The wistfulness of an expat.

Sometimes shopping is not just shopping, sometimes it is reminiscence.

Last week I bought something for a very strange reason. I didn't buy it because I wanted the contents of the container, per se - I wanted it because of what it said on the container: "Waitrose".

Now, "Waitrose" may not mean much to you, but to me it means: childhood, adolescence and youth.

I should explain. The supermarket nearest my longest term home, in my formative years, was a Waitrose. It is a chain of supermarkets in the UK. It is by no means the biggest chain of supermarkets - but it is the one that I visited most often, it being on our doorstep.

So perhaps you can now understand my reaction when I saw that familiar brand staring back at me from a pot of jam in Cold Storage in Singapore. "Waitrose", it said...so I found my hand reaching out reflexively to this otherwise unremarkable pot of jam, reaching out to recapture a part of my earlier life.

It felt odd to see a name from my youth, in the UK, on a pot of jam, in Singapore. It felt as if, for a moment, I had stepped back in time, to that earlier home, and that I was no longer in Singapore, with my own family, and my own home. I picked it up, not because I felt like eating jam - for I am not a regular eater of jam, and had only eaten it once or twice in the past several years - but because it was a way of reconnecting myself to my younger days.

The following morning, I had Waitrose jam on toast for breakfast. It tasted rather good - but for reasons unconnected to its flavour - it was all the associations it had, that made it meaningful.

Singapore is a very alien country, compared to the UK, given its origin as a British colony. It is much less like the UK than one would have thought, given that history. A Chinese way of thinking pervades the way things are done here - and the result is altogether different from what one might expect.

Thus, I don't expect to see fragments of the UK appearing in Singapore - and when I do, they are welcome, for they remind me that once I had another life, with other thoughts and understandings. Once I lived in the UK and could never have guessed that, one day, I would live in Singapore.

Life is strange like that.

(If you would like to learn more of Ainan Celeste Cawley, a scientific child prodigy, aged eight years and seven months, or his gifted brothers, Fintan, five years exactly, and Tiarnan, twenty-eight months, please go to: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2006/10/scientific-child-prodigy-guide.html I also write of gifted education, IQ, intelligence, the Irish, the Malays, Singapore, College, University, Chemistry, Science, genetics, left-handedness, precocity, child prodigy, child genius, baby genius, adult genius, savant, wunderkind, wonderkind, genio, гений ребенок prodigy, genie, μεγαλοφυία θαύμα παιδιών, bambino, kind.

We are the founders of Genghis Can, a copywriting, editing and proofreading agency, that handles all kinds of work, including technical and scientific material. If you need such services, or know someone who does, please go to: http://www.genghiscan.com/ Thanks.)

The Retro Kid "Hippy".

There is a hippy in our house. He is very short but definitely a hippy.

He doesn't have long hair. He has curly hair. It is not his fault if it won't grow long in the traditional hippy manner. However, he has a signature which is definitely pure "hippiness".

I heard it today. He was trying to load his favourite computer game onto my computer (which he usurped with great, unchallengeable authority, by simply ignoring me), when something untoward happened: there was nothing but silence at the opening credits - the sound was down.

"Oh Maaaan!", he said, just like a Sixties hippy would have done, in the same circumstance. He said it again, a moment later, when something else wasn't right: "Oh Man!".

The "hippy" of the house is little Tiarnan, aged two. It is hilarious to hear this little boy of the 21st Century sounding so much like a hippy of the sixties, in his choice of words - and the long, lazy way in which he says this catchphrase. The mystery of it is where he ever heard the phrase at all: you see, none of us have ever said it around him, or indeed at all. We just don't say: "Oh Man!"

I can only presume that he must have heard it on television once, and now echoed not only the phrase, but the manner of its phrasing - the pacing, the long drawn out expression and the stress on "Man". The whole effect is that one is in the presence of a toddler hippy.

It is a funny household in which even the littlest ones sometimes seem like little old men. Or should I say: "Oh Man!"

(If you would like to learn more of Ainan Celeste Cawley, a scientific child prodigy, aged eight years and seven months, or his gifted brothers, Fintan, five years exactly, and Tiarnan, twenty-eight months, please go to: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2006/10/scientific-child-prodigy-guide.html I also write of gifted education, IQ, intelligence, the Irish, the Malays, Singapore, College, University, Chemistry, Science, genetics, left-handedness, precocity, child prodigy, child genius, baby genius, adult genius, savant, wunderkind, wonderkind, genio, гений ребенок prodigy, genie, μεγαλοφυία θαύμα παιδιών, bambino, kind.

