How long have you been a tattoo artist?
Since 1974.
Did you learn tattooing directly from your dad?
Of course. I’m the only practicing artist who studied under him.
Would you consider this a family business?
No, but it did start out as one.
So, would you be ok if your kids became tattoo artists?
I’ll be ok, but they have to ask their mother’s permission first.
What sort of clientele would you say you attract?
Anyone who wants to get a tattoo. There was a time when only specific people got tattoos, but now everybody wants to get one. Even teachers.
What’s the weirdest client you had?
I once had this bald guy walk in who wanted to get “hair” on his whole head.
How do people normally react to the pain?
It’s a mix. Some love it, some hate it, and some don’t even finish the tattoo. There was one guy who had to go out for a smoke half way through. Some stop after the outline, some stop at the shading, some don’t even finish the coloring.
What happens if you make a mistake?
I just go “oops” and tell them what happened.
Don’t they give you shit for it?
No! How dare they! I’m holding the needle!
What’s the weirdest design that someone’s asked for?
Piss girl! It’s a picture from a fetish magazine of this naked girl who’s squatting down and pissing into a wine goblet. I gave the guy a week to think about it, but he eventually got it on his arm. He’s very happy and proud of it too.
What’s the weirdest body part someone’s asked you to tattoo?
For women, there was this lady who asked me to tattoo her nipple pink. It doesn’t work though. For guys, it would be their manhood. There was this one guy who actually got an erection when he got pricked by the needle.
Have you ever refused anyone a tattoo they wanted?
Yeah. Racist designs like a Nazi swastika; blasphemous images like an upside down cross; and facial tattoos. I don’t do facial tattoos unless you’re Maori. And if you’re not a Maori, why the hell would you want a facial tattoo?
What’s the most dangerous thing that’s happened to you as an artist?
I accidentally poked myself with my needle, but didn’t know if the guy had any diseases.
Your body’s a completely clean canvas. Why haven’t you gotten a tattoo?
I want to be different from other people. But the truth? I’m scared of pain!
Advertisement
The only real difference between the atmosphere of the Standard Chartered Singapore Sevens (SCSS) and battles in ancient Rome’s coliseums is that no one dies during the Sevens … although there is certainly grievous bodily harm aplenty.
Bone crunching brutality, all out of love for what has been called “the game that’s played in heaven”, is certainly the order of the day for the SCSS. Rugby has always drawn a passion from its players and supporters almost unrivalled by any other sport. And with the Sevens tournament—which Singapore is just one leg of—you get to see that passion up close and very personal.
All this intensity might be a little intimidating for newcomers to the sport. With all the ruckus, wild partying and alarming amounts of beer guzzling—and the actual games themselves—it’s easy to feel a little out of place and lost at the event.
As the SCSS arrives on our shores on Apr 8 and 9, we’ve drawn up a guide for you to make it through the entire weekend of madness, mayhem and machismo.
History The first thing you’re going to need to do to fit in is acknowledge your ‘new car smell’ and brush up on your knowledge of the sport.
Seven-a-side rugby—a variation of the traditional 15-a-side—finds its roots, as the legend goes, in a Scottish town in 1883 where, after a dispute within a club, a breakaway group was formed. Not having enough players on either side, a local butcher invented the seven-a-side game so that competition could begin.
Fast forward to 2001, when the Singapore Rugby Union put in a bid to be one of the hosts for the International Rugby Board’s (IRB) popular Sevens Series. As you’d have probably guessed, the inaugural Singapore Sevens tournament was held in 2002, and this year marks Standard Chartered’s third as the event’s title sponsor.
Rules The object of the game is simple: to score a “try,” worth five points, by grounding the ball in the opponent’s score zone or in-goal area. A try entitles you a “conversion,” worth two points, which is scored when the ball is dropkicked through the two uprights. If you manage to score a dropkick in the middle of play or through a penalty, that’ll be worth three points. You can’t pass the ball forward, but kicking it forward is fine. Got all that? Good. And remember: while you can’t be tackled when the ball’s not in your possession, you had better run like hell when it is.
As for the SCSS itself, each team will be placed in a pool of four teams. There will be four pools and, for the first day, teams will face off against opponents from their own pool. A win earns a team three points, a draw will get them two, and a loss one. No point is awarded for a no-show. On the second day, teams will duke it out with other pools to determine overall fourth, third, second and first place in the tournament.
Weather The first thing to keep in mind when heading for the SCSS is to check weather reports as close to the days as possible, so that you’ll know whether to pack sunscreen and caps or raincoats and umbrellas.
Bring lots of water too. Sure, there’ll be a steady supply of beer, but if the weather’s smoldering, the last thing you want is to get dehydrated among thousands of manic rugby enthusiasts.
You might also want to dress light, regardless of weather conditions, since you’re going to be at the National Stadium for the entire day sweating and screaming your hearts out cheek to jowl with the masses.
