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31 December 2013:

What will 2014 bring?

For those of you excitedly awaiting the arrival of 2014, I would like to offer a huge bucket of cold water to dampen your spirits. If one were to adopt a pragmatic look at the world currently, many places are in conflict / in danger of starting a conflict.

1. South Sudan, Central African Republic
South Sudan's in-fighting, is, in Obama's words, at the precipice of a civil war. Essentially, it's a mix of ethnic conflict and political tussles. Yet, it may pit the young country's peoples against one another.

In neighbouring Central African Republic, their conflict is due to religious tensions. Which, again, isn't a good thing for the people there. This may sound propagandic but thank goodness Singapore isn't fraught with such fault lines.

2. China v Japan v South Korea
Something is going to happen between these three countries in 2014 or 2015. My prediction is that China and Japan will go to war in late 2014, and this will spill over to 2015. Judging by the current state of affairs, it's not impossible.

China was recently angered when Japan PM Abe visited the Yazukuni Shrine. Personally, I cannot accept Abe's reasoning as well, that visiting the shrine was a pledge for no more wars. No matter what, China (and South Korea) is bound to get angry.

From what newspapers are saying, Abe plans to change Japan's constitution to a more dominant one that allows an army. China has been showing off its military might in the past two years. All these provide fertile conditions for a military conflict to take place.

3. China, North Korea
All the while I have been sympathetic of N Korea, arguing that it itself is being strangled by the hegemonic and dictatorial America. However, with the execution of Jang Song-thaek, I am less sympathetic to the country, or at least Kim Jong-un.

That guy is a nutcase. Dangerously so, he was thrust into the No. 1 seat when his father died abruptly. There was no training for the job, when it is absolutely necessary, especially in such a country. Therefore, Kim is very unprepared and may not be as rational as his father.

I think by now any hope of him being a reformist would have turned to ashes. He has shown the world that he isn't really ready to change N Korea drastically. The best it would change is more trade fairs, which, who knows were the money flows to eventually.

All this is certain to make China really worried. It has always supported N Korea, because it needs a buffer to S Korea (and USA). But honestly, I think China would rather be frenemies with US than support N Korea any longer, if Kim continues his madness.

4. Singapore
As 2013 has shown, ever since the watershed (this word is turning cliche soon) General Election of 2011, Singapore has never ceased to be exciting. In terms of politics, there is more pluralism.

Recent cases show that PAP isn't white than white, and it may be turning a bit yellow soon if it doesn't scrub hard. WP, however, has also proven that it isn't exactly what it promised in the GE and has let some people down.

Nevertheless, the new measures unveiled by PM Lee during the National Day Rally seem promising. As a left-wing libertarian, I am in support of the measures too and look forward to a more inclusive Singapore. (wah this part cliche max)

There probably aren't any exciting / dangerous things to look out for in 2014. Things in this small country of us happen suddenly; thus far there are no signs of any inherent conflicts waiting to explode.

Yet, we never know. So we can only wait and hope that amidst the dangerous global climate, Singapore emerges unscathed and itself free of major issues. (The train breakdowns, though? Don't count on it getting better next year.)

5. Russia, Ukraine
I am a Russophile. Nevertheless, I too think that Russia is 'in the wrong', for pressuring Ukraine to join its currency union. The sly fox Vladimir Putin terms Ukraine as a brother and wants to show brotherly love, but we all know what he really means.

Yes, what he means is 'join me, or else'. Of course, he isn't that harsh and hostile. Instead, he has resorted to dangling money in front of Ukrainian PM Yanukovych. The PM has accepted his deal. Protests are raging in Ukrainian streets.

This is likely to spread till 2014; there are no signs of it abating. Western Ukraine is quite anti-Russia, given its closeness to western Europe (as compared to Moscow) and possibly also due to Soviet-era repression.

How Yanukovych handles this situation remains to be seen. Meanwhile, Putin must be happily dancing in the Kremlin about his latest win. He has pulled Ukraine over, while Russian media strongly objects any suggestion of Russian pressure.

