G'dey M'te,
Today is officially my 5th day in Perth. Things are kinda starting to fall into place. Currently, we're living with Tress's cousin's (Sandy's) family at a surburb 15mins south of Perth City. This surburb has a pretty interesting name called SUCCESS. Maybe, it's an auspicious start for us. Anyway, when Tress returns to Singapore next Sat, I'll be moving into another of her relative's place at Huntingdale.
Right now, it's in the tail end of summer but it is HOT HOT HOT! Temperatures were well over 40deg last week, but this week is comfortable at 25deg. At night, it drops to 10 or 15deg I reckon 'cos its rather chilly.
Honestly, I cannot imagine how it would be like settling into Perth (or for that matter, any other foreign place) without the support and help from Tress's relatives. From transportation, to food, to basic neccessities or just the odd tip/suggestion/advice here and there, these are really invaluable. Initially, I felt really isolated in a strange and foreign environment and really missed Singapore very much. Now, it feels abit better. When I finally find a car I like and be mobile, then I guess life would get much better.
I think Tress kinda likes it here because there's so much space and she doesn't feel so claustrophobic like in Singapore. Moreover, she can drink very often here as her relatives are perpetual wine hoarders.
Aussies are really an interesting bunch of people, definitely way different from Singaporeans. For starters, they are much friendlier, ot at least for those that I've met so far. They are even friendlier than the Americans, and their service attitude is much better than any you can find in Singapore. On the roads, the Aussies are polite and would usually give way to pedestrians, even when the pedestrians do not have the right of way. Generally, there is no honking whatsoever.
Aussies also like to slur and mumble very quickly when they speak. For example, "Good day, how are you doing?" easily becomes "Giidayhawyading?". They call the toilet "dunkers", barbeque is "barbie", mosquito is "mozzie", coffee is "cuppa", and Aussies are "A'strine" (try pronouncing that out loud and you'll get what I mean). Oh yeah, and they like to streeeeeeezzzz vowels.
One of the most quirky things I cannot understand about Australia is that, in every home, the toilet and shower are separated. What that means is that I cannot take a dump or a pee halfway through showering, without getting out of the shower room. Weeeaiiird ainit m'te? Well, one explanation I got is that a home usually only has 1 or 2 toilets, so if it is attached to a shower, basically only one person can use the toilet/shower at one time. In other words, it's a practical design (hmm...why not just build more toilet/showers then???).
That's all I have time for now. To all my friends and family who are reading this, I miss you very much and look forward to my hols so that I can visit you guys. Meanwhile, check back this blog for some pics and more updates on my "A'strine A'veeenture"
Yes, I finally sold my Lancer-Lution yesterday. A significant part of our lives has been extinguished. Ok, maybe not significant, but the trusty mobile has been our faithful companion for the past 3 years or so (except for the one year that I was away), so it is at least a memorable aspect of our lives.
Tress poignantly lamented that the car had been present since the start of our relationship and cannot help but feel a little at a loss now that it's gone. It is true --- I do feel like a small tiny-eensy-weeny bit of flesh has been taken out of a cuticle. But to put things in perspective, it's just a car. There had been many more credible witnesses to our relationship than just this car. And at the end of the day, it is just a cold, hard chunk of metal devoid of emotions and feelings ---- worthy to be missed but not to be sad.
Perhaps, the letting go of the car is a signal that it is indeed time to move on. It is almost the last bit of preparation that needs to be taken care of before finally leaving the country
As I reflected a little yesterday, I realised that driving a car is reminescent of our lives in Singapore, or perhaps the developed world today ---- Always in a hurry to get from point A to point B. Heavily focused on the destination and not enjoying the journey.
And I will be the first to admit that I am really, certainly and surely the most impatient driver around. Much as I dislike being like that, I cannot help it. In any case, I am usually so focused on driving and getting to the next destination in record time that I usually remember nothing about the journey (except swearing at the irritating taxi that abruptly cut into my lane).
Do you remember the old school days, when you would take the public bus everyday to school and back. You memorise all the landmarks, names of buildings, roads, even the odd commuter who would wear the most outrageous outfits or the chio-bu who carried the pretty pink file. Is it not ironic that though kids, who observe and notice everything, are always dismissed as young and ignorant, while we, the so-called mature adults, are so busy leading our own lives that we do not even notice ANYTHING outside of our own imaginary little enclave.
To my fellow friends, pals, buddies: As 30 beckons, let us take a break from our hectic lives and be reminded of the things that truly matter, to make time for our treasured relationships, family, friends, loved ones; the need to be socially responsible, courteous and loving to our fellow brothers and sisters. Let us not be so caught up with the successes of our jobs and the excesses of our wealth for they may be gone in an instant. Let us remember to make time to LOVE our LOVED ones and even those who do not deserve our love.
And remember that the only destination in Life is Death. By rushing through life without taking time to smell the roses and horse shit along the way, we are only headed for the highway to hell (or heaven, maybe).
Whenever I flip the Straits Times, I get slightly disgusted with all the pro-PAP propaganda that it advocates. Well, this is expected anyway since the senior editors and management of Singapore Press Holdings come from the civil service anyway (many were from the Internal Security Department I heard). What's more, even varsity journals, as a rule of thumb, are censured against publishing any articles considered seditionary against the government. If you do not tune in to alternative sources of news, you would never find out about the bad press Singapore gets globally in some aspects, particularly that of free press, transparency and citizen freedom. Of course, we are well-known around the world for being a clean, efficient and a safe city as well (credit to PAP, I must admit)
Ex-Civil Servants Join Reform Party
However, I was pleasantly surprised yesterday when the ST published a full page interview of 2 ex-government scholars and ex-civil servants (a couple by the name of Mr & Mrs Thiam) who joined The Reform Party, a newly-formed opposition party by the late J.B. Jeyaratnam. Currently, the party is headed by his son, Kenneth.
In the interview, the Thiams said they joined the Reform Party because they wanted to help foster a more balanced political landscape here.... According to Mrs Thiam: “I felt they needed more people to help. But of course, anyone joining the opposition would do it because they wanted to see certain changes in the way the Government is running the country,”.
Motivation To Enter Politics
Call me idealistic, but isn't that intrisinic motivation to bring about progress for the country (like what the Thaims desire) the ONLY legitimate reason to enter in politics. Progress --- in terms of a better quality of life for the people, not just monetarily speaking. Of course, ideals and ambitions sometimes gets lost along the way --- which is why we have multi-million dollar salaried ministers who boldly proclaim that they will "be paid much more" should they have stayed in the private sector. PAP politicians have been lured with the promise of power and wealth that they have sadly lost this intrinsic motivation. This same motivation is why Barack Obama spent a good part of the prime years of his life campaigning his cause and ultimately rise to the top job in America? -- surely not for a paltry US$400k p.a.?
Since we are on the topic of high salaries for Singapore ministers, let me say unequivocally that PAP is right in one thing: none of them (Singapore ministers that is) would desire to accept bribes (and thus be labelled as corrupt) when their salaries are so high to begin with --- in other words, what the government is doing is simply just legitimising "corruption" by paying them extraordinarily high salaries right from the start.
SM Goh was recently quoted as saying "It is better for an army of sheeps to be led by a lion than for an army of lions to be led by a sheep"...... While MM Lee was quoted with saying “If native Singaporeans are falling behind because their spurs are not stuck into the hide (whatever the hell that means anyway), that is their problem,” .... Tell me, is this what you want your LEE-ders to think of you?
Singapore -- A For-Profit Organisation?
For many years of Singapore's short history, the country has been managed like a business model. That is not neccessarily a bad thing. We have enjoyed many years of prosperity, primarily between the late 1980s to the early 2000s. For some reason, the powers-that-be have decided that we need to improve the business model to churn out even more profits (i.e. influx of foreign "talents"). While I agree with the concept, I cannot agree with the execution.
I have strongly spoken against the indiscriminate influx of foreigner "talents" and rising HDB prices in a previous post, but please induldge me further.
Firstly, Singapore is NOT a business organisation. We are human beings, belonging to a soil that was toiled in blood by our forefathers. What is the good of all the economic progress if we cannot provide sufficiently for the people? By providing for our people, I mean basic amenties like education (to tertiary level), public housing, healthcare and transport. With all the influx of foreigners, our children struggle to get into desired schools when Primary 1 registration comes along -- this creates an internal imbalance of morale in our citizens. Our universities are also flooded with foreigners, many of which are only there because they cannot get into better Western universities, and because Singapore is just a stepping stone for their personal ambitions elsewhere (come on fellow NUS/NTU engineers, you know what I'm talking about). While our healthcare system is still considered much better compared to many developed countries, it is still relatively unaffordable for the lower tiers of society. Basically, it is EXPENSIVE to fall sick in Singapore, how many have to die simply because they cannot afford the costs of medical treatment?
Ridiculous Increase in Property Prices
Secondly, the influx of foreigners are also driving up our property prices expotentially. Ok, I know you are tired of me ranting about this, but I really get pissed off when I read about property sellers demanding a cash-above-valuation (COV) of 100k for their property. This is absolutely ridiculous. Our Law Minister boldly proclaimed that Singaporean citizens are responsible for driving property prices up, not the PRs nor the foreigners. Well, that may be true to some extent, but he conveniently neglects to mention that the government has the unchallenged authority to manipulate the economics behind the housing sector --- by constricting supply (releasing of few new HDB developments) and increasing demand (influx of foreigners). A recent BTO in Choa Chu Kang was 14 times over-suscribed, what does that tell you? The consequence of increased demand with reduced supply is immediately intuitive. There are couple of reasons why the government wants to do this:
1) Rising property prices means new HDB developments can be priced higher. HDB was recently quoted that they peg the prices of new developments to the housing market. Of course they want to do that, since they are the ones responsible for pushing up property prices in the market anyway. They are just sustaining a vicious cycle to continue lining the national coffers with more profits.
2) Another consequence of rising property prices is that they can increase revenues from property tax. Just to give you an example: the property tax on my apartment has risen by almost 80% in just one year (even with rebates).
