Saturday, November 19, 2011

烛台


看到天使旋转烛台。想起一群朋友。
蜡烛点燃,亮起了黑暗的一隅。热气袅袅升起,推了天使一把。吊挂着的天使方才能起舞。便活了起来。借着烛火的力量。看,天使在烛光的照耀下,两颊泛着快意。是的,这股活力,必须仰赖烛火才能使然。
烛台温煦的视觉效果,泛起了心底的暖意。一时间,心也活了起来。应该是这般暖意,才能折射出朋友的轮廓,进而联想到他们。可能是遥远的地理距离所致,也许是身处寒冷季节的氛围所致。温度,特别令人憧憬,不管是心灵上还是肉体上,都很迷人。才会联想起他们。
相信了自己的感觉,所以买下了天使烛台,当圣诞礼物。兴致勃勃地把自己的快乐分享出去,把烛台一个个送给了朋友。就在宿舍里,把所有的烛台都点燃了。桌上竟烧起了一团火光。仿佛是燃烧起的快意。由自己的快意去假定在场每个朋友的欢乐。温度,推动了心,让心也活跃起来了。所以也就进而地迷恋这样的温度。
若干年后,才恍然大悟。那股暖意,也真的,不过是自己的一厢情愿。而那堆烛台甚至还可能强人所难。
是的,是朋友的,就该保持距离。那才算是朋友。

Home-grown Talent and the recorder flute


It was a wonderful discovery that made my day. To come across these fridge magnets that encapsulate our unique local flavours.

Hokkien Mee, laksa, juey gueh and nonya cakes......

The meticulous details on the spring onions, sambal chilli, hard boiled egg etc. created such tantalizing appeal and they look no less
real than the real food itself.

It was even more gratifying to learn that the artist who produced such crafts is actually a local--a 63-year-old granny, some one from a forgotten generation.

Finally, we have our own LOCALLY produced LOCAL sourvenir-- a genuine representation of our culture, by a LOCAL talent. And most importantly, it is MADE IN SINGAPORE in every sense and that itself is an ever-growing feat in this highly globalised and deeply capitalised era.

For too long, we have been told by the top that we have a dire lack of talents, and thus justifying the movement of importing an astronomical number of foreigners to our shores while under-appreciating our own. So it was a happy event to chance upon our very own talent that day at this particular stall that sells local hand-made products.

And it is through these magnets, that I saw the pride of the artist of her very own identity and culture. It is not just about having Changi Airport or Formula One or Youth Olmpics but that quality that delicately defines who we are and our uniqueness.

I recall the classic example of the
recorder flute.

Remember that flute-like musical instrument that we were made to play during our days of primary school? A musical instrument that appeared from no where and its presence confines strictly to school premises only. Because no local plays that here! And to make matters worse, it sounds horrible and indecisive to my ears. Because the pitch varies according to the amount of air that passes through the mouthpiece. The pitch can never seem to decide what it wants to be.

Decades later, I discovered that the recorder flute saga was created by a local scholar who was sent to France to draw lessons from the French education system. His brilliant discovery was that all French children play recorder flute at schools. Consequently, that instrument was incorporated into our music lessons and the musical instruments that were played by our local people were all brushed aside to make way for the wonderfully divine recorder flute.

Of course, we must draw strengths and learning points from others. But we should never be made to feel that our culture and identity are less good than the West. And neither should we mindlessly import/implant habits from the West, overlooking the intelligence to localize great ideas and systems.

It is high time that we begin our future journey inward and give more appreciation to our own people/talents who deserve. Because afterall, sustainable growth can only be attained from within. If only the people at the top can understand such logic.

Sunday, November 06, 2011

小王子的快乐


太任性了。陶醉于送礼的快乐。

兴高采烈地买下物件、兴致勃勃地送礼,原来是把快乐转送给自己。因为总是很自我。

买礼物,只顾着自己高兴,一味地凭着自己的意念选礼。那件东西让我想起那个朋友,就能达标。哈哈哈,那是灵犀的表现吗?说穿了,由物件带动了自己的感觉,也不过是自己的感觉的一种折射而已。不代表那位朋友的喜好。

最后,礼物变成了一种负担。一种垃圾。自己的一厢情愿。

完全没有考虑到收礼的人。太不尊重人了。才惊觉自己被朋友包容、包含了那么久。

****

出门时,小王子的钥匙扣会跟着我出门;打开电脑时,会瞥见桌上的那尊忧郁地低着头思索的小王子塑料像;偶尔想记录心情时,便打开小王子的记事本;几年前,还有一支小王子的钢笔,直到钢笔的笔心坏了,才弃置不用。

