out of my books for a bit to get this over with.

The other day, I was spending some quality time with Ginger when I had a realisation. I can't imagine why it didn't hit me before this! Here it is: cats are introverts. And THAT'S why I find it easy to have fulfilling relationships with them. No disrespect to dogs, though. I had several dog-friends growing up and I've adored all of them as much as they adored me and I have found great traits in them like how they are ever so faithful and not prone to mood swings. But in general, they have too much energy, they are loud, they demand lots of active attention, they are unpredictable, they have little sense of other's personal boundaries and they drain me out really fast - they are extroverts in the animal world. Cats on the other hand - very calm, to the point, they value the concept of privacy, they know when to call it quits with the attention-seeking before it becomes a chore, they listen (or do a good job of pretending to), they give others a turn to react, they have a soothing purr and they don't pull any surprises that I can't handle. Again, no disrespect to dogs or my extroverted friends and bear with me as I try to make a case.

The Internet is a wonderful thing with countless possibilities. I can go on about it, but instead, I'll just point out that it's probably the best thing that was ever invented for introverts. Finally, something much more powerful than printed media and the postal service came out for introverts to express themselves, be heard and network with other introverts. Something which they don't usually tend to do otherwise, see? Thanks to all the developments, introverts have been identified, encouraged, empowered and are slowly gaining a reputation that they are worthy of. Heck, it took me - an introvert - over twenty five years to identify and completely accept that side to me and understand the various ways in which it affects my life and the world at large. Up until then, with all the information I gathered from the world outside, I arrived at the conclusion that there was something utterly wrong with me. So it's quite understandable that in an extrovert-dominated world, introverts are most often misunderstood and under-appreciated, much like any other minority.

I came across a blog with a list of debunked myths about introverts that sums it up very nicely and I quote (only the comments in red are mine):

Myth #1 – Introverts don’t like to talk.
This is not true. Introverts just don’t talk unless they have something to say. They hate small talk. (OMG, YES). Get an introvert talking about something they are interested in, and they won’t shut up for days.

Myth #2 – Introverts are shy.
Shyness has nothing to do with being an Introvert. Introverts are not necessarily afraid of people. What they need is a reason to interact. They don’t interact for the sake of interacting. If you want to talk to an Introvert, just start talking. Don’t worry about being polite. And don't pull out lame start up lines like comments about the weather or asking for the time, when you clearly have a phone to look it up.

Myth #3 – Introverts are rude.
Introverts often don’t see a reason for beating around the bush with social pleasantries. We don't really want to know what you did over the weekend, if we are not close to you or didn't ask you about it. And it's unlikely we'll tell you all the things we did over the weekend, if we are not close to you or sense that you are just asking for the sake of making conversation. They want everyone to just be real and honest. Unfortunately, this is not acceptable in most settings, so Introverts can feel a lot of pressure to fit in, which they find exhausting. But rest assured, they can be kind and sensitive people, if you give them a chance.

Myth #4 – Introverts don’t like people.
On the contrary, Introverts intensely value the few friends they have. They can count their close friends on one hand. If you are lucky enough for an introvert to consider you a friend, you probably have a loyal ally for life. Once you have earned their respect as being a person of substance, you’re in.

Myth #5 – Introverts don’t like to go out in public.
Nonsense. Introverts just don’t like to go out in public FOR AS LONG. They also like to avoid the complications that are involved in public activities. They take in data and experiences very quickly, and as a result, don’t need to be there for long to “get it.” They’re ready to go home, recharge, and process it all. In fact, recharging is absolutely crucial for Introverts. Or we get very moody or worse, contemplate on turning into serial killers. 

Myth #6 – Introverts always want to be alone.
Introverts are perfectly comfortable with their own thoughts. They think a lot. They daydream. They like to have problems to work on, puzzles to solve. They are hardly bored. But they can also get incredibly lonely if they don’t have anyone to share their discoveries with or have a creative outlet. They crave an authentic and sincere connection with ONE PERSON at a time.

Myth #7 – Introverts are weird.
Introverts are often individualists. They don’t follow the crowd. They’d prefer to be valued for their novel ways of living. They think for themselves and because of that, they often challenge the norm. They don’t make most decisions based on what is popular or trendy. And for this reason, they are also very understanding and accommodating of other "weird" people around them.