Putin has demonstrated himself to be a strongman, capable of manoeuvring people and even going against Obama (successfully, as seen in this year's Syria episode). He certainly shows no signs of stopping, especially since he can stay in his seat until 2018.

Also, Sochi Winter Olympics is coming up in 2014. Definitely, Putin wants this event to be done 100% smoothly, to boost Russia's (and his) image. It is interesting to see how things will unfold as the date draws near. Maybe reports on corruption ...?

Edit as of 30 Dec (this was a scheduled post): In two days, Russia's Volgograd has been rocked by two bombing incidents. Both seem to link to Dagestan, a place in Russia which is potentially unstable. Chechenya and Georgia are two problem areas of the Kremlin; not to mention that Dagestan seems to be a hotbed for radical Islamic militants. Exactly what the bombings entail would unfold in 2014. People are saying that it may be a threat to the Sochi Winter Olympics, since Volgograd is relatively near Sochi. Also, Putin's response (and subsequent actions) will certainly play out in 2014.

6. America
The US of A is still in deep shit. On the outside it looks fine but its financial systems are quite screwed up. The 1% thing is still holding true and definitely will not be solved by 2014 (or any time soon, in effect).

As for social issues and 'human rights', the conservative Right is still sure to strike opposing stances on many things, such as abortion. Again, they will employ plenty of fallacies and weird logic or religious bull____ to get their point across.

Obama is personally struggling too, with his failure of Obamacare. Not that I am against Obamacare, but the failure of its roll-out is one big embarrassment to him. I swear some heads will roll / have rolled in the White House.

As for America's pop culture ... it shall continue to suck. Apart from true entertainers like Ellen DeGeneres and Justin Timberlake (to name a few), there will still be the 99% of them who suck, e.g. Miley Cyrus.

Throughout the year, there will still be crappy songs with no actual meaning or substance. Either that, or the lyrics will be full of innuendos relating to sex or drugs or anything deviant. How that is cool, I don't know. Can't they strike a balance?

Last but not least, a portion of Americans will still be stupid. I sound really condescending here, but it's the truth. In 2013 I've seen enough screenshots of Americans posting stupid things, full of spelling errors which should be fixed by primary school.

7. America v Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan
(I am running out of steam and so shall not do deep analysis of affairs but) basically, if America slaps further sanctions on Iran, they are a goner. Iran will belligerently break off the nuclear deal, and America will (as usual) cry that they are the victims.

As for the latter two, if America continues drone strikes, don't blame them for more terrorist attacks. (I'm not saying the attacks are acceptable, either.) Peace should be achieved by talks, not drones. (Else how is America different from terrorists?)

~

That's all I can think of off-hand, what the world is facing / will face in 2014. Despite the really gloomy forecast, there's no reason to keep those party poppers. The above are all based on what has happened so far.

There's still reason to hope for unknown developments that change the situation for the better. These are actually not that uncommon, e.g. Rouhani in Iran. So perhaps the best way forward, in welcoming the new year, would be cautious optimism.


TTFN.


29 December 2013:

3 more days to 2014.

Christmas is over. That's a good thing, because I can stop listening to the annoying jingle that Mediacorp Radio did for this year. (Okay at first it sounded nice, but after listening to it for 10000+ times, it started to suck.)

New Year is coming. Various websites, newspapers, radio, TV etc. are coming up with programmes / articles that recall 2013, and provide a forecast for 2014. Personally, I would love to do so, but I'm too lazy.

Also, since it's a self-recall, I'll probably have a lot of personal bias. For example, I will certainly recall Twelfth Night (since it was so unique and memorable) but perhaps forget other equally significant moments.

So, I'd rather not. Anyway, to me, it's better to look to the future. (Sounds ironic, because I love history so much.) Instead of recalling what happened in 2013, it's better to prepare for 2014. Which, actually, there's nothing much to prepare, at least for me.