3) Every time a property is transacted, or even transferred (say between siblings or parents to children), a 3% stamp duty is charged. Needless to say, the higher your property is valued, the higher the absolute amount of stamp duty liable.
4) Rising property prices means that homeowners have their money "stuck" in their Singapore property as opposed to having liquidity for external investments which would not be beneficial to the government.
5) High property prices, coupled with high cost of living, deter young couples from having more than 1 or 2 children. This reduces our national birthrate and in turn justifies the government's liberal immigration policies. Again, another vicious cycle.
Our PAP ministers, particularly the head honcho, frequently laud
Wage Supression
The influx of foreigners, coupled (or complemented) with the rise in property prices have a dual effect in the the manipulation of Singaporeans, especially in the lower tiers of the economy.
Let me give you one very good example. Back in the 1990s, when I was just a kid, the average amount I spent on a haircut in a salon was $12 (you cannot find any salon that charges below that). In the early 2000s, I began to find $8 salons (happily!). Now, I would not spend more than $5 on a haircut in the slew of PRC-owned salons (ok I'm cheapo, but you get my drift). This is a classic case of wage suppression.
The reason why the government wants to suppress our wages is to ensure that a larger proportion of our money is sunk into our (very expensive) property -- Afterall, its the Singaporean dream to own their own property right? -- The reason for this is so that we (and I mean almost everyone without a substantical amount of cash in their bank), will not contemplate on leaving Singapore --- in a sense, we are stuck here
State Media Propaganda
The state-controlled media highlights only success stories of Singaporeans to continue building the Singaporean dream. They rarely ever highlight the cause of the lower segments of society (which is actually rather significant). They do not tell you that Singapore's GINI index (a measurement of wealth disparity) is one of the highest among developed nations (actually it was ranked 2nd highest in 2009, only behind Hong Kong). Yes, our economy is prospering, however, the effects are not trickling down to the average Singaporean --- Not that this bothers our ministers anyway, since economic prosperity augments the highest echelons of society, of which our ministers' salaries are pegged to.
PAP has snagged all the "top brains" of the country with prestigious overseas scholarships, and brainwashed them with the promise of success and power (we all know the stories of inept government officials who receives a promotion every 2 years, don't we?). The media continues to laud them by publishing their faces and names. Since the top echelons of the government is filled with these "scholars", it creates a public illusion that only the "top brains" are fit to govern the country. Obviously, the opposition parties do not always have such pedigree, and hence are deemed by the public as "less capable". This may now change with ex-top civil servants, like the Thiams, joining the Reform Party.
Transportation
Everyday, we read about how many new MRT/LRT lines are opening up in Singapore, and about how our transport system is world class. Since I drive most of the time, I cannot comment on how efficient our public transport system is. But very often, I hear of how packed and congested our MRT trains are as compared to before, how much longer it now takes to get from one place to another via public bus service. What does that remind you of? Bangkok? KL? I don't even want to start on the state of our expressways now.... I'm sure you can form your own opinion on this.
Though the upfront cost to buy a car these days is alot lesser as compared to 20 years ago, such savings are offset by the high costs of maintaining a vehicle. There are 39 ERP gantries in the CBD alone. With the massive influx of foreigners, coupled with the deliberate lowering of the upfront cost of owning a car, everybody and their brother wants to buy one. This creates massive congestion on our roads and then JUSTIFIES the erectment of more ERP gantries. Ha, another vicious cycle construed by the government.
Another side effect of this is that accidents occur more frequently than ever before driving up motor insurance to astronomical costs. I'm amazed that even with an increasing NCD (No Claim Discount) percentage, my car insurance keeps going up by 10% or more each year. In fact, one motor insurer quoted me $500 more than the previous year. All this is a result of...yes, uncontrolled influx of foreigners.
What Do You Want?
It is not wrong to pursue change but let us not demand change for the sake of it. We have been brought up to be submissive to authorities and this is a pervasive mindset in local culture. Surely, this cannot be right? How can a country improve without objective and non-biased feedback?
Singapore is made of Singaporeans, we have a voice and we deserve to have our voices heard (ironically, one day, PAP will be kept in power through the votes of newer citizens because of the lax immigration policies that allowed them to enter the country in the first place). Singapore is not a business conglomerate run by an e-LEE-te class who, by themselves and their cronies, determine the progression of our country. Again, what is the use of all this economic growth if our citizens are not benefiting from it?
On a more sombre note, I sincerely believe that we still have a very dominant and strong puppeteer behind our political landscape. You know who I am talking about. I believe He singlehandedly steers our political and economic directions. Our previous and current prime minister is pale and lacklustre in comparison to Him. If this is true, we are surely headed for a national disaster once He is gone since our current leaders would be at a loss of how to proceed then-on.
When one day a 5-room HDB cost a million bucks, we are surely in trouble for we might not be able to afford to raise even a single child. Singapore will degenerate into a graciousless, emotionless and unpatriotic HOTEL for unloyal migrants and fly-by-night wealth seekers. Need I mention Zhang Yuan Yuan?
Already, we hear of reports that GIC is suffering massive losses in the financial and property markets. Temasek Holdings have been bleeding for years with their poorly managed companies (eg. Chartered Semiconductor which was recently sold off). Since there is such a blatant lack of transparency of how our sovereign funds are being managed, we could be bankrupt for all we know (ok, abit of an exaggeration, but surely, it is not an unreasonable presumption?). Why else would the government be so strict about Singaporeans withdrawing CPF monies when many were already so down and desperate during the peak of the latest financial crisis?
Well it's not as if we have much of a choice since your constituency or ward is likely to be a PAP walkover in the next General Elections anyway. But get this straight, Singapore IS NOT PAP and VICE VERSA. Maybe it is time for us to follow the footsteps of the Thiams....
The night before, Tress's family, relatives and I were frantically putting on the decorations in the church basement. It was a 360 degree transformation. From a drabby, utilitarian church canteen, it was magically transformed into an elegant and pretty reception area. Actually Tress's family, especially her auntie, Irene, had been instrumental in many areas of the preparation leading up to the wedding. I think her family is really sweet and warm, I'm lucky to join into this wonderful family.
Dei Gloriam and the CSS ABEngs came together almost a month before the wedding to rehearse for the choir. Two days before the wedding, we had a second rehearsal. Hannah, Karen, Stanise and Fred basically turned the choir participants from a motley crue of individual voices to a harmonized and melodic choral unit.
I was really glad to have Kevin as my best man. We go back a long way, 1987 to be exact. Its amazing how time flies and how much things have changed. We both realise the value of our friendship and still go out of our way to make time for each other despite our very busy schedules. He was there for almost every fitting of my suit and even provided the recommendations on where I should do it. I could feel that he really went out of the way to make himself available to prepare for my big day and I hope to do the same for him later this year.
Natasha was super sweet to Tress. I could feel her love and concern for Tress every step of the way in preparation for the wedding. At the end of the night, she and Tress had a very emotional session, which was long due. I'm happy for Tress to have a friend like her.
Mark ensured that the whole order of the Mass went smoothly and basically refined and triple checked the mass booklet before printing. He also painstakingly prepared a special booklet for Fr Cary. Personally, I think Fr Cary really benefited from it becos he is abit blur. LOL.
I could tell Alan was so concerned with the flow of the Mass commentary that he started to rehearse for this even before Fred's wedding (which took place on Nov 1st 2009). Thanks to his keen sense of awareness, he managed to play by ear and resolve some of the last min changes and screwups.
As usual, I could count on Marcus to run everything smoothly and effeciently. He is one of the most reliable pals I know. And he is also very sweet and sensitive, always giving me practical advice and suggestions on everything. He is one friend I am certainly honoured to call my own.
Little did I know, Norain was so busy choosing and purchasing the flowers for the church decoration. I never gave much thought to the deco because I thought it didn't matter to me. But honestly, I never attended a more beautiful wedding in my life, it was made better becos it was MINE.
Natalie is one of the busiest persons around, yet she made alot of time to ensure the decorations of the church was up to par with her very high creative standards. She also got the best caterer in town to put up a LAVISH feast for the guests. Tress is very lucky to have a cousin like her.
Edmund put on a superb performance for the pslam and the Alleluia. He is the only person I know who can do this so well. He is always very concerned about me always, I'm grateful for a pal like him.
Renee and Edna constructed the ang-pow boxes which were really beautiful. Tress has some really amazingly creative friends. Thanks to them, and Sharon, Meiting, Kenneth and Candice, our ang-pows were kept safe and intact! LOL!
Thanks to Jacob, Wenyan and Justin, the car park headache, pertinent to many weddings, was managed peacefully.
Jenson, Daniel, Jared, Fang (no, not our Fang) and Cheelie helped out with the ushering and helped to ensure the guests didn't get lost!
So, I've never sat so close to the altar before, and the experience was wholly surreal. It felt like time had stood still for me during Mass. I was slightly nervous but quite excited. Also, I never had so much attention focused onto me before. Tress kept giving me the nervous smile and wanted to hold my clammy hand. I guess it was pretty nerve-racking for her. She looked beautiful in her gown which was made extra extravagant with the long train.
After Mass, the Evergreen guys put on a very touching montage of our old photos and gave an individual speech. Though I can't say that I approve of all the photos, this was really a thoughtful and nice gesture. They really put in alot of effort into this. Essentially, the montage and speeches provided a short testimonial of my life. It really added meaning to my marriage since many of my guests (including my relatives), don't really know me well enough. Through this, I hoped they gained a good insight of a valuable aspect of my life.
The following is a story that I can share with my kids and grandkids: I lost my wedding band during a short outdoor photo shoot at Portsdown. Kevin, Glenn, Natasha, Tress and I were searching for it high and low. But due to the nature of the ground (lots of dead leaves, grass and other bushes and shrubs), it was near impossible. Besides it could have dropped at one of several areas. We were paying our photographer $500/hr for the shoot and didn't want to waste anymore time, so we called off the search and took a few more photos and left.