Color Dressing light, however, doesn’t mean you can’t be heavy on the silliness. Showing your loyalties seems to be tied directly with how big a weirdo you look like—so don’t hold back on the face paint and outrageous wigs.
That would normally be enough, but ridiculous large headgear helps distinguish you as a diehard rugby nut. Besides, who isn’t looking for a socially acceptable reason to adorn a large goofy hat?
Alcohol It just wouldn’t be rugby without beer, would it? Fosters is adamant that the barrel never runs dry, so have your beer hats ready and make sure that your liver’s in tip-top condition. No, you can’t bring your own booze, and you sure don’t want to waste time getting frisked by security for bottles, do you?
When you find yourself needing a dose of the munchies, you can always pick up some snacks from the 7-11 outlets that will be around.
Team Spirit With 16 ferocious teams to pick from, you’re definitely spoiled for choice on who to root for. But if you’re looking to be on the side of the champs, the odds-on favorite at the moment is Fiji, which is firmly topping the IRB Sevens and, more importantly, boasts the modern legend Waisale Serevi.
But they’d better watch their backs—because the English team is fresh off winning the USA Sevens. And after getting trounced by New Zealand in last years’ SCSS, they’re certainly looking for some payback and to pick up the title this time.
While South Africa may be third in the standings, they were voted as the People’s Pick at the start of the 05/06 season—and the word most commonly used to describe the Springboks is “dangerous.”
Of course, for hardcore loyalists big on cheering for the underdogs, there’s our very own Sevens squad. The odds may be stacked up against them, but that just makes our boys all the hungrier.
Get It On! While we expect all the games to be downright badass, you might want to keep an eye out for some particular matches during the opening round.
Fiji is definitely a team to watch out for, so when they face off against anyone in their pool (which includes our guys), that’s certainly something to look forward to.
Singapore’s Captain Rong Jing Xiang best sums up the immense challenge of facing off against Fiji by referring to them as “our Mount Everest.”
Another match to note is Argentina taking on South Africa. A lot of people have been talking about the Argentineans, and how they’ve been developing some exciting backs recently, so to see them go up against the monster that is South Africa is going to be a really interesting treat.
Going Once, Going Twice If simply attending the event isn’t enough for you, the Singapore Rugby Union is holding three online auctions on eBay for anyone looking to really get into the thick of the SCSS.
The Rugby Royalty auction, as the name so aptly implies, will see the highest bidder sitting large throughout the weekend. Aside from pitchside seats, the winner will also be granted free flow of food and drinks. Bidding’s on right now, and ends on Mar 23.
So how do you top being treated like a king? Well, by rubbing shoulders with rugby gods, of course. The Ultimate Sevens Package gets you into the Gala Dinner and the Player’s Party, where you get to spend face time with your favorite stars, plus score tickets and merchandise. Bidding starts on Mar 24 and ends on Mar 30.
Finally, for you ladies, there’s the chance to win a dinner date with hunky rugby legends Martin Johnson and John Eales. Yummy! The auction starts on Mar 25 and ends on Mar 31.
You can check out the auctions here: http://promo.ebay.com.sg/sevens.
Standard Chartered Singapore Sevens is on Apr 8-9 at the National Stadium. Tickets available from www.sistic.com.sg. Gather your friends— the group discounts are good value.
Advertisement
Money, so they say, is the root of all evil. Or, at least, it was the root of all evil–now, it’s just the root of gullibility and desperation, driving people to ridiculous lengths for the almighty dollar.
But fret not, all of you armchair millionaire hopefuls. After sifting through the most popular get-rich-quick schemes around, we’ve come up with the top 10 ways to hit pay dirt based on the likelihood of you succeeding, the amount of effort you’ll have to put in and how much of your soul you’ll need to sacrifice along the way. So, drum roll please…
Fruitlessly blowing obscene amounts of money on 4D and Toto seems to be a favorite local pastime, but considering how effortless it is to plunk down your cash for “four big, four small”, we’ll start our list with it.
If you think about it, it really isn’t a totally hopeless way to make it big. You could rely on sheer dumb luck like the rest of the population, or you could study the statistical odds of what the winning numbers are going to be. I mean, 4D only has 10,000 options, right?
So, if you’re a mathematical genius, you stand a decent enough chance of striking the proverbial gold. For everyone else … well, keep trying and best of luck.
The Laziness Quotient: $$$$
Chances of Making it Big: $
Odds of You Keeping Your Soul: $$$$
As far as night life goes, there is nothing worse than being the evening’s designated driver. You can’t touch a drop of booze and you still have to find a way to get the stink of puke out of your car’s upholstery at the end of the night.
So why not make a little scratch from it? Have your buddies “hire” your services for quite the pretty penny to haul their drunken asses home. You’re probably not going to get filthy rich from this, but at least you’ll score a little pocket money for yourself when it’s your turn to get good and sloshed.
