I walked past my house today
Wednesday, December 15, 2004
A most peculiar thing happened today.
I walked along the corridor.
Noticed the colours of the pillars on my left were different when I last saw them in the morning.
Took me 2 seconds to reflect on the efficiency of the painting work when I didn't see any signs of painting work in progress in the near vicinity of my flat.
Took me 1 second to look to my right and realised that the doors along my corridor are all different.
Took me another 1 second to find out if I'm in the right floor by looking at the unit number.
And finally another 1 second to look back and realised I walked past my house!
While it's most peculiar that I took so long to realise... it's also most interesting.
I didn't feel stupid. But felt that I managed to walk past the line without feeling sinful that I didn't stay in the line. Line as in the line which demarcate the boundary that crosses to the next house, for the benefit of the less informed ones on huilinganism or reneelish.
Not staying in and within a line is a marvelous achievement as a Singaporean I think. *pats my own shoulder*
Which brings me to the Speak Good Chinese is Cool campaign.
How long does it take for a government to learn that campaigns are just another waste of public funds on opening ceremonies, expensive buffets for VIPs and another filler in the newspaper pages? Then after all the hype and fan fare, nobody ever remember them anymore?
And how long does it take for a government to realise that although the people don't give two hoots about such campaigns, schools will be utterly confused over their directives and syllabus with the languages. And the end result is a future generation suffering from lousy English because of Speak Good Chinese campaigns.
And how long does it take for a goverment to realise that the current campaign is a direct reflection of the current working generation with lousy Chinese because of Speak Good English campaigns conducted over the last decade which received resounding success?
It doesn't take a Chinese to learn Chinese and similiarly, it doesn't mean a Chinese must speak Chinese. It's a choice of language dictated by nothing else but an individual's choice of language to learn and speak.
Don't get me wrong, I advocate good Chinese, afterall, I'm a Chinese major. I believe that learning Chinese language is the gateway to the richness of Chinese culture, history, literature and philosophy. It is our heritage and we are entitled to learn it because we are born into a Chinese family and it gives us an edge of learn the language.
But to learn a language to give oneself an identity is a desperate and pathetic attempt to search for a sense of belonging and self identity.
Everyone as an individual has a right to choose who they want to be. No one, by law, is bound by their skin colour or family to learn a language and feel guilty or get insulted by others because they don't learn the language of a race that they are supposedly belong to.
As an individual, self worth and self respect speak volumes than dressing oneself with codes of behaviour and traditions dictated by race and religion. Recognising one's self worth makes one realise it's full potential and ability, which translates to creating a life that makes an impact in others and even the society. And these are the people which Singapore needs desperately. But all systems are set to extinguish whatever budding flame that attempts to burn and shine individually.
Singapore economy used to pride itself by churning out workers who are fast and efficient over the neighbouring countries to woo foreign investors. But fast and efficient and cheap workers are in abundance now in India and even China. With our current standard of languages, we don't even speak good English, let alone Chinese. Who can we compete with? What can we compete with?
What we have now walking in CBD with shirt and ties and suits are employees who can't speak well with creativity and assertiveness inhibited by the education system that strives to churn out instructions recievers than creator.
And that's the result of the direction that our government has taken to create a country based on survival. Now that we have survived, as one of our national day songs stated, isn't it time that we moved on to live our lives?
Now that many families have learn the importance of English in its economic sense, isn't it time that we, as an individual, choose if we want to be bilingual or trilingual? The citizens can't grow up unless the government decide that it's time to let go.
It's time to not just stay in the line and be what we have been told. It's time to step out of line and be an individual.
And I've just walked out of line and past my house today...
how peculiar.
Flower from concrete jungle _ b l o g g e d _ @ 3:10 AM |
why you?
Thursday, December 09, 2004
Why it has to be you
the one that makes my day always
and also the one who makes me drop into the depths of emotional whirpool
Flower from concrete jungle _ b l o g g e d _ @ 11:28 PM |
