I am doing my last two papers at the university, before I - probably - say goodbye to my alma mater. Who knows where I will be taken in next fall?
I'll also step down of some more political functions this year. I am sure I will miss the fun I enjoyed during my four years as International Officer of the jfs (Young Liberals of Switzerland). However, there always comes a time when change is needed in order to find progress. And noone is irreplaceable...
It's cool that there are so many people out there craving for liberty, freedom, peace and progress. By the way, do you know an old European comic ("Asterix"; has also been poured into movie form...) about a tiny village in France of the Roman Age, which defends itself against a mighty empire? As they have a magic elixir that provides them with super (muscle) power, they and their two heros, Asterix and Obelix, dare to fight the Romans and subsequently defeat each of their attack.
Sometimes, a small island (Formosa) in the pacific ocean reminds me of this miracle, that free people who have determination, can make a difference and will reach what they dream for.
And they do so in a quite original way:
http://www.vivataiwan.tv/ :-)
Montag, 3. März 2008
Montag, 18. Februar 2008
Exams are over - I AM BACK
Relaunch of this Blog - ADI is alive again, after the last HSG exams. Picture taken in HK, Dec 2007
Dienstag, 11. Dezember 2007
Siem Reap ("Siam defeated"): touristy vs poverty
Siem Reap, the city next to Angkor, a huge complex with dozens of temples, ruins and impressive memorabilias, but also hords of tourists and local (aggressive) sellers.
As soon as you get into the city (coming from the scam-border of Poi Pet/Thailand), you're struck by finally a good road (compare this to the dirt-path with crater-big loopholes before), eletric lighting at the main road (and almost only there; althought there are also lighting posts on the street to Angkor Wat, they aren't used) and nice-looking buildings.
Seemingly almost everybody tries to rip you off, you the Westerner from whom one can easily extract money.
This starts as soon as you get dropped off from the bus, 6km away from the border (still in Thailand); so you need to get a tuk-tuk, which drives you to the border (80Baht per Person/tuktuk); and of course, this tuk-tuk conveniently drops you off there, where the scammers want to make you believe that you cannot get a VISA (20US$) for Cambodia "on arrival" anymore but since they are the "friendly volunteers" they want to sell you a Visa for 1200 ThaiBaht (40US$) from a Cambodian consulate in Thailand (which easily takes 3 days).
So, I left them and headed to the border, checked swiftly the Thai-border, walked to the Cambodian side, where noone tells you where to get this fucking visa from which booth. A guy points at a house, in which a police official first asks for your passport (not to clear it and help; but to check from where you are in order to estimate how rich you may be and how much you could be overcharged or extorted!!! He wanted also 1200Thai Baht; no US dollar, probably because of the recent $ depreciation). After a row, I left for the right VISA booth, told again my story that the official Cambodian immigration police says a visa is 20US$, but the bureaucrats and policemen on site demand 1000 Baht (= 33 US$) or 20US$ and 200B, and the latter I had to pay, otherwise would get granted accessin Cambodia.
Then, next red tape station was the stamping and entry-/exit cards; while you get photographed by a super-mdern webcam (same for Angkor entrance [!] and Suvarnabhumi in Thailand). At least this was for free, as well as the quick 1.5km journey to the state-run tourist room (not office…), where you can book a bus or taxi onwards). I took a cab with two germans (splitting the fixed 60$ cost into 3 times 20$); a bus ticket would be 12$, it was said, eventhough there are also private companies and tickets for 5$ acc. to Lonely Planet…
On the cab (>12 year old Toyota Camry), just 20minutes driving and one tire was gone… took 20min to repair for the driver. It gives you a hint how fucking dusty and rocky the roads are.
Despite being promised to be dropped off at the booked hostels, the driver and his tuk-tuk connection tell us that taxis are not allowed to enter the city center (such a silly lie did noone believe anyway..), but tired from the journey, we embarked the tuks (for free, at least); only to see that they are free in order to skim us and convince us to hire them as driver for out upcoming Angkor experience.
The Cambodian challenge went on in the bathroom of my otherwise relatively ok hostel: I wanted to wash my hands, tap water on and peng, the pipe (a gummy pipe) broke off, causing some disorder (at least seured briefly thereafter).
