Posts tagged ‘Singapore’

Examinations and expectations

By blogpastor, 27 October, 2009, 2 Comments

This is the usual stressful exams period. Stressful both for children and parents. First the PSLE followed by the current “O” and “A” levels and all the other Primary and Secondary and tertiary exams. We all wish our children succeed in life and get well-paid prestigious jobs.

We tell them to study hard so that they will enter the right schools, the right courses, and finally land the right jobs. We assume this is what makes for a comfortable and happy life. Watch this video and see if it stimulates deeper thought.

It was in Jason’s blog Your Will where I first saw this video.

Move aside Ms Ris Low; here’s Tyler Creasman!

By blogpastor, 19 October, 2009, 2 Comments

I saw this Youtube video in Bloom where you’re planted and it got me cracking up with laughter. This video of Tyler Creasman, in a sketch during an international school event, was posted by his father, James Creasman, leader of CRMS(Church Resource Ministries, Singapore), a Christian mission dedicated to mentoring leaders. It is bound to be a hit Singapore Classic Youtube video. Tyler’s Singlish, or rather Winglish, viz, White Man’s Singlish, is lumber one and was featured in an article in CNNGo. Move aside Ms Ris Low; here is Ty-ler Creas—-man!!

Ms Ris Low: beauty turned outside in

By blogpastor, 8 October, 2009, 13 Comments

The Minister Mentor should be proud of Ms Ris Low. Single-handedly and in a shorter period, she has generated more buzz into this wilderness that is Singapore than the Singapore Tourism Board, the economic tsars, financial wizards, F1 and the two casinos put together. In fact, I should say she has rocketed the boomz factor in this sedate city.

Media sharks in frenzy As it turns out, bad publicity is better than no publicity. Now and a decade down the road we will all still remember this Ms World Singapore. “Ms Ris Low? Oh of course I remember. The beauty with boomz right?” Besides her, maybe only Ms Eunice Olsen and Ms Teo Ser Luck will be remembered.

Suddenly, Ms Universe has moved to the backseat and Ms World to the forefront. She has single-handedly done what years of marketing by the organizers could not do: get the media, the netizens, and coffee shops to talk about their Ms World Singapore contest winner for weeks.

There can even be profitable spinoffs. She can co-write a book like “The Ris Low Story: from crown to crawl”. MediaCorp can get her to act in a sitcom as a love interest of the only young adult of the Phua Chu Kang family. She can start a new teenage fashion label called BOOMZ, or a lingerie line labelled RAD. Even a bank can begin a credit card for teenagers called: Low Ris credit card. I know this is not America, but isn’t this what buzz is all about: rampant capitalism.

Beauty contests has always been about external beauty despite all the talk about inner beauty being as important . A certain look, a certain walk and poise, and definitely height, height, height is what wins contest. Interestingly, the media, new and old, have caused attention to be focused on what is true beauty: the inner person. This resonates with the ageless Christian truth:

“But let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God’s sight is very precious” (1 Peter 3:4)

Reasons why Ms Ris Low should keep her crown

By blogpastor, 27 September, 2009, 10 Comments

Ms Ris Low (Ms Singapore World 09) Ris Low, 19, has been attracting catty comments, even from men, about her broken English, err, Singlish, after she competed in the interview segment of the Miss Singapore World contest and won it. It has also been discovered that she had a criminal record for a credit card fraud and is still on probation. Furthermore, today the national paper revealed she also suffers from bipolar disorder(maic depressive) and is under psychiatric care and medication. Netizens have been baying for her blood, demanding that she give up the crown because she is not a worthy representative of Singapore to the Miss World contest in December 2009.

I beg to differ. There are several reasons why we should let her continue to represent us: It will show the world that Singapore is a gracious society and forgiving of failures. Secondly, she will inspire with hope and possibilities those with a criminal record and are striving to go straight. Thirdly, she will also inspire the millions of people who suffer from mental illnesses. These people do not deserve the stigma that the majority attach to them. She will be a beacon of hope and a good role model to them. Fourth, she will show the world the unique charm of Singlish (and what the majority of the Singapore population sound like!). Lastly, she is the most unique Miss Singapore World so far. In fact, there is only one word to describe Miss Ris Low: she is just so Boomz!

My best wishes to her and my thanks to her for adding a memorable word to my limited vocabulary.