Said to have claimed

Siti, a 7 year old girl fell through a gap in the metal railing near where she lives. Dropped 4 storeys, and miraculously survived, albeit multiple fractures.

Her family said the gap was reported in December to the Bukit Merah Town Council. But the latter last night said it could find no record of the call.

The poor girl's uncle, Mr Muhammad Syukri, 20, currently unemployed was the one who reportedly called the town council three months ago about the broken railing. He claimed he was told someone would be sent to check on it. “I didn’t hear from them, I don’t know if they came or not.”

How come when there is a dispute of whether or not a call was made, the paper chose to state that the BMTC "said" it could find no record of the call but the girl's uncle could only "claimed" that he was told someone would be sent to check on it.

Said - to express in words, to state as an opinion or belief
Claimed - to assert in the face of possible contradiction

When do you normally use "said" and what can make you decide to use "claimed" instead?

Way back in 2005, when Katrina struck New Orleans, a black man was reported to have "looted" food from a grocery store while 2 white people "found" food from a grocery store. (available on boingboing "black people loot, white people find?").

Enough of my nonsense. I hope the girl gets better soon.

Foolish to advocate the learning of dialects

We have achieved progress with our bilingual education in the past few decades. Many Singaporeans are now fluent in both English and Mandarin. It would be stupid for any Singapore agency or NTU to advocate the learning of dialects, which must be at the expense of English and Mandarin.

That was the reason the Government stopped all dialect programmes on radio and television after 1979. Not to give conflicting signals, then Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew also stopped making speeches in Hokkien, which he had become fluent in after frequent use since 1961.

Chee Hong Tat
Principal Private Secretary
to the Minister Mentor

I don't know if the past can necessarily point the way to our future?

I definitely felt that the above was a strongly worded response.

I enjoy speaking teochew with my friends and especially my family. Enjoy. Because there is a certain closeness in the speaking the language which I was brought up with. There is an immediate connection. It's just different (and challenging) trying to explain what a slightly raw banana tastes like or how fantastic the fishball in my meepok dry is at the first bite.

I am sure PPS to PM had statistical evidence to prove that [our] bilingual education had achieved progress. Just as I am sure he will have statistical evidence to prove that the government had overwhelming success with the family planning campaign (Stop At Two and then replaced by Have Three Or More. If You Can Afford It). Government used to think F1 is a waste of time too. And that MRT stations do not need to be wheelchair-friendly. Lifts in HDB apartments do not need to stop at every floor.

Do I sense a little hubris in celebrating our present successes?

Foolish to advocate the learning from only the past?

My last 4 movies.

The Wrestler is about sticking to what you are familiar with. Because an old dog really cannot learn new tricks. Friends and family may forsake you. But your fans, they never give up. Not until you do.

Slumdog Millionaire is about destiny. The answer was given at the end of the movie. And that whatever your destination may be, always strive to be kind to others whom you meet along the way.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is about forgiveness and keeping an open mind. Because the people who done you wrong have their reason(s). And mixing freely with whoever you may meet can grant you access to places you never ever dreamed of.

Milk is about trying again and again and again. And you may die trying. But damn, you tried. Also, not everybody loves an underdog.

Now onto The Reader.

A blip

Sitemeter showed a jump in readership to this blog yesterday.
It was because of people searching for "never let me go the island". Which led them to an entry I made way back in 2005.

Apparently Mark Romanek (love his music videos) is directing Alex Garland's adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go. Stars Keira Knightley. So, non of the female actresses I thought would have been great for the "movie" version of the book made it.

Ah well...

To you, before you say another word or write another line

To those who think that they are "one of us" because they live in HDB apartments (the heartlands - coined by them, not us) and pepper their speech with "lahs" and "mehs".
To those who write newspaper columns seemingly proclaiming ostentatiously that to be blinded by materialism is almost vulgar and that "[S]uffering and deprivation is good for the soul".

let me share a verse from the great Jarvis Cocker...

But still you'll never get it right,
Cos when you're laid in bed at night,
Watching 'roaches climb the wall,
If you call your Dad he could stop it all.

Don't be silly. You think if I speak with an American/Australian/English/insert your nationality here accent, live in a duplex, have two kids and tend to my lawn on weekends, have a bbq in my backyard during summer evenings, make me an American/Australian/English/insert your nationality here? By the way, does your/my country have an identity anyway?
You are not being hypocritical by writing about your decision to be frugal and to lead an austere lifestyle. But it does not tell me anything about your ability to choose an alternative. Tell me why is it that when I fall through my safety net, I really fall through. But through your safety net, you land on a wad of cash?