Human Traffic

I have recently discovered, apart from the newspapers, that my beautiful country is a prime location for human trafficking. And the stories that I heard, not only from one source but the same story from all of them, makes me feel like a two headed snake. Why? Cos I hate and despise the ignorance that has been fed to us. But happy too that we dont have to live through such inhumane treatment.

I had to control my need to wail while I was having a conversation with one of the girls. Tricked into coming here with promises of administrative jobs, cashiers and even cleaners, they were shocked when they were presented with a hostess job. They are given drink sales quotas to reach everyday. A single means a shot of tequila, a double sees them swallowing a concoction of beer and tequila. On a weekday, the quota is 10. On a weekend, the manager or papa as they refer to affectionately, can demand up to 35. Who on earth can drink 35 tequilas in one sitting? Many a time, I see them vomitting outside at 10 pm. Their job finishes at 2am or 3am.

Then comes the heavy part that tore what was ever left of humanity for me. They have to pay the agent over a grand to come here, which they must pay back with their sales of the drinks. One thousand sing dollars can help their family of 6 survive for 4 months. Every 15 days they are presented with their share of the drink sales, but until they clear their debt, they will not see a single cent. They have to resort to begging their customers for tips so that they can buy cup noodles, their only meal for the day. Some have no money to go back to their apartment, and so they have to brace the danger of letting the customer send them home, usually at a cost of a sexual favour.

Wait .... there is more. The house that their agent put them up in, they do have to pay rent of 10 dollars a day. So each month is another 300 bucks due. Every 2 weeks, they have to extend their visa by travelling to a nearby country and stay there for a couple of days. They need an agent to bring them across and back. Each trip cost S$80. And again they have to pay rent for staying at their agents house.

All in all, I have no idea when will they clear their debt and be able to send back money to their families who are in desperate need. I try to help where I can, ususally monetary terms. Whats 10 dollars, or even a 100 dollars, to me anymore after hearing all of their plights. What's there for us to whine about anymore? I cannot feel empathy for my countrymen with the existing welfare available, not anymore. I dare not complain about my lack of freedom. It puts me to shame.

I will always remember this fact of life now. As long as you have a choice in life, it's a good life. These girls have no choice once they get here, its all about survival now. Most of them dont allow anyone to touch the vaginal area, but some customers just try and try. I saw one burst into tears and ran to the toilet. I have asked the girls when they go back, report these lying agents to the police. They claimed its no use, the police will get bribed. I cant imagine how I will feel if ever my daughter needs to go overseas and suffer just cos my govt is corrupt and will not protect us, nor feed us.

There are thousands of girls with the same plight. The only reason why I am able to feel pity for them is because I have a better life. I picture anyone of our princesses in the same situation, I wonder if they will give up or fight on.

I have come to see these girls quite often, and they regard me as a friend not as a customer, they only come to me when they have one more drink to reach their quota and I buy them juice, something healthy at least for the day. They tell me their worries and their lives back there. I admire and respect them with all my heart, simply their smiles are not tainted nor jaded, even without knowing what their future lies, as they never did dare to expect more.

Where's the rainbow....

My house mate told me this morning that she is going to move out, citing too many memories shared with her ex boyfriend as a reason. Then I think she had better leave Singapore cos I am sure they must have gone to Orchard, maybe to Zouk, Cineleisure .... you get my drift.

She hasnt been home to sleep recently which makes me wonder where else could she stay? She is Malaysian PR by the way. Her parents are in KL.So yeah where can she stay? My suspicion lie with a third party perhaps, and so now she wants to go rest in his nest of lurve, escapism syndrome.

I am tired. Really drained out. This has to happen now in the midst of a major brain, life, soul, rhythm reshuffling. The only thing that keeps me going is the thought of all the people with the rags to richest stories, of how they came out the winner in the battle against the unknown. That is the only thing. Pure faith or a simple case of denial. The lottery syndrome.

My brain felt completely mashed up yesterday. I couldnt think ...or did I "accidentally on purpose" shut it down. Had a hangover from powerJAM, had diarrhoea, went for RT and the PTI at the gate said to me, " eh you know today is IPPT?" Fuck off! NO WAY!!!! Why didnt they announce last week. No one knew about it. Everyone was caught off guard. I went to drink as much water as possible. I couldn't manage to argue with my mind or the body when it yelled to stop running. I had no mood to challenge myself. At the last 800m, my chest started to hurt and the fingers on my left hand started to go numb. Oh shit! So I stopped and said time out. Now I have to go back 3 times a week. Could be a blessing. Cardiac syndrome

I got to sort out my shit. I dont feel balanced anymore. I am not in sync with the world. Was I really just floating in the clouds and reality is hitting harder? Was I just ignoring the signs to breathe a little more? To take a step back and slow down? Meltdown syndrome


Gotta go..... where I dont know.