Myth #8 – Introverts are aloof nerds.
Introverts are people who primarily look inward, paying close attention to their thoughts and emotions. It’s not that they are incapable of paying attention to what is going on around them, it’s just that their inner world is much more stimulating and rewarding to them.

Myth #9 – Introverts don’t know how to relax and have fun.
Introverts typically relax at home or in nature, not in busy public places. Introverts are not thrill seekers and adrenaline junkies. If there is too much talking and noise going on, they shut down. Their brains are too sensitive to the neurotransmitter called Dopamine. Introverts and Extroverts have different dominant neuro-pathways. Just look it up. And PLEASE don't give us lectures on how to go out, unwind and meet new people to have fun or how much we are missing out on life by not having an active social life. You are making no sense at all. Trust me on this one. 

Myth #10 – Introverts can fix themselves and become Extroverts.
Introverts cannot “fix themselves” and deserve respect for their natural temperament and contributions to the human race. Yes, and together we complement each other and make the world a more interesting and productive place.

Introversion and extroversion lie on the opposite ends of the same scale, so not all introverts have the characteristics above in the same intensities. Also, being an introvert or an extrovert is just a default setting that requires the least amount of energy but everyone is capable of stepping out of their comfort zones if the need arises, with a little extra determination and effort. And it is important that they do, sometimes.

Here's a nice help sheet, courtesy of Google Images. I don't agree with 6 and 10 - if only Life came with advanced notices! so try not to spoil them, plus losing that one best friend who probably took ages to bond with would be devastating to an introvert

Now that I've spoken on behalf of all the introverts out there, I feel much better. 

Ah yes, one more thing.

Normally, I don't speak to strangers, not even to those on the internet (not without good reason or proper background checks). Because I imagine they are mostly criminals (Shu, you really need to go easy on watching the crime and investigation channel) or otherwise normal people who will track me down and try to make small talk. But as I did a little research for my post, I stumbled on this noteworthy blog:
http://katemcmillanblogs.wordpress.com.

This blogger has a knack for saying a lot of things with just a few words (which is refreshing, as you must be already tired of reading this long-winded post to get to this line) but more than that, is a cool comic artist! And I have gone as far as "stealing" the initial (interesting) conversation thread and pasting it here, with the excuse that it is somehow very remotely relevant to the theme of this post.

Shuri says:

Hey, you draw some cool stuff and relate things in an amusing way  I’m not a creepy stalker, btw. I just happened to do some research on introverts (my species) today and Google pointed me to one of your posts. Then I thought the fonts, colours and layout of your blog looked rather interesting.

katemcmillanblogs says:

Yay! A friendly (not creepy stalker) visitor! Welcome!  Haha, I’m glad you found the posts worth looking at. That is always nice to hear.
I hope your research was successful. 
Drop in again whenever you like! 

The Hobbit

In preparation for the movie The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey in December this year, I just finished reading The Hobbit! I felt like I read a brand new story all over again (I had forgotten most of it!) and loved it even more than I did two years back.

The Smaug I pictured was more pink and less-evil looking!

The style of narration and the vivid descriptions of Tolkein are EPIC, for lack of a better deserving word in my limited vocabulary. And he didn't forget to add in a good dose of humour here and there for chuckles! For the whole book, I felt like a child very eager to keep on reading to see how the story unfolded. The voice in the book takes his time with the narration too, so that I was able to picture all the mountains, the rivers, Gollum, the dwarves, the elves, Gandalf, the eagles and of course Smaug the dragon in full colour while 'listening'. I suppose watching the Lord of the Rings movies helped with the imagination of scenes and characters. Fantasy elements aside, this heart-warming story shows so much courage in the face of odds, friendship among the main characters and even some darker sides of 'human' nature. I can't wait to see how the movie (or movies, rather) turns out! I am glad they decided to make more than one movie to try and cover all the details in this book, or justice will not be served in one rushed movie. The price to pay is having to wait till 2014 to see the third concluding movie.

December, I look forward to you!

Just one blog post ago, I was harping about practicing equality and tolerance towards differences so when I saw it, I couldn't resist the urge to pick on an article like this one! I suspect bad translation skills also played a part in addition to narrow minded views, bad research and poorly planned content behind this article.

Quote (in black)-

The Education Ministry had endorsed "guidelines" to help parents to identify gay and lesbian "symptoms" in their children so they can take early corrective measurements. 

