Re: [Leica] Leica M6 & chewing gum in Singapore

["claire" <clairetm@singnet.com.sg>]

Dear Bill.......
So......... did U buy the M6 ? And which shop was it , that U saw the M6 ?

I bet U got very nice pics during the Thaipusam festival....... The thing
about our Indian friends is that their festivities are very , very rich in
colours....... Indian weddings are even more photogenic...... no matter how
harsh your flash is, the pics always turn out very 'punchy'.....

The rusty revolvers ?.....well its  the standard issue (ancient) 6 shooter
Smith & Wesson......
Our laws against possession of firearms and munitions of ANY kind are very,
very , very , very strict...... Guns don't leave their holsters here.....
when they do.(let alone shots being fired) ...... U bet it will receive
FRONT PAGE news in the local papers the very next moment.

Anyway, an Asian  foreigner once said "The law (here in S'pore) is very bad
for bad people". He was  a victim of some crime in which the criminal was
caught quite soon after that and justice was served very , very swiftly .
(Criminal hearings get first priority.... its all part of preserving a safe
place to live in ) ) The news article was a clear signal to all that the
laws of our land are strict and it applies to all,............. no one is
above the law....... even more clear. was the signal that the enforcement of
the laws are sure and swift.....

Its a 2 sided coin , this. I think this part of justice being served very
swiftly, gave rise to this unwelcome stigma of being a 'repressive' society.
The same strict laws provide the same confidence and peace of mind  to walk
the streets in the wee hours of the night or morning without any fear.

The chewing gum ban....... well........ very embarassing.......... when the
MRT first started, there were lots of delays..... the doors wouldn't stay
closed... cos some pranksters (idiots)  decided to stick some in the
doorway. Apart from that, an official study found out that literally
millions of $ were spent every year in scraping off those dark black spat
chewing gum off the floor ! Well, the MRT delays are very costly in terms of
manhours lost........ So the ban was imposed...... The ban was really funny
, silly , trivial to some observers, but again it was a clear signal to all
that .... well, if pple can't be civilised about chewing gum ( and litter) ,
then we just have to do something about it........ and by doing so, gave the
clear signal, that the govt CAN and WILL do something about it ....... to
protect the best interests of all ........get trains moving on time,
everytime...... like clockwork...... have cleaner streets to walk on......

So U can spot a Singaporean a mile away when U see him with pockets full of
gum when he returns from an overseas holiday.......... an assortment of
different brands too ..... ! We are a deprived lot...... Maybe in succeeding
generations, S'poreans will be a race with weak mandibles...... from lack of
exercise......!

I am not proud of this chewing gum issue ..... its embarassing.... its a
reflection of our poor public manners......But the ban was a message that
our govt will do anything to ensure that our country runs smoothly in all
respects. Our leaders have a very heavy task of 'ensuring' the survivability
of our  tiny republic. We really have zero resources ! Nothing at all.
Water is scarce, land is scarce........ We buy water from our
neighbours.......! Considering all these, I guess the CG ban is
understandable........ We are only 34 years old...... and U can't even find
us on a map..... just a little red dot..........

Sorry..... this has become off topic.....

Peace
TMLee, S'pore

>I was in Singapore, off and on, for 9 or 10 days last February. I stuck
>around waiting for the camera stores to open after the Lunar New Year
>holliday. I saw an M6(OT) in a window that was worth waiting for.
>
>During my wait I stayed in an inexpensive hotel in "Indiatown" where the
>streets are more akin to Bombay than the rest of Singapore which is more
>like Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills.
>
>From my arrival at the airport where there was only a passport control,
>no customs inspection at all, to walking the streets at any hour, I felt
>secure and unaware of government. I even walked around with the Leica
>around my neck, something I was not willing to do in many parts of
>Europe. I did not even see a uniformed policeman for five days. A group
>did appear directing traffic for the Thaipursam Procession. I noticed
>some of their S&W revolvers were rusty! Some "police state". Chewing gum
>was for sale with the explanation that the law punished littering, not
>sale or posession. I made a number of trips by plane, rail, and bus in
>and out of Singapore and was never subject to customs inspection. You
>can't even drive from Nevada into California without an agricultural
>inspection. Mine was hardly an insider's experience, but, I don't accept
>the media image of Singapore as a repressive society.
>Best wishes for the Season
>
>Bill Lawlor