Death Of A National Icon

Today, marks the passing of a Singaporean icon. Today, Mr JB Jeyaretnam, long time opposition politician, former minister of parliment and ex-leader of the Worker's Party died.

What is it about Mr Jeyaretnam that makes a normal joe like me remember him? Was it his fiery speeches as leader of the Worker's Party? Was it his stint as MP in parliment? Was it the misfortune of lawsuits and bankruptcy that plagued him up to the end of his life? Truth be told, I have only seen the man in person just one time in my life.

It was a rather dreary afternoon somewhere outside Centrepoint. Amidst the continuous shuffle of the crowd, I heard a voice ringing out clearly in the sweltering humidity.

"Know the truth!" this voice cried. I turned to see a tall Chinese man with a book in his hand encouraging passabys to pick up a copy. It was pretty obvious who he represented based on the subject matter of the book. However, my attention was soon diverted to the man standing beside him.

I was pretty shocked to see Mr Jeyaretnam standing silently by, old, quiet and broken... the fire all gone out of him. It was some time after the defamation lawsuits. This was not the man I remembered as a child watching on television making speeches with a strong and fierce demeanour. As I passed by, there was a small twinge of sadness in my heart when I saw his tired face, as well as fear that Big Brother might be watching if I expressed interest or sympathy in his cause. In the end, he became as the image of the "poor downtrodden worker" he tried to fight for.

That image is something I cannot forget.

I don't know what he looked like in the months and days before his death. I would like to think that he managed to pick himself out of dispair. Certainly according to the following article, he seems revved up to try and re-enter parliment at the age of 82.

Article: Singapore veteran opposition politician dies-radio
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/rtrs/20080929/tap-singapore-politician-c3bb44c.html

So what is it that makes this man so iconic?

In the timeless sphere of myth and legend, JB Jeyaretnam stands as a figure of misfortune. A symbol of what happens when a mortal tries to take on the powers that be and meets with ill luck. In a sense he is a modern Prometheus, who in the attempt to seize fire from heaven from Olympian gods, ends up being chained to a rock where an eagle pecks at his liver daily. But unlike the titian, there is no Heracles to save him.

Unlike so many broken and beaten figures of misfortune, he has chosen a different response to his calamity. Despite being only an ordinary man has decided to fight back with whatever he has. And in doing so transcends his dip into the dark valley and rises as a heroic symbol of the defiant mortal who beats the walls of Olympus with his bare hands and refuses to turn away despite the advise of "wiser" men. Indeed, I am sure I am not the only Singaporean who stands amazed upon hearing that as soon as he was discharged from bankruptcy, he formed a new political party and put himself on the road to re-enter parliment.

I guess for some men, dreams never die.

But perhaps there is some wisdom in chasing down a dream to the end, no matter how impossible it might seem... a quote from a holy book sums it up nicely...

"Without Hope, how can a man live."

Article: Former opposition MP JB Jeyaretnam dies of heart failure

http://sg.news.yahoo.com/cna/20080930/tap-303-former-opposition-mp-jb-jeyaretn-231650b.html

Are You Afraid of Magic?

Woke up today with a heavy head after running around all night in dreamland in some crazy cop-drama where I was some pee wee investigator in a case with a serial killer and loads of ritualistically killed victims in a very dilapidated house or apartment. The actual physics of objects in dreams are sometimes hard to perceive and what appears to be a house on the exterior sometimes has a completely different interior with different dimensions. I think last night's house of horrors was some kind of urban apartment.

I frequently have dreams with corpses, supernatural stuff and unusual things so I don't consider last night's trip an actual nightmare. I haven't had a real nightmare in years where I felt the element of fear upon waking. What does worry me on occasion are the visions I sometimes have about local wandering spirits. Most of them are really just passing by, but sometimes, I do see spirits that do pose a threat on a certain level. However, as the age old Chinese saying goes:

"You don't mess with them (ghosts/spirits), they don't mess with you."

Another valuable nugget of folk insight is the axiom:

"Ghosts/spirits are the greatest liars."

These "grandmother sayings" really are gems of good old folk wisdom and certainly went a long way in saving me from loads of heartache, trouble and wasted time. Sometimes I feel that as an Asian we are sitting on one of the greatest treasure troves of ancient wisdom... no need to go seeking wisdom from celtic, nordic or other "pagan" sources. I see loads of pagans whenever I walk past the Kwan Yin temple at Bugis.