Translate: The highest government authority that represents intelligence and knowledge has called upon parents with immediate urgency to identify any symptoms in their children relating to this horrifying disease of homosexuality so that together, they may avoid an epidermic of catastrophic proportions and possibly eradicate it like small pox.

The guidelines list four symptoms each of gays and lesbians:

Why stick to four, is it a magic number?

Symptoms of gays:
Have a muscular body and like to show their body by wearing V-neck (the key letter here is "V" shaped, no, not "U" shaped or "W" shaped) and sleeveless clothes; Prefer tight and light-coloured clothes (that is such an over-sized generalisation, but that's okay, light-coloured clothes still make up 50% of all clothes, compared to dark-coloured clothes); Attracted to men (notice how this is symptom number 3); and Like to bring big handbags, similar to those used by women, when hanging out. (if he is carrying a sporty bag when hanging out, then relax, he's definitely not gay) 

Symptoms of lesbians:
Attracted to women; Besides their female companions, they will distance themselves from other women (wow, these lesbians are so anti-social); Like to hang out (who doesn't luurve to hang out?), have meals (Oh, they like food too!) and sleep in the company of women (wait, isn't that duplicating symptom 1?); and Have no affection for men (no affection even for male friends, male teachers, fathers or brothers? So depressing. Tsk Tsk)

"Once the children have these symptoms, immediate attention should be given," the guidelines warn.

Translate: RUN. TO THE NEAREST MENTAL HEALTH INSTITUTION/ POLICE STATION/ EXORCIST. GET THEM CURED AND PLEASE HURRY. IT MIGHT BE CONTAGIOUS.

-Unquote

Give me a freaking break, Education Ministry of Malaysia.

A grey matter

Religion is another unique set of belief systems that people choose to embrace for one reason or another. Some fall into a particular religion merely by circumstance of birth or geographical location, others voluntarily take up a religion because it may appeal to them more than others and some others convert by obligation of marriage or in exchange for support received by other religious affiliations. And then there are those who refuse to be identified as belonging to a particular organised religion. Labels to describe different types of belief systems or lack of any, can be found in abundance, so I am not going to list them out here. But whatever the individual belief may be, most people are willing to bet their lives to defend their belief, while usually putting down or denying other belief systems. Not only that, religious debates can go on (often inconclusively) for a long, long time!

Looking through an objective standpoint, organised religions are many-faceted. They all have more than one of the following general characteristics;

• It has moral guidelines for happiness and harmony
• It can be philosophical and appeals to the intellect
• It gives people a sense of comfort, security and purpose
• It has larger-than-life explanations to explain the un-explainable
• It controls by fear of punishment, the notion of the after-life and by discouraging the questioning of the teachings
• It is sometimes driven by political agendas
• It unites people under one purpose to achieve feats (both good and bad) that one individual simply cannot accomplish alone
• Religious texts often reflect various inequalities that were predominant in societies thousands of years ago during the times when these texts were written. Examples include: believer-non believer, male-female, master-slave, man-animal, heterosexual-homosexual, high caste-low caste, etc

The list is not exhaustive.

Why does a religion appeal so much? Reasons are varied from receiving guidance on how best to live a good life, finding strength or inspiration when it is much needed, finding inner peace, maintaining law and order in a community, securing a good after-life, receiving divine favours or miracles, tapping into higher states of mental consciousness or even finding answers to some of life's burning questions like our origins and purpose. Man's primary intention to seek refuge in religion is mostly for positive reasons rather than negative ones. Based on this need, religions have thrived for centuries and many try to keep up with changing times to maintain the appeal.

Not all religions survive the test of time - depicted here are the Olympian Gods of ancient Greece

Organised religions of today may have evolved from the time our ancestors tried to explain mysterious natural occurrences around them that went beyond their understanding. It is not hard to imagine that people instinctively respected and feared these powerful forces which had the power to destroy and create our existence. Then there were various religious figures who rose to prominence for their realisations, teachings, causes and impact. Crowds gathered around them for the same reasons that people still seek out religions - for answers, for happiness, for comfort, for peace. Over time, various religions were born and spread geographically. They were handed down from generation to generation with the aid of religious texts, devout followers, strict rules and their fusion with cultural elements. Not surprisingly, religions in the past have heavily influenced everything in a society from culture, traditions, attitudes, education, art, music, dance, literature, drama, philosophy, architecture, sport, food, politics, terrorism to wars. Some of these are slowly changing with growing knowledge of Science, globalisation, the Internet, advancement of human rights movements for equality, etc.