The Laziness Quotient: $$
Chances of Making it Big: $$
Odds of You Keeping Your Soul: $$$$$
We were all raised to look for a job that’s specialized, but in demand. If you think about it, becoming a sex guru falls into that category quite nicely. After all, aside from Dr. Wei Siang Yu, what other prominent local sex specialist can you think of? The market’s wide open for our very own Alfred Kinsey.
Of course, this isn’t some vague occupation where you can sprout rubbish and pass it off as facts, so there are still years of studying to go through first. Not to mention developing ace people skills so they’ll fess up to you. But no, you don’t get to do it all the time.
The Laziness Quotient: $
Chances of Making it Big: $$$
Odds of You Keeping Your Soul: $$$$
LAN gaming cafés are still pretty big business, with new ones now popping up in the heartlands. What’s more, as opposed to normal cafés, you don’t have to worry about food or a scenic view. Gamers, after all, can go without sunlight for days, surviving on nothing but snacks and sodas.
Of course, starting up one of these places actually requires you to spend quite a bit before you even see a cent in returns, which sounds way too hard for us.
The Laziness Quotient: $
Chances of Making it Big: $$
Odds of You Keeping Your Soul: $$$$$
Now, this is what we’re talking about. Power-selling is basically just auctioning a company’s products on eBay or any similar site. Heck, we do this with our old CDs on a regular basis anyway.
While there is the appeal of being able to work in your underwear, your fat check will, however, depend on whether you can actually sell the goods. So, no matter how marketable the product, your success rate is still pretty iffy.
The Laziness Quotient: $$$$
Chances of Making it Big: $$
Odds of You Keeping Your Soul: $$$
Nothing reeks of gold-digging like jumping on the ol’ bandwagon. Toss a stone anywhere in Orchard Road these days and you can hit a stall selling beaded and leather jewelry. While some of these certainly are gorgeous, a lot of them look like a six-year-old threw them together in his spare time and still go for up to $8. Go for it if you have greater artistic capabilities than a six-year-old.
As far as silly trends go, this is our new bubble tea. Pick up the basics of beading, market your creations just right and, before you know it, you too will be out there making preposterous amounts of dinero from suckers who don’t know any better.
The Laziness Quotient: $$
Chances of Making it Big: $$$
Odds of You Keeping Your Soul: $$
Don’t get us wrong–we’re not asking you to win Singapore Idol. That might be a bit too much of a stretch. You should aim your sights a little lower than becoming the next Taufik. Nope, lower than Sylvester. Olinda’s still pushing it here, people! Think William Hung.
With his smooth moves, everyone’s favorite wannabe-Ricky Martin landed himself a movie deal, something that passes for an album, and even his own fan club. All you need to do is to make a complete jackass of yourself on national television. That doesn’t sound too bad, does it?
The Laziness Quotient: $$$
Chances of Making it Big: $$$$
Odds of You Keeping Your Soul: $
When 21-year-old Briton Alex Tew made over a million dollars by selling each and every pixel on his website, www.milliondollarhomepage.com, as advertising space, we couldn’t help but collectively slap our foreheads, while spewing an alarming amount of obscenities. Tew’s ridiculously simple idea is one of those concepts that leave you wondering why you didn’t think of it first.
We can’t deny that it really is one of the best–and, more importantly, laziest–ways we’ve heard of to get the dough rolling. But if you’re going to get in on the action, you’d better get to it right now because a slew of imposters are already popping up online.
After all, how do you beat sitting on your ass and proclaiming that people are paying you to be a part of “Internet history”?
The Laziness Quotient: $$$$$
Chances of Making it Big: $$$$
Odds of You Keeping Your Soul: $$
Well, the only thing we can think of that’s better than making obscene amounts of money while sitting on your ass is doing so while lying on your back. Hey, it worked for Anna Nicole Smith, right? Yeah, it’s borderline necrophilia to be shacking up with a tycoon who’s a stroke away from becoming worm food, but if it means you’re inheriting a fortune, does it really seem so bad?
OK, who’re we kidding? This could very probably work for you, but it’s just disturbing on so many levels. If you are planning on giving it a shot, all we’ve got to say is “Here’s to you, Mrs. Robinson!”
The Laziness Quotient: $$$$
Chances of Making it Big: $$$$$
Odds of You Keeping Your Soul: -
You may laugh it up at those guys who look so enthusiastic all the time and tell you that you–yes, you!–can be as rich as they are. But walk around the CBD during lunch one of these days and see for yourself how many people are reading books that preach the path to riches in “five easy steps”. Chances are you’ve probably cracked open one of these yourself.
So, there you have it. The answer to all your financial woes has literally been under your nose all this while. Writing your own self-help and get-rich-quick book is the way to go. Pick the catchiest–but vaguest–method, then preach on while milking your readers for every cent they’re worth.
The Laziness Quotient: $$
Chances of Making it Big: $$$$
Odds of You Keeping Your Soul: $
Advertisement
Between campaigns promoting romance and wedded bliss, and nagging parents wondering why you still haven’t found someone nice at your age, is it any wonder that singlehood is seen as nothing more than the undesirable alternative to settling down?
