SG Fairy

I’m not quite sure how I should react to the National Day Rally.

I mean.. I guess I should feel comforted that the govt is thinking about my future etc… but I’m not so sure I like how they view it.

How motivated can a person get with the whole ‘city of possibilites’ thingy when the future painted for me involves lots more work, more of my hard-earned money going to the govt, and a longer wait time til I get my money back?

And seriously… can we really live THAT long in such a stressful environment? What’s worse, if I ‘die before my time’ my hard-earned money goes to the govt! of course I could opt for my fund money going to my family, but it’ll be at a higher premium, and probably a much more complicated paperwork process. But it’s my money!!!!!

Basically… it just sounds like lots and lots of work with little returns. They talk about upgrading etc… but it’s just… I dun know, not at all motivating.

I want to know that I can be happy here… that my life can and will be enriched. Not just in monetary value, mind you, but culturally etc…

It’s just like what I’ve been thinking about for the past few days since I saw PM Lee’s National Day speech – what’s the point of having a high standard of living but low quality life?

Ahh… ignore me… I’m rambling.

I’m almost afraid to say this…..

THE REUNION WAS A SUCCESS!!!!!!

It feels like a dream, you know… it went on soooo well, it felt like, it could only be a dream, coz reality seldom is that kind.

At final count, we had 20-plus people… and I was very touched when some of the guys came down after whatever it was they had to attend to. One of the guys, whom we had thot wouldn’t show, appeared after 11.

I was also touched when one of the usually bochap guys demanded we send out a proper list of all contacts so we could add one another on msn

Already there’s talk about our next reunion… so things sound good.

I just know I’m not going to be the one organizing the next gathering! Lol

I’m so nervous… our sec 1-2 reunion gathering’s on this Friday, and I’m panicking.

Well ok, so I was being all drama-mama… I’m not having a breakdown over it but I am somewhat nervous

It’s kinda amazing.,.. seemed like not too long ago when we decided to do it. Then, it seemed as though we’ll never be able to contact people etc, but we’ve managed to speak to almost everybody since.

And now, it’s really gonna happen. I’ve not seen 90% of them for at least 8 years now (we’re older liao!) and I’m really curious to find out how everyone’s turned out. At the same time, I’m worried ppl’ll look at me and think, ‘ah, she’s wasted away since sec sch” or something dramatic like tt, lol.

Then there’s the food… what if everyone gets food poisoning from my food? Lol… that’ll be a memorable reunion, lol.

Aiyah… I guess no real point thinking abt it lah… we’ll just see what happens on Friday

I just wish I had lost some weight for the reunion… I feel like I’ve put on weight!

And you would have thought that all that stress from work would slim me down :P

In case you're wondering, PM Lee has spoken... from the top floor of the National Library.

The man's gotta show that he's funky mah!

But his National Day speech, unfortunately, was not so funky... very typical really. See here.

Some of the stuff he talked about... you just knew they would get mentioned. For example:
1) SG does well with economic growth and jobs
2) SG does well in sports
3) SG students are smart and winning stuff
4) SG is efficient so hence, we got F1
5) SG is whoring itself so we're getting the IRs

Well ok fine... so PM Lee didn't say the 'whoring' bit in point 5... but you get my point.

Of course he also talked about things like the aging population, how more capable aka rich S'poreans must help the less fortunate ones etc, and that we gotta basically work hard and support ourseleves and not take early retirement coz your CPF will not enough.

But that's stuff they've been talking about all year anyway.

But you know... I wish there was more mention on 'heart-ware' and cultural stuff.

If you follow the link I set above, you'll see the summary of PM Lee's speech and I quote:

"Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has called on Singaporeans to work together to transform the country and make it a special home for everyone.
He said in ten years' time, it would be a new Singapore with its own unique identity and a can-do and never-say-die spirit of the Lion City. "

So you have words like, 'special home', 'identity' and 'spirit'... but it's all so cold and calculative-like. As I read it I thought... it's like encouraging robots to work harder... 1983 - Big Brother is watching to make sure you work hard so everyone will survive and will become even more hardworking (aka 'never-say-die').

He's effectively managed to turn the word 'home' into something cold, empty, lonely... a city of tall gleaming glass buildings that screams 'effectiveness' but is essentially cold. We have to keeep working, striving to hit the mark and be efficient professionals.

Where's the "enjoy time with your family, take time out to relax, catch a movie (coz btw, SG films are getting better), attend a poetry recital, read a book.... even as you work, remember the little little precious things around you, coz that's what SG is about... being a warm home for you and me" or some speech like that.

It's like, the more they push this whole efficiency thing til instead of being happy that everything will get oh-so-efficient... i'm more depressed.

This year's NDP theme is 'Nationa Day Festival: City of Possibilities' and once again, it comes across as being so technical. Possible to host F1, possible to have IR, possible to be biotechnology centre of region, possible to be so high-tech with wireless all over the island and HD tv in every homes. The promo banners are so dead.. it's so sad lah!

There's no... possible to marry and start a family with no worries, possible to manage time between work and everything else, possible for everyone to live comfortably... possible to call this home... possible to be happy.

So maybe I'm whinning... but I think some of the things I've said are quite valid lor... I love my country very much and I do appreciate the little things like being able to walk down the streets at 3am in the morning without worry, the govt's attempts to keep radical ideologies out etc... but... the thing is this - Singapore has high standard of living, but low quality of life.

And we could all do with a little more love... instead of another 'World No. One'.

Apparently an earthquake has hit Indonesia... about 100km east of Jakarta.

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/292957/1/.html


I do think the Indonesians quite the jialat!

it's like you're here sometimes... and then just as quickly as you had appeared... you suddenly disappear and it's someone else.

support me... just as i have always tried to support you the best i can.

We (the family) have been visiting my aunt every week... and it's been very painful... after every visit, i walk away feeling old and tired... like a weary warrior walking away from the battlefield, limping with injuries.

She's been sick... and every time we visit her, it's to see her in a worse state from the previous week. and it's scary, to see how she can get sicker so quickly. She could be talking normally etc... and then when we visit the next Sunday, she cannot speak anymore... you can see her mouth moving, but her voice's barely a whisper.

And i remember when she was ok... so full of life... she'll always be cooking for us... and she was such a good cook.

My aunt had had a tough life... and it was only in recent years that she's been happier. So it just seems so unfair, that now, when she can really be happy, this has to happen to her. and i feel really helpless, seeing her slip away, week after week.

it's worse when... every weekday... u wake up and wonder if it's the day you're going to get THE call...

i dun like that.. dun like it at all.