Day 76: Line Me Up

A line can only be as straight as its context. How true is this? It all depends on one’s perception… and culture.

Based on the psychological theory of holistic and analytic ways of thinking, Asians would tend to agree with the said statement. However, Westerners would beg to differ. What explains for this difference? Asians tend to associate a given object with a context, while Westerners tend to view an object and a context as two separate things.

Personally, I don’t know what way of viewing I’ve been adopting. In Singapore, the Western influences are so large that it leaves my Asian way of thinking muddled up. At times, I am guilty for using the term “global citizen” to excuse myself from this confusion.

Day 73: Fashion Steps Out

Orchard Road is Singapore’s shopping mecca. It’s not every day that it gets closed down, but today happens to be one of those special days. A section of the road was closed down to serve as a 600 metres fashion runway for “Fashion Steps Out”. The event was a part of Singapore’s continuing effort to boost its fashion reputation.

Did the event succeed? Well, judging the large crowd, it did manage to generate a lot of publicity! Singapore still has a long way to reaching (if ever) a fashion pinnacle. At least it’s taking a strut at a time.

Day 68: Old Habits Die Hard

“Habit is either the best of servants or the worst of masters.”
- Nathaniel Emmons

In the face of a higher being, it is perfectly fine for a human to be flawed. But, sometimes I am guilty of using that as an excuse for making bad choices.

Taken in Bugis area, Singapore.

Lego Blocks

In this picture is the city of Haifa in Israel. The block and similar looking blocks really reminds me of lego blocks, especially when looking at the angle this picture was taken. They kinda looked like random boxes laying among the bush! This picture was taken at a hill overlooking this area of the city. By the way, Haifa was one of the cities that got hit by rocket missiles during the Israel-Hizbollah war a few years ago.

Jerusalem

A last shot of Jerusalem, before I travelled to the north of Israel! The dome in the centre of the picture is the Dome of the Rock, which is a holy place for Muslims. You can also clearly see the barriers that was erected around the old Jerusalem by the Ottoman Empire ages ago.

Hope

The building inside the church is the place which Catholics believed to be where Jesus was buried after his crucifixion. I think the architecture of the church is a marvel O_O This place is the last station of the Station of the Cross.

Jerusalem, Israel.

Crying Wall

A more typical sight of the Western Wall in Jerusalem, Israel. Some of the men who went there were clad in black, while others wore normal clothing, with a head cover.

Barricades of Expression

Two or three years ago, a suicide bomber from Bethlehem attacked Jerusalem. This caused the Israeli government to surround the Bethlehem with walls, to ensure stricter control of movement into the Israel territory (Jerusalem), and to deter any potential suicide bombers.

The walls have since then been covered with graffiti and arts, as forms of freedom of expressions. It is ironic that while the wall gives Bethlehem a reduction in freedom of movement out of the city, it provides a channel for the people living in ‘the Bethlehem prison’ to express themselves freely. I remember reading about the famous British graffiti artist, Banksy, coming down to Bethlehem last year to draw on some parts of the wall, though sadly I could not locate any of his drawings since the walls are too long!

It is also ironic that, given the old Jerusalem was barricaded with wall by the Turkish empire long long time ago, the Israeli government is sort of doing the same to what they experienced long time ago to the Palestines living in Bethlehem. Oh well.

In The Lives Of…

Another scene of Bethlehem, still in the proximity of the Nativity Church.

Along A Path

A scene near the Nativity Church in Bethelehem, Israel. The Nativity Church is traditionally believed to be the place where Jesus Christ was born. There was also a marking there on the location of the star which guided the 3 wise men into the birth place.