In the interest of turning over a green leaf and being kind to the environment, I’ve decided that I will start reading the papers online. I think I actually prefer this way. Well, for one, it’s a whole lot neater than having to negotiate through several oversized sheets that take up the whole breakfast table. That was always my biggest gripe with the old style NST until they switched to the tabloid size. It used to be my excuse for why I read The Star instead of the NST – simply because the papers were too cumbersome to manage. Now that I can no longer use that excuse, I’m forced to admit it was because I found the language of the NST too “powderful” for me.

I guess the difference between The Star and the NST can be likened to the difference between The Herald-Sun versus The Age in Australia. My predilection of the tabloids had been evident even way back then. Sad to say I never even found the comics in The Age particularly amusing, although I guess it was most likely because the humour was above my comprehension.

A few posts back, I stated that I found it abhorent to read the papers because inevitably there are always articles published that incite my agitation about the way things are here. For a more eloquently expressed view on the issues that sadden me, one should visit Patrick Teoh’s blog. I often find myself nodding in agreement each time I read one of his posts about the events in the media. Since his posts are far more articulate than mine, I think the message comes across quite loud and clear.

A couple of days ago, Patrick wrote about an article in the NST about making prime land properties in Penang affordable for bumiputras, among other news in the media. This was one of the articles that struck a real cord in me particularly since I’ve started to develop an interest in real estate. I mean, how ridiculous is that? A prime area is prime partly because of the environment around it. Throw in your “affordable-cost” housing and you devalue the other property in the area.

Only now do I realise that the hubby was wise to advise me that if I was truly keen on investing in real estate, I should be looking overseas and not locally.