是喜欢小王子的。却从来没有自掏腰包买过它的产品。

一系列小王子的物品,都是朋友通过礼物的形式让它走入自己的生活的。或是从法国带回来,或是在本地购得的。看着这些时时陪着自己的小王子物件,自己也分不清,究竟是因为自己喜欢小王子而欢喜,还是,因为喜欢朋友的那份以为我喜欢小王子的心意了。

不如


路上的交通突然停顿下来。不见交通事故,却是一个能让当场所有司机都接受的状况。没有汽笛响彻云霄。一切都异常平和。所以让人觉得诡异。

后来发现,众人停车等候是为了让一群鸭子安全过马路。

鸭妈妈领着一队小鸭子安然无恙地走到马路的另一端。获得了人性的对待,鸭子免遭被碾成鸭肉馅饼的厄运。

那是在英国公路上遇到的奇观。动物获得如此平等的对待。

狮城某个周末午后,外出时光,所以地铁爆满。属意料中之事。列车到站,车门一开,车厢内的搭客在拥挤中小心翼翼地移向车门;车厢外的搭客井然有序地两队排开等候下车的乘客。五秒钟后,催促铃声便迫不及待地响起。稍后,列车司机便亲自上阵,通过扬声器催促:车门即将关闭!车门即将关闭!说毕,车门关上。毫无商榷的余地。

随后,不管人流的高低,司机的耐性只限十秒钟。碰到高流量的地铁站,司机便大声呼叫。十秒钟的耐性,不容侵犯。

然而,那是个周末。车内和月台上的两堆搭客,都务必在十秒钟内完成交换空间的动作。可是,处理的并非货物,而是人群。既是人群,就必须灵活处理,也需包容老、弱、残、幼的一群。

可是,遭遗留下的人往往自负后果。人往往必须配合制度。

让鸭群过马路与狮城地铁的这两幕并放在一起,凸显了人为处理的差异,更反衬出我们社会里低廉的人的价值。

地铁司机虽然本墨倒置,更可悲的是,我们也从不质疑造成此类社会观念的大环境。

他/她能做的


英国某个大商家开始根据胸罩尺码的大小标价。特大号尺码胸罩的价格更高。

有一名当地妇女采取主动权,以争取自己所相信的公正。先在脸书上发起抗议歧视胸大妇女的运动。接着,购买该机构股份一股,在股东会议上,以小股东身份否定这项措施。

螳臂当车不是吗?个人对垒财雄势大的机构。似乎不可能有任何胜算。

后来,该机构撤回了该项标价措施。事实是,她的主动争取,间接或直接地让她如愿。
 
想要扭转自身的情况,她踏出了第一步,为自己争取。也付出了时间、精力。所争取到的结果,不但自己受益,也让其他人受惠。

这是她所能做的。一个人的力量。

苏格兰西北部有一座岛。在连接大陆的汽车天桥完成后,岛民才惊觉进出岛,不论游客或岛民,一概得付费。岛民愤然,采取各种行动表态,抗议、发起运动、联络议员……甚至身体力行,拒绝付费。结果被捕、被告,甚至还被关进监狱。岛民仍然坚持收费的不合理。

有关当局既已决定收费,又如何会撤消呢?银子都到口袋了。

可是,九年后,当局就真的撤销了收费站。难以置信。却更突出了岛民的坚持。那也是他们个人所能做的。

把不可能,变成了可能。没人说过,那必须是一件容易办到的事。

也没有人会知道,个人选择究竟会带动、影响多少其他人的选择或想法。可是,积少成多。

在一个诸多限制和不合理的环境中,再微小的个人,也是一股力量。个人能做的,千万不可轻视。

勇气和信心


我深信,天底下没有免费的午餐。

感谢资讯自由,英国媒体让我们看到了福利制度下存在的寄生虫。有一家九口,领取四万英镑的常年津贴。救济金数额丰厚,丈夫便辞去工作。另一家,三代人,没有一个人全职工作过。有十户人家的津贴总数高达一百万英镑。而那年,英国人的平均年薪才两万英镑。

事实令英国人发指。有什么理由,一般工作人士的生活比领救济金的人还要困顿?

这边厢,英国福利制度变相地惩罚自食其力的人;那边厢,狮城岛国的自顾(自己照顾自己)制度对无助者却是变相的冷酷。都同样令人发指。每月新币三十元的低收入家庭救济金,不但要斤斤计较,还蓄意侮辱。

无助的一群和寄生虫是不同的群体。

天生/后天残疾和顽疾、老去都不是个人的选择,想自食其力,却力不从心;有些疾病跟健康生活无关;还有我们的建国功臣--那些无法在学历上、认知上、能力上跟上国家经济快速转型的本土蓝领公民,奠定了国家的繁荣基础,却被繁荣遗弃了。这些人都不是寄生虫。