Ha ha ha... I guess the exercise of blogging does help the mind to work out solutions to problems. Here I am wanting to meet actual wiccans, pagans and ceremonial magicians and I am sitting on an island with the greatest number of belief systems that are crammed into a very small piece of land. Unfortunately, despite the great number of "heathens" and even members of monotheistic religions who believe in the supernatural world... (Hey, why do you think the "True Singaporean Ghost Stories" series tops the book sale lists every year?) most of them tend to shy away whenever you mention anything that smacks of the occult or magic. You'd think that with so many mainstream religions promoting the belief in wonders, miracles, spirits and gods, they'd find something like magic entirely acceptable.

I guess in the end, the idea of the ordinary person engaged in doing something magical is only acceptable in the newer belief systems of Wicca, modern Paganism and Ceremonial Magic... Despite what many Wiccans and Pagans and even ceremonial magicians might say, MOST of the rituals and practices are modern creations. That's right, there is very little historical evidence of modern practices being linked to some ancient tradition. Heck, when McGregor Mathers started the whole Golden Dawn thing, he quite literally forged a letter from a member of a mythical organisation giving him the authority to start a new magic order. And lets not forget, Aleister Crowley started out as a Golden Dawner... he learned his stuff from them and later channelled (such a modern phenomenon) additional information from his Holy Guardian Angel, a spirit he called Awaiss...

AND... guess who went to Aleister in the Great Beast's twilight years for ideas on starting a new religion... that's right, Gerald Gardner, founder of modern wicca. As far as my own reading into the history goes, that's how everything came about... in a very summarized fashion.

I remember reading a book from the National Library that analyzes the evidence uncovered at an ancient drudic ritual. Apparently, they found a pretty well preserved body of a human sacrifice at a peat bog in Britan. It was a sacrifice made near the end of the Roman invasion of Britan. Now, according to the historian, such sacrifice of a human being was rare because usually only animals were offered up. The person in question who was offered up was actually a young druid, judging from the evidence found on the body. Why? Quite simply the ancient tirbesmen were desperate to stop the invasion and it seemed their gods had abandoned them so they gave up the ultimate gift they could offer.

Now, the book does detail some actual ancient celtic practices. Apparently certain gods only accepted sacrifices that were killed in a specific way. For instance, strangulation of the sacrifice using a loop of string and a stick. (I'll spare you the gory details. Go figure out yourself how it was done... :P ) Now if a person really wanted to follow traditional celtic pagan spirituality, I'd think an archeological text would be an excellent guide. However, notice that most people who are into "celtic spirituality" today don't actually practice the same thing... Now, I don't think the celtic gods have changed much over the centuries... so why do you think there is a discrepancy in the practice? ;)

But I digress... back to magic. I have noticed that if you start talking about magic, most people will initially laugh and say they don't believe in it. Then IF you go on into more occult topics, they will sort of start to feel uncomfortable. For unbelievers, they sure do exhibit a great deal of belief in the power of magic to upset their rational lives.

Why are people afraid of the whole notion of magic? I used to puzzle over this question, because local people seem to be okay with the notion of wonders happening in the context of religion. Take for instance the local "tang ki" or spirit medium piercing himself with skewers or sitting on a chair of nails. He has done a wonder through the power of the spirit or god possessing him and this is what the worshippers expect. They accept this wonder and do not feel that it threatens them, despite the fact that the "tang ki" has done an act that fulfills all the traditional definitions of an occult act.

Perhaps the verneer of religion helps to make the idea of magic easier to swallow. Perhaps the idea that a person could also command the same powers without imploring the assistance of a god is just too much for the mind of the Everyman. That would mean that that same magician could do harm to anyone without seeking the approval from the divine powers that be. In case you are wondering if magic without gods is possible, just think of the countless times you have heard about bomohs cursing this person or that person, or dominating the mind of some poor innocent girl... brrr... heh

Okay, so the bomohs sometimes do call on "bad" spirits for help and people call what they do black magic. But still, think about it. IF magic without the trappings of religion is so bad why do the gods still allow it to happen eh? Why not get rid of all the "bad" spirits and thus eliminate the problem altogether? And then there're practitioners out there who don't make use of gods or demons at all to cast their spells, how do you explain their existance? The keys of Solomon are after all used in summoning and compelling spirits, demons AND angels I might add. HOW ON EARTH do you explain that?

