Sotheby....... can I be your friend?
Yes, I'll be upfront with you. It's true I don't own no fine art painting, no carefully crafted sculpture, nor any beautiful shiny priceless jewelery or heirloom. You'll probably not find me anytime soon in your famed galleries, nor sooner get the chance to lift the paddle and give a bid.
But hey, I'll done my dues, I've spent some time walking endless rows of shops selling art in the streets of Hanoi, haggling and bargaining with artists that have great talent providing knock-offs of beautiful well-known art pieces. Visited some nooks and crannies, and found struggling artists with their cigs, talking about meaningless stuff and basically just shooting the breeze with them.
I tried doing that in Hong Kong, but boy sure did I not have the connections to high and glitzy art scene. Took the bus and found myself in industrial factories high and dry, and seeing not fine fine art but art through commercial outputs in fashion, in advertising, design and in decor. A little trip across the sea to Macau reaped some results, and I found myself some pottery.
Took a seat in the back-streets in Penang Malaysia, and found a grand master who shared and weaved wonderful stories of the artists past and present who have left their indelible mark on canvases hidden in palatial homes and dusty storerooms. I'll be back someday I said to him, and yes indeed I'm sure I would.
And once I even ran out of a art gallery in another far-away continent where the soil is red, all because the artist wanted my support badly.
In my shores, I am a regular patron of the arts, but of course never could be a sponsor.
Finally, I have saved and spent and bought myself many a ticket to famed museums, palaces and art galleries around the world just to catch a glimpse of the works of the masters.
So, Sotheby.. can I be your friend? (*and perhaps we could meet for a private exhibition next year?)
one year on, you are remembered.
Happy!
To Watoto!
Africa, Yes You Can Dance!
My Africa.
Where should I begin? Should I talk about the night cab ride through the roads of Entebbe, where rows and rows of small barber shops, provision shops, beat-up record stores lined up neatly?
Perhaps I could share the stories and dreams of the driver who worked hard day and night and hopes to build his very own motel in the heart of Kampala.
I wonder how I would be able to describe the vibe, the buzz, the rhythm and activity that was so evident in the air as we entered the town centre..
Could I bring back a little bit of that deep red african soil, that looked so different from the cracked yellow and pales one we have here? M
Perhaps some some green matooke, and goat's meat and pink groundnut sauce will let you experience and taste a little bit of the Africa I know.
Now, when will I ever get the same sense of excitement and bravado I did when I climbed and squeezed into the local bus? haha ")
There's just so much, and I don't know where to start.
Well I think I'll start with the story of a little dance. timed perfectly, arms twisted at just the right angles, body in rhythm with the beat. free, and in total enjoyment of the moment. 'you're missing the moment' yeah, don't miss the moment. have a little dance. plait your hair and sway with the music.
and what a moment it was, just thinking about it makes me smile. Dance my friend,
dance your best dance, dance for the moment, and thanks for sharing that dance with me!
I don't quite know how to end this post, I'm just enjoying and remembering these precious memories... .. perhaps with the moment, I should end this post right now. :)
THE END.
I believe in banking.
I am no expert in banking, and will not claim to be. But I believe in banking.
The essential/corner stone role that Banking plays in any economy, any nation, any society throughout time.
My 'belief in banking' views may rife some who have been sorely burnt by the certain actions/consequences of the banking industry. And rightly so, they ought to feel especially for those who might have lost a lifetime of hard-work and savings.
I believe in banking. Now, what about banking do I believe in?
I believe in savings and deposits - take it away, and a country is poorer with its people who live on credit and not get to live on the empowerment that comes with being able to put away a sum of money that you have exchanged for a month of hard work. And don't you just remember the pleasure of owning your first passbook, and using your thumb-print to verify your identity? :)
I believe in business loans - small and big, take it away and the small business owner will not have the ability to buy that land/machine/resource to realize his dreams or in a small part contribute jobs/income to the economy. in a larger scale, the economy suffers if this does not exist.
I believe in foreign exchange - take it away, and a expatriate who did not have the tools to hedge against foreign exchange risks, will probably find himself having to make some difficult decisions.
I believe in currency flows/payment transfers - take it away, and how else do you expect money to be remitted quickly and easily to a family 'back home' who needs it very badly?
I *grudgingly* believe in credit cards - take it away, and you will probably have to eat bread/air when you run out of local currency in a foreign country. :)
The basic premise or banking lending 101 is that you lend only to those who have the "ability to repay". definitely this needs to be strongly upheld. how, is another article altogether. Add to that criteria, we should have desire/propensity to repay. Perhaps if credit rules are tightened, the role of banking and critical role it plays in our lives, and nation building will be much clearer and better demonstrated.