If you stroll to the Psar Chaa, the olöd market, it's all trendy-Western styled tourist restaurants, very pricy (ok, roughly a bit below Western prices, but some are even more expensive; incredible for Cambodia, one of the poorest sates in the world). Funny way at least, that ppl here seem constantly smiling and making fun of foreigners. But by smiling back, I got to know a smart Khmer, who did explain me some basic things about Cambodia.
Tenets:
- Locals overcharge foreigners whenever they can
- Tuk-tuk drivers, hostel managers, taxi companies frequently cooperate to upsell
- State concrete elements of a deal and set the price fixed in advance, otherwise you become a target to get cheated
- SR is a kind of a 2-class society (west vs. locals)
Next time more about Siem Reap
ADI
As soon as you get into the city (coming from the scam-border of Poi Pet/Thailand), you're struck by finally a good road (compare this to the dirt-path with crater-big loopholes before), eletric lighting at the main road (and almost only there; althought there are also lighting posts on the street to Angkor Wat, they aren't used) and nice-looking buildings.
Seemingly almost everybody tries to rip you off, you the Westerner from whom one can easily extract money.
This starts as soon as you get dropped off from the bus, 6km away from the border (still in Thailand); so you need to get a tuk-tuk, which drives you to the border (80Baht per Person/tuktuk); and of course, this tuk-tuk conveniently drops you off there, where the scammers want to make you believe that you cannot get a VISA (20US$) for Cambodia "on arrival" anymore but since they are the "friendly volunteers" they want to sell you a Visa for 1200 ThaiBaht (40US$) from a Cambodian consulate in Thailand (which easily takes 3 days).
So, I left them and headed to the border, checked swiftly the Thai-border, walked to the Cambodian side, where noone tells you where to get this fucking visa from which booth. A guy points at a house, in which a police official first asks for your passport (not to clear it and help; but to check from where you are in order to estimate how rich you may be and how much you could be overcharged or extorted!!! He wanted also 1200Thai Baht; no US dollar, probably because of the recent $ depreciation). After a row, I left for the right VISA booth, told again my story that the official Cambodian immigration police says a visa is 20US$, but the bureaucrats and policemen on site demand 1000 Baht (= 33 US$) or 20US$ and 200B, and the latter I had to pay, otherwise would get granted accessin Cambodia.
Then, next red tape station was the stamping and entry-/exit cards; while you get photographed by a super-mdern webcam (same for Angkor entrance [!] and Suvarnabhumi in Thailand). At least this was for free, as well as the quick 1.5km journey to the state-run tourist room (not office…), where you can book a bus or taxi onwards). I took a cab with two germans (splitting the fixed 60$ cost into 3 times 20$); a bus ticket would be 12$, it was said, eventhough there are also private companies and tickets for 5$ acc. to Lonely Planet…
On the cab (>12 year old Toyota Camry), just 20minutes driving and one tire was gone… took 20min to repair for the driver. It gives you a hint how fucking dusty and rocky the roads are.
Despite being promised to be dropped off at the booked hostels, the driver and his tuk-tuk connection tell us that taxis are not allowed to enter the city center (such a silly lie did noone believe anyway..), but tired from the journey, we embarked the tuks (for free, at least); only to see that they are free in order to skim us and convince us to hire them as driver for out upcoming Angkor experience.
The Cambodian challenge went on in the bathroom of my otherwise relatively ok hostel: I wanted to wash my hands, tap water on and peng, the pipe (a gummy pipe) broke off, causing some disorder (at least seured briefly thereafter).
If you stroll to the Psar Chaa, the olöd market, it's all trendy-Western styled tourist restaurants, very pricy (ok, roughly a bit below Western prices, but some are even more expensive; incredible for Cambodia, one of the poorest sates in the world). Funny way at least, that ppl here seem constantly smiling and making fun of foreigners. But by smiling back, I got to know a smart Khmer, who did explain me some basic things about Cambodia.