Doesnt this make me feel good...?

The new hand made Studio B. Yes hand made. We had to sound proof the ceiling cos the neighbour..... human upstairs says that we are too loud whenever they are around. Hello? It was just 2 hours.

The newly revamped Studio A after a long time. We hauled in a sofa set for the groupies, added more cymbals and speakers for a, I call it a 6.1 effect. And oh ..... yes it sure does......

Pictures taken by Jessica Lim

Studio rantings

It was 10am on a sunday morning and my ass was still licking some sun.... in my bed

The phone rings.

"Yeap" I mumbled

"Harlo...harlo.... is this sooowwwwwwndmix studios ah"

"Yes it is, whats up"

"Er..Can I book studio B today"

"Sure you can..but 3 to 5 slot is taken up"

"Oh in that case ah... can I book 2 to 4"

".........dude, man, listen...."

"Oh oh oh sorry sorry...I call you back again thank you"

That is a true account of dealing with musicians at 10am in the morning.

Another strange sighting is rock musicians making a booking at 9am. Sometimes 9am is when I go to bed! It has already happened twice. These musicians are the kind of effective people who has all the habits that they wrote in some self help book. I mean discipline is good but 9am for a jam...... I am not even sure my balls have warmed up boy.....

Its a Friday and its sorta my day off from the studio but I can never go far from one. Its supposed to be Pearl Jam night at Kels place tonight.... or is it tomorrow. Hmmmmm I cant remember thro the haze in the greys...but I do remember that the corner Indian food stall at Maxwell market has damn killer murtabak boy. I damn thought I was gonna blow too. I dearly recommend the chicken tuna murtabak. Fresh dough off the pan. And psychedelic pink Bandung.

Time moved on and soon I was late for work again.....

See....do we need further proof of primal instincts?? Ok here's your b'nana 

SoundMix Productions ( Yes vocals gets two monitors) 

SoundMix Productions 

Soundmix Productions Core Centre 

Soundmix Productions 

Lickin good yes?

I think I was in my late teens or early adulthood I saw this tribute show to the most powerful man in Singapore, and if I would have it Asia. There it was, his decorated education in UK, how he met his wife yada yada yada...

"While in UK my mind opened up"

Oh come on man what did you think he was saying? He was licking paper with his 'ommies people. He was kicking back sucking on a lollipop, brew and paper. All those lights, senses, sounds made him soak up with visions. Imagine this ....please..... while he was sharing a doob with his lover, he went "doooo-hoood, I think I make myself a country" And so he did. Who did he hook up with?

Silent Bob defence minister Dr Titty Obelix Tan. Do you recall him speaking at all? He has this permanent smile on his face. He has been surfing on that USA since he had munchies.

By the way, one of the most fundamental piece of equipment in genetics is the PCR (polymerase chain reaction) machine, which was spun up while the creator was trippin.

What did you think was happening when he started making silly remarks about M land. Flashbacks I tell you, all the way back to 1967. And that crying scene on TV... now that's what I call a bad trip. Probably the camera was trying to eat his head while the crew was chanting. Man he was lost like a virgin.


I dont know what I was drinking when this popped up. Surely you can see it right? .... right?


hmmm whats up bro? Gimme some love....


Disclaimer : All of the above are fictional and meant in very bad humour

Utopia

There's this water fountain by the ticketing booth at Bugis Junction, that brings me close to home. Jess says that the best thing about it is that kids of every race are playing in it. I find the energy that generates from such uninhibited expressions of joy very contagious. Everyone is smiling and laughing at them and at themselves. You can see their minds being enveloped by a familiar taste of youth.

And while we run for cover at the slightest rain drops, they just didnt care at all. And some parents fret at the nano terms of dirt, I suppose these are the kids that do have a childhood. I am one of the lucky ones too. I played police and thief at my grandma's place at Balestier, those two room flats that have lifts on certain floors. We came back as tarred as miners but we didnt care. We played in the rain, caught fish in canals. We had kite wars with kids from the other blocks. The stage was awesome, the skies were filled up with kites and at the end of the day, only a few would still be seen soaring, while the concrete park below was filled up with casualties.

And in today's papers, an article about school's ranking and how valued they were was on full parade. There were, of course, the usual aggregates, facilities offered and what kind of awards they won. I was looking out for a school that does social welfare. Hows that for character development? The system wants kids to have a moral balance. I know how we did it. Grade them on moral education. Yes go ahead, wear that snigger. We all should. And how about teaching creativity. To me the term "teaching creativity" is an oxymoron at its best. Cultivate is the word. If anyone knows, survival and creativity go well hand in hand. You WILL become creative if it means to survive. You WILL look for a way to crack open that coconut. You WILL teach yourself to hunt. My uncle doesnt even have O levels but he can fix up ur refrigerator or the air conditioning which he, by the way, doesnt have that kind of luxury. And I have degree holders, uppers and scholars who cant operate a hi-fi set, or even read the sign that says "Please keep door shut" What does it mean in today's terms to be a person of value?.......Really?