By the way, the ring was a little too tight because it was really hot and my fingers expanded significantly. As a result, I couldn't wear the ring all the way in and it was sitting nearly on my knuckles i.e. kind of loose.
The whole night, I was a little bothered by the loss and finally, woke up very early (despite being extremely tired), to go back to Portsdown to search for the ring. I ran through, in my mind, the possible areas where I could have dropped the ring, and decided to begin my search on a slope with lots of loose topsoil. (I slipped a little on this slope during the photoshoot while climbing and used my hands to support myself on the soil. Thereafter, I swept both hands together to brush away the soil and I thought this could have dislodged the ring.)
Viola, within less than 2 mins, I found the ring gleaming brightly on the same slope just beckoning to be returned to the rightful owner. Praise the Lord! It is truly a miracle of wedding proportions. Phew!
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I've been married for 2 days already. Still kinda reeling from the wedding lag, but it sure feels good. We're looking for a bright and loving future ahead. Pray for us. God Bless!
Angry Neighbour: Is this your car? (shows me a piece of paper with my car number scribbled on it)
Me: Yes, it is....
Angry Neighbour: Do you know your car alarm has been going off for the whole of last night? Every half hour it sounds off, I cannot sleep properly.
Me: Oh, I didn't know. Did you check if my car was broken into?
Angry Neighbour: (looking incredulous) Of course not! I stay upstairs...I'm not going down to check in the middle of the night!
Me: Thank you for informing me, but isn't the first priority, for anyone who hears an alarm, to check if the car has been broken into?
Angry Neighbour: Er....I...Ple.....I don't want to hear the alarm anymore ok... (walking off).
Exactly 5 seconds later, I got a call from the condominium manager informing me of several complaints about an alarm going off the whole night and pleaded with me to do something about it. Later, I found out that Mrs Angry Neighbour had taken down my car number, went to the condo office and got the management to check which apartment unit it belonged to.
Anyway, at the point in time, I was pretty incensed. Immediately, I went to check my car and thankfully, didn't find any damage or loss (Sometimes, the alarm can go off if the car experiences a violent motion, like a hard knock, when the security system is turned on.)
I drove the car to another spot where I could monitor it easily from my apartment. Then, I went up to the condo management office to talk to the manager. --- Bad move --- The condo manager was an old shriveled "uncle" who just didn't want any trouble. He kept emphasising how much time it took him to trace the car number (whom Mrs Angry Neighbour kindly provided) to my apartment unit. He informed me that another resident had called the office threatening that "something will happen" to my car if the alarm kept ranging.
I assured him that I know its not his fault and if the security alarm in my car had been going off unneccessarily, I will definitely get it fixed.... But, I told him in no uncertain terms, the question here is not about whose car alarm went off, but rather, the way the whole incident was managed.
Firstly, as a neighbour, it is OUR responsibility to help monitor our neighbour's property. Instead, when they heard the alarm, all they could care about was how much it disturbed their peace. As Mrs Angry Neighbour put it bluntly that she "lived upstairs" and will not go "down to check" in the middle of the night (actually how she narrowed the offending vehicle to my car, was questionable as well). Does anyone truly believe that one would purposely allow the car alarm to ring all night and not do anything about it? Who in the right mind would want that? Furthermore, it's disappointing, scary even, that their first thought was how irritating the alarm was, instead of being concerned that a crime might be, or might have taken place.
Secondly, even if a resident could think this way, how can a condominium manager be so irresponsible to think this way as well? One of his main responsibilities is the welfare and security of the estate, but all he could think about was to please the complaining residents.
Reflecting back, I guess I was a little harsh in "sharing my piece of mind" with the condo manager. It may appear that I'm too self-righteous or even unreasonable. I'll be the first to own up if my car was the offending vehicle and will immediately take rectifying measures to eliminate the problem. This is because I value a peaceful night for myself just as much as I value a peaceful night for my neighbours.
On second reflection, I became disappointed and very discouraged by the self-centredness of my neighbours. (This is not the only incident: Residents in my estate frequently put their bulky garbage in the common areas and staircases, blocking exit and footpaths. Not only is this aesthically ugly, but is a fire safety hazard as well.)
While I, too, value a peaceful night's sleep, I don't think it is too much to expect from my neighbours to investigate an alarm that goes off (not to mention the job of a condominium manager as well). Is the purpose of a security alarm to disturb your neighbour's sleep or to indicate a possible crime?
With all the economic growth and prosperity that the government is unabashedly boasting about, we have become so focused on ourselves without little concern left for our neighbours. Social responsibility and neighbourly love has given way to self-centredness and dollars and cents. The Chinse proverb, yuan qin bu ru jin lin (we can only rely on our neighbours for immediate help in times of trouble), is sadly, no longer true today.
As I reflect on my 4 years of being immersed in the working world, I realised that I've learnt alot. More importantly, I've noticed peculiar types of workers in the office. And really, I always get amused at the mere thought of them.
Some of these typical employees are as follows: 1) The Young And "Enthu" Grad, 2) The 3-to-7 Years Dude, 3) The 20-30 Years-Of-Experience Auntie 4) The 10-Years-Or-More Junior Manager
The Young and "Enthu" Grad
Yes, we all know them. Why? --- because we were all once like that. Fresh from the sheltered and loving environment called "UNIVERSITY", we were thrust into the jaws of the working realms with a massive dose of a drug called "ENTHUSIASM". Unfortunately, nobody told us that the effects of this drug wore off as quickly as the time it took to spend the 13th month bonus. Nobody also told us that this drug quickly morphed into "IRRITATING" when attempting to administer to The 3-to-7 Years Dude.
One thing that The Young and "Enthu" Grad needs to learn is to Chill-Lax. No point trying to change the world that does not want to be changed. Attempting to rewrite decades-old procedure is ultimately fruitless and worse, irritating and annoying. They need to learn who really calls the shots, who are the people that gets things moving and, more importantly, how to please these people. And these people may not, and usually are not, the MANAGERS.
Remember the last time you attended a presentation by one of these Young And "Enthu" Grads? Yes, they are now so sophisticated with Excel and Powerpoint that the sheer amount of animation can leave you breathless and naseous. They present an immense amount of suggestions and proposals which most people know are unworkable and impractical (if not, someone would already have implemented it, DUH!). The few useful and novel suggestions, though endorsed by the manager (who will immediately forget it when he/she leaves the room), will ultimately go down the drain, because The Young And "Enthu" Grad fails to recognise the movers-and-shakers in the room... The movers-and-shakers who can give them the appropriate guidance to move the proposal along. Given a few years, The Young And "Enthu" Grad degenerates to the 3-to-7 Years Dude.
The 3-to-7 Years Dude
These guys think they've seen it all. Actually, they don't. They just prefer not to see anything at all. These are the ones that have tried to revolutionise the world but failed miserably and are now thoroughly jaded. These guys are unlikely to stay beyond official working hours unless absolutely neccessary. They spend their lunch with fellow 3-to-7 Years Dudes, mostly complaining about the stupid and redundant projects that their managers have "arrowed" them to take on. Many of these guys have bought their first car by now --- and thereafter end up coming 15 mins later to office each morning.
Actually, these guys are the best to work with, because they have the neccessary experience, and yet have not reached a "chao kuan" stage (unlike The 20-30 Years-Of-Experience Auntie and The 10-years-or-more Junior Managers). But there is one problem, they really can't stand The Young and "Enthu" Grad.
The 20-30 Years-Of-Experience Auntie
These usually, but not always, do the administrative jobs. They are the ones who talk the loudest in the office, who spend an inordinate amount of time in the office pantry gossiping, who take the longest lunches and who is all packed up to leave the office 15 mins before time.
They have seen it all, done it all. They've seen The Young and "Enthu" Grads degenerate into 3-to-7 Years Dudes and other unrecognisable lifeforms, witnessed the implementation of the company intranet which they are still learning to use after 5 years, and been through 3 CEOs and 5 Recessions.
They know EVERYONE and probably their deepest secrets too. Ally with them and you have a good chance of getting your job done (well). However, spurn them at your own risk. They are unshakeable and indispensable to the organisation. They are the primary fabric of the company, the threads that bind all departments as a collective working force.
Tip: though most of them are pear-shaped ugly b***ches, but a kind (though untrue) compliment on their hair once in awhile has not been known to hurt anyone.
The 10-Years-Or-More Junior Manager
They are easily recognisable with the yellowish business shirt that once had the potential to look sparkling white. Their hair (if any) is usually ruffled and sometimes greasy. Their face show signs of battle-weariness and years of neglect. Strands of nostril hair might stick out once in a while.
All the years of toiling for a more senior position has exhausted them. As they approach middle-age, they just want to take it easy and avoid unneccessary trouble. Their mantra is live and let live, "arrow" whenever possible.
Don't expect them to back you if you screwed up. They have seen far too many Young And "Enthu" Grads come and go, under their charge. They are just concerned with making sure the director is happy and this could sometimes come at the expense of their subordinates.
My advice: If you get one of these as your boss, get out as soon as you can.
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Disclaimer: the stereotypes above were meant to entertain with a dose of sacarstic humour, there is certainly no intention to denigrate nor condemn if you happen to fall into any of these categories.
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For most of my life, I've largely been disinterested in politics. I guess, like everybody else my age, I was just too busy growing up, soaking in whatever life had to offer. Everything that was being fed or given to me, naturally formed my perspective of the Singaporean society at large. However, in recent years, I've started to become more aware and critical of events and happenings in general, particularly the government's domestic policies. Perhaps its part of growing up, maybe its the engineering training in me. Now, do not misunderstand me when I say that I'm critical. It certainly does not mean that I'm out to criticise, but rather, I prefer to process information, rationalise and analyse it, and churn out an informed opinion. I may not always be right, but I seek to offer an alternative perspective to the convention.
As many of you already know, I'll be leaving Singapore soon, perhaps for the long-term, perhaps only for a few years. Surprisingly, many people, even strangers and acquitances whom I've met recently, only spoke of their admiration and courage in making such a decision. While I tried to play down my decision by declaring that I'm a "quitter" (a term fondly used by Mr Goh Chok Tong when he was the PM), these concerned individuals not only refuted this, but go on to affirm and encourage me to pursue my goals.