Tenets:
- Locals overcharge foreigners whenever they can
- Tuk-tuk drivers, hostel managers, taxi companies frequently cooperate to upsell
- State concrete elements of a deal and set the price fixed in advance, otherwise you become a target to get cheated
- SR is a kind of a 2-class society (west vs. locals)
Next time more about Siem Reap
ADI
Montag, 19. November 2007
Bisy - Tài máng - 太忙
R U busy as well? ... 4 exams, 2 papers, apply for jobs/grad school, plan your Dec vacation and try to find happyness? exactly
but, while researching for the Monetary Policy assignment, have a look at this:
http://www.worldbank.org/wbi/governance/pdf/Governance_Indicators_eng.pdf
The World bank's Governance charts.
As a Swiss, you're looking at the all deep-green colours which basically say your gov is ok (granted, there is always improvement potential, Kai Zen, e.g. for the Regulatory Quality, which is only at 93 (of 100)). No wonder I encounter frequently ppl abroad who keep telling me that, as a Swiss ("wow"), you live in paradise....
Since I live in Singapore, I was curious... and, aha, they are not bad either, when it comes to gov effectiveness etc.; BUT: in category "Voice&Accountability" the fellas score only 44 (of 100), which gives them a red pitch... ouuuuhhh.
Well, Singapore is undoubtedly an economic success story in the last 40 years. But who pushed this? The people? The individual? oh man, the gov of course. They seem to rely heavily on a top-down 100%-management of all political affairs which makes the de facto-one-party-polity almost a benevolent dictator (with emphasis on the first). However, as history - unfortunately - shows, there is no longterm good track record of any benevolent authoritarian polity.
I just hope, the Singaporeans will not be trapped and locked in - the challenges lay ahead and might demand more self-responsibility, ownership and bottom-up initiative than other stuff.
Btw: the folks who wanna construct a "harmonious society" perform much poorer (cf. China). Their accountability is just 7 of 100; the highest score is 60 for any indicator - let's just hope they won't get flushed down into a bloody civil war which might cost millions of lives, when ppl start to demand more equality, more say, more honesty and transparency....
but, while researching for the Monetary Policy assignment, have a look at this:
http://www.worldbank.org/wbi/governance/pdf/Governance_Indicators_eng.pdf
The World bank's Governance charts.
As a Swiss, you're looking at the all deep-green colours which basically say your gov is ok (granted, there is always improvement potential, Kai Zen, e.g. for the Regulatory Quality, which is only at 93 (of 100)). No wonder I encounter frequently ppl abroad who keep telling me that, as a Swiss ("wow"), you live in paradise....
Since I live in Singapore, I was curious... and, aha, they are not bad either, when it comes to gov effectiveness etc.; BUT: in category "Voice&Accountability" the fellas score only 44 (of 100), which gives them a red pitch... ouuuuhhh.
Well, Singapore is undoubtedly an economic success story in the last 40 years. But who pushed this? The people? The individual? oh man, the gov of course. They seem to rely heavily on a top-down 100%-management of all political affairs which makes the de facto-one-party-polity almost a benevolent dictator (with emphasis on the first). However, as history - unfortunately - shows, there is no longterm good track record of any benevolent authoritarian polity.
I just hope, the Singaporeans will not be trapped and locked in - the challenges lay ahead and might demand more self-responsibility, ownership and bottom-up initiative than other stuff.
Btw: the folks who wanna construct a "harmonious society" perform much poorer (cf. China). Their accountability is just 7 of 100; the highest score is 60 for any indicator - let's just hope they won't get flushed down into a bloody civil war which might cost millions of lives, when ppl start to demand more equality, more say, more honesty and transparency....
Mittwoch, 7. November 2007
PRC - I will conquer ya!
155 bucks for this sticker! I think I should start a business and grab a own market share….
Did you know: When you go to a supermarket in Singapore, there is no small conveyor belt at the cashier desk, but a lady who packs your groceries into numerous plastic bags (hey, isn't the oil price rising?). So you easily walk home with five or six such bags, and don't even have to pay for it.