没有制度是完美的。因此,人是举足轻重的。去监控、去调控制度。

人性中的贪与惰,当然不能助长、不能姑息。可是,英国、希腊的福利制度出现疲困,始终跟援助我们社会中无助的一群是两回事。

制度的弊端不是关键,而是我们能否拥有接受问题的勇气,以及去改善现有制度以符合狮城实况的信心。

我们畏惧的不应是制度,而是害怕和拒绝解决问题的人。

Sunday, October 23, 2011

独善其身1


我也想。

可以安安逸逸地过生活,不理人间烟火。只要守着自己的一亩天地,不管世间如何,只要自己的范围里的一切都过得去,就行了。

然而,纵使不理会人间烟火,远处的烟火升起时,还是会吹过我的藩篱越入我的天地。不管我愿意与否。即使是过着自供自足、就算过着低碳的生活,其他人肆无忌惮地射放二氧化碳,加速全球温度上升时,地球上的所有生物,包括我自己,也同样会遭殃。

特别是现今的国界变得越来越模糊。国与国之间、人与人之间的关系越来越紧密,虽然不见得愈来愈平和,却让人之间的影响力扩大;别人无心的一个喷嚏,都有可能会影响到我。也不管我愿意与否。

现实如此。真的,我是真的希望能不理世事,过着自己的生活就好。

我家外面有人遇劫,那是他人的事。恕不受理。可惜的事,人的一举一动,不再限于自己,而是会波及他人,或是更多的其他人,甚至是整个地球。我不想理会窃贼,可是窃贼不一定就会不理会我。我不干预恶霸,不表示恶霸就不会欺诈我。事实是,即使逃离人群,因集体人类的活动导致全球毁灭时,我也难逃劫数。遗憾的是,我始终无法摆脱人类集体活动后的结果。

才发现,想拥有一片属于自己的安乐天地,其实是必须走出自己的安乐窝去争取的,为自己,也为别人。某种程度上,很可能是必须先为别人争取。有一位培植出优良农作物的农夫曾言,要培植出优良品种的唯一密绝便是与附近的同行分享好的种子。只有当周围的农作物达到同样的品质时,自己的农作物在授粉时才能产出优质的品种。自己的安乐天地,在某个程度而言,仰赖的也是自己天地以外的安乐。

原来,想拥有属于自己的安乐天地的悖论是先为别人。

这竟然不是伟大与否的问题,而是务实的处理。

Sunday, October 09, 2011


 
小食店里,食客零零落落。空置着的桌上杯盘狼藉。只剩角落一张二人座位的桌面已收拾干净。

一名中学生端着托盘走来,瞧见了一隅的位子以及周遭桌面的狼狈不堪。脚步对着角落的位子踌躇不定,对着满桌的垃圾也不甚喜欢。

于是,她来回地踱了很多……很多次,仿佛期待奇迹的出现。想坐其他座位,却不要采取主动争取解决当前的窘况;有了选择却不愿为自己的选择而付出必要的行动。宁愿端着托盘继续不知所措。后来,她母亲来了;也重演了女儿的犹豫不决。可惜,奇迹并没有眷顾母女两人。

还好,只是座位而已。

最终,两人都退而求其次,选择了干净的座位。

A small eatery with few patrons. But empty tables were cluttered with used cups and plates, leaving a two-seats-table at a corner free of any litter.

Came a secondary school girl with a tray. Shot an uninterested glance at that corner table and a disapproving look at the clutter on the rest of the available tables.

She paced up and down the aisle undecidedly for many, many times, probably in hope of a miracle. She was at a loss of the next step to take. Wanted to take other seats but at the same time, refused to initiate the necessary actions to resolve the imminent problem of the mess on the tables. She made her choice but was reluctant to walk the extra inch. She'd rather persist her dilemma than taking up any actions. Some time later, her mother came and joined in her daughter's dilemma. No miracle dawned on them.

Fortunately, it was only a seat.

And they both compromised and chose the corner seat after all.

Friday, September 16, 2011

A Singaporean reporter sharing her new-found pride of being a Singaporean




A visit to Spain for an event and a witness to protests, high unemployment rate, inefficiency and even fluctuating weather gave rise to her pride of being a Singaporean.{Here} Because of the inconveniences that she encountered over the few days of weeks, Jeanette Tan decided that she could barter her education debt, our issues on housing, foreign influx and inflation in exchange for the conveniences that she value…..To each his own.    

However, intriguingly, her revelation begets two debatable questions:   (1) The constitution of her pride and (2) the need to play down others to boost her national identity  

(1) A glance through her listed sources of national pride. Orderliness, high employment rate, efficiency and consistent weather, in her own interpretation, constitute a Singaporean. And suffice to make a proud one too.

To side track a little—imagine my eldest sister visited a friend's house to come back telling me how beautiful her friend's sofa was and the abundance of food that they had at their place; my second sister visited that same friend came back telling me how cosy her friend's house was and how good her friend's brother was at computer games. Both my sisters chose a different perspective to judge their friend's house but it was my second sister who was able to see beyond the materials.