It all really boils down to the notion that people get afraid when someone, a normal human being like them has certain powers that cannot be explained or controlled by them. They are however okay with the fact that the gods have powers. I sometimes think that the rituals of religion give the worshipper a mechanism of control. Say prayers and offer stuff to the gods and your requests will be answered, or the gods will be appeased. If anything bad happens, you either offer more stuff and hope that your luck changes or you lose faith and switch to new gods.

Control, I think, is the main reason behind this fear of magic.

If that is the case, ask yourself why it is that whatever powers that created the universe allowed the notion of magic to exist. Why not have lots and lots of priests and devout men and be done with it? Why not allow wonderworking to only be the province of the gods?

I think that the one original being who created everything... (yes, I do believe in that one original creator who made everything)... is not a big control freak. I think that he (No offense to the goddess worshipers, I'm merely using "he" for convienence) allowed the concept of magic because in the long run, the power of magic to alter reality will allow the creation of diversity in experience and put responsiblity for problem solving in the hands of beings like you and I. Now I'm not saying I know the mind of the creator, it is merely a theory I am proposing.

Hmmmm... I guess not many people like the idea of taking responsibility as well. After all it is easier to pray to the gods for solutions and blame them as well if everything goes wrong... "It's not MY fault!", "I can't control what is happening!", "I have NO CHOICE!" ... heh... humans...

Misfortune Draws Flies Faster Than Racecars...

It was 2 am in the morning and I was forcibly awakened by the sounds of several very loud automobile engines screaming like banshees in the middle of a very still night. I mean I knew that the racers were test driving around the track for the race today, but I didn't think they would be up so late and I certainly didn't think it was possible to hear the high pitch whine of those F1 engines half an island away.

I guess F1 fever has brought out all the illegal racers. Heck, I just wish those guys would have some consideration for everyone in dreamland and head over to the empty roads at Tuas instead, at least the roads are wider and it's a virtual ghost town at night manned only by the occasional security guard; so no chance of hitting the odd HDB resident who might be wandering around with the restless family pooch... (the odd HDB dweller taking the dog out for a walk at 12 midnight to the wee hours of the morning is something that happens quite frequently in my estate)

Having never had an interest in cars or racing and since I did not bet on any of the racers, I cannot understand the Formula One fever that has hit this island. I mean, every time I've had the chance to see a race on the TV; it’s just a bunch of cars zooming around repetitively on the same piece of road. That kind of thing puts me to sleep real fast, the other thing is golf...truly a game that is NOT best enjoyed as a spectator sport.

Apparently, the fever has hit even the local aunties. That's right, I’m talking about all the middle-aged or little old lady housewives that are a common sight in any neighbourhood. I can't imagine all those aunties waving their hands and staring at cars whizzing around on the TV. But there they were lined up in front of a huge projector screen set up by a community centre to show the race to members of the neighbourhood. It was a literal party. I guess it must have been a slow gossip month. :P

Despite having a bad taste in the mouth from having watched bits of so many snooze-worthy races... I decided to tune in to the race anyway, just to see what Singapore looks like at night with a racetrack and to catch a glimpse of the really big event that was happening in this country... As a Singaporean I am naturally curious and it does give me something to talk about when I meet my fellow countrymen.

When I switched over to the races, there was tiny nagging feeling that an accident was imminent. I mean I have seen historical footage of some really bad crashes, but I don't expect anything to really happen. After all, one doesn't tune in to the races to watch people crash into walls.

Well, 5 minutes after I tuned into the race, I saw Nelson Piquet’s car smack into the concrete in front of the main spectator stand. I was shocked, but also relieved when the driver climbed out on his own. Well, after that, I became fascinated by the race. And certainly, the night did not disappoint with 2 other non-fatal accidents and racer Felipe Massa driving off from the pit in a hurry with the fuel hose he had violently yanked off dragging along behind him. Apparently the snooze-worthy sport had turned into something like grand drama in just a few short hours.


For a coverage of this event, read the following:
Article: Alonso wins drama-filled F1 Singapore GP
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/afp/20080928/tsp-auto-prix-sin-5820418.html

Well, this sort of confirms my longstanding theory that there's some kind of mojo circulating around this island that keeps this island interesting to the rest of the world. After all, rationally speaking how interesting can a grand prix event get? Even the newscaster remarked that they didn't expect the race to have "so much drama". Well, a comment from a member of the grand prix audience sort of sets the tone for the race.