What the government and relatives itching for another wedding don’t seem to realize is that meeting Mister or Miss Right isn’t all that easy. There are work and family commitments to deal with, one’s identity to maintain, and the minefield of trying to meet someone “normal” that we want to be with for the rest of our lives.
Over many hot coffees, we spoke candidly with eight singles about the scene, life solo, and even settling down—to get a clearer picture of what it’s really like to be unattached and “fair game.” Names have, of course, been changed.
The discussions kick off with the most obvious of queries: With so much weight behind the joys of being in a relationship, is there anywhere here singles can go to meet their potential soulmates?
In a city that hosts a variety of internationally renowned clubs and bars, the answer to that question seems straightforward. However, Rebecca, a 24-year-old expatriate administrative assistant, feels that it isn’t a question of whether there is a scene so much as if there’s any real quality to it. “I don’t want to go somewhere thinking ‘Everyone here’s single and looking to pick up’,” she says. “I just want to meet cool people. I don’t like the pressure of going out for Ladies’ Night or something like that.”
Rebecca’s sentiments seem to be echoed not just by the expat crowd, but by locals as well. Meeting someone through the nightlife scene isn’t that hard … if you’re not expecting anything of any real substance. Clubs and pubs are filled with people looking to hook up—the ACPG Sex Survey revealed that they are the preferred place for finding potential partners (with 65 percent of the vote). But that seems to be the extent of it. No one really goes to clubs hoping to meet someone they can have a long term relationship with.
As Frank, a 34-year-old freelance copywriter, puts it, “If you’re looking for a fling, they’re readily available. It depends on what you’re looking for. A no-frill kind of thing? Sure, you can find it. But something really concrete in this scene? Not very likely.”
“There’s not much sincerity in most of the people you meet at a lot of clubs here,” agrees Eileen, a 26-year-old personal assistant. “You’re very rarely going to meet anyone that you’d even want to be friends with, let alone date.”
It seems that everyone understands that the nightlife scene is purely for superficial relationships. No one’s fooling themselves into thinking that theme nights like Ladies’ Night are anything beyond what they seem: A chance for women to get free drinks and with the potential for guys to score. “The ‘branding’ of these nights say it loud and clear,” says Tom, a 26-year-old customer service officer. “If you’re there, it shows that you accept and are aware of stuff that may happen during that time.”
“I’ve actually been to one Ladies’ Night before, and it was very sleazy,” adds Natalie, a 23-year-old expatriate administrative assistant. “There were actually more men there than there were women.”
So, what is it that the scene here lacks?
Tom thinks it’s fine as it is. He believes it’s the patrons of the scene who could use a bit of a change. “I don’t think that it’s any particular place that the local scene is lacking, but rather friendlier people. Some of the girls I’ve met walk around with this damn high and mighty attitude.”
Variety seems to be key for others. The nightlife scene works if you’re not looking for anything serious, but if you’re going for something with a little more substance, throbbing R&B or slurred pick-up lines aren’t going to cut it. “More coffee houses with live music would be nice,” says Amelie, a 29-year-old reports coordinator. “Some place where you can have actual intelligent conversations, as opposed to having to shout at the top of your lungs just to get someone’s attention.”
Comparisons to the scene elsewhere in the world naturally come up. Rebecca narrows it down further to local singles’ attitudes. “I find the whole clubbing scene a little bit pretentious here,” she says. “I mean, compared to Australia, where I live—it’s more like you go to the pub, have a few drinks and everyone gets drunk and they don’t really care what people think of them and you’re loud and … whatever! But here—maybe it’s the kind of clubs I’ve been to, like Velvet, Zouk or Attica—it all seems like you absolutely have to be beautiful.”
According to Durex Global Sex Survey 2005, Singaporeans have been doing the horizontal mambo even less than before. Couples tend to attribute this to busier work schedules or the flames of the relationship dying, but singles have their own set of reasons.
A relationship seems to be more important than just “doing it.” Sure, sex may still be a priority to some, like Frank, who says that he’s always looking to score, but “finding the one is just an added bonus for me.”
However, he seems to be in the minority. Some singles may indulge in a one-night stand here and there, but it seems that most of them are more concerned with just finding someone nice. “I think we’re all kind of looking for the ‘one,’ but when you pick up someone from a club, you doubt that she’s it,” says Miguel, a 25-year-old car salesman.
“I’m a woman of substance,” adds Stephanie, a 31-year-old makeup artist. “Only the morally challenged tarts go for one-night stands. I mean, it’s so shallow. And at the end of the day, what’s the point to it? I honestly think that the sex with someone that you’ve known for more than just a couple of hours is probably a hell of a lot better anyway. And more than anything else, I don’t want the sheer nastiness of unearthing ‘cauliflowers and cheese’ during The Age of Disease.”