Honestly, this is really unexpected. As recent as say, 3 years ago, if someone told me that they are intending to migrate, I would have told him/her that Singapore is great, why do you want to leave? At that time, I simply couldn't comprehend why anybody would leave behind a stable environment, family and friends, to seek an unknown world out there, to rock the proverbial boat.
Now, I do not mean to deride Singapore in any way. Frankly, I love Singapore. It's where I spent my entire childhood, my teenage years, the the formative years of early adulthood. I love the food, I love Clementi, I love my family and friends. For the past 20 odd years or so, Singapore has certainly given me lots of memories to treasure. I get nostalgic just even thinking of these memories.
However (and some of you may already be tired of me saying this time and again), Singapore is no longer the Singapore I once knew. In fact, it had been furtively metamorphing itself over the last 10 years or so. A country is only as good as its leaders. I believe they are good, but the question for Singapore is whether our current crop of leaders are willing to open their minds so as to chart the direction of Singapore on the right path? There is certainly no doubt that MM Lee and the PAP had transformed Singapore to what it is today -- a relatively corruption-free, efficient and clean country, attractive to many foreigners. The harsh-handed polices of the then PM Lee Kuan Yew were (probably) justifiably neccessary in order to acheive what we have acheived today. When Singapore was given its independence in 1959 (not 1965 as most people think), its citizens were largely uneducated. Mr Lee and a few other overseas-educated elites were handed the task of forming a government to lead the people amidst the hostilities that perpetuated and surrounded (and still surround) Singapore. They certainly used it to their full advantage in ensuring an iron-grip on Singapore's political landscape, stretching this tight control onto the national media and other critical segments of society (eg. the judicial system, the statutory boards and education).
Like I mentioned earlier, in recent years, I've started to be less politically apathetic and paying more attention to our government's policies and attempting to extrapolate its consequences for the future. I would like to highlight some of these below...
The Influx of Immigrants
This topic has been discussed and debated so many times, that it has turned cliche. Cliched it may be, but probably for a good reason. The PAP justification on the large influx of foreign immigrants is two-fold (as I see it). Firstly, they believe that these foreign talent will stimulate economy growth, and as an extension, lower unemployment rate, and as an extension, a higher standard of living for its citizens. Recently, Mr K. Shanmugam highlighted to a Harvard alumni group that of the 6000 strong workforce in the banking sector, 1000 are foreigners. He went on to say that these foreigners, contrary to belief that they are depriving locals of jobs, are actually generating more jobs for Singapore. --- Perhaps this may be true, I have no doubt that foreign TALENTS indeed stimulate economic growth by contributing in high-growth segments of the economy such as banking, R&D and perhaps manufacturing. However, it does not take a rocket scientist to figure out where most of our foreigners are coming from. Whether or not they are truly TALENTS are questionable. These so-called talents I believe, have mostly flooded the lower segments of the economy, such as front-end service and sanitation. Are Singaporeans really unwilling to take on these jobs as our newspapers frequently claim? In any case, I would like to see some statistics on how TALENTED the recent immigrants truly are.
Secondly, the PAP claim that the birth rate of Singapore is too low (approx 1.2 to 1.3) to support an ageing population. They claim that we need to open our doors to immigrants so as to relieve the burden of this pertinent issue on Singaporeans. --- Well, wouldn't these immigrants grow old one day too? In fact, most of them come from countries (or country) that have been practising single-child policies for the last few decades. Do you really think that they will suddenly reproduce like hamsters after coming to Singapore? In fact, if you really think about it, these policies can actually exacerbate the problem even further. When these immigrants (who are already less-inclined to reproduce) become senior citizens, the burden will be even greater on the younger generation. Are we going to open our doors even wider to accomodate more foreigners? By that time, we would probably be living in 100-storey HDB blocks built within a metre of each other (ok I'm exaggerating, but remember you heard it here first if it really happens). There wouldn't be anymore space left to accomodate further influx of immigrants.
I hope our leaders will continue to deliberate on our liberal immigration policies and take appropriate action if neccessary. This is a potentially disasterous policy that can bring Singapore down a slippery slope of national rebellion and discontentment if not handled properly, and reviewed periodically. Even the economic costs may be too much to bear down the road.
The Repression of State Media
This really takes my goat. It has become blatantly obvious, amidst increasing discontentment of the government, that the PAP is suppressing and manipulating the media ever more tightly. If you are reading this right now, you are probably a concerned and (not-so) politically apathetic Singaporean. Hence, I urge you to read other alternative news sites (such as Temasek Review and The Online Citizen). Don't be mistaken, I'm not asking you to believe wholesale whatever you read there. But get an alternative perspective and form your own opinion. One example that really incensed me was the fact that the Straits Times and TODAY newspaper repeatedly attempted to mislead Singaporeans into believing that Dr Chee Soon Juan was the protege of Mr Chiam See Tong, and the latter resigned as the secretary-general of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) after a public spate with Dr Chee (in relation to Dr Chee's fasting in protest to his unexplained termination from NUS). This view was first put forth by MM Lee over a defamation lawsuit he had brought against Dr Chee. ---- In fact, Dr Chee had written a reply in February 2009 (to TODAY newspaper whom only saw fit to publish this reply online) clarifying that he had hardly known Mr Chiam prior to joining the SDP, and even after joing the SDP. The real reason, Dr Chee claimed, why Mr Chiam resigned was due to a difference in directions for the party (the party voted against an initiative that Mr Chiam tabled in 1993). The 2009 study on press freedom by Reporters Without Borders (RWB) placed Singapore at 133 out of 175 nations, below Kenya and Congo. This comes at the same time where a number of foreign journalists were ousted from Singapore for no given reason. Actually, the ability of the government in maintaining such a strong grip on the state media is not surprising since the senior management of Singapore Press Holdings consist largely of ex-PAP and government officials. I'm not going to say more on this topic, go check up on more facts and form your own views.
But, I have to say this: as literacy rates continue to increase in Singapore, the government can no longer so effectively curtail and suppress the media without incurring the wrath of its citizens. I leave you with a quote from Dr Gobbels, the spin doctor of Nazi propaganda in the 1930s and early 1940s:
“If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State.”
The Bilingual Policy
Certainly the bilingual policy as espoused by PAP (or more specifically LKY) in the past has led to confusion and misaligned priorities leading to our current state of affairs. Singaporeans generally have a poor command of ANY language relative to ANY other country. When I see the average, middle-aged heartlander struggle with filling up official forms in English, or attempt to communicate with others in a smattering of Hokkien, Mandarin, English and Malay, I feel really sad. They have been misled and disadvantaged by years of misdirection in terms of language prioritization. Just walk into any POSB or CPF branch and you will know what I am talking about --- Now is the time to make a stand --- As MM Lee so humbly put it (and I respect him for his candidness) that he was wrong in emphasising on both languages because it is not possible to excel equally at the two. Since this is the case, why is the government still unclear about its stance? They claim that English is the working language of the world and it is imperative that we master it, yet they also claim that China is on the rise to be the next dominant power of the world (if not already) and it is important to be able to communicate effectively with the Chinese to do business -- in other words, there is still no real change in our government's stance. The words may be different, but the implications are still the same. This leads me to the sad conclusion that 25 years down the road, the average middle-aged Singaporen is still going to struggle linguistically when he or she walks into the local POSB or CPF branch. Many countries, even Malaysia, do not face this particular problem since the government is largely (and I mean largely with a pinch of salt) firm on its stance that Malay is still the national language. Hence, even the most uneducated Malaysian is able to communicate effectively when neccessary.
It is my deepest wish to see Singapore progress, economically, socially and EVEN politically in the long run. In future, when I come back to Singapore for good (should it ever happen, that is), I hope to see that we have a strong citizenary, confident and united. While I do not wish to see the PAP lose control of the country (because I believe that they are fundamentally amongst the most talented individuals the country possesses), I believe that they have to learn to open their minds to accept constructive criticisms and engage in open, active debate with its people and the opposition parties. The archiac and out-dated policies of our past LEE-gacies should be revised and discarded when and if neccessary.
Mr Johor-Mcyclist moved off (along with his J-plate friends) to slot themselves conveniently onto the lane divider, between the rear portion of my car and the adjacent car.
Now, I had to quickly filter from the extreme right lane to the extreme left lane, so I put on the indicator light and was immediately greeted by a loud honk from Mr Johor-Mcyclist who had quickly sped up to the side of the passenger door of my car, as if to block me from filtering left.... And possibly, on behalf of Mahathir, he then topped off the wonderfully orchestrated move with an angry and disapproving glare.
Yes, I may have friends who are Malaysian, I may enjoy going down to JB for the occassional petrol top-up and some cheapo shopping, but I have SERIOUS issues with the motorists from across the Causeway, who drive (ok, ride) like cowboys in my country.
Every morning, the population of motorbikes in Singapore suddenly doubles as our esteemed northern neighbours flood in through the Customs... Sometimes, they come in ancient and rusty, rectangular containers spewing out deadly black smoke. I believe that Malaysians affectionately call these rust-cans "lorries"... Ocassionally, these come in smaller sizes, a little less rusty, but patched up in a variation of colourful patterns (which I highly doubt were a result of their aesthetic designs). I heard they call these "Protons".
Sometimes, I wonder if these J-plate motorbikes come into Singapore with the sole purpose of terrorizing our drivers. Its not as if our roads aren't crowded enough already, the innovativeness of these motorcyclists in finding nooks and slots to fit in between cars is indeed praiseworthy. Malaysians must be really good at jigsaw puzzles.
Having witnessed how the J-plate cars drive, I seriously wonder if our cab drivers were all trained in Malaysia. The abrupt lane-changing, tail-gating and reckless driving are very similar between the two. I think we should rename our cabs as "TEKSIs".