2014 will be more or less the same. Studies and CCA will still be the mainstay of my life. Of course, yes, there's the scary A Levels at the end of 2014. But it still isn't that life-changing as other things that people are going through.

And of course, there may be small incidents here and there in 2014. Of course, I'm hoping that I can tide through them relatively unscathed. Ultimatlely, the main event next year is the A Levels. Therefore I shouldn't be distracted by whatever little things.

~

Currently, there are a lot of things on my plate. Actually, I feel ashamed to say this because I know there are probably others with more things to handle. Yet, they aren't complaining. Nevertheless, it's true that at this point of time, things are really a bit hard to handle.

My primary concern at this moment is TjDrama. Open House is coming up and we have got a fantastic plan for it. But what's lacking is the execution. That, and we still have to complete lots of clean-up (which never ends, anyway).

We wasted one session on Friday due to our beloved Operations Manager being a prick (as usual). Also, his warped logic was beyond comprehension, that even our set director (usually very calm and composed) wasn't very happy.

But, what of that. That guy will remain a prick, so the only think is to work around it. This week (29 Dec to 3 Jan) is going to be a really busy period of time. There's filming, planning and clean-up.

Maybe it doesn't sound like a lot but all three take up a lot of time. And, for the former two, there's a possibility of rejection, which means re-doing things. So yes, it certainly isn't that easy to do.

Sidenote: I am really greateful for my team of Exco. They truly are great people to work with, and this makes solving the various problems much easier. Also, it's always fun and jokes when we meet, so at least the mood is enjoyable even though the problems aren't. We are probably the most YOLO Exco ever.

~

Then, there is history project. Well actually it doesn't require much work. But honestly our group's progress hasn't been fantastic at all. So I'm expecting a mad rush when school re-opens to brush up the standard, and I'm bracing myself for impact.

Again, for history project, there's something to rant about. A member has not been contributing (at all), which is sorely reminiscent of my PW experiences. However, I have decided not to rant at all.

It is not worth it to rant and feel upset about it, I realised. While G is fuming about the member, I have adopted the zen attitude and keep calm to carry on. Of course, that doesn't mean that I will not indicate anything during any peer evaluation.

~

Finally, there's the secret project - which will not be so secret in a few weeks' time. I'm thankful that I have a good partner to work with. Things have been progressing smoothly so far, so that's good. But I'm afraid of the timeline.

This project is an all-or-nothing effort. Therefore, it's essential that I cannot mess things up. Naturally, I am constantly on the edge, worrying about its success. Fingers crossed, it'll turn out fine.

TTFN.


22 December 2013:

69 Questions

1. Could you go the rest of your life without smoking a cigarette? Yes.

2. Are you single / taken / heartbroken / confused? Deliberately #foreveralone for the moment.

3. What if I told you that you were pretty? ‘Are you sure you saw me in real life?’

4. Ever been told ‘it’s not you, it’s me’? No.

5. Are you interested in anyone right now? Apart from eye candies, no.

6. What are you looking forward to in the next week? Exco meeting; too many things to settle and too little time. Plus it’s good to do something other than homework~

7. Do you want to be single? Not in the long run.

8. Did you go out or stay in last night? Stay in.

9. How late did you stay up last night? 0030 hrs.

10. Can you recall the last time you realised you liked someone a lot? Certainly.

11. Last three things you had to drink? ‘Had to’ made it sound forced, but I wasn’t. Water, milk and Ribena. LOLOL

12. Have you pretended to like someone? Yes.

13. Have you ever told somebody you loved them and not actually meant it? Yes.

14. Honestly, has anyone seen you in your underwear in the past 3 months? Past 3 months, no. (Unless you count my parents.)