Stephanie’s concerns about contracting an STD certainly don’t seem unfounded. ACPG’s Sex Survey results revealed 11 percent of the local respondents had contracted an STD. While Durex’s Global Sex Survey 2005 revealed almost half (47 percent) of all adults globally have had unprotected sex without knowing their partner’s sexual history (in Singapore the rate is 41 percent). Whether it’s a one-nighter or with someone you’ve been out with a couple of times, a lot of singles here don’t seem keen on strapping on their “crash helmets.”
“I just can’t function with rubber,” says Frank with a laugh. “It’s like, you strap it on and it’s suffocating. I know it’s not the most politically correct answer, but I’ve got to be honest—I just can’t.” Miguel says “I would say that it’s a big ‘yes’ on using protection, unless you’ve already done it with that person on a few occasions.”
Eileen, however, is firm on her stance: If it doesn’t go on, then there’s no way anything’s going to happen. “I know a lot of women would close one eye based on what the guy looks like,” says Eileen. “Like, if you seem the ‘good boy’ type, then they’ll assume you’re clean. But for me, personally, if it’s someone casual, then please, please, please put one on because I have no idea who you’ve been with!” She adds: “The only time I’ll ever go without rubber is when I’m in a steady monogamous relationship. And even then, I’ll still take precautions against getting pregnant.”
If there was a topic that really divides the crowd, it’s the actual act of picking someone up. Everyone has their own super secret method of seduction, but the most popular (though not necessarily effective) seems to be Frank’s. “How you doin’?” he says in his most suave tone with a cheeky wink. Everyone bursts out laughing and the secrets start spilling.
“Nothing turns guys off more than pretty girls who can’t hold their own during conversations about politics and the economy. So know your IPOs from your VPLs!” swears Stephanie. Not so, says Eileen. “Are you kidding? There’s no way you need to go that far,” she says. “For most of the guys in Singapore, if a chick was to go up to them and she was just reasonably decent looking, they would just take it. You don’t need to do anything extra, no real methods you need to learn. Just say ‘Hi’ and smile at them and they’re on you like rabid wolves.”
Back on the testosterone team, Tom elaborates on his moves. “My favorite’s staring blankly into her eyes for, like, two seconds … then looking away,” he explains with a look of intense concentration. “Do this every once in a while, then smile to yourself as you look away. Not so much of an ‘I wonder what she’ll look like without that shirt on’ kind of smile, but more of a ‘Darn! She saw me looking’ bashful sort of smile,” he ends with a cocky wink.
The laughs die down a little as we move into the delicate topic of race. If there still is a social stigma on interracial dating, it’s hard to tell. As Frank jokingly puts it, “Race? Hell, man, if you’ve got a pulse, I’m there!”
“Beauty, for me, isn’t categorized by skin color,” agrees Tom, slightly more seriously. Stephanie does specify that she prefers local Chinese men, but adds that it doesn’t play as big a factor as their ability to just communicate well. “I’m definitely all for musically knowledgeable guys with that tinge of mission schooled smugness and who speak great English,” she says.
Most people are open to anyone as long as they’re a decent enough person, it seems. When probed further, however, Miguel does specify a strict preference, though it isn’t a matter of skin tone. “In the long run, I’m more concerned about religion,” he says firmly. “Call me a traditionalist, but I’m not going to convert for anyone. It’s just the way I was brought up.”
So, you’ve met someone. Then comes the first date. Everyone has their own ideals of what that dream outing’s like, but the surprise is that it really is quite simple.
“As long as there’s chemistry, that first date’s all good,” says Miguel. “Dinner gives a good opportunity for the potential couple to get to know each other through conversation,” says Stephanie. “Movies are ideal for testing the physical chemistry, because the dim lighting and conducive proximity can really help to speed up the combustion, should there be one.” On a sleazier note, Tom informs the crowd (without the slightest hint of care) that his ideal get-together is “to mate on the first date.”
Yet, as simple as dating sounds, it’s amazing how much can go wrong. Everyone’s got their fair share of dating horror stories.
Amelie relates about getting her ears filled with saliva, and Stephanie talks about having her date actually calculate to the very last cent how much she owed him for dinner, but what takes the cake is Frank’s tale of awkwardness. “My brother set me up with this girl, who was 16 at the time. I was about 18, maybe 20,” he relates. “Now, I very seldom wear a t-shirt and a shirt over it, but I had this checkered shirt, and I wore that to meet her at Centrepoint. She was wearing the exact same thing. We sat down and got to talking and, lo and behold, my camp friend pops out of nowhere. And I’m sitting there talking to her and this guy says, ‘Who’s that? Your sister?’ The date was pretty much over by then,” he ends with a groan.
“Freedom!” everyone yells out, almost simultaneously before we can even finish the question. If there was one thing that the eight really enjoyed about being single, the complete lack of commitment to anyone else seemed to be it.
“It’s just nice not having to answer for anything,” says Natalie. “Your time is your own.” Rebecca agrees. “I think when you’re single is when you take a lot of effort to do different things. When you’re a couple, you sort of get into a comfort zone and you do the same things with the same person.”