"I hope that an accident happens... " he blurted out and then changed his statement a few seconds later.

Could the collective primal desire to see some kind of blood and gore drama have manifested the 3 accidents and all the drama that occurred at the tracks tonight? Experts and analysts looking back on the race will say that the accidents were caused by the tight city street turns and bumpy road. I don't know what the actual answer is, but I do know that quite a lot of people put money on the races down at the betting booth at City Hall. And knowing some gamblers here, I am sure they went to the local bomoh (ie. witchdoctor) to get some help in winning their bets.

I did learn one thing from this event. Unfortunately, like all my fellow countrymen, my interest is piqued only when something bad happens. Despite being separated from the circuses of ancient Rome by 2000 years of history and numerous incarnations, I'm still as susceptible to its attractions as anybody else. So much for being filled with "love and light" (incidently, a notion I have never felt much inclination for... but I'll talk about it another time) :P

Superheroes Ignite Local Courage

I came across this article on another Singaporean blog while surfing around.

Article: Ultraman Can Protest At Hong Lim: Superheroes Have Saved The Singapore Constitution
http://article14.blogspot.com/2008/08/approximately-year-ago-following.html

What is truly disappointing about this incident is the fact that the local press did not even bother to give this story any coverage. Sure, compared to the many wars, tragedies and murders that happen every day, this story is miniscue in scale. However, for many Singaporeans, the courage that it takes to raise one's voice in public protest is really something that is outside the national psyche. The typical Singaporean is law-abiding and fearful of making a squeek when they feel unhappy about public policy. It's in the local political culture. We grow up fearing that Big Brother will place a black mark next to our names in some "permanent record" or that we might be detained without trial if Big Brother catches us saying something negative against the powers that be.

Now whether the whole thing about the black mark is true or not, it is in the local mythos. So sure, geeky anime fans who place plastic figures in protest may look silly compared to the tragedies of War in Iraq, but to many locals who love anime and who have suffered from the recent Odex clampdown, it certainly strikes a very strong chord.

And really, if this particular protest was as silly as all that, why are the local police dignifying it with riot police and plainclothes policemen?

So why does this matter to me? I'm pretty apathetic when it comes to politics. Civilisations come and go and so ... in the very long run the petty grind of everyday politics doesn't really matter. But as a magician I am always on the lookout for phenomena of all kinds. And I find the notion that superheroes are needed to save our dignity and courage to say how we feel rather ironic and poignant.

It's a kind of magic. Magic often starts with the belief that there are forces that are great and epic moving about unseen in the vast stew of humanity and that somehow deep down inside each human is a super-being waiting to be born. I notice that anime fans and cosplayers have a tendency to adopt a few heroes or heroines as their ... how shall I put it - focus of their devotion ... and dress up as them.

Is the action of dressing up to imitate the focus of one's adoration or the buying of material images of that focus, a subconscious attempt to "take on" the attributes of that super-being? I honestly do not know as the few cosplayers I talk to mosly rave about their favourite characters and don't say much else about their rationale for the whole effort it takes to dress up. And believe me, they do spend hordes of time making the whole get up.

Now, don't get me wrong, I don't think cosplayers are silly. I do admire the skill and dedication it takes to make their costumes. Some of them even carry that dedication to the extent of staying in character when they are dressed up as er... Sailor Moon for instance. And really, I can't criticise their actions since I do spend as much effort on magical rituals and walk around town in my robes.

I just find this particular act of public protest quite a phenomenon and oddly magical in a very strange way. It's almost funny when I put the filter of myth over it...

Imagine this, local village youths are unable to fight the great ruler of their land because the ruler has soldiers to enforce his will. So, one day, they bring out all the little idols of their gods and line them up where the king can see them and have the little idols fight their battles on their behalf...

Only in Singapore can something like this happen. And people say this country is dead boring. :D

Magicians and more magicians...

Usually I only stick to a single post a day, but after reading the following article, I thought I'd post up another entry:

Article: Batman Blaine back on his feet after 60-hour ordeal
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/afp/20080925/ten-us-entertainment-people-stunt-blaine-1dc2b55.html

I enjoy watching stage magicians and the crowds that are viewing them because of the wonder that is created. I think it's pretty important to show the amazement that registers in the faces of the audience as well as the actual illusion itself. In a way, it reminds us of how important it is to maintain a sense of wonder and a belief in things that transcend the reality conventional science has defined for us.