15. Is it hard for you to get over someone? I don’t know.

16. Think back five months ago, were you single? Yes.

17. What were you doing at 12:30 this afternoon? Maths homework.

18. Held hands with anyone this week? No.

19. Could you go for the rest of your life without drinking alcohol? Yes.

20. What would you name your future daughter? I don’t know.

21. Do you miss anyone? My maid.

22. Have you kissed three or more people in one night? No.

23. Did your last kiss take place in / on a bed? No.

24. Are you good at hiding your feelings? Sometimes.

25. Have you ever cried from being so mad? Once …?

26. Who did you last see in person? Someone from school.

27. Are you listening to music right now? No. (That reminds me, I should listen and clear my backlog of 80+ podcasts.)

28. What is something you currently want right now? Nothing in particular.

29. What is the last thing you said out loud? ???

30. How is your heart lately? Very good, thank you.

31. Do you wear the hood on your hoodie? I don’t have hoodies.

32. Are you wearing socks? Now, no.

33. What do people call you? My name.

34. Will you talk to the person you like tonight? No one I fancy.

35. Are there any stressful situations in your life? Yes. TjDrama is a forever stressful situation hahah, forever YOLO-ing with my fellow Exco.

36. Who did you last share a bed with? A guy.

37. Did you do something bad today? Have I sinned?

38. When was the last time a member of the opposite sex hugged you? I don’t remember … Probably during farewells LOL

39. Do you get stressed out easily? No, but when I realise I’m stressed, it comes with pimple outbreaks or cheilitis. And that means I’m heavily stressed by that time.

40. Will you sing today? Most likely.

41. Have you ever wanted to tell someone something but didn’t? I suppose so.

42. Who do you go to when you need to talk to someone? No one.

43. Have you ever been taken to the emergency room in an ambulance? No.

44. What are you listening to right now? Good Job Brain.

45. What is wrong with you right now? ---

46. What is on your wrists right now? Skin.

47. Where did you get the shirt you’re wearing? Section tee!

48. What do you like better: hot chocolate or hot apple cider? Never tried both.

49. Do you make wishes at 11:11? I don’t believe in wishes.

50. Are you a good artist? Not the drawing kind, but sometimes.

51. Love really is a beautiful thing, huh? Depends.

52. Do you miss the way things were six months ago? No. Six months ago was June, and during June I wasted my time away instead of studying for JCTs, which led to a chain of awful events.

53. Ever been on a golf cart? No.

54. Do you have trust issues? Define ‘trust issues’.

55. Ever stayed up all night on the phone, with who? No.

56. Do you own something from Hot Topic? No.

57. Do you use chap stick? No.

58. Have you ever slapped someone in the face? Yes, but in a joking manner.

59. Do you have a little sister? No.

60. Have you ever been to New York? No.

61. Think of the last person who said I love you, do you think they meant it? No one said to me before.

62. Have you hugged someone within the last week? No.

63. What were you doing at midnight last night? Reading the papers.

64. Have you ever regretted kissing someone? No.

65. Is there one person in your life that can always make you smile? No.

66. Were your last three kisses from the same person? I don’t even have three kisses LOL

67. Have you kissed anyone in the last five days? No.

68. Would you rather sleep with someone else or alone? No preference, but if it was someone else, I need to be comfortable with that person.

69. Will next Friday be a good one? I hope so~


14 December 2013:

Public service announcement:


The apostrophe is one of the basic punctuations of the English Language. Sadly, many people have been using it wrongly, due to various reasons, one of which is the influence of lazy American English. This PSA is, therefore, based on British English.

Throughout this guide, certain conventions shall be employed. Correct examples of words will be underlined in green, wrong ones are shown in red. Also, typography is considered for the examples, which shall be addressed later as well.


The first and simplest use of an apostrophe is when you are contracting certain words together. This is almost always done during informal settings. Examples include: can’t, you’re and I’m.

As a sample dialogue,
Tom: I can’t pluck my pubic hair out, it’s simply too painful!
John: You’re just a pussy!
Tom: No, I’m serious, it really hurts!