We use big brown bags in Switzerland (recycled paper/cardboard, enduring), and you gotta pay 30 Rp. for one à makes ppl more aware of environmental issues and cost-effective living.
in statu scribere pro altera (!),with no reward
Ceci n'est pas un xīn jiā pō rén
What makes a Singaporean?
huh, I dunno, but I guess most Singaporeans do not know it either. Maybe it's time to look for movies about this....
"12 Storeys" (check out: http://www.zhaowei.com/12.htm)
We watched the film in a Pol. Science class. Pretty interesting study about the daily-life and anguish of 08/15-Singaporeans, narrated by somebody who just committed suicide from the 12th floor of a typical HDB flat (hey man, I also live on the 12th floor). The taxi driver meant, the higher level one jumpes, the higher his soul bounces back to heaven...
Anyway, his spirit/ghost wanders around and reveals some soul-shaking realities.
- A robust woman who has to take care of her (step-?)mother who constantly denigrates her and openly states her predilection for the second (step-)daughter, Rachel, who later drives by in a BMW 7-series car.
- Khor, the mid-20 brother who has to take care of his two adolescent siblings, both unwilling to learn, but eager to party. It's like the old generation (go for education, for a bigger flat/condo) tries to teach the younger (go for fun, sex, alc), but fails.
- Ah Gu, aged 45 or so, owner of a food stall, achieved to seduce a beauty in the PRC to Singapore, but her arrogance , affairs and vanity drives him crazy. It's like a petty pride of running one's own business mixed with the cliché to bring in a cute lady, eager to marry (a would-like to be) rich.
Lot's of half-veiled jokes about Singapore's mentality. The fear to lose out, kiasu, is here, as well as the reproach on ppl who (ab)use elevators as pissoirs (guess what: in my flat we have a plate in the lift that says "urinating is forbidden", funnily they forgot to mention the fine you'll face). However, ppl still do this (as I can smell sometimes in the morning…) there or on the corridor (btw: go once to St. Petersburg in Russia, pick one of the free English "St. Petersburg" and there you'll get as well complaints about ppl shitting in staircases…).
So, what's the success of gov campaigns if ppl do not share does values intrinsically? It's possibly more about bottom-up value building and ownership, rather then top-down inculcating…
All in all, it's depressing, but still worthwile to watch.
huh, I dunno, but I guess most Singaporeans do not know it either. Maybe it's time to look for movies about this....
"12 Storeys" (check out: http://www.zhaowei.com/12.htm)
We watched the film in a Pol. Science class. Pretty interesting study about the daily-life and anguish of 08/15-Singaporeans, narrated by somebody who just committed suicide from the 12th floor of a typical HDB flat (hey man, I also live on the 12th floor). The taxi driver meant, the higher level one jumpes, the higher his soul bounces back to heaven...
Anyway, his spirit/ghost wanders around and reveals some soul-shaking realities.
- A robust woman who has to take care of her (step-?)mother who constantly denigrates her and openly states her predilection for the second (step-)daughter, Rachel, who later drives by in a BMW 7-series car.
- Khor, the mid-20 brother who has to take care of his two adolescent siblings, both unwilling to learn, but eager to party. It's like the old generation (go for education, for a bigger flat/condo) tries to teach the younger (go for fun, sex, alc), but fails.
- Ah Gu, aged 45 or so, owner of a food stall, achieved to seduce a beauty in the PRC to Singapore, but her arrogance , affairs and vanity drives him crazy. It's like a petty pride of running one's own business mixed with the cliché to bring in a cute lady, eager to marry (a would-like to be) rich.
Lot's of half-veiled jokes about Singapore's mentality. The fear to lose out, kiasu, is here, as well as the reproach on ppl who (ab)use elevators as pissoirs (guess what: in my flat we have a plate in the lift that says "urinating is forbidden", funnily they forgot to mention the fine you'll face). However, ppl still do this (as I can smell sometimes in the morning…) there or on the corridor (btw: go once to St. Petersburg in Russia, pick one of the free English "St. Petersburg" and there you'll get as well complaints about ppl shitting in staircases…).
So, what's the success of gov campaigns if ppl do not share does values intrinsically? It's possibly more about bottom-up value building and ownership, rather then top-down inculcating…
All in all, it's depressing, but still worthwile to watch.
Abonnieren
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