I remember a 17 year old girl who said to me in steadfast confidence that she believed in mermaids. That rare moment of innocence and faith continues to stand out for me like a rare jewel. There is so little of that today.

About Blaine...

I remember that when he first came out, I rather enjoyed watching David Blaine's tricks. However in recent years, I sometimes wonder what purpose he hopes to accomplish by performing stunts like hanging upside down. I mean the message he is trying to convey through his stunts doesn't really come across clearly even in the televised specials covering the event.

Is he trying to show that his magic can overcome physical limitations? Or that we understand so little about the human body and that human beings in general are capable of "impossible" feats. If it is the latter, then I think the scandinavian guy featured on Discovery Channel who runs marathorn-length distances in the freezing winter on his bare feet without ever suffering any ill effects or frostbite has done a much better job of showing the world what humans are truly capable of.

And what's more, he did not hang upright for all of the 60 hours. If he did, I would think that would be something to crow about.

Well, I stopped watching Blaine after he got into doing his big stunts and less of his street magic. Seriously, I enjoyed watching the street magic part more than waiting to see if he was going to catch a cold from standing in a block of ice. Maybe it would have piqued my interest if he also announced that he was going to do some of that Tibetian Tummo stuff to help raise his kundalini and survive the biting cold.

These days I try to catch Criss Angel instead when I have time. I like his goth-mystical bad boy look and I cannot figure out how he did that whole walking on the wall thing on a Las Vegas hotel. Now THAT is a good solid chunk of wonder :D

Of Coffee And Other Vices...

Since I joined the workforce some 12 or so years ago, coffee became one of my largest vices. I am a natural Night Owl and well, coffee does help me to wake up in the mornings. I was never fortunate enough to find a job that allowed me to man the graveyard shift. I remembered that it got to the point where I was drinking quite a few huge mugs every day since coffee is provided free of charge by many companies. Of course, they got the cheapest variety, which turned out to be the super-unhealthy 1/2 coffee - 1/2 burnt corn blend that leaves a weird smokey-sour aftertaste in your mouth.

I switched to drinking Nescafe (and other coffees that at least were recognised supermarket brands) after the coffee lady informed us about the burnt corn. (Yeah, it was THAT long ago in a time when there were still coffee ladies in the workplace.)

I recently found out that drinking coffee was really not something I should be doing if I wanted a healthier existance. I mean, I knew that all along, after all one of my old primary (this is sort of like elementary school in singapore) school teachers died pretty young. She was a heavy drinker who sipped like 8 large mugs everyday and was advised by her doctors not long before she died that she had to cut down on the beverage because it was contributing to some kidney-bladder problems she had.

So about a month ago, I stopped drinking coffee... I still allowed myself to drink tea, but I sometimes wonder if I should stop that too. There's some talk in the circles I move around that tea has as much caffine as coffee.

Well, I was pretty glad when I saw the following article on Yahoo!

Article: Britain and tea: Health benefits renew century-old relationship
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/afp/20080924/tts-lifestyle-britain-culture-drink-tea-cac1e9b.html

The article claims that tea "...is mostly made up of water, is rich in anti-oxidants, is hydrating, low in calories and has a low level of caffeine..." Now I do not know if that factoid is really true because "scientific" research keeps changing day after day... (eg. In the past: eggs are bad because of high cholesterol. Now: Eggs are good because they are a rich source of lecitin...)

By the way... I like the following historical tidbit
"In 1908, a tea merchant in New York, Thomas Sullivan, sent samples of his tea to prospective customers in small silken bags.

The customers, many of them unfamiliar with the beverage, put the bags into hot water instead of emptying their contents, thereby leading to the development of the tea bag."

So how has my attempt to break the coffee habit been proceeding? Actually results have been pretty average... I mean I haven't had a single drink of coffee since I day I gave it up, but I really really cannot get over the whole idea of drinking coffee. I sometimes pass by Starbucks and go in to get a waft of that heavenly aroma... :(

And what's more, my attempt to kick my other vice... drinking Coke Light and other fizzy canned delights fell flat a few days ago...:( But that's really another story......

Really, this whole thing about kicking my longstanding vices and embarking on a healthier lifestyle was undertaken for general health reasons and in part due to the oft cited axioms in ceremonial magic:

"...the magician labors to purify the mind and body of all influences which may interfere with the Great Work..."

"... a magician must be sound of mind and body..."

