It's just like that, Ma

Last night I religiously observed Earth Hour. Without a computer or a TV, I figured I'd sit out the hour in bed. Bad idea, I fell asleep only to wake up at 5am on a Sunday morning!

I admit, I am guilty of posting many of these in my early days of being a Facebook-er. But I think when you age on Facebook, you get better at saying things on your own rather than finding cards to express them or trying to look wise with borrowed sayings! Anyhow, I found this one and thought it was good food for thought.

The last time my mother visited me, she had several culture shocks. First of all, compared to home, Singapore is a lot safer and more peaceful. If you forget your wallet or phone in a cafe, chances are you will have it returned by the person who found it, whereas back home, a random stranger might be more than happy to snatch yours from your hands. Crime rates are very low here and it's not something I have taken for granted, because it really is a privilege. It's a very organised country; most things go like clockwork. Surprises rarely happen. Whether you are a woman or a man, it doesn't really matter what you wear or what you do with your free time. Nobody really cares or judges you for that. But back home, it's a closed up society. Everyone is interested in everyone else's business. Especially if you are a female, you have to behave in certain accepted ways for your own safety and survival. Being independent, different or expressive will most likely land you in trouble. When in public, one has to always watch over the shoulder and it can be quite stress-inducing. Here in Singapore, that is unnecessary so she was pleasantly surprised.

I had a hard time explaining to my mother why some people on the streets wore these and spectacles without lenses. (I used this image from Google Images to illustrate my point)

When shopping, she naturally multiplied everything by a 100 which gave a large figure in currency back home and it somewhat made a dent on the shopping experience. She also told me that while she was touring on her own, several strangers came to her aid and she was touched by the friendliness of the people here. The one thing which she could not stand and which I agree wholeheartedly is that a majority of people here don't have the good habit of closing their mouths when they yawn or cough. So being next to a sick person in a crowded bus or a train will most likely get you sick too. Let's not discuss bad breath here.

Another time she went to a famous shopping area and had seen a sign board that said "The Sex Shop".
Shu's mother: [with horror-stricken eyes] What happens in there??
Shu: Nothing Mama, it's just a shop selling toys for very old children. 

I spent my evening researching rock bands with the added input from Ryuu - who's bit of an expert on the subject. [After note: Ryuu refuses to be called even a bit of a Rock expert]. It's a very complex subject with so many types of rock (classic, punk, pop, cheese, glam, metal, and there's more!) within one genre, that it is almost too confusing to categorise them. I think I'll stop trying to figure out how to catergorise them at this point. I managed to listen to several new songs, re-discover a few old songs and even learn some new things:

• Britain was the beginning of the Rock Era - starting with legendary bands like Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath and Beatles.
• I am not a huge fan of all classic rock bands. I'm just a rabid Queen fan. I just think they are pretty awesome - talented, unique, bold with experimenting with music (they played with pianos, they played with classical orchestras, they came up with songs ones like Bohemian Rhapsody and they really rocked the crowds) and their songs STILL play on popular radio stations. And I'll bite anyone who disagrees.

Music really is a universal language. This Beatles song caught my ears today and stuck.

 

A public holiday approaches us end of this week - yay!