Song of the day: Nina Persson's "The Bluest Eyes in Texas"

She didn't sound the way she normally does in the Cardigans, sugar-kitten-like. I wonder how she makes it so easy, to sing like that. Faye Wong is somewhat a Chinese equivalent, but she sounds strained at the high notes.

I like twangy, dusky music played on a lone car driving into a setting Texas sun. I guess that's because it feels like travelling, being eternally on-the-go and leaving the past behind but not forgetting about it. I have only seen a Texas sun in Kill Bill II (I don't understand why it's not as good as KB I. Probably because BX told me the whole story before I watched it, like what she always likes to do). I have never been to Texas, and from stories of Bush and all that it doesn't sound like the most classy and venerable place. That's the thing with America. Foreigners look down on its simplicity and "crudeness" or hate its power and "loudness". But foreigners love to go there. Simple or loud, America's just so endowed with rich resources for both commercial and spiritual exploitations. It's a paradise of both the consumers and people who want to think and act alone and still be able to feed themselves, even doing fairly well in a lot of cases. There are lot of OSIs who enjoyed their time overseas a great deal. Their minds were exposed, influenced, stimulated to various experiences of exhiliration or depression that Singapore's never gonna give them in a thousand years (ok, I take that back. If Singapore's still existent in a thousand years it should have quite some stories to tell its young folks). Here's one such lady: www.toomanythoughts.org/blog. If I drink and club and blog fast without feeling guilty, I might be of her type in Singapore.

Ways in which Singapore's like America (although its infrastructure and many governmental and social systems follow British model):

1. Immigrants' nation

2. Multi-racial society

3. History in school learnt with lots of "trivia" - a word I got to know in the States meaning details of a rather inconsequential nature. There was a story, but it was rather simple. British, Japanese, independence. If American history is considered simple, then Singaporean history is a miniature version of that (not to say that I know enough of American history to be eligible to talk of it) And both are histories of nation-building.

4. Generally leave foreigners alone (claim of Russian colleague. I guess that applies well compared to other Asian countries)

Differences:

1. America's an immigrants' nation to both old and new immigrants. Singapore's edgy on people who come and go without converting to a Singaporean nationality. America's hesitant in dealing out the green cards while Singapore's coaxing the foreign professionals to stay (although it's getting less so, according to Russian colleague again). That makes little sense if you think about the sizes of the two countries. But I'm sure it's not all about size.

2. America tries to keep racial harmony by not speaking of it. Therefore there is tension. Singapore keeps harmony by stressing on it. And I guess it works. I stare less for seeing an Indian in Singapore than for seeing an African American in America (although that could well be because of growing up here but I used to jump at seeing people in Singapore, not in America). Of course size matters very much here. Smaller orbitals overlap better.

3. History of America is about independence first; history of Singapore is about independence later.

4. Singaporeans takes condescending interest in foreingers; Americans take childlike interests in foreigners. Towards the Chinese, who are coming to Singapore in an ever increasing number that I feel like giving some sort of veteran speech to all those kids who got downgraded two years in school (I got 1/2-1), the older Singaporeans think they still farm lands and drown baby girls. Well I bet some still do but not professionals. As for the younger Singaporeans, been fed ad nauseum the importance of entrepreneurship as if it's the only dignified way of earning a living, China is a land of opportunites. Media disseminate dreams of catching the Chinese express of economic grown. When Singaporeans start to realise cultural differences between the two nations it's because of difficulties arising from doing business with mainlanders, who are as cunning as foxes and snort at Singaporeans' self-professed imaged of efficiency and professionalism.

Towards Caucasians, older Singaporeans may well have that indifferent treatise of foreigners one may find in literature of travelling from the west to the Orient at the beginning of the century. Descriptions of funny native ways turn indifference into a lyrical charm. I think the west therefore inherited that curious, explorative interest in Asians. However, I feel that's sort of over in Europe. They've done their explorations and have entered a cultural slumber, so wearied from centuries of thinking and breakthroughs. But America's the "new found land". It's in many ways innocent, like a.. "super baby".

Present wish list:
1. Insurance will work out. Mum doesn't agree with buying life insurance. Will get a cheap one, but how cheap?
2. YF? hmm
3. The world will find alternative energy sources as soon as possible. If eight out of ten people on earth have to die after oil runs out, may them die peacefully (Is that possible?). And the remaining two find a cure. (According to my supervisor, who has an amazing attitude, that's certainly possible)