Jobs Like THAT!

You know the jobs I mean: someone calls or write or sends a text message asking you to do something really simple.

You accept the piffling challenge with a waft of your hand and a, "Don't worry! Consider it done"!

I just accepted a job like that: while you're there, can you buy me a mini Santa Claus ... I collect them from all over the world.

I set off. Hmm! This is work for a woman, I quickly decided. I then realised that while Singapore fully embraces the spirit of Xmas it does so simply by erecting Xmas Trees and draping tinsel everywhere. I found that the deep and detailed Xmas isn't here, in the shops, I mean.

That's not to say that is a bad thing, it's just the way Changi Airport is.

Well, I went into one shop and asked an assistant whether they had any toy SCs. Go to Terminal 3 she suggested. I boarded the Skytrain and got to T3. The Toy Shop is right next to the train. I found Xmas type bears and dogs and red noseless Rudolph. Oh, poo! I carried on and failed.

My eyes lit up at the sight of SC lying on top of some cotton wool in a display cabinet in an electronics shop. I asked how much they wanted for it. Not for sale she said. S$10, I offered. Again, I met a refusal.

I wandered off and even went into the Ferrari shop where there was a pukka Rudolph. Much too big and £40 to boot! I declined their kindly offer.

In the end I resigned myself to having failed and having to resort to buying Rudolph the Not Red Nosed Reindeer and returned to the toy shop, crestfallen. A job like THAT had done me in.

I plonked Rufolph on the counter but asked they had any toy SCs. She pointed at the perfect thing: the last one in the shop, suspended from a stand.

It's perfect, I said. She couldn't follow my excitement or my wittering on about it being the only one in the airport: T1 and T3 anyway.

So I bought my little SC for my friend and was content that I must have done something good today to deserve such an outcome.

DW.
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device

Milky Tea

I never, NEVER, have milk in my tea so why on earth am I staring at some ghastly looking milky tea that I just bought for myself?

What was I thinking?

DW

Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device

In Common

Question: What do the UK, Singapore and Vietnam all have in common?

Answer: Slade ... So here it is merry Christmas, everybody's having fun ...

That song's played everywhere!!!

DW
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device

Lose $11 billion and still earn a bonus? No, thank goodness

The story is that those awfully incompetent people at Merrill Lynch have lost a total of $11 billion in the latest financial year. Never mind that the Bank of America that bought out Merrill has been provided with $25 billion in State aid.

Those awfully incompetent people have been reported as considering the payment of a BONUS of £10 million to the CEO of Merrill for performance and retention.

Erm, what performance? You lose $11 billion and that's so good that you deserve $10 million for yourself?

Retain who? Someone who lords it over such ineptitude?

Luckily, the Attorney General of the State of New York agrees that no one in such a position deserves a bonus let alone one of $10 million. So the Attorney General wrote to the Board of Merrill and said so. Read the letter here, it's great!http://www.oag.state.ny.us/media_center/2008/dec/Merrill%20Lynch.pdf

At last and well done that Attorney General!

DW

Motorbikes in Ho Chi Minh City

After an early evening snack and cup of coffee I looked out over the city from the balcony of the lounge near the top of the New World Hotel Saigon and was smitten by the number of motorbikes careening around the city. Come here and take a look as I did and you will see why I use the word careening!

I was so smitten that I immediately went down to the nearest road junction to capture what I saw. Here is just a couple of examples of what I snapped.

It was dark and I was in a hurry and even though I was there for just 10 minutes or so I think I must have seen 500 - 600 motorbikes going past me.

Fascinating!

DW

Katherine Jenkins

I recently heard that Katherine Jenkins is Britain's favourite opera singer or some such. Of course, that was on BBC early evening television and it is such arrant nonsense. However, that's not to say the lady is without talent. On the other hand, yesterday I read this in Krisworld, the in flight magazine of Singapore Airlines, December 2008 edition. The brief report on Jenkins was positive but should the editor have let this final sentence appear?

"This Welsh warbler is only just beginning"

DW

Snaps but I Need a Tripod With me

Here are a couple of snaps of Singapore and as always I find two problems:

• I always seem to hold the camera around 2 - 3 degrees off the horizontal (not important for what you see here, however!)
• I need to carry my tripod with me but never do

The first two photos are of the Fountain of Wealth just outside Suntec City Hall: normal and then on the move. The third photo is of a Christmas wreath taken on the move ... I really like the effect of the latter two photos!

DW