Jia you Jiawei!

Wow. We actually made it somewhere! Our women's ping pong team has made it to the final!! Face off with China on Sunday.

Which means at the very least, we will get our FIRST OLYMPIC MEDAL in 48 YEARS! (last one 1960)
And a Silver one to boot. Let's hope it's GOLD :) Jin jin eh jing ah! (snicker snicker, WK knows this pte joke!)

Isn't it ironic, our top paddler, Li Jiawei was born in BEIJING on Singapore's National Day (9 August) 27 years ago?
It was in the stars. She was born to be Singaporean huh?
Damn farneee rite? Of course Ms Li is now a loud and proud SGian.


(photo: Reuters)

SPEAKING OF NATIONAL PRIDE...

Here's an exerpt from an article I read today by a Turkish journalist, commenting on Turks themselves. (Time Out Istanbul, August issue)

"You may have noticed that we Turks don't care too much about quality. In fact, some might point out that we even have a genius for mediocrity. Anyone who's had their plumbing patched with paint and cement....or whose request for directions has been met with grunt and point of a finger by someone who was too lazy to say "Second street on the right" or too ashamed to say "I don't know", will have figured out that in all endeavours we undertake, we almost invariably opt for some kind of sloppy all encompassing middle-way quick-fix. If there's a corner that needs to be cut, we'll be damned if there isn't a way we can cut it even more."

See, I wasn't being a paranoid whiney cow. This place SUX cos the people SUCK. It's in the very core of their culture. Even they themselves KNOW SO.

Like when we bought a brand new aircon 2 months ago and it started leaking indoors ON THE 1st DAY of use.
First of all, the repairmen show up 2 days later than the scheduled appointment. Then, without even opening or looking at ANYTHING, they ask me what temperature I set the thermosat at (22 degrees celucius). They immediately declare, "Turkish people don't put it below 25 degrees. Aircon won't work properly below 25 degrees." and promptly leave. DUH.

Same dumb reasoning from the landcape people when I asked them why the grass they planted for me in May still hasn't grown in some areas. "Oh, the grass will only grow in NOVEMBER." Double DUH.

C'est la vie a la Turca.