Most people are familiar with this use of the apostrophe and have no problem here. Even when the apostrophe gets omitted, usually online, it’s more due to laziness than a lack of understanding. Therefore, there’s not much problem here.


The second use of an apostrophe is to show possession of an object. Here is when things get a little more complicated, and there are certain ‘rules’ to obey when using an apostrophe for such purposes.

Welcoming back Tom and John,
John: Tom, have you seen David’s bondage machine?
Tom: Yes, I heard it’s really expensive!
John: There’s also a dildo on its side, I wonder why David needs that though …

Here, the bondage machine belongs to David. Therefore, an apostrophe and an ‘s’ is added. The same is true when substituting the ‘bondage machine’ with ‘it’. Since we are still referring to it, there has to be an apostrophe and an ‘s’.

However, when John mentions the dildo, he uses its instead of it’s. This is because the dildo is a characteristic of the machine, but not a possession. As a trick, when in doubt, use ‘it is’ to test for ‘it’s’. If it doesn’t make sense, then it has to be ‘its’.

Tom: Oh wait, if I’m not wrong, the bondage machine wasn’t originally David’s.
John: Yeah, I think it used to be Charles’.
Tom: Now I remember! David took it after Charles died of excessive masturbation!

Again, Tom uses an apostrophe for David because he is still showing possession. The same goes for John, when talking about Charles. Note, though, that an ‘s’ is not added after ‘Charles’. This is because his name ends with ‘s’ already.

Also, if the subject is already plural and yet is in possession of something, then follow the style of ‘Charles’. For example, ‘dogs’ food’ refers to food for all the dogs. The final line doesn’t indicate any possession, hence no apostrophes are used.


Aha! This use of the apostrophe is the one where people trip, and come up with all sorts of wrong variations. Thus, more care should be taken when employing an apostrophe to show plurality.

Generally, plurals do not require apostrophes. For example the plural of apple is apples, not apple’s. It may be mistaken to mean something belonging to an apple. But what if the word isn’t so clear-cut?

John: … I wonder where I can buy more Ds
Tom: (alarmed) Why would you want more Ds …?
John: Er, nothing!

For the unaware, ‘D’ is an informal abbreviation for ‘dick’. In this case, John wants more than one D, so it has to be plural. Some may make the mistake of putting an apostrophe between ‘D’ and ‘s’: D’s. This is incorrect.

Tom: I really want to get my A for maths.
John: A’s are really hard to get though …
Tom: I wonder if Mdm Tan accepts special services.

The only exception is for ‘A’, mostly used to represent grades. When placed at the start of sentence, the plural may be written as A’s to prevent confusion between the word ‘as’ and the plural of A (grades).

As for other kinds of plurals, generally the rule sticks: no apostrophes unless it gets misleading. This is even for numbers, such as 1s (one side of a die) or 90s (a period of 10 years).

When in doubt, spell it out. Ones and nineties make sense, one’s and ninetie’s do not. Therefore, leave out the apostrophe. And for those who use Twitter, the plural of retweet (RT) is RTs, not RT’s.

~

A note on typography: for those of you interested in typography, you’ll be glad to know that I have obeyed typographic rules as well while crafting this PSA. For instance, I’ve used proper apostrophes instead of the ‘typewriter apostrophes’.

Generally, when typesetting, this should be taken into consideration. Typewriter apostrophes should only be used when imitating a typewriter’s print, and by using fonts such as Courier New. Otherwise, it is a big no-no.

One should also be careful not to use a prime symbol by mistake, which looks like a typewriter apostrophe as well. Below is a comparison of the three symbols, in both sans-serif, serif and monospaced fonts.


The top row shows a sans-serif font, the middle row shows a serif font and the bottom row shows a monospaced font. The left column shows a typewriter apostrophe, the middle column shows an actual apostrophe and the right column shows a prime symbol.