But the reporter could not. Weather aside, her pride circled largely around materialistic traits. And thinking a little beyond, these traits buoy down to the results of “good governance”, little or no credits were given to the citizens of our country. Not to mention that “good governance” is highly disputable in our case, if we think along the line of the huge maintenance cost of our Cabinet and compared that to the cost of the Spanish Cabinet for a country of such scale and size. We cannot forget the fact that the first 30 highly paid politicians in this universe all came from Singapore {Here} . We must therefore remind ourselves for the premium that we are made to pay. In such light, “good governance” is not a blessing or a gift from the providence, but AN EXPECTATION. It still remains to be calculated economically, psychologically, socially and politically, whether such maintenance costs are met with proportionate returns.

One interesting thing to note amongst the reasons of the reporter's pride, is the severe lacking of any country-specific characteristics, ie. what constitutes Singapore and a Singaporean? Surely beyond high-employment rate, efficiency and social peace? What about our outwardly less civil but inwardly warm-hearted traits and the simplicity of our people or our ethnic vibrancy? Can sole governance be an absolute representation of a country?

Seemingly, on a bold assumption, any place on earth that could provide high employment, calm weather and efficiency will be equally worthy of the reporter's pride?

I am not saying that I dislike high employment, efficiency and social peace. Nobody does. But certainly, these would not be the things that would MAKE ME PROUD of my nationality. Rather these are the materials which I will enjoy, desire and APPRECIATE. I am materialistic too, like many of us.  

(2) As for the latter, the constant need of self-glorification through playing down others is really uncalled for. In fact, it’s a manifestation of low esteem.

Imagine again, my eldest sister visited her friend’s place came back only to say, “How wonderful my house/family is! I am so proud of ourselves! We have abundance of good food, nicer-coloured walls and cleaner toilet bowls.” What kind of person would you make out of my eldest sister? To denounce her friend's house/home to glorify herself, my eldest sister is uncivil, shallow, self-centred and pitiful. Such mindset will never allow her to appreciate the goodness of others. Moreover, she overlooked the fact that good and bad are both sides of the same coin. Additionally, such act of comparison is also simplistic.

We have a bad habit of consistently comparing other nations with ourselves to convince our "success". And not realizing that the gesture of comparison as in most cases are only selective to different extent where the differences of history, languages, demography, geography, climate, social, economic and political systems of the nations involved are disregarded and therefore the gesture of comparison itself is simplistic and limited in scope. Because no two countries in this world are alike. Yet, our Southeast Asia neighbours are still our faithful negative examples to re-affirm our “successful story”, where we are totally oblivious to each country’s unique historical and cultural circumstances. Such gesture only serves to flaunt our shallowness and naivety.

Not forgetting that any country of this planet has a far longer and richer history and development, therefore more complicated than ours. It is therefore narrow-minded to denounce any nation based on a few factors or brief encounters. And it is even bad taste to sing praises of ourselves whilst turning noses at others! It is appalling, how one can condemn Spain in absolute after a brief stay and a few incidents?

The spirit of a nation goes beyond the façade of infrastructure and administrative system that distinct itself from any other place on earth. And this would be the trait that I choose to be proud of. Again, to each his own.

Sunday, September 11, 2011

软硬兼具


习惯性地把先进的定义锁定在视觉角度。于是,肉眼只会搜寻亮丽的建筑外观、交通系统的现代化、整洁的街道……

直到第一次踏入闻名于世的伦敦地下铁,迎面而来的便是列车、地下铁站的破旧和设计的苍白;英式古典建筑外的“现代”楼房都仿佛停滞在七十年代的氛围里,才推翻原有对先进的观念。

是否就能仅以外观便把英国的先进判死刑?

新旧程度、体积、设计的新鲜度、科技的多寡,往往是先进度的指标。的确,我们对此迷信不已。

于是,体积巨大的购物商场不厌其烦地涌现、设计推陈出新、旧建筑让位、新科技的堆积……让空中花园、高耸入云端的建筑、开放式的厕所、崭新的交通来相继标贴我们的先进。

砸钱买先进。既方便,又能立竿见影。

因此,富裕的杜拜挤满了高楼,也打造了以棕榈和世界为图形的群岛,阿拉伯联合酋长国却始终与先进沾不上边;神州大地拼命地以高速的动车追先进,动车意外却证明了仅靠硬件上的先进是肤浅的。

外观虽然有限,可是英国社会包容无限。残疾人士、有特别需要的一群、同性恋者、单亲妈妈、妇女、长者、贫困儿童、殉职军人等不同群体的人士得以光明正大地存在着。媒体能够发表不同群体的声音,也能兼容不同政治理念的声音。在政治权势当前,市民不必卑躬屈膝。那也是一种先进的体现,是一种比硬件上的先进更坚固的文明。

我贪图硬件的华丽,却也觉得只重硬件而轻软件的表面先进越来越让人吃不消。

你怕吗?


