Christmas Light-Up & Cyber-Baiting

Did some much needed shopping Saturday morning in preparation of our friend's visit in 3 weeks time and then headed down to Orchard Road for the annual Christmas Light-up. We arrived there round 18h00 with the streets filled with loads of people, kids and dogs and a festive vibe of note. A very large Marque tent was erected in front of Ngee Ann City for the official dignitaries and speech by the President, Toni Tan Keng Yam.

We walked the streets, ended up having a few beers and then got in line for the mass candle lighting. Free battery operated candles were handed out and we were informed that when the President throw the "light switch" at 19h30, candles should be lit from the tent down the row in Mexican Wave style. Kids ignored it off course and ran around with lit candles long before that. I have not been so excited about Christmas for many years and we both felt like children.

Then, the magic moment, when all off a sudden there was a huge cheer and right before our eyes the whole Orchard Road turned into a magical Christmas Wonderland. A certain bucket list moment. The whole street lit up in beautiful blue overhead street lights and all kinds of Christmas Light displays all down the road in front of each and every shopping complex. We walked down the road and admired it all and ended up at TGI Fridays for some "fall of the bone" Jack Daniels Ribs and a nice bottle of wine. Official reports say there were 5000 people but I think there was a lot more. It certainly revived the Christmas spirit for me and Zelma and a very memorable evening.

http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_736010.html

There has been a lot of news coverage about Cyber Bullying over the past few weeks which I find both disturbing and somewhat funny. How can you actually bully someone using social media, but it is real and does happen. And then on Friday a new one, Cyber-Baiting. Taunt, capture and post.

According to statistics, it is happening to 3 out of 10 teachers in Singapore. It's a world wide phenomenon happening in the UK, Australia and New Zealand. Personally I find it pretty sick and a waste of precious resources. The problem is how to get rid of the problem? A student will irritate a teacher until they loose their temper, then film the incident on his mobile phone and post it on the Internet with the aim of embarrassing the teacher. Ban mobile phones in schools I say, but probably not that simple. Surely the youth should focus on their education and future rather than this kind of crap. Teachers even reported Cyber-Stalking by students, checking on their private lives.

Have a great week.