~

Tom: John, do you think that guy in the corner has been typing our conversations?
John: I think he’s been there for quite a while now.
Tom: I’m gonna punch his balls’ off …

No, Tom, ‘balls’ do not possess anything so they don’t require an apostrophe. Instead, I possess my— OW!

… Okay maybe I don’t anymore.

TTFN.


5 December 2013:

How much is a birthday worth?

I have never been a fan of birthdays and birthday celebrations. Personally, I am perfectly fine if people do not remember my birthday or celebrate it for me, even my family. To me, a birthday is actually yet another day of existence.

As a result, I seldom wish others on their birthday or celebrate others’ birthdays. I do so only if I am a close friend. Other than that, I actually do not really bother about when people celebrate their birthdays.

But I understand others do not think the same way as me. For many others, a birthday is an enjoyable day where they would get together with friends and family during meal times and look forward to receiving presents.

Of course, I do not actively frown upon such thinking; it is perfectly fine if others choose to do so. However, I have noticed a troubling thing about birthdays and how they are celebrated.

For those who value birthdays (not me), I don’t know if you have noticed: nowadays, many a birthday greeting is done through Facebook. Personally, I would regard it as insincere. However since I don’t value birthdays, it’s still fine for me.

(Nevertheless, I have removed the option to show others my birthday. I believe that my close friends – those who really bother – would know it. Others who aren’t that close and don’t bother need not know anyway.)

Today is radio DJ Siao Jia Hui’s birthday. I found out about it on air, where Cruz Teng talked about it, so did Jeff. And what Jeff went on to say made me nod in agreement. It seems like the value of birthdays have been diluted.

Jeff was saying that if his close friends merely wished him on Facebook, he would feel hurt. Indeed. Personally, even though I don’t celebrate my birthday, if that person is my close friend, I would definitely do more than a simple message.

Which I did, over the past few months. I have sent out long messages to friends whom I treasure for their birthday. To me, a Facebook message is downright insincere. That should be left to those who pretend to care.

Another trend would be wishing in Whatsapp groups. This happened during my birthday. I had actually not told anyone in my class about my birthday, since to me none are close enough as yet.

Yet, someone found out and wished me on the class Whatsapp group. Later on, a few others wished me too. I am not angry at or blaming anyone. However, I honestly believe that if you really wanted to, a personal message would’ve been better.

To me, such wishes are at best a form of goodwill. It is done as a matter of good manners, but without much thought. These are stock greetings: with the words ‘happy’ and ‘birthday’ and a name and maybe an emoticon or two.

To me, these are rather insincere greetings. Of course I will not snub them, but I honestly am not as thankful, as compared to when my friends write out heartfelt personalised messages for me during my birthday.

Therefore, for those who value birthdays, I would suggest: find out the birthdays’ of your close friends and properly celebrate it for them. Don’t wish them in Whatsapp groups or on Facebook. Those are infinitely diluted stock greetings.

For those who have personally wished me on my birthday this year, thank you very much, I deeply appreciate it. I believe I have also replied one-by-one, to reciprocate your sincerity.

As for those who have wished me using stock greetings, don’t bother. In the first place I don’t value birthdays, so I do not expect people to remember it. So don’t bother wishing through Facebook or wishing in groups.

Disclaimer: I am not angry at anyone. While my tone may sound passive-aggressive, I am not trying to guilt-trip anyone as well. Those were simply my reflections based on what I observe of people and how they wish others.

TTFN.


4 December 2013:

Timely reminder


1 December 2013:

Today is World AIDS Day.

According to its website, this initiative started in 1988, presumably in the UK. It aims for people to ‘unite in the fight against HIV, show their support for people living with HIV and to commemorate people who have died’.

Just in case you may be unsure of what AIDS is about: acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) is caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Its most common method of spreading is through sexual intercourse.

As part of the A Levels, biology students (especially in Singapore) learn about in greater detail. That involves things like glycoproteins 41 and 120, which isn’t very attractive to the general public wanting to know more about AIDS.

But I digress.