拥挤的地铁列车上,一名老妇上了车。一位女搭客偶然抬头,发现了不远处的老妇站着,便立即让座。站在这名女搭客前的一名阿姨见状,便以迅雷不及掩耳的速度,一屁股坐到位子上,并沾沾自喜一番。那名女搭客发现,没说什么,就一直站到下车为止。原本的一番好意,变成了让自己和老妇站到下车。女搭客由始至终都选择了缄默以对,不为自己或老妇把位子争取回来。

搭客中有人看懂了这一幕,窃窃私语。可是我们也一样,最终都选择了置身事外。是的,不过是一个座位而已。死不了人的。反正也不关我们的事。

某日,听到身后有人清喉咙的声音。转头一看,那人理所当然地把口中的痰吐到地上。让我看傻了眼。这个年代里,吐痰的竟是一名年轻小伙子。优雅社会还未达成,那一口痰就让社会倒退了三十年。也不过是一口痰,死不了人的。更不关我的事。

是吗?

纳粹份子来抓共产份子时,我不是共产份子,不关我的事,所以我选择缄默;来抓犹太人时,更不关我事,所以我还是选择沉默;他们来抓我时,已经没其他的有人可以站出来为我说话了。

到了死了人,关乎到自己身上时,才算关我的事时,往往为时已晚。

站出来劝阻那名吐痰者确实让我胆战心惊。可是,我更害怕的是见证自己的社会慢慢地走向沉沦。我们的价值观、我们的市容、我们的治安,除了自己之外,没有人会为我们捍卫的。

难道你不怕吗?

Tuesday, August 09, 2011

生日快乐2011。


我最近常有这样的感觉,有你们真好。

是你们牵动了我这一辈子里,第一次的悸动;让我有所感悟。在遭遇挫折之际、遇到不公、不讲理的际遇时,就会猛地想起你们的坚毅不屈的付出。去建设公正、平等的民主社会。以微薄的力量去实践自己所坚信的信念。
即使常常事与愿违、即使不断地失败。即使人心仍是那么的脆弱和自私。
所以,就在国家生日的这一天里,即便是漆黑的隧道中,我仍感欣慰,我能够享有你们无私的祝福和坚毅的力量。

单薄却坚定的力量。让人振奋。毕竟,我们是新加坡公民。

我们的幸福、繁荣与进步,唯有靠自己,责无旁贷。

89日的这一天里,仅以包含了大家无尽心血与不平的增长花红(Growth Dividend)献之。

这一天以后,让我们为我们自己的未来继续共同努力誓愿不分种族、语言和宗教,团结一致。
The bouquets of fireworks lit up the dark, solemn sky,

in the attempt of projecting the spirit of joy, momentarily,

on this particular day.  


The sparks succeeded in blinding the sky with their flamboyant

colours and brightness. And precisely at that brief moment of the array

of sparks that splattered across the sky, it was too when the shadows

of the fireworks were cast on earth.


So for every firework that we saw, we have to endure too, the shadows

that come with it. Unknowingly ourselves.





And so, we happily, intoxicate ourselves, in seconds of joyous flame,

and took with us the shadows that settle here for good.



So, Happy Birthday.

Friday, August 05, 2011

玩味


Y让自己的味蕾选择海外的工作地点。对他而言,只有法国无别无他选。文化版图里,他斩钉截铁地选择了味觉的视角。我瞠目结舌。

可是,日本人迷恋绿茶,竭尽所能地将本土食品和异国食品绿茶化。甚至著名的巧克力微化饼也绿茶化了。绿茶化的范围还不限于饮食,也渗透了日用品的领域,以绿茶芳香的选择来示人。

记得那时在台北找原味豆花,难如登天。原来商家已经把单纯的豆花多样化,变化出各式各样配搭的吃法。一桌人在吃豆花,却没有一碗豆花是相同的。小小一碗豆花演绎出何谓饮食个人化。

属于西式饮食文化的薯片,也在中国大放异彩。口味横跨蔬菜、水果、菜肴:黄瓜、荔枝、酸柑、火锅、胡椒牛肉。望着那展示架上五颜六色的薯片,才察觉民以食为天的心理,肯定只限于亚洲。

右手拿起了一包蛋奶挞,眼睛就在搜寻其它的口味。才想起自己处身英国超市。蛋奶挞当然就是蛋奶挞,怎么还会有其他的选择?我如晴天霹雳,英国人则瞠目结舌。

标出英式特色的伯爵茶应该是英国人最大的玩味之举。印度所生产的红茶,加入佛手柑,调配出芳香的红茶。可是,我的眼睛又开始搜索伯爵茶口味的蛋糕、巧克力、雪糕、饼干……在英国境内,自然铩羽而归。

看起来,英国人的饮食态度是有板有眼的。伯爵茶定位在热饮茶杯的领域里,就绝对不能化身为灌装冷饮或是成为附属其他食品的调味。只有盛在杯子里的伯爵茶才算是完整的。

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

SIN-UK-SIN

A few years of absence does help to put things at home into perspective.