Oh, in case you haven't heard, the Johor government has announced a new ruling that foreign vehicles leaving Johor cannot contain more than 20 litres of petrol. If I am leaving Singapore with at least 3/4 tank full but have to come back with less than 20 litres, (and assuming I'm driving an average 40 litre tank saloon car), that means I need to burn off at least 10 litres of fuel on Johor roads --- Hmm...Johor Bahru F1 anybody?
To be honest, I dislike birthdays. I mean my own. Conversely, I truly enjoy celebrating and partaking in my friends' birthday celebrations. I love the singing, the (nowadays increasingly rich and sweet) birthday cakes, the company, the merry-making and all the other feel-good factors.
But it's sort of a contradiction, even bordering on hypocrisy to proclaim that I enjoy friends' birthdays but not my own.
Since I hit the big TWO-O, I've stopped fully indulging in my own birthday celebrations. I think I was traumatised by the slightly-more-elderly-than-moi well-wishing "soothsayers" that prophesied, using an incredible pyschic ability called "experience", that the actual time difference between ONE-O and TWO-O is alot more significant that between TWO-O and THREE-O. What's worse, rumour has it from even-slightly-more-elderly "soothsayers" that the gap between THREE-O and FOUR-O will be even shorter. The only consolation, these well-wishers say, is that life really only begins after 40. It is sort of a renaissance of the Middle Age(s), I guess.
The hypocrisy herein lies at the fact that I dislike my own birthdays but enjoy, and even indulging, in that of others. How do I rationalise that? To be honest, I'm not sure... Maybe, it could be that as a December baby, I get the kick out of seeing my friends turn a year older through the course of the calender year, while I remain at status quo, only reaching my turn when December arrives. And since I do not know of any friend (born in the same year) who has a birthday after mine, this is entirely plausible. And you know what, this even works for those who are born in the following year, since chances are that they will reach their next birthday before I reach mine. Hence, I can proudly say that we are now the same age on their birthdays.
Another entirely possible reason, one that I SHOULD NOT rule out, is that I'm actually quite a SHY person inside. Since I don't really like the spotlight to be on me, it could be a little overwhelming to have everyone's attention focused unto me at my birthday celebration (should I decide to have one, that is). They seem to think that its a special day so I should get and do whatever I want. Heck, I get AND do whatever I want EVERYDAY! --- On a separate note, if I get this privilege only on my birthdays, then I guess I'm one hell of a sad fella. And since I do whatever I want everyday, I certainly don't want the spotlight to be on me everyday right?
By the strict sense of the word, you can only have ONE birthday day, which is by definition, the day that you were born. If that is the case, marketers, publicists and retailers should be thinking of more creative names in place of BIRTHDAYS. For example, 20 could be "One-more-year-to-adulthood-day", 30 could be "Downhill-day", 40 could be "Life-begins-today-day". If you manage to survive till 60, then everyday is a "Golf-day".
Well, whatever it is, today is just a regular Tuesday.
*Thanks to all the well-wishers who faithfully remembered my birthday today.
*Warning: Although I assure that I am definitely not a racist nor sexist bigot, I cannot gurantee that you will not get offended if you continue reading on....
New Paper journalist, Joanne Soh, recently authored an article titled "My Mum was right -- Men are pigs", as a open tirade against Tiger Woods for his alleged extra-marital affairs (which, by the way, he has yet to admit).
Ok, I haven't actually read the article (I don't read The New Paper anyway), but I couldn't help but notice the amount of flake Ms Soh was getting in local online forums. And since, like I said, I haven't read the article, I won't comment on it (lucky her!), but it has reminded me of some deep-seated personal opinions about the opposite sex; opinions which will definitely strike a resonant chord with my fellow brethens from the brotherhood.
First of all, I like to make a proclaimation that the term "fairer sex" to describe women is DEFINITELY an oxymoron -- Simply because the feminine species is not wired to be at all fair! Conversely then, men are surely the fairer of the two species. Example -- When women go out with their ladybirds for an all-girls outing, the men are expected not to ask too many questions (if at all) on what they did, what they bought (especially if they went shopping), or what they talked about. However, when men go out with their boys on a all-guys masculine and adrenaline pumping outing, at some point, we would definitely have to "report strength". Macho guys, like you and me, are reduced to whimpering and whispering over the phone so that our mates cannot eavesdrop on how we are, in the gentlest and softest voices, reporting our every movement to our "Queens". You know how elephants are expected to be revered in the Indian society? Yes, women are definitely akin to elephants.
Secondly, when people say women are petty, it actually means they have a good memory.... of your past transgressions (a new word I learnt from Mr Woods). Hey, you know what they say about "having a memory of an elephant..." Ever tried arguing with a woman? Yes, I feel your pain too. They seem to have this uncanny ability to bring up ancient historical events that have long since been erased from your deepest consciousness. Unfortunately, these historical events are usually those that work against you. What's worse is the fact that the context in which these ancient historic memories are brought up, are often accompanied by an illogical perception. It is a scientific fact that women have many more neural connectors between their limbic brain (the "feeling" part of the brain) and the pre-frontal cortex (the "thinking" part of the brain) than men do. Consequently, women are always thinking about how they feel, while men just...well, think. Still, this doesn't explain why women remember your wrongdoings of yesterYEAR but have extremely short-term memory for the sweet things you did yesterDAY.
Lastly, you know how Indians are renowned for their "MaMa Shop" mental calculating prowess? Yes, I'm sure all women in this world can boast genetic traces to the locally ubiquitous Ah Neh. This is how they calculate:
Didn't kiss me today = -50 points
Fetch me to work today = 0 points (because it's boyfriend duty)
Didn't buy me flowers for 37th month annivessary = -150 points
Bought me a new Prada bag for 37th month annivessary = +30 points (WTF??)
Told me he loves me today = +2 points (of course he is supposed to love me!)
Didn't do the dishes today = -30 points (Obviously, you better go buy a new Prada to make up for it)
Bought me my favourite chocolates yesterday = +10 points (but reset to ZERO today)
Tell me brother, like that how to win? .....The sad truth is guys are not supposed to win. As nature had intended it, PIGS will never beat INDIAN ELEPHANTS.
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mrbrown and the Happy
A recent UBS report showed that the standard of living in Singapore was slipping, and while Singapore was one of the most expensive cities to live in, the purchasing power of its people was going down.
That is sobering news. It makes you want to go out and buy yet another expensive item on credit to cheer yourself up.
While I cannot speak for others, I would like to share my thoughts on the matter.
It is true that for my family, things have gotten more costly while our family income has not appreciated in a big way. But we count our blessings that our bills are (mostly) paid, that our belt needs to be tightened only some of the time, and that we can still afford one or two nice things in life (as long as we save up for it).
What I have found is that the stuff that makes you very happy, is rarely the stuff that costs a lot of money.
Happy Is spending the Lantern Festival in the void deck, because it is raining, and making a racket with your three kids, your brother's two kids, your wife's friend's kid, all armed with lanterns. Happy Is seeing that you can still get those cellophane lanterns like the ugly goldfish, lit with a real candle and a real flame. The kind you had when you were a kid yourself.
Happy Is seeing photos of your oldest daughter, aged 8, dressed as a princess for Children's Day because her Special School had a fairy tale theme for the day. As an added bonus, Happy Is finding out that despite her autism, she knows she is in a pretty dress and having her photo taken. You can tell from the smile on her face.
Happy Is hearing news of Nigel, 3.445kg, born to a wonderful couple you are proud to call your friends. And seeing photos of the little boy on Facebook hours after his birth, nestled safely in the arms of his very tired but smiling mother.
Happy Is doing what you love - in my case, writing - in the dead of night, and having the office all to yourself. Happy Is blasting your speakers as loud as you like, with music that you love, because no one is around.
Happy Is being your own boss, even it meant making less money for an indefinite number of years.
Happy Is being able to dance in the office, in the middle of the night.
Happy Is discovering great new music, from a band called Pomplamoose, on Youtube, and being blown away by their cover of Single Ladies. Happy Is buying all their tracks for U$9 via Paypal because it is the least you can do to support musicians who produce such good stuff in their own home. You can do the same at their MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/pomplamoosem
Happy Is riding past the Istana on your folding bicycle on the way to the MRT station to meet the wife, and suddenly being hit by a cool breeze of night air, caressing your face.
Happy Is date night with the wife. Happy Is watching a flick about the life of Julia Child, with her, even though you've already seen it once at a media preview. Because her company is more important than the movie, which was pretty good to begin with. Happy Is having a late dinner of yummy Japanese pizza and pasta with her, after watching a food movie on an empty stomach.
Happy Is riding home on an English 3-speed bicycle that is older than you are on quiet night streets, after you finish writing this column. Happy Is not missing your car, which you sold a few years ago, after you got used to riding to work daily, and your family got used to public transport.
Happy Is opening the door to the kids room, to see them peacefully asleep in their beds, when you get home late after work.
Happy Is knowing in the morning, the kids will jump into your bed to wake you up.
I know I should probably feel angry at the rising cost of living; at the stagnant wages and lack of jobs; at the need to subscribe with a new company to catch the English Premier League.
I am sure I'll return to my usual cranky self soon. But for now, I choose to dwell on what my Happy Is.
So what's your Happy Is?
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When asked if the next General Election is intended to be brought forward from the original schedule (year 2012), PM Lee was cryptic... "Maybe ... no I don’t have a date for you — it could be, it could not be,".
OH COME ON DORK! Do you really think we are politically apathetic morons?
The signs have been clear for while. Firstly, the redrawing of constituency boundaries, then the release of more land for construction of HDB flats (to appease potential new home owners who are deciding on whether to pay an arm or a leg, or both). Oh, and the masterstroke in poaching Philip Jeyaratnam to join the PSC (thereby neutering the threat of the Reform Party his dad so belovedly formed before his demise). The Ministry of Finance is also getting in on the act by launching a Budget 2010 Feedback Exercise, apparently to seek our views on how the government should apportion tax-payers monies (I have a few ideas about that *wink*). Now the introduction of the "Cooling Off" day...
