a rambling, rojak style

i borrowed "A short guide for students: Creating the literature portfolio" recently. well, i think it would be good that i start a portfolio in case i am really going to quit teaching after my bond and pursue dreams of writing for the mass media. though recently i have been thinking that it isn't a bad idea to teach forever after all. i guess i have been reading too many columns about how folks feel anxious about being retrenched and not being able to find other jobs because of the age factor. sigh, surely teaching is one of the few occupations left that offers a stable iron rice bowl? i'm cowardly. :(

i think i understand better just what "bowling for columbine" means when its director says that the mass media is responsible for instilling a climate of fear and paranoia and that's why Americans feel unsafe and may be more inclined to resort to gun-killing.

anyway, this is why i joined the Singapore Writers' Fest SMS Haiku Competition. (incidentally, a haiku is a 5-7-5 syllabled poem that crystallises a moment in time)

Scorching rays beat hard
tiger forced to look straight when
tourists snap photos

i want to thank Florence for suggesting "straight" (as opposed to my original "direct"). As she said, it frees up the last five syllables for me to tighten the haiku. thanks gal, muchly appreciated....:P

anyway, i wanna express what i saw when i went to Thailand. i went to this zoo and three staff were standing behind this tiger in its enclosure and prodded into position so that trigger-happy tourists could take photos of themselves standing besides this majestic beast. and oh, there was a box near by in which you were thanked for "kindly putting in your donations"

does the zoo authorities really have to do this? as a means to cover operating costs? it's freaking hot and tigers are nocturnal animals, so why can't they let it have a nice nap, for goodness' sake?

i was irritated that our fellow creatures are exploited by us selfish homo sapiens in such a way. and i felt irritated because i also wanna take a photo with the tiger, god darn it, but i couldn't because i badly wanted to stick to principles and not add to the demand for such senseless activities

okay, i learnt that i am sorta an animal-lover

anyway, i am proud of our Mandai Zoo. because for most of the time, it leaves the animals alone to roam free in fake-but-close-to-the-real-thing settings. and you may never appreciate what you have until you invite comparison.