A great piece of Western classical music inspired by strong religious faith, no doubt

As much as religious influences have potential for much good in the world, sometimes it can take a bad turn to bring about much misery and imbalance to the world. The world has seen some of the best forms of expressions in the arts, music and expression arising from the profound connection that man has with his spiritual side. Religion can also be a strong driving factor for people to overcome their weaknesses and help others in need. On the opposite end of the spectrum, some teachings have been taught or interpreted in extreme ways and people have found themselves deluded to the point that they choose violence and mental manipulation in spreading their dogmatic views. I think, somewhere in between these two extremes lie a majority of the world's population consisting of people with moderate, little or no religious beliefs.

It's amazing what love, riches and a vision combined can achieve. That aside, the architecture of Taj Mahal showcases religious influence

What prompted me to write this post was seeing a religious post on my Facebook feed. A person from religion X warned others of deceitful ways that followers were converted to other religions by organised groups. Out of curiosity, I dug for more information. Using the details of a case where authorities cracked down on a ring of offenders, he went on to use references from the country's ancient history to state why religion X earned superior status in the country and had to be protected. To me, it reeked of extremist religious views. His opinions gathered passionate support from a group of followers of religion X who felt the same. Of course, people who abuse the law by bribery, disrupt religious harmony or use forceful or deceitful ways to coerce people into conversions in faith have to be dealt with seriously by the authorities. I believe there are laws in multi-religious countries for such offences.

Is there a need to be so insecure over losing followers if they were considered as people who were capable of thinking for themselves and were at liberty to embrace whatever religion or philosophy that made sense to them? If a religious community feels forced to protect its people like sheep out of fear that they'll be taken away or if a religious community feels driven to resort to forceful or deceitful ways to subscribe new followers, then clearly the motives in both cases are more political than moral. Also, acting out in this way reveals that something is not fundamentally right either in a religion's teachings or in the way that it is preached and practiced. This is just one example and this type of insecurity is not uncommon in most religions.

Anyway, this post was not written with malice towards any particular religion, rather it was a neutral standpoint to touch on all the general aspects that I thought revolved around the concept. Growing up in a multi-cultural school that didn't offer any religion as a subject (now I see how that was perhaps a clever idea to foster unity), growing up with friends from various religions, living in households with people practising different faiths and living in countries with varied religious influences have made me indifferent over the years to what others decide to embrace as their religion. It only bothers me when they try to justify and get away with something immoral, unethical, irrational or ignorant using their religion as an excuse.

Regardless of our differences in religious labels, what would be nice to have in the world are people who exercise their intellect and better judgement to respect all living things, make ethical choices that benefit everyone and practice tolerance towards the differences in race, religion, gender, species, sexual orientation, etc, that exist among us today.

Is it too much to ask?

Reptiles Rock!

Several weeks of training as a Docent have come to an end. Next week is the assessment. I'm quite nervous, knowing I can manage the theory, but perhaps not so well for the public speaking element of it.

For all my life, I have deliberately avoided situations and opportunities that involved any type of public speaking. And at age 27, I am feeling the consequences of it. On a positive note, it's comforting to know I have taken steps to work through it and in the spirit of doing something I love, I have conditioned myself to be okay with failing, taking feedback from the trainers and practicing it until I get it right. The other day, I was watching a TED talk and the speaker mentioned that in a survey conducted, "Death" was rated as the No. 4 fear, while "Public Speaking" was the first most feared thing that a majority had picked. That means most people felt that dying was a better alternative to giving a speech!

I can relate, actually. I recall many years back, I had to give a speech in school as one of the newly appointed Head Prefects. Back then, I would have happily turned down the title just so I can avoid giving The Speech before hundreds of people that included my family, teachers and friends, but that was not an option. With lots of help in rehearsing the lines and moral support from my best bud in school, I survived that fateful day. I could not feel my legs for most part of the speech, but that wasn't the worst part! Nearer to the end of my speech, my attention got fixated on a small child sitting at one of the furthest rows and I blanked out on my words. I made a quick comeback (I can't be too sure for how long I was gone) by repeating where I left off and got on with the rest of it, but I have not voluntarily opted to go through such an experience up until now!

