myriad of secret thoughts

Here was a scene at a cosy coffee place at Clarke Quay. As usual, it involves merrily chastising my brother's Singaporeanised antiques. This usually involves: being fussy about wearing safety-helmets before cycling to the next block, washing your hands as soon as you get home, and being extremely worried about bird-flu. But we always listen to his life in Singapore with enthusiasm.

[bro:] "I haven't bothered reading Newsweek ever since I got here. Besides, I've been busy reading much more interesting stuff on the Singapore daily newspaper. Only last week there was a man prosecuted for cat abuse. They finally proved him guilty for abusing three cats. He's a friggin' serial-cat-abuser. It was all over the news."

[me:] "Atrocious."

[bro:] "I know."