In case you haven't heard, the Opposition-held wards at Hougang and Potong Pasir are also now eligible for the Lift Upgrading Programme. After the last election, PAP effectively shown that it was serious about scheduling the priority of the LUP proportionally with the number of votes it received in a particular precint. If PAP is considering a GE next year, what better time to kickstart the LUP at the Opposition-held precints than now, and timing its completion by a GE next year?? They are surely hoping that this will swing voters in their favour. Delay the GE any longer, memories of the LUP would be diminished from the voters' minds. Perhaps, we will see PAP sweep every single seat at the next GE. With the pending retirement of Chiam See Tong, this will be a real possibility.
Let's face it, PAP or more specifically LKY, has done a tremendous job in propelling Singapore into a First World economy and modern, world-class country. From the beginning of independence, LKY saw the ruthless need to "exterminate" political rivals and parties to achieve this aim. He simply saw it as a means to an end. On hindsight, it wasn't too bad afterall, like I said, Singapore has indeed surpassed all expectations in being a First World economy today. Since the end has "somewhat justified" the means, I guess I can't complain about his heavyhandedness, since I must have benefited in some way.
I am probably not the first person to postulate the possbility of a GE next year but I urge you, and every single potential voter (only if your ward is not a walkover), to consider carefully before casting your vote.
Don't get mistaken, I'm not advocating for the opposition. Honestly speaking, opposition parties in Singapore are generally weak and have weak fundamentals to begin with. They exist only to serve as a muted "check" on the ruling government and probably are allowed to exist only because PAP allows it. The stronger and more passionate ones like CSJ and JBJ have since been methodically terminated.
Firstly, the surge in our resident population. It is estimated that there are 5 million inhabitants on our tiny island. In 2003, when PM Lee took over the helms of the government, he proudly proclaimed that we will reach a target population of 6.5million by 2030. Hey DUDE! Have you been to Orchard Road on a Friday night in the past year?
For someone who earns 5 times more than the President of USA, he is surely delusional. The liberal immigration policies that the government is adopting is slowly stifling each and everyone of us, migrants or not.
Property prices have shot through the roof simply because there aren't enough to go around to accomodate every family or potential new family. On one hand, the government complains that Singaporeans are not procreating fast enough to meet our natural replacement rate of 2.1, on the other hand, new couples are turned off at the thought of buying a new property with the intention to raise a family. What an irony!
As if property prices alone are not sufficiently turn-off-ish, the increasing standard of living in Singapore is now a complete deterent for most when deciding how many children to have.
This brings me to my second point. Real estate prices have doubled, tripled, quadrapled in the past 10 or 15 years; prices of food produce are rising at an even faster rate. Unfortunately, real wages (after adjusting for inflation) have been largely stagnant for many years. The cost of a plate of chicken rice, 15 years ago, would be approximately $1.20, today, it is at least $2.50, translating to a rise of more than 100%. Assuming you are performing the same job from 15 years ago till now, can you expect a wage increase of 100%? If you answer yes, I can only guess that you are a PAP minister. I am led to a very sad conclusion that our government is trying to propel Singapore's economy even further by depressing real wages to increase our competitiveness on the world market, a la South Korea a few decades ago.
But its not as if the government doesn't realise that Singaporeans are getting discontented about the population increase and the liberal influx of immigrants. If you had been watching and analyzing closely, they are subtly mitigating this discontentment. First of all, Goh Chok Tong and LKY have been out in the media proclaiming that we need to be patient and allow THEM to integrate (the government has also launched a 10million dollar Community Integration Fund paid by us taxpayers), then they go on to say that "they look just like us". The creme de la creme has to be the presentation of the Good Neighbour Award to a PRC immigrant.
Hey Mr Lee (both), you are missing the point. I don't care if they look like me; I don't care if they integrate; I only care if I can afford to buy an affordable home in a reasonably nice area without paying an arm or a leg, or both. Despite being a professional and earning a decent income, I don't want to worry about the price increase in diapers, milk and other household goods when I got a 10% pay cut last year. If my country has such a strong economy as you claim, why do I have to worry about losing my job to a foreigner?
Now the above are just the economic aspects of the equation. In some of my previous posts, I lamented about the current state of Singapore and how we are socially retarding. I would like to bring that argument up again to continue to shake off some of that political apathy that we Singaporeans are so famous for.
With the population explosion, even the heartland centrals have gotten more crowded and congested. The influence of non-native cultural habits (I won't mention what) coupled with the inherent kiasu-ness of native Singaporeans have homogenously integrated to form a grace-less and ugly society. People no longer see the need to be courteous nor polite. Simple words of "please" and "thank you" have become extinct. Impatience and ingratitude is now the norm. Civic-mindedness is only present in the few who still have time for it.
Our ministers are so divorced from reality with their multi-million dollar paychecks (which they so proudly boast will be ALOT more had they stayed in the private sector), that they fail to see what Singapore has transformed into. Even the most idealistic of politicians like Dr Vivian Balakrishnan have been sucked into the PAP propaganda machinery. With the snagging of Philip Jeyaratnam, the domination is near complete.
Near complete, but not complete -- that is why I urge you to consider very strongly before casting your vote in the next GE (which I strongly think will take place in 2010). Singapore is our home and we have a right to decide what direction it should take. We cannot continue to let a few high-minded and power-hungry politicians, who are so divorced from the reality, monopolize and dictate the future of our country. We might not, and probably do not want to dislodge the PAP as the ruling government, but we need to stand up and make our disgruntled voices heard.
But alas, Singapore is no longer the home I once recognised it to be... and that is why I have to leave.
Anyway, the event was most remarkable for Mr Ong's bleary and teary rendition of "You'll Never Walk Alone" as a tribute to Liverpool FC. Seriously, you had to be there and witness this incredible spectacle to believe it.
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Finally realising that Liverpool's chances are over this season, Mr Ong is now "crying over spilt milk"...
But least he still has Amanda (as usual, his eyes looking away from the camera...)
And of coz, the rest of us...Hey, who is the chap in that Clementi Chai Tow Kway Hat behind us?
Us with me in my retro Jimi Hendrix T-shirt...
The Man Utd-Blackburn-Liverpool connection (whatever that is...)
See you Down Under, Mr Ong!
I'm sure you would have, by now, read about the blunder by the 2 KKH pharmacists in setting the pump rate of the chemotheraphy-drug dispensing equipment.
At the suggestion of Marcus, I've attached the blog link by the son, Gary Ng Chun Kiat, of one of the 2 victims, Mrs Ng.
Part I
http://chunkie84.blogspot.com/2009/11/d
Part II
http://chunkie84.blogspot.com/2009/11/d
An independent view of the incident (I like the part about Khaw Boon Wah)
http://www.temasekreview.com/2009/1
Oh by the way, I tried googling for Khaw Boon Wah's official statement but the links appear dead. Try it for yourself to see if you can find it. But thankfully, someone was kind enough to post it up on their blog. I decided to paste a commentary by Temasek Review (no, nothing to do with TEMASEK HOLDINGS) here before that link gets "clamped down" too.
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KKH medication blunder: Khaw dismissed worker fatigue as cause
November 17, 2009 by admin
Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan had dismissed the likelihood of worker fatigue as a cause for the medication blunder at Kandang Kerbau Hospital which has taken the entire nation by storm.
Two cancer patients, Mrs Poh and Mrs Ng were given chemotherapy drugs over a few hours instead of days via a calibrated infusion pump.
The pharmacists involved in delivering the drug had apparently mistook the pump for another one which is supposed to infuse the drug over a few days.
When asked whether disciplinary action would be taken against the two pharmacists, Mr Khaw quickly jumped to their defense, saying that investigations are still ongoing and they are personally “very traumatized” by the mistake.
Mr Khaw laid the blame on the similarity in appearance of the two pumps which were mixed up, and said that he would be providing feedback to the manufacturers.
He said:
"The pumps look almost exactly the same…This is very dangerous when there are two pieces of equipment and one is millilitre per hour, and one is millilitre per day – you are causing unnecessary risk to the users of this device." (*I'm absolutely speechless....)
The key thing, he emphasised, is to learn from this incident and prevent similar mistakes from occurring. (*DUH!)
It was not revealed how long the pumps have been in use or if the pharmacists are given adequate training in how to prime them.
Though he urged KKH to “treat the patients and their families with fairness”, Mr Khaw did not offer any sympathies or apologies to the victims. (*Why should he since Goh Chok Tong has already proclaimed hiim to be the best health minister ever, see below)
KKH called a press conference last Saturday to explain how the mistake occurred to the public. Its CEO Prof Ivy Ng, who is incidentally the wife of Education Minister Dr Ng Eng Hen had remained silent on the matter so far.
Singapore has one of the best healthcare systems in the world and Mr Khaw was praised by Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong as being the “best” health minister Singapore ever got.
Such medication mistakes are actually not uncommon in Singapore public hospitals where junior doctors and nurses often have to work for long hours with little or no rest.
They are usually not leaked out to the press. It was reported that a relative of one of the patient informed the Straits Times on the matter whose health correspondent subsequently wrote an article on it.
One of the patient, Mrs Ng, had been discharged from the hospital. According to KKH, the medication she was given can be given as an infusion over 15 minutes.
The other patient, Mrs Poh is still warded under observation. She is out of danger yet.
Mr Khaw added that if the harm done to the patient was "not irreversible", "we can heave a sigh of relief" (*is he intentionally cryptic or trying to confuse us? isn't easier to replace "not irreversible" with just "reversible?")
It is not known if the patients are contemplating taking legal action against KKH for the blunder.
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Form your own opinions, guys!
Singaporeans have always basked in the glory of a globally (or at least regionally) renowned healthcare system. Medical tourism is bursting at the seams with patients flocking to Singapore for treatment, from all over the world. Surely, we must be doing something right. Or are we?
According to an article from the Singapore Medical Journal,(http://smj.sma.org.sg/2403/240
"It is only proper that the public should expect high standards of conduct from members of a profession... however it is also sad but true that lapses can occur in health professions just like in any other profession".