Why is this a commonly occurring phobia in the human psychology? Here are some tips to help.

My highlight yesterday was getting to handle the live exhibit at our station (a small Royal Python aka, a Ball Python) while returning it to its enclosure. It was such a magnificent (non-venomous) creature that for a brief moment, I felt the selfish fascination that drives some people to go to great lengths to acquire them as pets and why the illegal pet trade still thrives. It was very pretty, soft and I was so mesmerised by how it glided so effortlessly along my hand! Part of me kept thinking please let me take it home for a day, I promise I will look after it well, but the sensible part of me reminded that the initial desire of owning one wears off and they belong in the wild in their natural habitats and not in our homes (in less-than-ideal conditions) for our entertainment.

Royal Pythons, being small-sized and docile, are sought out pets leading to much efforts by authorities to combat illegal trafficking and trade of these animals

Live animals are a great conversation starter with visitors. It is very easy to capture their attention as they are naturally curious and use it as an opportunity to educate them. They like to hear things they didn't already know about the animals. Here's an example; Why is a Royal Python also called a Ball Python? Answer: No, it's not the skin patterns, it's because they curl into a tight ball when threatened and hide the head safely inside, so that a predator finds it too big to be eaten. Yesterday, I met twin girls of about five years of age, who were highly fascinated by a stuffed crocodile specimen. They asked me, with the most serious attitude on their faces, "Does this crocodile have a brother crocodile and a sister crocodile?". For a moment there, I stumbled to think of a satisfactory answer. Trying not to laugh, I had to tell them, "Yes, he does". The experiences gained during visitor interactions can vary and are anything but predictable.

It's been great looking forward to the training sessions every Sunday. The facts I have been learning about crocodiles, alligators, gharials, snakes, lizards, turtles, tortoises and terrapins each week have been extremely interesting! And to go back each week with new knowledge of these animals and observe them for real is like seeing them through a new layer of understanding and respect. The more I learn, the more intrigued I am by the evolutionary connections they share with other species. Crocs are the closest living cousins to dinosaurs and they have not changed much in structure for over 200 million years (no need to, they are perfect as they are!). To think they are extensively killed for their hides to make handbags, shoes and the like is depressing (why aren't we humans born with naturalistic intelligence by default?). It's even baffling to learn that crocs are more closely related to birds than lizards, and how their four-chambered hearts are structurally similar to those of birds and mammals. Python skeletons have small vestigial limbs (showing that at one time in history, their ancestors walked and eventually found no use for it!). Then, some lizards have no limbs (they lost the use of them over time). Cool stuff.

Crocodilians - the ultimate mean machines of the wild, but not so appreciated for the crucial roles they play in nature as sanitation squads and in keeping prey populations under control

Ahhh, there are SO MANY interesting facts to learn and share about reptiles! I can't wait to start...

After thoughts

I was eventually going to write a post on how profoundly blogging (writing) has changed me over the last two and a half years, but this blogger beat me to it and probably said it better than I would have. What started out as just a way to let out bottled up emotions and a challenge to see how long I can keep a commitment, turned out to be a journey of self discovery, finding meaningful pursuits, broadening my knowledge and perspectives, an ally in facing fears and weaknesses, and best of all, an enjoyable hobby!

When I first started to blog, I was too shy and afraid (of looking stupid) to have others judge my thought processes or know my personal details, so I only shared it with three very close friends who were also bloggers. I even had two self-imposed rules; no retracting posts (since the temptation was high to do so when self-belief was low) and no adding new content to old posts after 24 hours have passed since publishing. As the years rolled on and I conquered most of my fears in voicing out my opinions and grew to have confidence in myself and my writing abilities, I became more comfortable with sharing my blog with other friends, acquaintances and even family. During this time, it also hit me that I am not so special after all, in the sense that I feel the same about my struggles and victories in life just as anyone else might about theirs. Might I add here that the feedback I have received from friends is much appreciated and have been a welcome source of encouragement. Anyway, the point of all this rattling is to personally recommend blogging to anyone who is on the fence about trying it out.