Basically, once HIV enters a cell, it will then infect the host cell and produce a ‘bad’ piece of RNA, which contains a code. This code kills off CD4 positive cells, which are involved in a person’s immune system.

Therefore, HIV wrecks a person’s immune system. Medically speaking, a person suffers from AIDS when his CD4 cell count is below 200 cells per microlitre. This means that his body is now more susceptible to various other diseases.

There’s a saying that people die from AIDS. More accurately, though, they die from other diseases that they catch due to a suppressed immune system, even cancer. The most common cause of death due to AIDS is actually cancer.

~

AIDS is a scary disease. Thankfully, there are currently ways to prevent you from getting it. The most obvious form would be to use condoms. An Australian scientific paper has proven that condoms reduce HIV transmission risk by 80%.

Condoms are also, at least in Singapore, easily available, as compared to other protective measures. Therefore, protect yourselves. Slot in on, rubber to your horn. (Of course, for females, ask the guys to do so as well.)

Also, do not give oral sex if your mouth has any open sores or lesions. Otherwise, as HPB advises, use a condom for oral sex if you have any wounds. (Which, I think, is ridiculous. Just wait for the wounds to heal, you horny bastards.)

~

Maybe by now you’re bored. You’re thinking: ‘I know all these, I do what you’ve said, I am HIV-negative, I don’t need to read on!’ That’s where you’re wrong. Even if you’re HIV-negative, there’s actually still something you can (need to) do.

And that is to not discriminate against those who have AIDS. While it is true that some of them made not-so-wise sexual choices (unsafe sex), we really shouldn’t be judging them based on that.

Worse still, some may have got it from unfaithful spouses, while he / she was faithful himself / herself. Bottom line? Don’t judge or assume. Instead, we should help these people while they are seeking treatment.

The process isn’t easy. Besides taking anti-retroviral drugs, these people may also have to take other drugs to cure other related diseases. At times like these, what they need would be positive encouragement from family and friends.

This point about non-discrimination also helps others to find the courage to test for HIV and save themselves early if they do. There are reported cases (which the health ministry or organisations can track), but what about those unreported?

~

This brings me to the latest statistics about HIV in 2012 in Singapore. It was just released two days ago, by the health ministry. In 2012, 437 men and 32 women were newly reported to have HIV.

Chart of newly reported cases of HIV in Singapore, 2000 - 2012.

From the numbers, it does seem like the figures are rising, at least for males. I just hope that more will choose safe sex, and more will get tested. It is possible to eradicate HIV, but it takes time and everyone’s effort.

No matter what, there will be #SomeoneLikeMe who is willing to support such people and raise the awareness of AIDS and HIV. Today is World AIDS Day. I hope one day there will not be a need for a world AIDS day.

TTFN.

I know that sexual intercourse isn't the only way that HIV can be transmitted. Another factor is through intravenous drug use, where needles are recycled between people. The reason why I did not touch on this is because I don't know enough about this, and that I feel transmission via sexual intercourse is a more pressing factor to be solved. For 2012 cases, only 0.7% of it was due to IV drug use. The remaining 99.3% was due to sexual intercourse.



aboutme.

From Singapore. 20 years of age. Blogs as and when inspiration comes, in British English (and Singlish), Traditional Chinese and (hopefully) Russian. Not a lifestyle blogger, expect posts to be serious, dull or even obscure. I enjoy comedy, in particular British humour.



interests.

[more or less in order] medicine | forensics | theatre | modern world history | typography (including style and grammar) | visual design | Taiji | Chinese language and literature | Mandarin pop (and singing) | Apple products.



typography.

PT Serif for main text and links. Ubuntu Condensed for dates, post titles and sidebar headings. Both fonts from Google Web Fonts.



credits.

singzeon. by Sing Zeon is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Licence. Pictures used here either come from my Instagram (instagram.com/singzeon) or Google image search. For the latter, I do not own those pictures.



quote.

Hard to love. 認真你就輸了。