And the first thing is embracing the many hardware of home, be it the transport system or the convenience of services. Even if it’s only the façade, the cleanliness, orderliness and some modern-looking skyscrapers are at times pleasing to sight and enough to fulfill one’s vanity desires. The luxuries of a fairly comprehensible transport network in operation for more than 15 hours a day at an affordable price (although at an accelerated inflation rate); cheap eateries at all corners of the island day and night, some even with 24 hours service; a labyrinth of retail shops in business for the day and night and most days of the week; the novelty of Sunday full branch banking services at some places etc….. it became a drag each time at the thought of returning to the UK. No doubt, I cherish very much some of the conveniences mentioned above and the safety too.


The Cost of Convenience

The incident to which I was forbidden entry to a shop in Durham, northeast of Britain, at 4.30pm in the evening--half an hour prior to the closing time struck me hard. Not only for the inconvenience that it caused, but the revelation of the luxury of the working life of retail employees in the UK.

Short working hours and with a minimum wage protection. And it doesn’t just stop short at retail services only. And you know what I mean.

While eateries in the UK can afford to close at 3pm on a Sunday—prime time for business in our context, and restaurants operating half day, many of ours run round the clock for business. Special mention to our hawkers who man many hours a day behind their stalls in a small and a high-temperature working environment to provide us with (still) affordable food anywhere anytime; while UK retail businesses can close for the day on the dot, ours allow customers to go on with their shopping well after closing time; our transport workers (bus drivers, cabbies) throng through the chaos of our traffic and endure long working hours too; employees of Sunday banking burning Sundays at work; being instructed by multi-million dollar ministers to work “cheaper, faster and better” is further challenged by the influx of cheaper manpower from overseas.

Scratching beyond that surface of convenience, such “luxuries” are enjoyed with a growing sense of guilt. Especially when the thought of it at the expense of our fellowmen (working cheaper, faster and better) creeps into mind.


The Big Picture

The years of absence, especially, saw the increasing growth of senior citizens working at foodcourts, fast food restaurants, toilets or making a living by sales of tissues and collection of cardboards; disabled people too took part in the “professions”—sights that are phenomenally rare in the UK society despite their “poor” infrastructures.

In a span of 5 years, this “efficient” growth of such strata of our society paints a big picture not, as we are often been instructed to focus at the big picture over small personal inconveniences?

A big picture of a nation obsessed by tangible values over the intangibles…epitomized by our minister who toyed with the idea of housing our senior citizens in land-cheaper Malaysia while our island could afford large no. of golf courses and private properties; where the collective contributions of our citizens towards nation-building is negligible saved for the elite and politicians; where ethics and morals are bartered for political and social securities and monetary returns; where future generations will be debt-laden for the necessities in life—family time, accommodation, transport, jobs and retirement; where quick fixes are used for long-standing issues with no sustainability and accountability.

Such BIG pictures struck fear right into my heart.



Selective Comparison

Indeed, comparing to the Sahara dessert, we live in absolute heaven. We can spend our lifetime, habitually using the plights of citizens of other nations with not the slightest intention of bettering the lives of those, but instead unabashedly, to glorify our “economic success” and justify our mistakes, notwithstanding the fact that the definition of success itself is disputable.

Is that not ill-mannered, narrow-minded and shallow of us?

Of being more preoccupied with self-glorification than learning the strengths of others so as to aspire to be better. No, we chose complacency instead.

And not forgetting that the act of comparison is always selective.

When I witness our poor being so much poorer than the “poor” in the UK (who has access to free medical care, free housing and benefits) and ironically we have more rich than the UK (we have the most number of millionaire in proportion to our population), it is unsettling for we, as citizens, to be instructed again, to accept that growing income-disparity, a global trend, as a normality, therefore leaving the issue to the wind.

While being mindful and appreciative of what we have, at the same time, we cannot allow these possessions, tangibles and intangibles, to bribe us into the apathy of the universal stand of morals and principle.

The Cost of being A Human

Denouncing socialism or welfare system does not eradicate the need of taking care of our senior citizens or the less fortunate strata.

Having spent more than four decades of achieving the psychological level of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, living by the calculator to measure the cost of every human, from discouraging the third child to encouraging more births with monetary incentives; from streaming the more-abled students from the less-abled so as to utilize our resources; from monetary incentives to attract talents into the political arena….but a minister who owes his salary to the public calculates his own worth to the last cent will understand no value of any human lives besides himself. Are we any better in our heartware than 4 decades ago?