For lack of a better analogy, a blog post to me is like a pile of poop. Yes, it feels good after a dump, but that's not it. Once this pile is out and sitting on a spot in cyberspace, it can be observed from a fresh perspective, rotated to be seen from different angles and even dissected, tested and further analysed (like in a laboratory) later on. I have often noticed that after an opinionated post is published, the mind doesn't stop thinking about the topic, rather continues to analyse it along with the myriad of other things the mind processes in a day. For example, after dissing the couple with 19 children, I came to realise later that it might be their conservative cultural and religious beliefs that make them think and act in that way. In the past, like in my grandparents' time, it was not uncommon for families to have a large brood of children, often more than ten. Even today, it can be commonly seen with many middle eastern families and conservative families elsewhere in the world. While I do not condone ignorant views on contraception or polygamy, not everyone (especially those who are shaped by strong cultural and religious beliefs) may see things in the same way I do.

There have been some interesting developments in my 'Going Green at Home' campaign. Without talking to my flatmates about my intentions, I simply stuck the note below next to an extra garbage bag in the kitchen. I thought that I'll have to introduce them to the idea in baby steps, which is why I thought let's just focus on paper and plastic for starters. But in an unanticipated twist for so short a time, they have become fully supportive of the idea - they not only sorted all their garbage according to recyclable/ non-recyclable items before throwing, I even saw that one of them had thrown aluminium cans in the same bag. And it only took two days for this change of behaviour! Maybe people just need a nudge sometimes to do the things that they know in their heart to be right.

I really didn't anticipate any feedback, let alone full support. I also wonder if they will be as thrilled to have me here when they realise that I am using them as guinea pigs for my social (and cooking) experiments

While throwing out my second batch of sorted garbage for recycling (this time, much less conscious about who was watching me), I saw a family drive in, throw their sorted garbage into the recycling bins and drive off in a car. Now that was somewhat encouraging!

In other news, Wildlife Reserves Singapore has been actively promoting the upcoming River Safari attraction and the arrival of two giant pandas from China, called Kai Kai and Jia Jia. These two will be used as representatives to educate the public about their imminent extinction if nothing is done about their declining numbers. Currently, there are an estimated 1000 pandas left in the wild due to massive loss of habitat. Captive breeding programs at zoos and conservation centres can only do so much as female pandas ovulate only once per year and are fertile for only 2-3 days during each reproductive cycle.

Adorable-looking no doubt, but they can be as ferocious as any other type of bear species

