The Daily Pennsylvanian

Gin, who features regularly on the tagboard, published a post on TheMafBrothers' blog few days back. He wrote that his boyhood dream was to appear in the newspapers twice in his life. 'Once in the obituaries...once more because I says so'. I remember that he had mentioned this meng4 xiang3 before in one of his many previous posts - him being the most prolific blogger on the blog now after Kaiyuan's life has been taken over by hall and FYP and after I had been seconded to Le Chye - but I never gave much thought to it then.

To be able to appear in the newspapers because 'you say so', I guess you either have to be the editor of the papers or be pointing a gun at the editor's head. Or be a columnist. I remember seeing the photos of Sumiko Tan - who also happens to be the current Sunday Times editor - Tay Yek Keak or Colin Goh printed beside their respective articles regularly. Not sure how much they themselves want their photos to be published though, especially if they were to find out what people do with newspapers after reading them. One of my friends and his brother once, when they were little, dabianed on the newspapers, wrapped it up in the shape of an enormous candy and gave it to their mother as present. That remains the most creative way of recycling old newspapers I have ever heard of=) As the way things are now, being a columnist is a pretty good way of assuring an appearance in the newspapers. Being a chemical engineer is - as a friend, I have to say this however difficult it is - not. Unless you discover oil under Singapore's soil.

You are probably unaware of this but you have actually appeared in the papers before. I doubt the man who sent in the photo for publication asked you for your permission.




































If you never get to appear in the newspapers by saying so, take consolation in the fact that you appeared on the newspapers without even saying so=)

P.S. This was how I got my hand on the copy of 'The Daily Pennsylvanian'.