The reason why health care in Singapore has been maintained at relatively lower costs as compared to say, the United States, is largely due to the ability to keep medical litigations to a minimum. According to my esteemed Engineering Law professor, Prof Pxxx, the judicial system in Singapore inclines itself to protect health care professionals from lawsuits, frivolous or otherwise. Moreover, such happenings often go unreported in the media or even if they do, it is usually downplayed, with minimal press coverage.
There had been relatively few cases of successful lawsuits involving medical negligence in Singapore, the most notable one -- Gunapathy vs Dr Khoo James & Anor (or affectionately termed the Gunapathy case) -- resulted in a payout of SGD2.5million to the plaintiff.
I just want to make a quick comment on the American healthcare system -- While the physicians and surgeons there are undoubtedly world-class and leaders in the medical field, the abused practice of filing malpractice lawsuits is certainly injuring or killing their healthcare system.
With no disrespect to the doctors in Singapore or elsewhere, the average doctor in the US can be said to possess at least more maturity and clarity of career direction. This is in no small part due to the fact that, in the US, medicine is a 3-year graduate programme, before which students have to undergo a 4-year degree course of their own choosing. It is only upon completion of the degree course that they are allowed to apply to medical school.
During screening of medical school applicants, admission factors are stringently considered, for eg, GPA, letters of recommendations, MCAT (medical school admission tests), personal statements etc. The purpose is to ensure that only the best and most suited applicants are admitted to medical school. By most suited, I mean that the admissions committee have deemed them to be of impeccable character integrity and possessing the mental apptitude and attitude to take on a stressful and ardous, but potentially rewarding medical career. In all, it takes an aspiring doctor a minimum of 8 years, after high school, to finally graduate as an MD. In fact, most medical students take on paid work for a few years before embarking on medical school, so by the time they graduate from medical school, they are near their 30s or even older.
*Personally, I believe this is the right direction to take for Singapore in the future. In fact, the Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School is currently offering one such programme to a small number of graduates each year. However, from what I heard, these students are geared more towards research than clinical work*
The point I am trying to make here is that, many medical practitioners in the US, at a relatively higher level of maturity when they enter the medical profession, are frequently reportedly to be jaded at the constant fear of lawsuits, many of which are at best, frivolous. In fact, these medical practioners pay malpractice insurance of up to 40% of their annual salary (obstetricians and gynaecologists pay the highest amounts of malpractice insurance), driving up the costs of an already expensive US healthcare system. This jadedness is causing many practioners to quit medicine altogether, and some even join the "DARK SIDE" as so-called "ambulance-chasers" -- personal injury attorneys (oh, and did I mention another 3 years of law school to get a law degree or JD). Some of these practioners are so terrified of being served malpractice lawsuits that they order extra unneccessary tests and procedures just to "cover their asses", which further drives up medical costs. Health care insurance is already so expensive that a significant portion of Americans are not able to afford or choose not to have one (oh by the way, this is why Barry wants to reform American healthcare).
Back to Singapore. With our local medical school churning out graduates at 23 or 24 years old, some even barely past adulthood, you really wonder how well-equipped they are to handle the rigours of the profession. I certainly do not doubt their capability as the NUS Medical School is (probably) world-class, but are they mentally equipped to rise up to the challenge of this calling?
According to the Medical Protection Society (MPS) who is the dominant provider of Medical Professional Liability for Physicians in Singapore, there had been an 8-fold increase in the number of medical malpractice claims during the 1990s. I do not have the statistics for 2000 and beyond, but I certainly do not imagine the numbers to drop. Why? -- the rise in medical malpractice claims can be primarily attributed to the increased literacy and awareness of Singaporeans.
From the same article of the Singapore Medical Journal, it acknowledges this fact: "As long as the public was largely illiterate, the health profession(als) usually had their own way. However, the population in our countries is rapidly getting more sophisticated and literate.... There is perceptible increase in reluctance on the part of patients to accept unquestioningly the words or actions of the health professions. There is concomitantly a greater willingness to sue the health professions for wrongful treatment or to complain to the relevant statutory authority..."
There are flip sides to such a trend:
1) If increased literacy is causing Singaporeans to not "unquestioningly" accept medical diagnosis and procedures as God-given gospel truth, then it explicitly exhibits intellectual growth and awareness of the society at large. Well-done PAP!
2) However, if this is causing increased amounts of frivolous lawsuits in the long-term, I sincerely fear for the sanity of the wet-eared houseman at NUH and his fellow physicians, who are already cognitively disadvantaged as compared to their American counterparts. Will we go down that slippery slope of multi-million lawsuits that dominate the US medical scene? And if the number of malpractice lawsuits continue to increase and garner greater media coverage (like what we are already witnessing this very moment), it will be interesting to see how the judicial system reacts. Will the Bolam Test (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bolam_Tes
3) Will healthcare costs rise to an unprecedented level in future because of excessive litigation?
4) Perhaps, we may go down the path of the US (and increasingly Australian) education system to make professional degrees -- such as medicine, law, engineering, accountancy, architecture -- graduate programmes only, to ensure that the future professionals of Singapore are only of the utmost quality, maturity and capability.
Whatever pans out in the future for Singapore, I truly hope that we, as the mere-mortal Singaporean, who have vested all powers to a higher LEE-dership, will only stand to benefit in the long run.
Outside St Peter's Basilica
The Pieta in St Peter's Basilica
The famous yellow postal box outside the Vatican Giftshop
One of the marvellous frescos in the Vatican Museum. Too bad pictures and videos are not allowed in the Sistine Chapel...
A marvellous view at one of Rome's piazza (Italian for "squares") at a park next to the Medici Villa
Believe it or not, pyramids can be found in Rome too!
The Jewish Ghetto in Firenze (Florence)
Leaving the Venice harbour on a river taxi
A little disturbed by all the pigeons around me at St Marco's Piazza
Do not be deceived into taking the Goon-Dolas, it is 80 Euros for a 50min ride. For an extra 10 Euros, he will serenade you with a guitar.
The Colosseum: check out the "basement" below the platform -- that was where the gladiators and beasts waited before entering the arena.
A pic of us off a balcony in the Colosseum
My personal fav: A Colosseum guard texting on his cell-phone. No wonder Rome was lost in a day.
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The funny thing thing about elevators is that, despite being such an integral part of our daily lives, I still get nervous when riding it. When I step out of my home and into the elevator each morning, I yearn nothing more than to see it empty -- or crowded. Why? Empty because it saves me the trouble of unneccessary small talk. Crowded because it also saves me the trouble of making or listening to unneccessary small talk.
You see, when an elevator is crowded, it is an unspoken rule that all passengers should face the door and either look up at the elevator LED display, or look down and stare at your neighbour's un-cut toenails...... WARNING -- Do not ever break this unspoken alliance of all elevator passengers. Not following this golden rule will result in EVERYONE in the lift being uncomfortable (its not as if they have a choice NOT to eavesdrop right?). It especially makes your intelocuter nervous, as if he is being forced to reveal his deepest secrets to the prying public.
ABC: "Going to work ah?"
Me: "Er... yeah. You?"
ABC: "Yeah...same here."
25 seconds of awkward silence.
ABC: "Eh, your shirt quite nice leh. Where you buy from?"
Me: "Erm...(softly) Giordano."
(soft chuckle from another passsenger)
ABC: "Oh..errr, quite nice hor."
Me: "Ohh-kay lah."
**LIFT DOOR OPENS AT GROUND FLOOR**
Me: "(whispering) HENG ah..." quickly rushing out of the elevator and mentally noting that I must leave home 5mins before 7.43am in future.
Now off to the office. I step into an empty elevator at the basement 2 carpark, dreading the slow day ahead. Elevator stops at basement 1 and to my surprise (or horror), David "Letterman" Lee steps in. The next 10 seconds becomes a blurry daze of (one-sided) trash talk and countless droplets of spittum. Elevator stops at level 1 and a rush of office workers step in. Mr "Letterman" immediately ceases his barrage of rubbish small talk and looks up, staring at the elevator LED display, impatiently tapping his right foot (Phew! At least he abides by the unspoken rule).... Elevator opens at the 23rd floor alighting the last of its passengers... except him and yours truly.
It is at this moment that I sincerely believe that elevators should provide optional, invisible earplugs.
Elevator door opens at 29th floor and I storm out, leaving the voice of "Letterman" in the wake....and silently thinking of a way to reject his offer for lunch tomorrow.
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For some, elevators are certainly a private sanctuary! Since almost all elevators are retrofitted with vanity mirrors now, we can comb our hair, tighten our ties, adjust our shirts/blouse, put on make-up....etc. If you are so unfortunate that your Chiam See Tong-style elevator does not have a mirror, hmm... you can: make out, rehearse for Singapore idol, dig your nose... heck, you can even take a leak!
Speaking of which, for some elevators, a warning sign should be placed at the door:
"SMELLY-VATOR WARNING -- ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK"
Despite the repeated attempts at educating the public and instilling fines and deterrants for Singaporeans to not pee in the lifts, it is surely a pertinent problem. In my lifetime, I've surely had whiffs at all kinds of exotic urines --- and of varying degrees of yellow.
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Since elevators are more negative than positive, what can be done?
My solution: To adopt the Singaporean-style of handling problematic issues --- Ban elevators in Singapore altogether. It will enable all of us to get a healthy workout everyday, to reaffirm our fore-fathers' belief in the staircase, and more importantly......eliminate my awkward elevator moments.
So tennis with Mark, Alan and Hannah was cancelled and we ended up having cheap hawker fare at West Coast Market followed by desserts at MOF (no, not MOTHER OF F**KERS but Ministry of Food).
We decided that the evening could not just end like that without some mind-stimulating, gut-wrenching, bowel-busting games. So off to visit the new couple's temperory home at Parkwest (where Marcus stays as well).
Unfortunately, they only had ONE miserable game -- Blockers -- Ok lah, it was quite fun but Alan kept winning prompting Hannah to call him a freak. I do not beg to differ =p
Check out some action below:
The King and Queen arguing over who should wash the clothes tonight...