Old habits die hard

Ignorance is indeed bliss. After reaching that level of understanding knowing something is not done right, it is hard to go back to a time when it didn't feel that way. Then it constantly nags at the conscience until counter measures are taken to do what is right. Or at least, that's how most things are with me.

~~~~~~~

Since I've voluntarily taken on the role of an activist for conservation, I feel obliged to practice what I preach or I'll be the equivalent of a hypocrite. I've made a few lifestyle changes to the way I shop now. I carry my own bags when I go grocery shopping so that I don't bring home any new plastic bags or if I can't avoid it, I ask the cashier to use fewer bags (they all seem to have been trained to be very generous with using plastic bags). That's not too hard.

But here's a more challenging aspect of being environmentally friendly. We don't usually sort our garbage, instead throw it all together conveniently down a chute in the kitchen. That's what the majority of the population does. I find it so much easier to do than throwing out our plastic and paper separately and walking a block to throw them into designated recycling bins. As for biodegradable waste like raw or cooked food contents, nothing can be done in Singapore except to throw it down that chute. Elsewhere in the world, people actually bury these in their backyards to produce fertilised soil for growing plants. Come to think of it, most people from my parents' and grandparents' generation followed responsible practices that are environmentally friendly. Young children in schools nowadays are drilled with interactive lessons to make them more environmentally conscious. So it's probably us - the generation that got away - that needs a little shift of attitude.

What really happens to our garbage after it's collected by the waste disposal companies? Surely they are not going to untie our garbage bags and have people or machines sort them out? There might be some gross separation of contents involved, but it can't be a 100% effective. Separation of paper, plastic, metal and glass from stale food contents, vegetable and fruit skins, poopy diapers, litter of domestic pets and sanitary napkins can't be that effective at this stage of disposal. They probably incinerate it or bury it in landfills. It is not hard to put together "mass consumerism", "increasing human population", "tonnes of garbage of all sorts", "declining landfill space", "incineration causes pollution" and "irreversible environmental impact" to understand that things are not rosy at the moment.

A better perspective - we don't see this stage of garbage disposal when everyone's junk is collected and put together (that woman appears to be there for the dramatic effect)

It's only a matter of time before every litter bin lying around in public will be replaced with modified recycling bins for separate types of garbage. There'll come a time when it is compulsory for every household to have these types of modified bins. Then it won't be surprising to see that in a place like Singapore, there will be signboards saying "Not responsibly throwing out garbage into respective recycling bins carries a maximum fine of $500" to change the behaviour of the general population. But why wait until then?

This morning, after weeks of contemplation, I finally kicked myself to walk that block and throw out my first batch of sorted paper and plastic (plastic and polythene go in the same bin so that makes things easier). It was awkward, a few people were staring while I was doing my deed (excuse the sociophobe), but I managed to do it and flee back to the apartment. Hurrah! I know I can't change the world or make a significant impact on my own, but it's a start.

At the bins, I noticed some moron had thrown plastic bottles in the bin designated for paper, but that's okay, we have to forgive him/her for trying

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This is still a radical thought in this day and age. When a friend of mine introduced me to the idea that enjoying pirated media is wrong and it was no different from physically stealing something, it got me re-thinking about my views on the same topic. After A LOT of denying and justifying it, that is. Pirates tend to justify their actions using one or more of the following reasons;

1. I simply can't afford to buy everything song, movie or TV series (or computer software) I want to enjoy. It's too freaking expensive to be entertained in that way. And why buy when I can get it for free?
2. I'm paying for internet, aren't I? It's not like I'm not paying anything to enjoy these
3. I am fully supporting the artists by watching their shows. They should be happy to have me as a loyal fan
4. Pirated material are easily accessible
5. The formats in which pirated movies and TV series come in are easier to store and exchange than the formats they come in when purchased as a VCD, DVD or Blu-ray disc
6. How else would I watch an episode I missed on TV or a movie I missed at the cinemas, especially when it is a long time away from the official release?
7. Chances of getting caught downloading are slim
8. The artists and companies who own these are already rich making tonnes of money from sales. They are still going to be fine even after losing some of their intellectual property to pirates
9. With illegal distribution, it reaches more people across the globe. Won't that make these artists more famous?
10. It's not like I am making money by selling copies of pirated media
11. It's not like I am physically stealing a music album or a movie disk off the shelf of a store and made a run for it to enjoy it in the privacy of my home. It is not much different.

The road to reaching that point where I am going to be accountable for my actions in this area has been a very slow and painful one. If I am not a shoplifter by choice, by that same logic, I can't be a pirate - unless I'm a pirate because I know I can get away with it (wait a minute, that's what this is really about!). From an ethical standpoint, piracy spoils the market for a lot of artists, who can do nothing but watch their content being stolen, distributed and sold by other parties without their consent. It helps to know there are ways to enjoy the music, movies and series that I love in responsible ways that benefit the original artists, without having to go about dark and risky ways of getting them. Sure it's going to cost more than an internet connection sometimes, but that is how it is meant to be.

The details surrounding music piracy, software piracy and piracy of movies and TV series vary, but below are a few ethical considerations.

For music;
1. Legit phone applications like YouTube Downloader where music clips can be "downloaded" and watched without an internet connection (although it cannot be copied to other devices or played in a playlist)
2. If there's an awesome music clip that we really love and want to add to the playlist, why not buy it legally to support that artist so that they can come up with more like that? Yes, it's going to cost about $1 per song -  about the same as a chocolate bar
3. Some music artists are surprisingly okay with losing sales to piracy since they want fame more than riches, while others are not. I'm guessing for some of them, it's their way of coming to terms with something beyond their control and not letting it bear them down emotionally

For movies and TV series;
1. Cable TV with On-Demand channels for movies and TV series - they have a good variety of shows that can even be recorded and viewed later
2. There are legitimate ways of instant streaming, renting or buying movies online instead of waiting for DVDs in the post. For example, iTunes (only for Apple devices though), Amazon or Netflix (not yet available in certain countries like Singapore)
3. Streaming online - it is not illegal to watch movies and TV series online as of yet and I'm not an expert in anti-piracy laws, however, it does not take a genius to figure out that this is not entirely in the right either