We are the founders of Genghis Can, a copywriting, editing and proofreading agency, that handles all kinds of work, including technical and scientific material. If you need such services, or know someone who does, please go to: http://www.genghiscan.com/ Thanks.)

Unexpected entrepreneurialism in the young.

I have posted before about the lack of entrepreneurialism shown by Singaporeans in general - as evidenced by the lack of them in situations where one would expect them to be present. Once, however, I found myself surprised by an unexpected entrepreneur.

I was in a school where I had been teaching. After the class had finished I waited with one of the school's teachers, for the other teachers to convene. While I waited, a student approached the teacher and presented a catalogue to her. He then began to talk quietly to her, about a product he wanted her to buy. I studied the catalogue more closely and noted the presence of one word on the outside cover: "Amway". Ah...our young student was promoting a network marketing opportunity.

I was immediately struck by the oddness of the moment. Here was a student pitching his own teacher into a business opportunity. Somehow he had managed to reverse the roles. Though she was his teacher, he was teaching her - in this case, of the ways she would benefit in buying products through him. She listened carefully to his words. She nodded on occasions as if she either understood what he said - or agreed with him. In the end, it was clear that he had made some kind of sale, because she asked questions about the product, and indicated that she wanted some of it. It was amazing to watch, in its own way.

Then, as she left, he approached me and enquired as to my name, introduced himself and offered a card, saying: "I have my own business."

His card was coy. It didn't mention network marketing at all - and it gave the impression of being global. I did note something that explained something to me: this boy wasn't Singaporean at all - he was Malaysian, for such was the address given. He was, to be more specific, a Malaysian Chinese boy. I was struck by the entrepreneurialism he showed. I was also struck by a feeling that it was inappropriate of him to be engaging in business, on the school grounds: it seemed to transgress the sanctity of education.

I didn't comment. It wasn't my place to do so - for I was just an external consultant. His teacher hadn't seemed to mind, though.

Yet, his actions did show a certain resourcefulness. He was turning the school grounds into one big business opportunity. While others were studying - he was turning his teachers into customers - and trying to do so with any guest teachers, too.

There is, however, a danger in this boy's nascent entrepreneurial career. His attention is likely not to be so much on his academic work, but on how to persuade Teacher X to either buy his wares, or become a member of his network. This means that for him the school is no longer a place of education, but has become a marketplace. It is likely, therefore, that what he gains in personal income, he might lose in academic growth. He might swap an education, for an income, in a way that might curtail his overall potential.

It is true, however, that the kind of opportunism he is showing reveals a character likely to succeed in life, in the commercial sense, if in no other.

So, this one incident is a hint that, although Singapore might be lacking in its own entrepreneurs, some, among the imported student "talent" might very well be instinctive entrepreneurs.

This is the only time in my life that I have been given a business card, by a secondary school student. He hadn't even taken his O levels yet. It feels quite odd, in a way - for the last thing one expects in a student is for them to attempt to sell one something.

The love and pursuit of money really do seem to begin a little too early in this part of the world.

I am left to wonder one thing: does this young boy's sponsor in the Amway business know he is still in school? Does his sponsor realize the effect this distraction from the true purpose of school might have on his education? Is it the sponsor's policy and strategy to seek out schoolchildren to join his network? There is the making of a scandal here, a moral one, at the least. I wonder what is Amway's official stand on this kind of thing?

(If you would like to learn more of Ainan Celeste Cawley, a scientific child prodigy, aged eight years and seven months, or his gifted brothers, Fintan, five years exactly, and Tiarnan, twenty-eight months, please go to: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2006/10/scientific-child-prodigy-guide.html I also write of gifted education, IQ, intelligence, the Irish, the Malays, Singapore, College, University, Chemistry, Science, genetics, left-handedness, precocity, child prodigy, child genius, baby genius, adult genius, savant, wunderkind, wonderkind, genio, гений ребенок prodigy, genie, μεγαλοφυία θαύμα παιδιών, bambino, kind.

We are the founders of Genghis Can, a copywriting, editing and proofreading agency, that handles all kinds of work, including technical and scientific material. If you need such services, or know someone who does, please go to: http://www.genghiscan.com/ Thanks.)

How not to secure a publisher.

Many, many years ago, when I still thought of life as long, I was in the Chelsea Arts Club, in London.

It was around Christmas time, and there was a party going on. I was a guest of a friend of mine who worked at the Club and was not, myself, a member.

