"There is no greater impotence in all the world like knowing you are right and that the wave of the world is wrong, yet the wave crashes upon you." - Norman Mailer

***

Quotes:

Some essays are very well written, or brilliant. I gave them A Zero or A +.

equivalate to (equate)

Although the neo-liberals say the markets fail. No no. Neo-liberals say markets do very well.

Any other views or comments? *silence* I think it's controversial but [there are] no views at all.

[California Girl on me: He claims that I Orientalise myself.] But you do.

[Illustrating the iniquity of the Bell Curve] Oftentime in class you ask: 'Any problems?' No one has any problems. Then after the class, everyone has problems.

10000 - 100 is what. 9 something. [Me: *sotto voce* The more economics you do, the worse your maths gets.]

All of you are participants in the game. The prize is ego points. So if you win you feel good.

Things are not always what people claim. Even for things published in AER.

[On a girl's computer troubles] Would you have helped her if she was a guy? [Me: Of course.] But if she was a guy she would have known [how to do] what you helped her to do. (had been)

[On exchange rates] Floating system is not a punisher (panacea]

f'rare'k'were'nt financial crises (frequent)

[On the final lecture] What should be done in the future. Before that, I'll tell you what should be done for your exams.

Women face disproportionate rights to safety, mobility and privacy as compared to men (threats)

[On our curriculum] It could have been better if you had to learn about Social Science methodology in Year 1 or Year 2... We do not have it. That is very regrettable.

It was Marx who claimed that capitalists even go to the hell in their pursuit of profit (hell)

[On foreign aid] There is an old saying that poverty cannot be rescued by anybody except you... If you need outside help... You have to show them [you are worthy] (relieved)

[On the failure of south-south cooperation] Even if you have emotional solidarity with your neighbors, when you get into business it's different.

[On her buying a jar of peanut butter] I'm desperate and lonely.

Tuna crosscent (croissant)

[On my scribble sheet] Is it English?

[On Fann Wong and dinner plans] She's so pretty. But I want to eat hor fun.

If you're middle class in Singapore, you have a car. [Me: Obviously you're bourgeois, cloistered] ... Most of the people around me have cars. [Student 2: Your social circle...] [Me: In 2000, 31.7% of households had cars.]... Now it should be higher. The COE went down... [Me: That means the Demand went down. What sort of econs student are you?] A lot of my friends are like, 'COE is down. Let's get a car. [Me: Your friends are in the top 31.7%.]

You need the strength for CPR - 'Crushing People's Ribs'.

[On Ben and Jerry's] I was thinking 'Bukkake Berry' would make a good name for an ice cream, but never mind.

[On Sarah Scott's Millenium Hall in her Women Novelists module] This eight year old girl. She's well brought-up... He brings her up. You think he's very benevolent... He wants to marry her and rape her [and wanted to from the time she was 8]. Who would do that?... [Me: That's why you only find it in literature] Not in literature. Only in feminist women stories, where they're trying to create a separatist woman colony.

[On the Women Novelists module] I'm not going to do it. I like men. [Me: You can't take this class if you like men meh?] If you like men, you acknowledge that you are being submerged into the patriarchy.

[Guy on 99% chocolate] It's true that this thing is possibly better than sex. [Female Student: You've just never had sex... {To me} Like you]... [Me: So what's better than sex to you?] [Female Student: Err. Nothing.]

It's so obvious. I've noticed her since year 1. [Me: Who?] I don't know her name. But I recognise her by her breasts.

[Me on Sharukhan Bhangra: This is so funny] This isn't funny. This is nice. [Me: So why are you laughing?] Because of happiness

I realise ah, 70% of KL guys suck in some way or other

[Female student: Can someone please check the guys' toilet tap? It's on again.] [Me: Just go in. No one will care.] You should say 'no one will know'.

She refused to complete FFVII, because she likes the main bad guy, so she refuses to kill him

[On Singapore men] That's what they think... They have subservient wives, then they become very bored, then they go and have extramarital affairs

He's like a bearded lady... He has a lot of stubble... He's on the limbo. He's not moving back or forward... He ties his hair in a ponytail, but not as stylishly as yours... He's not [taking pills]. That's why I say he's not moving... He's a transsexual feminist lesbian... He or she is a misandrist... That's what he says. He hates guys... If I were a psychologist and published his case, it'd be in a major journal. [Me: What's he studying?] I'm not sure. I sure hope it's not gender studies

[To me] How many groups of people have you offended?

He keeps introducing me as 'My Toy'. Then people think I'm Thai - 'Muoy Thai'.

When we were wee little lads, Sec 1... I was in the crippled bunch, but there was one person I could run faster than - the Fat Superman. Did you wear the number tag around your neck?... [Someone: You were bullied so much when you were young, no wonder you're like that now]... You were the only one I could lap

My mom told me, 'real women eat chili... the more chili you eat the bigger your breasts get... [Someone: So do you eat chili?] No, I don't like chili. [Me: Yes, I can tell]