I am glad we are opening up somewhat. Based on the squeals of laughter felt by the water fountain, I am comforted by the warm confidence of these kids and how bright their future can be. Unless we kill them all, with the world that is now. I am glad my mom let me run free. I had that kampung spirit from her, playing in canals and looking for secret paths in my neighbourhood. Riding a bike down a hill at full speed and ramming into a road divider. Stealing my dad's car for a drive when I was 15. I dont suppose she was that stupid but boys will be boys. And kids will be kids. We need to unlearn everything to learn again. They are the wisest among us all. No mask to wear, no prejudice, no agendas. Everyday is just as fun as tomorrow. What did we lose as we walked? The answer is easy. It can be easy. But we choose to complicate it.

It better be like this when I die 

Me skins....arg..... 

They are taking over the world! Who? ........ They are......

You know? The earth is becoming flatter by the minute.......?

Really? Who told you that?

They said so....

Isnt it amazing how these group of people, widely known as they, seem to know everything and everyone? It's taken over the world in biblical proportions!!!! One mention of "they said..." and everyone seems to know who they are. But what my mind paints is some weird job that requires you to know everything and each time a person mentions they, you have to either confirm the allegation or send an error message.

So the next time someone says "They said that.." I will ask who the fuck is Alice?

Most of the time it is just some rustling in the bush and you experience some new form of heightened intellectualism that prompts you to belt out "You know they say ah...." Either that or the village bicycle doing her rounds again. But seriously who gives a monkey's hairy ass who does measurements of the Earth? So what if the Earth is getting flatter? Does that make the eskimos more down to Earth or even vertically challenged? Pardon my jab at humour but you see my drive towards nowhere.

So in fact, "they" are some form of counsel that resides in our brains, comforting us, supporting us. Imagine some form of news that had no origin, some weird dimension that spreads information but no essence of residence what so ever. I cant say if there be widespread chaos but if there were, it be pretty comical to see one brave man step out and say " because they said so". And there would be a collective sigh, knowing they exist.

Other than "they", I have come across a different form of dispersal system, some might term it medieval no doubt. A little bird. Sounds familiar doesn't it. But I would never ever want a bird to start talking to me. What business it is for a bird to start talking to me?!! Telling me stuff that I do not have to know. The only time I want to observe a bird is either KFC or Hooters restaurant!! You hear me?!!! Dont want no bird perching on my shoulder whispering the discovery channel to me. Stay away my feathered creature, or I will eat you.

So what next my acidlased friends? Who told you again?

Is civilisation reversing?

As we grow, sometimes wiser, sometimes more drunk, are we really using what we know? Human behaviour has become more unpredictable and senseless. Is it in our primal instincts to kill and conquer? Give me back my dog eat dog world, at least its somehow more analog and not nukeylar as Bush might pronounce it. Everyone wants to own something so as to justify .... what, I have no clue... their existence perhaps? Its a strange sad feeling that when we buy a house, that is the time we feel most settled in whichever country. If so, let my hobo heart wander amongst the streets of humility and generousity and I will feel settled wherever they will welcome me into their homes. Is it all possible now that we are all living in a web of pessimistic maybes?
I open myself to all that would listen and empathise, but we are all humans I understand, at times we succumb to the massive wave of angry triggers that tire us out. I am not here to be a teacher, I am here to learn with you. I need your hand as much as you might need mine. Preacher I may sound, but good intentions no less. Let us all smoke our spliffies and share the smiles and music. Live the life of a beggar because he sees gold in everything. Share your food with the hungry, and water for the thirsty...and knowledge for the ........well for everyone I hope.

Look! No Penis!!!!!!!!! Hooray!!!!!!!!!!

At 27, certain issues will slap you in the face, so it's no use trying to escape. What am I talkin about? Marriage.... and mini me-s. And certain people may call me blessed as my genes are very inclined towards producing male offsprings. So was my Dad (hence my two older brothers) and my eldest brother, who has a 3 year old devil. I am just waiting for my second elder brother to have unprotected sex and see whats the outcome. I was supposed to be the pink one that calmed the seas but out came me and my blue proboscis. What to do?

Finally, my brave eldest brother challenged the Gods and got his wish.... and mine too. Today I will lay my eyes on my first niece. Maybe that might change my mind about marriage and kids. My age is not an appropriate measure of my mind. I am thinking and behaving 4 years younger. Well, if this blog still exist 6 years later, and if you still read it, I might find out the answer. And yours too.