I remember one balding and earnest looking man approaching the padded couch where I sat, by a convenient table. He looked at me, a little unsure of himself, holding his drink - and asked: "Is it OK if I sit here?"

I nodded.

"I thought I should ask," he went on, still a little unsure of himself, "because I am not a member, you know."

Neither was I - but I wasn't going to advertise the fact, as he was doing. Clearly, he felt out of place.

We began to chat. It was Christmas and even the English are friendly, at that time.

He was an amiable man and we seemed to be getting along well. Then I asked him what he did.

"I'm a publisher.", he said, without any idea that this might be a problem for him.

"Oh? I write." I said, without any idea that this might be a problem for me.

He cringed a little, almost too quickly for me to see and visibly pulled back in his seat. I understood, at once, why: he feared that I was just about to launch upon the "I've written a book..." spiel that he must have encountered too many times before. Here was a publisher, out for the night, with no desire to be pitched, yet again, for business.

I noted his reaction - and changed the subject. I didn't tell him anything of my book project, at all. He seemed so relieved and the evening, which had just threatened to become embarrassing, went ahead well.

At the end of our conversation, we didn't even exchange contact details. There was something in me that felt that he wouldn't welcome it, given his avoidance of randomly encountered writers.

However, I did gain something from our meeting. I shall never forget his instinctual cringe at the word "write" - from a man whose livelihood depends on words. Surely, publishers must be a besieged breed, with every writer in the world camped on their doorsteps. It can't be comfortable.

(If you would like to learn more of Ainan Celeste Cawley, a scientific child prodigy, aged eight years and seven months, or his gifted brothers, Fintan, five years exactly, and Tiarnan, twenty-eight months, please go to: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2006/10/scientific-child-prodigy-guide.html I also write of gifted education, IQ, intelligence, the Irish, the Malays, Singapore, College, University, Chemistry, Science, genetics, left-handedness, precocity, child prodigy, child genius, baby genius, adult genius, savant, wunderkind, wonderkind, genio, гений ребенок prodigy, genie, μεγαλοφυία θαύμα παιδιών, bambino, kind.

We are the founders of Genghis Can, a copywriting, editing and proofreading agency, that handles all kinds of work, including technical and scientific material. If you need such services, or know someone who does, please go to: http://www.genghiscan.com/ Thanks.)

The best student writer I have seen.

I have written much about the quality - or lack thereof - of writing amongst the students I have taught, over the years. Rarely, have I seen competency in the most basic of all skills: literacy. However, one student comes to mind as coming closest to what I would consider to be a good writer.

I would like you to think about what kind of person you think this student is. Is this student a scholar? Is this student a girl or a boy? Is this student Chinese, Malay or Indian? In fact, is this student local, at all? Picture the student in your mind. Consider whom you think is most likely to be the best writer I have seen since 1999, while working in Singapore.

The writer in question, is an Indonesian boy.

Were you surprised? Did it upset your preconceived views of who is likely to be the best at a literary task?

When I saw this boy's writing, I was surprised by the vision he showed. He seemed to have a very clear idea of what he wished to say. His writing shone with understanding. Each word was well-chosen and added to the picture he wished to portray. There was also great detail in his writing, detail of observation, thought and feeling. Here, I thought, is someone who knows how to write.

There were occasional blemishes in his work: some words were misspelt, for instance - but overall, he showed great ability in expressing himself with words.

He was a foreign student studying in Singapore, in a normal secondary school. He was not a scholar and was not on any special programme for the "best and brightest" - yet his writing was better than any I had seen since my arrival in Singapore. This made me very curious.

I asked him: "Who taught you to write like that?"

"I taught myself.", he said, quietly, without pride and perhaps without awareness of how good he was.

He had taught himself. That warmed me - and surprised me - in equal measure. I have often observed that the best people at any given task, are often self-taught. The genius of a person can only live when the instructor is oneself.

"It's very good.", I observed, with an encouraging smile. He looked down at his work and up at me in a way that made me understand that few, if any, others had said as much. That is a pity, for his work has much promise.

Since I have come to Singapore, I have observed that quite a few Singaporeans look down on their South-East Asian neighbours as somehow "less" than they are. I have always thought this somewhat unwise. Yes, it is true that Singapore is more developed than the neighbouring countries - that it has organized its economy more efficiently and the infrastructure is good - but and this is a BIG but - that doesn't make the people, themselves, any better than those of their neighbours. Singaporeans risk making serious errors of judgement if they think that they are innately superior to their less developed neighbours.