But it’s not all livin’ la vida loca for the singles in Singapore. Yes, they agree that not having anyone tie them down is great, but most of them would trade it all in for … a feeling. They speak of it in very vague terms, but everyone knows what everyone else is talking about. There’s a certain irreplaceable joy in being with a partner, and that’s what really gets to them about singlehood.
“I really hate that lonely feeling you get sometimes, when you’re just chilling by yourself,” says Miguel somberly. “It’s not so bad when you’re surrounded by friends, but when you’re on your own, it just hits you.”
“The lack of copious amounts of sex!” laughs Frank, but continues in a more serious tone, “There is a strong longing for someone who really understands you that you can relate and talk to. Someone more than just a friend, you know?”
When it comes down to it, everyone, it seems, sees the single life as a means to an end. Marriage is on everyone’s mind and no one has any qualms about it. “Of course I want to get married eventually,” says Natalie. “I don’t want to end up being Bridget Jones!”
For most at the table, the factor of parents pushing them into marriage doesn’t really play much of a part. “I won’t allow anyone to pressure me into something as huge and as life-changing as marriage,” says Eileen. “It’s a big decision, and it’s my life, not my parents’. If I’m ready, I’ll do it. If not, I won’t. No matter how much you nag.”
The main concern when it comes to marriage, however, seems to be that sense of self and whether it will be lost in the long run. Frank feels that it can’t be helped. “Devoting yourself to the family and the kids—that’s what you’re supposed to do,” he says.
Natalie even relishes the thought, saying the idea of the soccer mom life appeals to her. But she seems to be in the minority. Singles seem to want to keep their identities when they utter the magic words of “I do” and a lot of them truly believe that it’s possible.
Eileen says that it’s all a matter of working at it with your significant other. “I want to have kids, yes, but it’s a very thin line between having kids and devoting your entire life to your kids,” she says. “You don’t have to forget about yourself and your life. You need to be with that one person who understands that they have to give you a stab at having a healthy normal life too.”
And that’s what it really boils down to—that ever-elusive right one. There isn’t a doubt that everyone at the table is looking for that someone special. And heck, the ACPG Sex Survey results revealed that 61.9 percent of men believe in love at first sight, compared to 54 percent of women. For all the banter about one-nighters and playing the field, at the end of it, they would all like to be with that person who fits them perfectly.
Whether or not they can find that person, however, is a completely different story. They mostly agree that if given the choice they would never settle for just anyone, but the reality is that they understand that it may not be their choice to make. “I think looking for ‘the one’ is actually quite unrealistic. I may be a dreamer, but I still have my feet on the ground,” says Amelie.
But there is also hope among them. As clichéd as it may sound, romance isn’t dead. “I believe that no matter what, you should always marry for love,” says Eileen. “Sure, there are other practical considerations and I’m not saying to dismiss those, but always–always –make sure you truly love the person you’re marrying.”
“Marriage,” Frank says in a slow careful voice, bringing the discussions to a quiet close, “is sacred. Most singles are being pressured so much that they get married to shut people up. And when the shit hits the fan, that’s how the rut sets in and how it festers and you end up hating your wife. I’d rather wait for someone who’s, at the very least, the one closest to the one.”
Advertisement
For those who are hopeless when it comes to picking up total strangers, the friend-of-a-friend concept is the beacon of hope for anyone looking to meet new people. It’s certainly a lot less awkward and there’s the added benefit of having a mutual acquaintance completely exaggerate all your positive attributes. The Kevin Bacon Game, Six Degrees of Separation—whatever you want to call it—it’s this concept which social networking sites are based on. If you’re looking for love in all the wrong places, you might just want to bookmark these sites.
You don’t just make friends online anymore; you Friendster them. The first and still one of the most popular social networking sites, with more than 24 million members worldwide, Friendster is designed so that the closer you’re connected to someone, the easier it is to get to know them, which sort of works as a screen for stalkers as well.
The ability for members to leave their friends testimonials and the bulletin board are arguably the site’s most popular features, but it also delivers other impressive functions such as blog hosting, private messaging, the ability to start your own discussion groups and a large capacity for photo storing.
Browsing the membership base is pretty straightforward and, honestly, a little addictive. Whether you’re looking for anyone who’s into that band you really dig or simply for someone that’s just downright hot, you’re probably going to find them here.
The coolest thing about Friendster, though, is simply the fact that practically everyone we know—and everyone they know—is using it. It may be trailing behind a few other similar sites on a global scale, but over here, Friendster is still the place to get to know people online.
Formed in January 2004 and once considered nothing more than “that other Friendster,” MySpace’s membership has nearly doubled that of its precursor over the last year or so, with 47.3 million members all around the world.
While still relatively less popular locally than Friendster, MySpace certainly has made waves overseas, particularly among the more alternative crowd—artists, photographers, fetishists and even fictional characters have MySpace homepages. Looking for that certain someone whom you’ve been waiting for all your life won’t really be much of a problem if you’re cool with that person very likely living halfway around the world. Or potentially not even existing.