Principles that are really not often adhered to today. :(

To divert from the topic of coffee lest I start making myself a cup... the other article of note which I saw today was the following:

Article: Singapore escort girls cash in on Grand Prix traffic
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/rtrs/20080925/tap-motor-racing-prix-singapore-escorts-c3bb44c.html

I guess this really should come as no surprise. I mean, what's a Grand Prix without the babes right?

There was a news story on Channel NewsAsia some days ago where retailers expressed doubt if sales would increase as a result of so many foreigners coming for the F1 event. Even Singapore Pools (that's the local lottery organisation) has gotten into the act. There's now an official betting booth down at City Hall. I had thought about putting a few dollars on the participants after doing a divination on possible winners, but I've never really been good when it comes so gambling so I'll leave it at that...

Besides, there's some local superstition about the negative effects of using psychic/spiritual/magical powers in gambling... I personally don't believe it, but I think at least for now it's appropriate for me to make my cash the old fashioned way...

Anyway, about that whole escort thing. An intrepid aquaintance and entrepreneur I knew expressed interest in this area once. I mean, it's true, this area of business will never really get out of fashion, even in bad times. And at one point, I did entertain the thought of what it might be like to own an escort service. It was some years ago when I was still a member of in the local media industry. I mean, some of the parties were really great... some movie launches had great buffet spreads... the clubs were pretty interesting but I generally don't like smokey, dark places with a full crowd. My experiences at the popular local nightspots were crappy for the most part. Sometimes, it got so crowded dancing is almost out of the question. The best movement I managed was jumping up and down on the spot... yeah, we were sardines.

But yeah, it was possible then for me to find a cadre of good looking guys and gals. Looking back at those times on hindsight, there were some things I missed... like free movies... well they were not exactly free since I had to do the reviews, but I still enjoyed doing them. And there were some things I don't miss at all. The smokey clubs was one and the other was that I don't really think I blended into the whole media-nightlife scene. That just wasn't who I really am. I mean I don't mind going out at night to a creepy location and staying up to do a ritual, and I don't mind smoke from frankincense and other natural resins, but its really another thing being at a club or pub. For one thing, with all that pounding music I don't knw how anyone can even think.

And I think, right at the end, even the local nightlife fixtures I knew could tell that I really wasn't "of the crowd". Did I change? No I don't think so... my job required me to wear a mask so that I could fit in and do what was required... but as a friend once commented, the mask got so tight if I didn't take it off it would just burst. And in the end, I think it did. The funny thing is that I didn't even know I was wearing a mask... go figure. Everyone's capable of intense self-deception and especially those who are into some kind of spirituality.

But back to escorts...

I guess if I were born into a different family this lifetime and brought up with different social mores on what's acceptable, I might venture into this business. After all, it really is pretty tame (not to mention legal here) considering I was a career criminal in at least two distinct past lives. So it should be no big whoop right?

I guess my need for respectability overcomes any notion I might have to make cash in a non-conventional way. Someday, I'll get over this. Someday...

Singaporean... Born and Bred

"So are you really Singaporean?"

I have been asked that question quite a lot of times. I sometimes wonder why it even pops up. I dress like most adult Singaporeans - non-descript office wear. I take the bus and MRT and even swear in a blend of Hokkien-Singlish.

So I get really confused whenever that question pops up and I offer to show my pink IC as proof.

And no... I have never been overseas for an extended period for the purposes of getting a piece of paper that says I am now eligible for some types of white-collar jobs. Like about 70% of my fellow-countrymen, I have spent at least 10 years in that school system that critics say kill off any semblence of independence and creative thought.

The only possible difference I can identify between myself and the ubiquitous shirted guy who walks down Shenton Way wondering if he will get his bonus or not, is that I practice magic and actively pursue the knowledge of Hermes Trismegistus. However, I don't see how it's possible for anyone to figure THAT out since I don't walk around wearing a large, visible medallion with a caduceus engraved on it.

And that's the whole problem with being in Singapore. If there are any practitioners or believers of magic in this country, they are harder to find than a needle in the... well you know what I mean. From what I understand, most people who engage in some kind of occult practice are not willing to admit that they are doing it. (I can understand why the element of "shyness" exists) So, I decided to start this blog hoping that I'll be able to meet like minded individuals. But if that doesn't happen, at least it can function as a space for me to air my views. I mean, being a magus in this country is a pretty lonely thing... sigh