Consider Indonesia, for instance. Many Singaporeans have an Indonesian maid - and quite a few look down on them - and on all other Indonesians, by association. Yet, this is not a very reasoned approach to the situation. Indonesia is a vast country with 235 million people. That means that Indonesia will have more gifted people in its population than Singapore's entire population put together. What that means is that for every ordinary Singaporean of average intelligence, Indonesia would, by force of sheer numbers alone, be able to counter with a gifted person of high intelligence. To a lesser degree, the same argument applies to the other countries in South-East Asia, some of which are also very populous.

Thus, it makes no sense for Singaporeans ever to look down on any other nation - for those nations can outmatch the whole of Singapore, with relative ease, should they wish to try. What impedes them, of course, are infrastructural, political and economic failings. Were these failings ever rectified, it would not be long before Singapore was drowned out by the much larger voices of its larger neighbours.

Yes, some Indonesians are maids. However, one should not forget that others will be as my former student was: the best student writer I had ever met in Singapore. There is a lesson in that, that wise Singaporeans should learn from. The "superiority" of Singapore is a fragile thing and not really founded on a large body of talented people. It could easily decline. Other nations in South-East Asia have many more gifted people to offer than reside in Singapore. In time, they may be afforded a chance to shine in their own countries. When that time comes, Singapore won't seem as bright as it now appears to be.

(If you would like to learn more of Ainan Celeste Cawley, a scientific child prodigy, aged eight years and seven months, or his gifted brothers, Fintan, five years exactly, and Tiarnan, twenty-eight months, please go to: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2006/10/scientific-child-prodigy-guide.html I also write of gifted education, IQ, intelligence, the Irish, the Malays, Singapore, College, University, Chemistry, Science, genetics, left-handedness, precocity, child prodigy, child genius, baby genius, adult genius, savant, wunderkind, wonderkind, genio, гений ребенок prodigy, genie, μεγαλοφυία θαύμα παιδιών, bambino, kind.

We are the founders of Genghis Can, a copywriting, editing and proofreading agency, that handles all kinds of work, including technical and scientific material. If you need such services, or know someone who does, please go to: http://www.genghiscan.com/ Thanks.)

Not every "change" is a success.

Fintan has a habit of noticing things that other five year olds might overlook. Worse still, where company is concerned, he also has a habit of speaking out about them.

Yesterday, we were watching TV as a family. An advert came on that featured quite a few people engaged in complex conversation. Fintan cocked an ear to this. At the end, a very glamorous model-like woman addressed the male protagonist of the commercial. Suddenly, Fintan turned sharply from the TV and spoke to his mother: "Mummy, that woman talks like a boy!"

Fintan - all of five years old - had spotted a trans-sexual on television. Syahidah and I laughed when we realized he had seen through all of "her"cosmetic surgery. We didn't, however, explain to him just why that "woman" spoke like a boy...it just seemed too delicate a matter to discuss with a five year old.

However, it shows that even a five year old is able to see through such a disguise. It makes one wonder how often such "changes" are actually successful, if a child can notice them - at least this child, anyway.

For those who are reading from afar, I should point out that trans-sexuals are much more common in Asia than they were in London, when I left at the end of the nineties. I don't know the situation there now, however. It is a cultural thing, in this part of the world. Many more young men seem to be choosing to alter their appearance in this way - so they are encountered, in every day life, much more frequently than would be the case in London or, from my observations, America.

This, of course, leads to situations where one may have to explain to one's children why a particular woman is so tall...or has such a low voice. To date, however, I have avoided explaining the issue to my own children: I have just let their observations pass. One day, however, no doubt I will have to explain what is going on. That day, however, is not today.

(If you would like to learn more of Ainan Celeste Cawley, a scientific child prodigy, aged eight years and seven months, or his gifted brothers, Fintan, five years exactly, and Tiarnan, twenty-eight months, please go to: http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2006/10/scientific-child-prodigy-guide.html I also write of gifted education, IQ, intelligence, the Irish, the Malays, Singapore, College, University, Chemistry, Science, genetics, left-handedness, precocity, child prodigy, child genius, baby genius, adult genius, savant, wunderkind, wonderkind, genio, гений ребенок prodigy, genie, μεγαλοφυία θαύμα παιδιών, bambino, kind.

We are the founders of Genghis Can, a copywriting, editing and proofreading agency, that handles all kinds of work, including technical and scientific material. If you need such services, or know someone who does, please go to: http://www.genghiscan.com/ Thanks.)