MySpace’s features are pretty similar to Friendster’s, but the main draw of the site is that musical artists from practically every genre are using its bulletin boards and blogs to keep in touch with their fans.
A real pain about MySpace, though, is that it’s practically littered with pop-ups. Even with our blocker on, some parts of the site send up to two ads at a time into our face. It’s generally as easy to work with as Friendster, but these distractions interrupt our browsing a little.
In the end, MySpace isn’t nearly as conducive for hooking up as it is for you to just meet people in general. But that still doesn’t make it any less fun.
At the other end of the spectrum, WhoLivesNearYou is designed to help you hook up with people a lot closer to home. How much closer, you ask? Try right next door.
Working in a slightly different way from other social networking sites, WhoLivesNearYou keeps you connected to others not based on who you know, but—you guessed it—who lives near you. We thought that this was a pretty interesting concept, keeping a similar vibe to Friendster or MySpace, but also incorporating a sort of kampong feel to it.
The site’s got a casual and laidback vibe. If some one-on-one time with that hottie whom you’ve seen walking her dog in the park seems a little intimidating, there’s always the Coffee Shop, the site’s message board function that let’s you get to know your neighbors through… well, coffee shop talk.
We were a little irked, however, when we found out that, if you want to send another user a private message or even view their profile, you’re going to have to cough up SGD$2 per year to be part of their Verified Account. Sure, it does keep out the trouble-making trolls and it is only $2, but considering other social networking sites are completely free, this was a slight turn off.
Some other features that come with the Verified Account include being notified of new neighbors, those who have moved out of your neighborhood, and even info on how far you live from your friends.
It may not be nearly as popular as either Friendster or MySpace, but, if you’re willing to fork out the cash, WhoLivesNearYou is quite an effective and relaxed way of meeting new people online.
Yes, Asia City Friends is indeed part of our publishing company’s homepage, but hold those groans for a minute, OK?
Although it was launched only in November 2005, Asia City Friends already has a focused base of over 850 (and growing) members from all across the region.
The site sets itself apart from its predecessors simply by being much more Asia-centric. Sure, it has members from the US and Europe, but browse through the users and you’re going to find that the majority of them are our regional neighbors. Signing up with Asia City Friends means you can swap tickets to events, find a buddy to go out with or find out about events you can tag along to. There’s also a blog host, as well as a reasonably sized place to store your photos.
The website also provides PDFs to all of the company’s regional magazines, restaurant reviews (you can write in your own reviews and ratings), updates of upcoming regional events, as well as exclusive shopping discounts and privileges.
It’s still too early to tell how Asia City Friends is going to match up to other social networking sites, especially considering how steep the competition is, but it’s certainly off to a good start with all the essential features, as well as a little bit more.
It’s a bit hard to recommend which of these is the best to meet that certain someone; that really depends on what sort of person you’re looking for. Whichever you choose, suddenly Cupid’s digitally enhanced arrow flies a lot further.
Advertisement
Integrated with the latest version of Yahoo! Messenger, Yahoo! Messenger with Voice offers one of the most affordable rates for overseas calls thus far, with a clarity that could rival your own mobile phone. Believe us—we’ve tried.
URL: http://sg.beta.messenger.yahoo.com/
Other Features: Instant messaging; PC-to-PC video and audio conversations; the capability to transfer your files and share your photos with other users; the option to send text messages to mobile phones; games; quick access to your Yahoo! email account; and a voicemail feature.
System Requirements: Microsoft Windows 98/2000/Me/XP; a Pentium class processor; Microsoft Internet Explorer (version 5 or later); at least 64MB of RAM; a non-proxy connection to the Internet; a microphone; sound card; and speakers; DSP Group TrueSpeechTM audio compression (CODEC) software; and a valid credit card.
Total Cost: To make PC-to-Phone calls, you will need to sign up for either a SGD$15 or SGD$40 prepaid account. The rate for local calls is SGD$0.019 per minute for both LAN lines and mobile phones. Check their complete list of international rates here: http://sg.voice.yahoo.com/phone_rates.php.
Ease of Installation: The service can be installed in a simple three-step process and will take you no more than a couple of minutes.
Ease of Use: Yahoo! has always prided themselves on their user-friendliness. Even the most hesitant technophobe shouldn’t have a problem working the service.
Conclusion: Still thinking about whether to try out Yahoo! Messenger with Voice? Why? It’s incredibly affordable, and it’s downright fun to use.
Best known as the Estonian-based company behind the controversial file sharing service Kazaa, Skype is Yahoo!’s closest rival with Skypeout, its own PC-to-Phone program. Not only available through prepaid accounts, but also the alternative of price per minute rates, Skypeout is more suitable for anyone who doesn’t use VoIP as often.
URL: http://www.skype.com
Other Features: PC-to-PC audio and video capabilities; a voicemail service; an instant messaging (IM) function; and, most importantly, automatic encryption for everything that is sent out through the program to ensure a strict level of safety and privacy.
