I received my first gift of mooncake last week, from the Pan Pacific Hotels Group. The white leather case it came in was truly gorgeous, probably cost more than the mooncakes in it. I will have to think of another use for the case after I devour the four round-shaped delicacies of lotus paste, ginger, and other secret ingredients.
Yes, it’s that time of the year – Mid-Autumn Festival – when Singapore plunges into mooncake madness, with hotels producing these cakes of all flavours and blends, packed beautifully and exquisitely. Some even come disguised as Bluetooth speakers – the cases, I mean.
The only thing they can’t change is the shape – the moon remains round no matter who has landed on it.
Super blue moon captured in Sydney by Elizabeth Rich
I am told that hotels in Singapore sell millions of dollars of this festive delicacy each season, and sales teams have targets that are more aggressive than average daily rates.
Last night too (August 30), there was a blue super moon which only happens when there are 13 full moons instead of the usual 12 in a year. It is the biggest and brightest moon of the year which I caught on my nightly walk. I hope you caught it because the next one won’t come around till 2037.
As it turned out, last night too was the day when Chinese around the world mark the Festival of the Hungry Ghosts in which they offer prayers and burn paper money to ensure their dearly departed ones have enough to spend in the afterworld.
Anyway, it got me thinking that while AI and tech have changed many things, there are many things it hasn’t changed – yet.
For example, traditions such as burning paper money – cash is still king in the afterworld and I don’t think digital wallets are accepted there – yet.
Ditto the Lunar New Year tradition of giving away “hongbao” (red packets) – most people still prefer to give away cash and as for the recipient (single folks like me), why, who wouldn’t prefer the feel of crisp, new bills over getting an SMS notification from the bank saying, “Successful transaction”?
Massage is another thing tech and AI have not replaced – yet. Yes, they now have all sorts of chairs and beds that do strange things when you sit or recline on them but they often wind up as clothes hangers in your house after a while – just like that treadmill.
Nothing beats the feel of human hands on your body, that know exactly which points to press on and knots to untangle. Perhaps one day they’ll invent a robot which can do that – but for now, human touch wins.
The facial is another thing where human touch still wins – for now – although I am amazed by the technology that is now being deployed to this particular human activity where you lie supine for an hour or so and a therapist goes to work on your visage.
Who knew this relatively small part of the human anatomy needed so much work?
“I am now going to blow oxygen into your skin to brighten it up.”
“I am now going to use sonar rays to tighten it up.”
“I am now going to use stem cell-cream to lighten it up.”
Sufficiently lightened, tightened and brightened, I walk out of the salon, completely in love with the human who’ve made it possible to be a new me, even if it’s just for the day.
I mean, some jobs can only be – and should be – performed by humans.
Which is why I was aghast when I saw in my social feed the news that one day, our dogs will be walked by robots. I mean, why would you give away this most pleasurable of activity to a machine?
Let them clean floors, I say. Keep them away from our dogs. I wouldn’t give up this job for all the paper money in the world.
