9 Sin Ming Road

#04-05

575630 Singapore

Singapore

This week’s theme on SR Metropol is Christmas. These are the questions that I could use some input for:

• Is Christmas being celebrated, and if so on the 24th or the 25th?
• How is it being celebrated? With family or with friends?
• Christmas presents: Does everybody get them, or is it a thing just for the kids? How much do people spend?
• What do people eat on Christmas?
• To what extent is the city decorated, and with what?

Anyone have any suggestions?

One of my best friends back home, Erik, works for SR Metropol, the somewhat newly formed local radio station, and as some may know, I do some corresponding from Singapore every tuesday morning at 8.30, Stockholm time (that’s 15.30 Singapore time). What I do is basically compare what Singapore is like to what Stockholm is like in different areas. This week there was no show, but last week we talked about interior design and the week before that it was about fashion. You can find most of it in SR’s 30 day archive.

Next week, the subject is the environment, and here are a couple of questions that I’ll try to answer:

• Hur mycket skrivs och pratas det om det i media?
• How much is being written about the environment in the media?
• Hur mycket är det en snackis privat? På jobbet, på gatorna.
• How much is it being talked about privately? At work, in the streets
• Sopsorterar folk?
• Do people recycle?
• Köper man miljöbilar?
• Do people buy environmentally friendly cars?
• Hur är det med dubbelmoralen? Ex. man köper en bil och försvarar sig med att det är en miljöbil. Eller man pikar sin kompis för att hon slänger en glasflaska i soporna, men tar själv gärna flyget på semestern.
• What about double standards? For example, if you buy a car and defend it by saying it’s environmentally friendly? Or if you give a buddy a hard time for throwing a glass bottle in the garbage, but take a plane when going on vacation?

Any ideas?

Just picked up my new Nokia N95 8Gb yesterday! I know it’s not an iPhone, but it’s still quite impressive, feature wise, although the GUI feels a bit… 1996. I really plan to make good use of the GPS, especially after I get a new bike, sometime next month.

My new number is +65 9188 05 06. Finally no more prepaid! HOORAY.

Today is kitten vaccination day. I can just tell how thrilled she will be.

Ok, latest updates:

• I have my EP! And a bank account with UOB. Now I need a proper cell phone account, but I can’t keep my prepaid number. How’s that for a developed country, huh?
• Was just home in Stockholm for ten days. I didn’t meet even half of the people I wanted to, and I caught a cold. But it was still nice.
• I’m renting out my apartment, from yesterday, to my friend Christoffer. Feels good that it’s not a waste of money being empty, but it also feels a little strange having somebody else staying in it.
• Having a meeting with Ogilvy Singapore tomorrow. Hope to do some work with them. More later.

Quick update, since I’m a lousy blogger trying to redeem myself.

• No news about my new visa, the EntrePass. Just checked the MoM website. They have my application listed as “processing” (feels eerily familiar) since October 2. It is supposed to take them 6-8 weeks of processing. Kinda reminds me of the computer from Invader ZIM. PROCESSING! For my application, I wrote probably the grandest business plan of them all. Check it out (92kb pdf)!
• We’re running out of money. Need to rob a bank and/or elderly person soon. Or sell off some funds. Either way.
• I’m about to go on SR Metropol to talk about the housing situation in Singapore compared to Stockholm.
  

“The appeal may take up to two weeks to process”. Four weeks later, after having placed called daily to the MoM, I manage to reach somebody yesterday who, after a couple of quick questions, talks to a supervisor. Gets back to me and says “Sir, how long has your company been registered for?” “Umm, about 4 months.” “Oh, then I regret to inform you that your appeal was rejected” “Uh, what? Why?” “You need to apply for an Entre Pass, since your company has not been registered for six months.” “But… but… what? It doesn’t say so on your website” “Sorry sir, that’s the rules.” And after a few more seconds of stunned conversation, me being completely confused and angry and disappointed, we hang up.

This is the latest update on Jussi vs Singapore: Met with the MP yesterday, and he was very nice. Didn’t seem overly confident that I’d eventually get my EP, but on the other hand, everyone else seems to think that if I at least have him on my side I should be ok. Spent two hours at the MoM today again, trying to talk to a real person about my EP appeal, but the woman I finally got to see was about as rude as the last one ushering me out with hardly a glance at my forms, no assurances and no visa extensions. I also found out that I wasn’t legible for an extension of the Social Visit Pass I’m on now (with, as usual, no motivation), so Ave and I will head out to KL this weekend.

In other news, I picked up my new 30 inch monitor and new aluminum keyboard (must have been the last one in town), so that’s at least nice. It’s not true that you can’t buy happiness.

After last weeks SNAFUs, things are looking a little brighter as this week begins. My colleague, friend and former teacher Patrik has written a letter on my behalf to the MoM, explaining my education at Forsbergs, which hopefully will serve to persuade people.

If that isn’t enough, the uncle of one of Ave’s best friends is in the parliament, and he has promised to look into my case and write a letter on my behalf. I’m gonna meet up with him tomorrow. I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

Also, I have now some money on the bank here, so we are going to be able to pay rent this month, and I might even be able to get me a few treats. Like an Apple Cinema Display… Mmm.

More news as they develop.

After the news that Latifeh went bankrupt late last week, thus basically probably screwing me and Patrick out of 150k SEK, I today found out that my application for an Employment Pass by the Ministry of Manpower was rejected. I am now working on trying to figure out how to appeal, and how to clarify that my educations at Berghs and Forsbergs are, indeed, together equivalent to a Bachelor’s degree.

God damn it! I don’t have time nor energy nor money for this shit.