System Requirements: Windows: a PC running Windows 2000 or XP (though the video feature requires Windows XP); an Internet connection (broadband is recommended); a webcam for video calls; at least 400 MHz processor; 128 MB of RAM and 15 MB free disk space. Mac OS X: Macintosh computer with G3, G4 or G5 processor; Mac OS X v10.3 Panther or newer; 128 MB of RAM; 20 MB free disk space on your hard drive; and an Internet connection. Linux: a 400 MHz processor; 128 MB of RAM; 10 MB free disk space; a sound card, and an Internet connection. Pocket PC: Windows Mobile 5.0 or 2003 for Pocket PC; 312 MHz processor and your device should be WiFi, 3G or EDGE enabled. Regardless of the system you’re using, you will, of course, still need a valid credit card, speakers and a microphone (or a headset).
Total Cost: Prepaid Skypeout accounts are available at €10 (SGD$20) and €25 (SGD$50). The rate for local calls are €0.025 (SGD$0.051) per minute for LAN lines and €0.029 (SGD$0.060) for mobile phones. Check their complete list of international rates here: http://www.skype.com/products/skypeout/rates/all_rates.html.
Ease of Installation: The only hitch we can think of is, when choosing a prepaid account local users might be turned off by prices being presented only in Euros, proving to be a slight inconvenience before deciding on the most suitable option.
Ease of Use: Getting used to the program is no problem at all; the interface is as friendly to new users as is possible.
Conclusion: Focused more specifically on making VoIP accessible to the uninitiated, Skype is a pretty good place to start for those of you who are still uncertain of PC-to-Phone calling.
The good thing about Net2Phone is that unlike Skypeout or Yahoo! Messenger with Voice, you decide how much money to add into your PC-to-Phone account. You might want to plan wisely though, as after 90 days, your funds in the account will expire if you don’t make any calls. The sound quality has kept up with the standard over the years, so clarity is not a problem and the program’s interface is pretty straightforward to use.
URL: http://www.net2phone.com
Other Features: PC-to-PC and IM, as well as a PC-to-Fax function.
System Requirements: Windows 95/98/2000/Me/NT/XP; a sound card; speakers and microphone (or a headset). Once again, a valid credit card is a must.
Total Cost: The amount of money you put into your account depends on you completely. The rate for local calls is US$0.079 (SGD$0.128) for LAN lines and US$0.15 (SGD$0.24) for mobile phones, as well as US$0.10 (SGD$0.16) for local faxes. Check their complete list of international rates here: http://dcs.net2phone.com/consumer/commcenter/rates.asp.
Ease of Installation: The process is pretty clear-cut. Like Skype, however, all amounts are in foreign currency, but other than that don’t expect any hassle during set-up.
Ease of Use: New users should become accustomed to its ins and outs in no time.
Conclusion: Net2Phone seems content to be better known for its efficiency than its flashiness, and that works fine for its users, both new and old.
NetTelephone is one of the most focused VoIP services that we’ve come across, devoting most of its attention on PC-to-Phone functions. But all that attention does pay off, resulting in a very specific but well-rounded program. Oddly enough though, there is no option to make PC-to-PC calls.
URL: http://www.nettelephone.com
Other Features: One of the most prominent features is the NetTelephone Incoming Call Service, which provides you with your own NetTelephone number that anyone can call in to. Web CallBack allows you to make your international calls using your LAN line or mobile phone. The rates are higher than the PC-to-Phone function, but are still very reasonable.
System Requirements: Windows 98/Me/NT/2000/XP; 33 kbps+ Internet Connection; a NetTelephone Calling Account; a headset, and a valid credit card.
Total Cost: Local calls will set you back US$0.022 (SGD$0.036) for both LAN lines and mobile phones. A Web CallBack local call from one LAN line to another would cost US$0.044 (SGD$0.071). Check their complete list of international rates for calls and faxes here: http://www.nettelephone.com/callingrates.html, while Web CallBack rates are available here: http://www.nettelephone.com/nettcallback.html.
Ease of Installation: It’s a pretty basic set-up, with the exception of the currencies being in US dollars.
Ease of Use: The interface is pretty basic, so it shouldn’t be anything out of the ordinary for any kind of user. The Web CallBack may sound a little complex when they explain the process to you on the site, but it won’t be long before you get the hang of it.
Conclusion: If you’re looking for a program that mixes all sorts of methods of online communication, you’re in the wrong place. But anyone interested solely in PC-to-Phone calling is going to find NetTelephone perfectly suited to their needs.
Advertisement
V For Vendetta is a thoroughly entertaining, but fans of the original comic book may be disgruntled.
Whether it’s the loyalists’ feeling of discontent over the treatment of the original graphic novel by Alan Moore and David Lloyd, or the politically-charged themes that are raised, it’s quite an understatement to say that V For Vendetta is bound to be one very talked about movie.
A plot that doesn’t make sense doesn’t deter Gozu from being thoroughly entertaining, though it’s still nonsensical and rather disturbing.