And we bear witness to a MP who told us that money brings proportionate dignity and respect; and a multi-million-dollar-minister who scrimped on a $30 allowance for the needy.

But ethics and morals, the fundamentals of any civilized and healthy society, are priceless. We cannot continue to blanket the abnormalities and injustices of our society, or leave them to providence, in exchange for the ever increasing cost of “political stability” and “social security”. Where the cost would be borne by the future generations, in tangible sense, for instance:

(i) Longer and bigger housing loan for public housing at a 99-year-lease.

(ii) Prices of new public housing and medical cost increase in many folds while median income remains stagnant in the last 20 yrs.

Need no rocket science to prove that cost of living outstrips our incomes, rising tangible cost impact quality of life, retirement funds for ourselves and our children: that is the intangible cost. Working longer hours to keep reins of the tangible cost is adding burden to our intangible cost definitely.

* * *

When we begin to realize political and social securities fail to compensate the deep sense of insecurity inside our peoples on our future quality of life and retirement, we know that GDP alone cannot suffice in measuring the quality of our lives. Frighteningly, it plays no role in ethics either.

Surely, a successful nation is not defined by the number of hubs or the number of eye-dazzling architecture, but by both tangibles and intangibles. And only such a nation is truly worthy of respect, which again is neither quantifiable in dollars or cents.


Tuesday, July 05, 2011

蒙面侠

有蒙面侠坐上了我们的地铁。戴上眼罩,就大辣辣地坐在爱心座位上。有了眼罩,对老、弱、残、孕者视若无睹的举止便能合理化。另一批蒙面侠见状而义愤填膺,拍下此蒙面侠画面的举止后上载到网上。然后,隔着键盘的安全距离,戴上面具,在虚拟空间里正义凛然地责备霸占爱心座位的蒙面侠。

莫名地想起那名法国老奶奶。

一名中年男子在火车上使用电脑。电脑发出启动声。只见一名身材瘦小的白发老妇,步履蹒跚地走过去要求男子消音。男子也欣然照办,没有滋事。

任何社会必然拥有一套众人所认同的对错行为规范。

法国老妇人从容与自信地要求男子尊重她在公共场所里宁静的权利,而男子也能够接受并尊重这权利,老妇人信赖社会的力量。那是一种在行为规范遇袭时能集体同时现身捍卫规范的社会力量。这种隐形的力量让男子不敢妄为、让老妇人毫无惧怕地坚持自己的公共空间权益。

老妇人拥有社会的后盾,并非孤军作战;她独自捍卫的也非个人权利,而是群体下的每个人所应能享有的公共权利。这是一种双向的影响。

我们的地铁车厢图文并茂地出示了爱心座位。制定了规范,还是有人违规。我们的社会规范遇到挑衅了,我们却选择当蒙面侠,让自己继续隐身或是期盼他人现身来替我们捍卫规范。

可是,群体力量是个体点滴积累而成的。如果连自己都不能为自己所信奉的规范而挺身而出,又何来权利要求他人为我们这么做?

Monday, May 30, 2011

心跳

五月前后的两个星期里,让我见证了奇观。

往体育馆的路上,一队又一队的人,井然有序地移动着。并不是一场演唱会,也没亮眼的星星,却让这些人,在忙碌了一天后,脚步坚定不误地从岛国各处蜂拥至此。

原来群众大会就是这么一回事。

馆内座无虚席,跑道上、草地上都站满了人。附近的组屋走廊上也都是黑压压的人头。没有座椅,更没有食物供应。有人席地而坐,但大部分的人只能站立着,一站就是几个小时。也有些莫名其妙的阿姨全副武装上阵,坐在凳子上、扇着风,却在群众里大声地与身边人高声地话家常;也有人正扒着饭盒、有的热出了一身汗、有的站累了又坐,休息了又站起;可以站在泥浆里、也能撑着伞……目的各异地现身参与大会。

毫无金钱的驱使竟能驱动数以千、万计的人。长期以来,浑然不知五年一度的这般奇观的存在。与群众站在一起,我开始听到国人的呼吸声。原来新闻、报章未必能让人增广见闻,反让自己成了井底之蛙。

台上的演讲者各出奇招。只有货比货过后,才知台上的心跳声,不管距离,台下的人是听得一清二楚的。关爱的词藻,说得再激昂,缺了心跳,也只是破绽百出。一个人的热情、谦诚是能透过言语、举止感受到的,以至一名十二岁的小孩还从此决定发奋图强。

让自己的信念触动他人,然后延伸下去,这就是启发的能力。不是恐吓、物质诱惑、愚弄所能及的。也唯有发自内心,才能发出的一种真正力量。

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Doors are closing!!

It was trivial but it reveals a lot of our mentality.

On the mrt train on a busy weekend.