Blockers -- seriously giving us a mental block!
Group Photo Time! Check out Hannah with the flower!
Till next time folks!
What is your lemon?
Like many of my schoolmates in engineering school, I thought that being an engineer was a useful profession, one of great importance to the society (of course it is!). Not that I didn't mind the fact that engineers were thought to be "boring geeks" (just ask the Arts folks). But I enjoyed my engineering course and found a special interest in the semiconductor field. Needless to say, I was ecstatic at landing a position in a locally-reputed semiconductor manufacturing firm 3 full months before graduation. My thoughts were filled with anticipation about how I was going to take the semiconductor world by storm as a newly minted engineer. I guess at the time, few of my esteemed mates really knew what being an engineer is really like, let alone knew how the real world conspired to suck the life and soul out of innocent, naive fresh graduates.
I'll skip the details and just say that after the first 2 years in the semiconductor manufacturing environment, I was spent. I needed a change. My lemon was seriously bitter and downright distasteful. I strongly considered taking on an MBA course, then I gave serious thought to law school. Then, I ended up in America, guess what, as a semiconductor manufacturing engineer once again. This is not to say that I didn't enjoy the process of immersing myself in a new environment, a different work culture. The Americans certainly have it right in terms of work-life balance, at least from my perspective. They treated engineers with a great deal more respect. I felt important there, my lemon was certainly sweeter than before.
Then came the financial crisis of 2008/2009. I was thrown into a position of deliberation yet again. At 28 years old, should I continue the engineering career I had so painstakingly laid my foundation on, or is it time to consider a career switch? Initially, I was firm in doing an engineering Masters programme which I hoped to ultimately lead to a PhD. As I researched further into the area and talked to current Masters/PhD students and graduates, I was convinced this is NOT what I want my life to be. Then I considered law school once again. I've always had a superficial interest in intellectual property law. Not to the extent that I claim to love it, but certainly, it had always piqued my curiosity to read and learn more in this area. As I researched more into this field, I realised that many intellectual property practioners originated from an engineering or technical background. This is important as they had to deal with patent applications involving inventions and other types of scientific innovations. The more I knew, the more interested I became. I literally spent hours each day just reading on trademark and patent case law, marveling at the intricacies and esoteric of this field. Hmm… perhaps, I would be able to taste sweet, sugary lemons once again?
Yes, I had reservations about taking on this apparent career switch – in fact, every once in a while, I still wonder if I’m making the right choice – I would be 32 when I finish law school. Some of my folks were concerned about me "losing" out to my peers. As you would probably know, the typical Singaporean mentality is to work as hard as you can, climb as high as possible, earn as much dough as the next-door-neighbour's-daughter's-husband's-b
Some of you probably experienced this before (Mark, if you are reading this, I know you would have), -- either after graduation or the frictional period in between jobs – people just love asking you what you are currently occupied with. It’s as if taking a deserved break from the stresses of life has become a mortal sin and something to be sorry for. Then, when they somehow get wind that you have landed a job, they make it their personal mission at the next Chinese New Year to ask what that job is. It seems that they are able to make some sort of educated judgement of YOU just by what YOUR occupation is. Not that they want to, but it has been ingrained in Singaporeans that if you are a banker, you earn XXXXX amount of money, if you are an engineer, you make XXX amount of money, and if you were just a telephone help-desk operator, well……. In all honesty, I’m terribly sick of this mentality. In America, even the toilet janitors take immense pride in the cleanliness of the toilets under their charge (ok, so they call it “RESTROOMS” over there, but looking at the state of OUR toilets, nobody with half-a-brain would want to take a breather in them =p).
Everytime I want to look for inspiration, I tune in to the Animal Planet and National Geographic channels. These channels broadcast amazing documentaries of wildlife, ancient cultures and disasters, just to name a few. Occasionally, it will feature the brilliant researchers behind the images of these documentaries, putting a face to the name. These researchers, after spending years in school obtaining the relevant qualifications, dedicate their lives to better understand the environment, to try to demystify the intricacies of Mother Nature, to improve mankind as a whole. One of my bosses once remarked that these people are the real deals, the rest of us are just wasting time and resources. I couldn't agree more.
There are many out there doing what they love, with little or no renumeration. Heck, they probably never even heard of the word "BENEFITS". What keeps them going? What drives their engine? What makes their lemon so sweet? I'm ashamed to say that most Singaporeans will never know -- or even bother to find out.
Regardless of what happens in the long-term. Should I one day wake up and say that getting into the legal field was an absolutely in-apt and disastrous choice, I would not regret it for I know I had done what I wanted to do. There are thinkers and there are do-ers. And I want to be both. I would still be 45 even if I didn’t go to law school and take on that lowly job as a divorce attorney making 30 grand a year. But I wouldn’t want to be 45 and pondering what if….
Sometimes people see the goofy side of me and wonder if I really know what I am doing and if I had been sufficiently well-informed in my career choices. I don't blame them. Sometimes, I wonder too. But I believe that with the support of my wonderful wife-to-be and the close confidants who truly understand me, I will certainly be able to turn life’s lemons to sweet and zesty Lemonade.
Can you envisage making residence right smack in the middle of Kowloon and squeezing with a BILLION people on the MTR to get to Hong Kong Island for work every morning? Don't be mistaken, I thoroughly enjoyed both my vacations in Hong Kong. I love the food, the shopping, the bustling atmosphere... but... I just don't want to live there.
Back to Singapore. Take a look around. Is Singapore slowly morphing into the new Hong Kong? Perhaps.
Population Density
Most of Hong Kong's 7 million people live and work in Kowloon and Hong Kong Island. The urban landscape in these two areas is dense with skyscrapers, government housing and shophouses. The roads are congested and narrow. Every street corner, pedestrian path, traffic junction is filled with people at all times of the day. The thick smog is trapped in rows of artificial greenhouses only separated by thousand-storey buildings. 10 years ago, in Singapore, such a scenario can only be seen along Orchard Road and Shenton Way during the morning and evening rush hours. However, this is now a familiar sight at most suburban housing estates that boasts an MRT station or a heartland shopping mall. Anybody living in Toa Payoh, Tampines or Ang Mo Kio, amongst other estates, will be able to attest to that. But you know what? At least the Hong Kong-ers can retreat to Lantau Island or the Northern Territories for a comfortable back-to-Mother-Nature experience whenever they feel like it and without leaving the country. Where can Singaporeans go? Bukit Timah Hill? Lim Chu Kang? Oh please, get real! Currently, the population in Singapore stands at about 5 million. When we finally reach 8 million as projected by the government in 20??, are we going to live and work in kelongs or sampans simply because there isn't any more space left on the main island, or because property prices have shot through the roof?
Demographics
Hong Kong prides itself as a cosmopolitan society with an eclectic mix of people from all parts of the world. Wait a minute, isn't that what Singapore is trying to achieve too? Lets take a reality check and look at the statistics:
Hong Kong: Chinese 95%, Filipinos 1.6%, Indonesian 1.3%, Others 2.1%
Singapore: Chinese 74.2%, Malay 13.4%, Indian 9.2%, Others 3.2%
Let's assume that the native Hong Kong-ers are mainly Chinese - 95%. Hence, the non-natives would be the Filipinos, Indonesians and Others, or a total of 5%.
Obviously, the natives in Singapore are the Chinese, Malay and Indians or a total of 96.8%. You can see that the percentage of the so-called natives in both countries are almost similar. With less than 5% of the population classified as non-natives, can you really say that the countries are ECLECTIC and COSMOPOLITAN?
Perhaps the French can give us a lesson or two on diversity -- 20% of the French population are non-natives or of non-French origins.
Of course, statistics do not tell the entire story and a major assumption of the above arguement is that the natives are indeed native to the country. For example, it doesn't say that a small but significant percentage of the 74.2% Chinese population in Singapore are recent additions from the People's Republic of China. One may argue that this may in fact contribute to diversity, not in terms of ethnicity but perhaps in terms of cultural and social exchanges. However, if the government truly want to embrace diversity in Singapore, shouldn't they increase the percentage of the "Others" category instead of just granting the majority of PRs to the same few countries? In fact, Hong Kong is probably seeing a surge in migrants from the these same few countries as well. The result of the mass migration is a few-fold increase in property prices, severe congestion on many public roads and walkways, intolerance of each other's culture and practices -- but of course, from the government's perspective -- more money from TAXES! Tax on cars, houses, incomes, everything.
Social Behaviour
Let's look at a couple of soft factors. If you have been to Hong Kong before, I'm sure you can tell me a few stories on how rude and brash the Hong Kong-ers can be. Go to any cafe or restaurant, the waiters are instructed to clear the plates and bowls as soon as the patrons are finished with their meal. I have personally witnessed a shouting contest at the MTR station simply because both parties refuse to give way to each other (the gantry for the disabled works two-ways and are frequently abused by non-disabled commuters). Don't be mistaken, I'm not criticising them, I understand that it is their way of life and they don't neccessarily think that their behaviour is wrong. As I reflected in a few of my previous posts on the state of the Singaporean society, aren't there some fundamental similarities? Is this what we would like to become?
My conclusion is this: as a society advances to a faster-paced, more competitive one, the inhabitants, by victims of the circumstance, become increasingly self-centred and impatient. There is little room for apathy anymore (In fact, there's little room at all, in the physical sense). Our minds are filled with thoughts of how to out-do and out-perform our neighbours, even from a relatively young age (ask any PSLE student for verification). Social graces become a waste of time and effort. With time and after several generations, the mere act of even being polite draws strange reactions, and such notions are quickly disposed of. Discrimination in every sense of the word becomes a pathetic excuse to exert a perceived dominance over each other. If that fails, then just pure bad-mouthing will suffice. Its every man for himself in a dog-eat-bitch world out there. Are we simply victims of a quest for First World standards gone south?
I'm really hoping that I'm wrong, but tell me frankly, if this is not retardation, then what is?
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