on the subject of addy's birthday and choonping's notions i recall now yet another effort of his to get get us involved in another game of scrabble. ("let's play vodka scrabble") failing which, choonping had wanted to know how one can "start a country" these days. playing columbus is alright provided there are any unknown islands to find, and if found, which sovereignity would immediately be disputed by the nearest three countries. or incite a civil war, says julian, and have some region split off from an existing country. so, says choonping, assuming we incite the people of changi to civil unrest, couldn't we set up the autonomous district of changi? we'll be in control of quite a lot, since all flights will have to land in changi. we will also control the mail, and access to military establishments (i.e. tekong) and quite possibly a great deal of good food in changi village. ah, says julian, but the pap would simply redraw the boundaries and say, no lah changi doesn't count. afterwards we were herded off to watch a recording of his york adaption of the medeia, though he kept accusing me of twitching in disparagement, which i was not! jason strutted around in a suit and the chorus looked like spanish widows and at the end medea leaves with suitcases. and they all swear a lot. ah, choonping!