David Seow's Blog, page 2

Coming July 2023, The Power of Michelle Yeoh: Ballet, Stunts, Stardom!

 

Coming soon...

 

RIP HM Queen Elizabeth II (1926-2022)

 

Merry Christmas, Everyone.

 

Thank you, Kinsey Schofield

 

The Olympic Spirit

 

"Olympism aka The Olympic Spirit: The principles of peace, fair play and fair contest with the view to creating a peaceful society with less violence and competition. In other words, Olympism leads to a different, idealized way of life that today’s society desperately needs."

The IOC.

In the days since Joseph Schooling competed in the 100m Butterfly heats at the Olympics, there has been an outpouring of support from The President, Ministers, and the public, and that is fantastic. But I feel compelled to write this blog post because some things I have seen some rather vitriolic things online, written by some terribly ignorant people, who probably don't even understand the definition of the word 'vitriol'. I'm talking about the kind of people whose attitudes have put them in contention for the gold, silver, and bronze medals at the moron's Olympics.  Yes, I'm talking about the hoo haha about our athletes' performance at year's Olympic Games

Five years ago, we all watched TV as our lone hope of gaining Olympic Gold took to the starting blocks for the 100m butterfly in Rio. As we all know he was up against the heavyweights of Phelps, Le Clos, and Laszlo Cheh.  Years of hard work, sacrifice, and a great deal of personal financial expense had brought Joseph to that moment. The whole country was watching, waiting, and anticipating. A lesser person may have crumbled, but not Joseph. He entered the finals as the fastest qualifiers.  As he took to the starting blocks, I was in the shower, too nervous to watch, not wanting to jinx things. By the time I had shampoo in my eyes, Mum screeched like a banshee, "Joseph won! Joseph won, and in world record time!"

It's needless to say we were all thrilled beyond belief and I finished my shower and watched the race when it was replayed.  My parents and big brother have known the Schoolings for years. They are very nice people and they are an inspiration. The journey to Olympic gold was not an easy one but they never wavered.  I have to say Joseph is the definition of grace under pressure, class, and dignity; qualities that were no doubt instilled in him by his parents, Colin and May.

His hero's welcome was much deserved. Hey, I even went to a part of it at Singtel, braving hot and sweaty revelers who had seemingly never heard of deodorant let alone used it. If there was an Olympics for the pongiest fans, there would have been multiple ties for the gold. Deafening cheers heralded Joseph's arrival and as he walked past, I was shoved into a sea of very sticky bodies. I had never needed wet wipes or disinfectant more than at that very moment. 

Joseph thanked everyone for their support and after a few more words he boarded his bus and was off to continue his victory lap around the country. His triumph came at a time when I was about to give up my own journey of writing (I'm always on the verge of quitting)  but I was inspired to write a kids' book about this young man. Dad helped me draft an email to Mr. Schooling to ask permission to write it and he kindly agreed. But I was beaten to the finish line by another book From Kid to King funnily enough the illustrator of that book is Daryl Seow (No relation). And so I started work on my first non-fiction picture book. Like Joseph's Olympic journey, the road to publication was fraught with ups and downs, but it was finally published. Race to Rio: Joseph Schooling Goes for Olympic Gold. Two Schooling books by two Seows. There's a joke in there somewhere but I can't think of one right now.

Now five years later, here we are.  Although there is no medal this time, Joseph tried his best; he is still an Olympic Champ and nothing will ever change that. I am, however, disappointed in the behavior and the attitude of some of my fellow Singaporeans. There have been gripes from some who supported his win back then but have turned positively vitriolic because they did not get the result they seem to think they were entitled to, that they think they were owed or deserved.  

This fair-weather kind of support is extremely unbecoming, and it's even been reported in the international press like SCMP...and Yahoo News UK So embarrassing!  

I have to say, a pair of extra small boxer shorts on an elephant is capable of providing more support than these people. Thankfully they seem to be in the minority but their attitudes are nonetheless very irritating - like an itch you can't quite find. And what's worse they base their opinions on misinformation and assumptions

Instead of being bitter, these people should be grateful that we have a true-blue Singaporean Gold medalist. They should be thankful that  Quah Zheng Wen, Quah Ting Wen, and Yu MengYu, Joseph, and our other Olympians but their asses off. People should be proud that they are dedicating themselves to their sport, to put this country on the world stage. What have the naysayers done? Wait they've made the news by whinging.

I had a recent debate with someone on Twitter who was moaning about the fact there weren't any medals this time, that there should be no deferment of national service for athletes. If one thinks about it, representing your country on the world stage is a national service of the highest order. The sad thing is that this person is a so-called athlete. After a while, I gave up this person does not understand the meaning of sportsmanship.

I don't think South Africa is complaining that Le Clos did not medal this time, are they?  The public is not privy to training schedules or routines so they have no right to disparage or criticize. Doing so does not reflect the Olympic Spirit at all.

Joseph and his family have done far more than they have and the Schoolings don't deserve this treatment at all. And they, like the rest of us, have other cares and concerns that they have to face, so give them a break. Joseph says he'll come back from this and we've got to have that same belief and trust he'll make it happen.

Thank you, Madam President, all the MPs, and anyone else who has spoken against such abhorrent, ungracious behavior.  

Joseph said he will come back from this, so support him. Support Quah Zheng Wen and the rest of our Olympians and give them the time, space, and support to make it happen. Being negative and critical does not help anyone, it hinders us.  

So to those who have exhibited such behavior in recent days,  I say focus on what you can do to make things better for yourself and others. I need to remind myself of this too. Oh boy, I really do!

Give Joseph and the rest of our Olympians some much-needed time and space and instead of providing unnecessary criticism, unwanted armchair analysis, or judgment about their performances, show the world that Singaporeans truly support and stand by our athletic heroes.

I Proverbs 18 

 "The tongue has the power of life and death,
        and those who love it will eat its fruit."

Happy National Sibling Day

 

HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (1921-2021)

Over the past seven decades, the Duke of Edinburgh has been an example of dignity, grace, loyalty, self-sacrifice, steadfastness, and loyalty. Those may be considered old-fashioned values but they are timeless ones and ones that will not go out of style.  RIP, Your Royal Highness.

"He found a way to lead without demanding the spotlight." President Barack Obama.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

 

Raffles Readers Book Launch at Raffles

 

On a rainy Saturday in September, Raffles Readers: A Century of Adventures had its launch at the Boutique at Raffles Hotel. Authors Claire Thamboo and Simon Wray and our illustrator Mark Yong spent well over an hour signing books for friends, family, and hotel patrons.  Emma and Linda were unable to attend as they were at their respective homes in Epsom and Melbourne.

As for me, well, I had a minor sore throat two days before the launch so on my mom's insistence, I paid a visit to my doctor. Once I mentioned I had a slight sore throat, everything went into a lockdown mode. I had to have a COVID test and I had to be quarantined for three days, meaning I was going to have to skip the launch.

However, I was able to check-in via WhatsApp chat. That's me on the ipad on the table!

All in all, there was a pretty good turnout despite the bad weather. Special thanks to our wonderful publisher, Nora from Penguin Random House SEA and Nicola Ransome Goh for organizing the event and to Raffles Hotel for hosting us.