So what do you think? Would you agree with me? It is probably an over-simplication of the banking industry, but well ~ simplicity is bliss at times :)
cheers, have a great weekend!
regards/overjoyed
we are all the same after all..
just wanted to blog a little about the thoughts I've been thinking through. am now connecting to the internet on the 3rd floor of a mall called Garden City, right in the heart of Uganda, Kampala City.
Growing up, we used to sing this song isn't it "Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world, red, and yellow, black and white, all are precious in His sight, Jesus loves the little children of the world." I know this to be true, and feel it very much here. I met a little african child, her name is "Precious", she has lovely eyes, and chubby cheeks. :) makes you want to have many of your own hahahha!!
anyway, what i wanted to say in this post is that i really see the effects of globalization here, and feel know that we as people, are really quite the same. we may come from different countries, cultures, languages etc, but we have the same dreams, challenges, and live quite the same actually from country to country (*or at least one major CITY to major CITY)
the last one week I have been in Africa, i have met many people and interacted with them in their daily lives, and work culture. we used to read about globalization in the textbooks, and theoretically we understand it. but i see it now, people working and talking to people all around the world, and it is all in a day's work.
Coming here, i have found the (*young) people to be quite the same. They use ipods to listen to music, connect and work on BlackBerry (*i love BlackBerry. it's a wonderful tool), talk about celebrities/music/love/,..love the internet (*facebook not popular here yet)..etc. The rich in NY, Shanghai, Singapore, Tokyo, South Africa Jo Berg, Uganda Kampala, Jakarta are quite the same, as with the middle class, as with the poor.. I think i am generalizing here.
I am sure that because I have not seen/been exposed/witnessed the extent of poverty yet, as such i cannot comment. My point is for most/some part of prospering cities, most people live, behave the same.
Globalization is powerful, and it has started and is a huge wave i feel that is inevitable, when harnessed correctly, we will see tremendous benefits for us as people. Technology drives globalization - we are connected by the internet, the phone networks, web conferences, ease of travel..etc..
I recall a time when I was in China Hangzhou many years ago, and the universities had classes full of African students, and I had foolishly asked the professor then, why were the Africans in Chinese universities studying? Today, i see and understand that the Chinese/ China are almost an integral driving force for some African economies, and this association/connection had started a long time (*through education..interaction..investments in time past..etc).
In a German restaurant in Berlin, we students were enjoying a good pork knuckle once, while the local workers next to our table were talking/worriedly about the pending closure of their factories/plant as jobs were being outsourced.
I feel it and see it, the challenges are intense, the competition is rough and all i know now is that we just need to do our best, work hard, love and things will just work out. We are living in exciting times, what do you think? :)
love/eunice
reporting in from Uganda, Kampala City
Longevity, Loyalty ~ Prized Commodities.
Forging your own fork and spoon
Had a good conversation with G today and thought it useful to pen down my afterthoughts.
While I was not born into the silveriest of spoons, I never had lack, never needed to work my way through school, always enjoyed good food, had many opportunities to travel and explore the world, and enjoyed many modern conveniences that were available. And it is clear, thankfully that most bread-and-butter issues does not weigh heavily in my decisioning process yet. This, thankfully is also the case with many Singaporeans growing up in my generation.
And as such the question, for the majority of us we know that we have a family that can possibly support us if we fail. should that mean then that we should adopt a stance of maximum risk, given that we have a safety blanket protecting us should we fall. or does it mean then that there is really no good reason to fight, given that we are monetarily covered, and secured in our comfort zone for a good twenty years perhaps?
In my mind, I am reminded that time changes everything. Fortunes come and go, we change and things change. Industries/markets once strong have come and gone. As some may recall, there was a time when entertainment originated from the local market, and regional stars like Fong Bo Bo were the order of the day. Now entertainment to us is largely USA exported entertainment from Hollywood and reality TV shows, entertainment probably accounts for a large proportion of their GDP. Let's not forget the vibrant media rising markets in Taiwan, and Korea. There are countless examples across countries, industries and regional markets. (i.e high/low technology, manufacturing, retail, etc) Irrelevance typically (*as observed as a trend) equals elimination.
Bring it a little closer to home. As Singapore celebrates its national day in a week's time, I know that where we are today, our peace and prosperity is the result of the generations that have gone before me, who have worked hard, and did the best they knew and could in their respective fields.
Rising to the surface for air ~ As my church celebrates its 20th anniversary tomorrow, I am reminded of the many people I've known before ~ how different they are today from the first time I've seen them as a young teenager , how some have reinvented themselves and removed much pounds, while others have gone quite the reverse.
So what i'm saying is simple, we all have our own unique talents, abilities and dreams. while we come from different backgrounds, different worlds which distincts our decisioning process, we all have the same reality to live through. a world that is constantly changing, and it is one that requires us to keep up, be on the cutting edge and basically just work real hard(*play hard too). We all need to find the one thing that makes us feel and resonates deep within us, and from there simply do it well and right. So this is my case, does this strike a chord with you?
Forge your own future today! All the Best!