When the warning bell came on, passengers inside the mrt car were still alighting in an orderly manner, boarding passengers were waiting cooperatively on the platform. Then the voice of the driver came blasting: Doors are closing! Doors are closing!

At that point, not all the passengers had even got off yet, not to mention the waiting crowd.

And the doors shut soon after the driver issued the warning. So passengers outside the car have to scurry into the car frantically because the doors were shutting right on them!

It happened at all the busy stations and the driver refused to wait for the influx and outflow of passengers to take place smoothly and he would sound his impatience through the speakers: Doors are closing! Doors are closing!

So we have comfortable and modern-looking MRT where doors are allowed to open only for a few but precious seconds before the warning bell of closing doors are sounded irregardless of the number of passengers, stations and situations, the exchange of passengers has to follow the “human rules”.

Even on a Saturday afternoon? No surprise at all to see a lot of passengers alighting and boarding. Still all that movement is expected to take place in a speed of lightning. Too bad for mothers with prams, senior citizens or people who simply need extra time to board and alight. You deserve what you get for not cooperating with the “rules”.

We have a well-trained MRT system obeying strictly the length of time it enters and leaves the station in order to achieve designated efficiency. Apparently, that seems to be the only function that it serves. Even if only a handful of passengers managed to get off during that few seconds of grace. Matters even less for the safety and comfort of passengers. You will only have yourself to blame if you are slow!

The function of the MRT perhaps is not to transport commuters? Therefore, explaining the situations where the software, ie. the people who operate it, refuse to maximize the use of the hardware to suit situations and adapt it to the needs of users?

Not that I am irate with this particular driver. It is his mentality and that such is not uncommon which is unsettling. Often, we “deified” our hardware. Using their glittering existence to symbolize the pace of our development and then puts a full stop to the whole thing. NEVER challenging the practicality of the hardware or investigating the needs of users. To the extreme, users are then expected to adapt to the hardware rather than having hardware build for them.

This trivia matters because we keep seeing such mentality higher up in the hierarchy where the impact of such mentality hits hard on the ground, throughout our country where its people will be the last thing that ever come into the minds of policy-makers.

Friday, May 20, 2011

A leaf from Chen Show Mao's notes

http://www.facebook.com/notes.php?id=150220718376530

Thoughtful perceptions and observations. Taken from the notes of his facebook, below are some of the accounts of his thoughts:


by Chen Show Mao on Friday, May 20, 2011 at 1:08am

Just got home from an evening of meetings at the Hougang Town Council. I went to see the eye doctor for a routine check-up before the meetings began and was waylaid by a huge advertisement in Tang's shop window. The words "local fashion" and "Singaporean designers" caught my eye. I went inside and learnt a few things about Singapore-grown labels such as Chalk, Elohim, hansel, OwnMuse, Peter Kor, Saturday, Thomas Wee and Yumumu.

The clothes did indeed feel more Singaporean to me, more friendly and familiar. It may just be the liberal use of tropical colors, light materials, halter tops and the sleeveless look -- what do I know. The thought occurred to me that even in fashion where individuality is particularly prized, there can be such as a thing as Singaporean sensibilities. It was a cheerful thought -- that we indeed have things in common -- making our future seem brighter to me.



Happy Vesak Day.

Buddhism's past has always reminded me of Singapore's possibilities.

How Buddhism spread from India to China (with the help of indefatigable men of faith from both sides of the Himalayas, including Dharmaraka, Kasyapa MatangaKumarajiva and a Tang-dynasty monk also named Chen who became well-known to generations of Chinese children as Monkey's master in Journey to the West). How it affected deeply the development of the Chinese civilization and was itself affected in the process. How the fruitful cross-pollination gave China Rationalist Confucianism and the world Zen Buddhism, among other things.

We live side by side on this small island, separated in some cases by race, language or religion . Learning about and learning from one another appears to me so much more within our reach than for other peoples at other places or at other times, that it seems a shame if we didn't do more of it.



Walking about

by Chen Show Mao on Monday, May 16, 2011 at 2:07am

After getting cash from an ATM and top-up for my mobile phone (the two most common types of refills I make these days), I spent most of the day walking around the Paya Lebar division of Aljunied GRC, with friends who joined me for different parts of the day or evening. See photos just uploaded.

We chanced upon happy events and sad ones.

At a birthday party for their six-year-old host, little children learned how to take aim at the pinata without hurting their friends, and how to scramble for the candy but share the loot with those too young or poorly-positioned to get even one or two. Life lessons, no?

At a wake on a void deck, I was glad that I could deliver my condolences in person, but did not feel that I should stay long, since I was in T-shirt and jeans.

Around the corner, a friendly young man said hi. As it turned out, his group of volunteers was taking an elderly resident to dinner. She was as happy as could be.

How much we see just by taking a little walk.