A gift from Fong Long

I know you are thirsty, I know you have been waiting, and I'm sorry to say, but you might be disappointed. I cannot find my Sony Ericsson special USB cable adaptor thing, so I can't upload any pictures this week! However, considering the pimp of the week, it should be fine.

I have to be honest. The way the phones in the office are programmed is starting to short circuit my brain. When it rings, all the phones ring in sequence, with different ring tones (pitches) until somebody picks up, which is not always. I was mentioning the words "purchase" and "headset" one day, and ding! A reaction! My good friend Fong Long came to rescue my sanity, offering me his super deluxolicious headset, which he produced from his top drawer. There it was, this technological gem, and it had been there, unused for so many months. I could no sooner grab it and plug it in my computer, fire up iTunes and let the music boom. So long ringing phones.

Thank you Fong Long.

A Swede in Singapore, Part 3
I recently had the pleasure to enjoy one of the great benefits of living here, a travel hub on the equator. 3 hours and 20 miutes straight east - across the vast jungles of Kalimantan and the rugged coastline of Northern Sulawesi, fringed with volcanic cones and unspoilt nature - lies a postcard perfect cluster of islands around Manado; one of them Bangka.

I have said it before - life on isolated islands is incredibly relaxing. Life on Bangka is no exception. With its perfect crescents of white sandy beaches, tall and slender coconut trees and azure, transparent waters packed with surreal coral gardens, it's a vacationer's heaven. The most famous part, however, is under the surface, in the deepths of the South China Sea. The diving here is beyond excellent, and has a very good worldwide reputation.

For a guy like me, being able to go to these places so easily more than makes up for my three weeks of vacation per year. 3-4 days can feel like 1-2 weeks, simply because it's so relaxing, and adventure is lurking around the corner.

When those places are out of reach, Singapore offers sweet weekend beaching as well. Yes, the Singaporeans don't like it much, the rest of the South East Asians only see how inferior it is to their own beaches, but it's really nice to have so close. Besides, they hate to be in the sun, and we love it. It takes me 30 minutes to get out to Sentosa by public transport, and I have already purchased my beach-nerdy Islander Card :) (again, thanks Fong Long)

Finishing up now before going to bed. I'm in my couch, using my brand new 24" widescreen Samsung monitor (yeehaw), it's the usual 27-28C - more in the apartment, and I still haven't gotten around to get a fan. Oh dear, oh dear. Tomorrow, I'll get my recently ordered desk and chair! Not a moment too soon. I'm feeling that my creativity at home is being set back when I have to sit with the laptop in the couch. It will be very nice to once again have a proper work environment.

Until next time...

The Gardening Suite

I've been thinking how to start this adventure in an easy way. I needed some colors in there, badly, and so my mind found plants being a good option. As a response, I have now allocated about 450 acres of the east wing for building a lush indoors garden, with waterfalls, canopy walks, mushroom and dried leaves - a haven for wildlife. The project is estimated to cost a whopping S$20 and is scheduled to be completed sometime in the year of 2008. It is by far the biggest indoors cubicle gardening project in the Ascade APAC office.

As seen in the pictures, I also found a very amusing newspaper article which I had to put up for inspiration. Ah, these bright green creations shall save me.











A Swede in Singapore, Part 2
To be treated with respect, to feel safe and secure, to have things working and being in order, and to still meet open-minded people with interesting views to share. Perhaps it's still my initial reactions talking (after all, it has only been little more than a month), but I do feel these things, and it's certainly a positive feeling. Many people would say that with more control and more order there will be less innovations and less artistical and esthetical freedom, less creativity - a more static community. I have no idea what the art scene here is like, but if I look at some of the reasons why I decided to leave Sweden, I can say that here I do get away from many of them.

Home is not necessarily one's castle here. I feel that sometimes, it's easier to organize little gatherings. This is surprising to me, considering that Asian cultures put more weight on family matters. Of course I don't have the same close friends, yet, but perhaps with some time; or maybe I will never, unless we speak the same native tounge? Is being able to use all possible nuances of a language necessary to get to know a person that well?

Do I feel restricted here? No.
Do I feel like I get special treatment as a westerner? Sometimes.
Do I feel any resent towards me because of my origin? Yes, but it feels hidden beneath the social structure.

I have found that Singapore, or South East Asia in general, is quite "openly" racist. More so than Sweden, less so than other places. It's not in your face, but it's between the lines and it's behind backs. It seems like there are a lot of presumptions about certain races, depending on where you come from. As if you're expected to think a certain way about others, as if society demands it.

I have been reading quite a lot about future developments in Singapore over the coming 10 years, and man, I am now officially a Future Development Nerd! There is so much going on, with cranes, concrete and guys in yellow helmets everywhere. And they are good at it - really good. The plans for this city are mind boggling. Perhaps not as crazy as Dubai, but still, it is impressive to say the least. It will be fun to live in such an expansive area and it makes me want to stay those 10 years just to see it and live it.

At the same time as I enjoy movement, things happening, the cityscape, I am a person who really enjoy raw nature. At the same time as I want them to build faster, I want them to stop, completely. Don't lay another square meter of asphalt, don't mix another kilo of concrete, and please don't build two new highways. However, I have discovered more and more recycling bins around the city (some close to my home), as well as advertisement for energy efficient housing and promotions for using public transport to save our environment - and that makes me happy.

For some heads-up on Singapore future development, check this very interesting compilation.

Until next time, live well.

The original and best

"The original and best" - from where is that slogan again? Ketchup? Cameras? Golf balls? I cannot remember, but it reflects what I want to show with this first post - the first in a whole oddessey.

This is what my little cubicle looks like right now, in its original state. Stylishly colored like the rainy Monday skies, walls tall enough to hide everything but the scalps of my coworkers, and a phone that is set to ring about40 times per day, as a part of a broader office symphony of chained telephony.

No, this is not an environment to be creative in. Something has to be done. It is time... time to pimp the cubicle!

Every week from now on, I will add a new feature to my cubicle to make it stimulate my senses more. What will it be? Stay tuned, and the secrets shall be revealed. The original, yes; the best, no way.

A Swede in Singapore, Part 1
I am at home now, listening to the sounds of the city; the workers downstairs chopping their way through concrete, as they do every day; the chanting from the mosque outside; the traffic passing by on Sims Avenue like worms of light; some concert in the distance. I keep all my windows open to get some breeze. No fan. No AC. I want to get more used to the equatorial climate. I must live with my home, in my home, not against it.

A lonely floor light gives me illumination from the corner of the room, shooting its rays across the shiny wooden floor, the huge panorama windows and my glass of ice water. A hanging towel indicates that there is some movement in the air.

I have been here for four weeks now, but I'm not sure I understand I'm here yet. Sometimes, you hop on the train of Gut Feeling, and it takes you wherever. My gut feeling was Singapore, that I will discover many new adventures here. I will never forget how it felt when the transfer was finally, officially approved. I was at work, had the talk, and I felt... afraid. And then, adrenalin. Pumping. Or perhaps the moment when my plane once again dipped under the clouds, revealing the skyline, the lights, this small island with all its diversity, this melting pot of cultures - and I realized I was going home, not away.

Every day is an adventure, and I embrace it with open arms. Until next time.