Culture (10/05)
Basically, in my parents hometown, there is not exactly a whole lot of differences in food there and here. You can almost find everything there in some Chinese specialized food stalls and restaurants and a Singapore, such examples are 凉拌面, The traditional one which as it name says, is cold noodles mixed with cucumber strips, crushed peanuts, spring onion and the extra spicy chilli, giving it an extra kick. There are many variations of this dish, from many parts of China. There are lines with sesame oil, chicken strips, onions
Do you think the merlion is the best national icon Singapore can have? (19/04)
Personally, even though many people think that the Merlion should be our national icon and many foreigners think so, I don't think or feel that the Merlion exactly defines Singapore as a country. When I was young, I didn't think much about and went along with everybody else. But now, thinking deeper, I don't feel this is so. Why not? Firstly, what the heck is a Merlion? People who never heard of it or don't know what is is may guess, is is a mermaid plus a lion? A female lion? A chimera? Who knows? A Merlion is a huge statue of a lion and a fish near the Fullerton Hotel. But what exactly does it symbolise? When Sang Nila Utama, a prince, discovered Singapore, he saw a majestic animal, who his adviser told him is a lion, a Singa. And the fish part is that Singapore has a history of a fishing village. But firstly and scientifically, there is no proven evidence in our region and regions near Singapore, there has never been lions! (Unless you count the ones in the Singapore Zoo) So the animal he saw may not even have been a lion in the first place. Secondly, common sense, nowadays, to be frank, lesser and lesser people seem to even care about the history of some place. It has even been ranked that 80% of the current teenager population don't even care about the history about the country they go to or visit. (Excluding me) They tend to focus more on the present and future, which in short, is a booming city, a metropolis. So won't a city full of skyscrapers and casinos give people a better idea of Singapore. Alright, there are many cases, but what exactly is the POINT of a national icon? To me, it symbolises of what the people aspire to be. To others, it may be something that represents their country, or what the country is famous for. (I'm stereotyping now, but honestly, when you think about Las Vegas, you think casinos and Ferraris). Who determines the national icon? Everybody, everybody has a right, and majority wins. Do we actually NEED one? Honestly, yes, as nowadays, as shown in a survey conducted by reputable university in Boston. (Ahem... Harvard), quite a few people lack dreams and ambitions, and do not know what to do, and everyday they may feel a lack of purpose, but if we were to have a national icon, some people would understand the qualities of what it have and also try their best to achieve their vision or something. I would agree, there are many things out there which can be chosen as the national icon of Singapore, but personally, even though I will admit that when I think about Singapore, it's when school re-openes, the Merlion, Ferris Wheel, Chicken Rice and stuff, I don't think the Merlion actually totally defines the idea of Singapore,
Golden Age of Singapore (05/04)
The definition of a golden age is when something is at it's very best or peak, or in ideal condition. Singapore is currently in it now. (And I hope we will progress to crystal or diamond or platinum so on and so forth.)
But Rome was not built in a night, and neither was Singapore. We started out as a fishing village, and our progress as a metropolis is extremely fast, even though accounting to the fact we are a small country. I can go on and on about Singapore's history, but the presence of a very important person, a founding father, and our first prime minister, the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew. Without him, I don't even think I would know what Blogger is. He has many admirable and qualities suitable for a leader of a country. Let's start off with him being a very righteous person. From what I have read and know, he is very fair, and does not tolerate wrong doings. Look at his government. There is no corruption! The strict rules and laws he has placed does not leave anybody out, be it his family member or not, as he devoted his life to improving Singapore, and he himself was no exception. Corruption is commonly seen, and very hard to root out, which was why not only did he say such things, he also had the power and was responsible and did everything he could to prevent such things, such as increasing the wages of government officials, showing to us, that he is a giant as both speaking and actions. With his actions and words, he built Singapore to what is called a Golden Age today.
What we can do now as students is just do our best and continue with the progress of Singapore, and always remember and build upon what the earlier generations and Mr Lee has given us.
China Economy (22/02)
China and Singapore are closely linked in many ways and you can say that Singapore relies on China and vice versa, for example, there are a lot of people in Singapore that invests in China, and if the economy in a China grows, trading partners in Singapore would also prosper. China also manufactures most of our products and also provides a lot of raw material, thus, without the support or buys, we would not be able to reach as we are now today, and we would not progress into a first world country with a great economy with such speed.
One Child Policy (01/02)
If the population in Singapore continue to decline, even though our economy will rise and more attention and funds would be diverted to us, there would be a severe manpower shortage, and even more foreign talents would be in Singapore. And many of our generation would not want to continue old traditions in Singapore such as good hawker food, and there would be lack of local talents. If the death rate is much higher than the birth rate, Singapore would face a lot of troubles, mostly manpower shortage. But the plus side is that it won't be too overcrowded on the little Red Dot. And transportation and studies would be easier and more relaxed. There are many negatives sides, as when the Older Generation leaves, we would lack the "Singapore Kampong" spirit? Due to too many young teenagers, (and even young babies at the age of 2) using their electronic devices, there is a lack of communication and our social skills would decrease.
Poverty (18/01)
I have visited many countries till now, and poverty is frequently seen. Even in richer countries like Singapore, you can see it, just different form. My perspective and thoughts about poverty may be bias and one sided, but hey, everybody has freedom of speech. The definition of it is people lacking money and basic necessities, such as food, water, clothes, shelter etc. It is often seen in China, America, and Cambodia, countries which I visited. In the past, all I feel is pure pity and the desire to help them. But now, after being exposed to many things, I'm starting to have second thoughts. I feel pity, sometimes. I can even empathise with them. I have many thoughts, but one remains constant. What is the best way to help them? Of course, you can easily donate them a generous amount. But what happens after they spend it? What do they spend it on? Some may just buy drugs, some may buy food, while others may give the change the others. There's a lot of people in the world, and it is impossible to help them all, but with every one assisted, there will be one lesser in need of help. But we humans will not stop there, greed can be both black and white, and we always will want to be better, so is there a better way to help the people? Inspiration is a very powerful thing, and if it influences people, it changes their lives. You can influence them to find a job, raise a family, or by just using a few sentences, destroy their lives. I'm talking about many different things, but these can help poverty. Being in poverty can be caused by squandering money on drugs, gambling and unmoral-full acts, or being born in a poor family, which may be caused by the above conditions. Another major problem is that no matter how hard these people work, they do not get much in return. In rural India, no matter how hard the farmers work, due to inflation and the always fluctuating prices. Some may also encounter corrupted landlord, who over taxes them,and may not even have enough to survive on their own. Thus, that gives a new and different definition of "what you give is what you get" which in this case, they give their heart and soul and everything to the crops and farm work but they themselves get nothing. They scrimp and save every single grain of rice and every single cent,whereas we care about a entirely different thing. That is the difference between the rich and the ones in poverty. We should be grateful that we, if not most of us were at least born in a well-doing family and help others in need, instead of being selfish and tending over our own matters when people out there are suffering.
December Holiday Reflection
During my December holidays, I went to Cambodia and Hong Kong. But of course, before that I had a hectic schedule of CCA and revision, and I had to complete my homework before going overseas. Holidays was a time to rewind and relax, but for me who screwed up Year 1, it was time For me to catch up and dash ahead of others in the coming year.
The holidays were nothing special, just waking up, eating, then sleeping, and was quite boring. But the motivation to score well kept me going. Finally, I got to have a breather when I went to Cambodia. I was reluctant to go, as my mum said that we would be living in a fishing village and would be climbing temples for the entire course of 3 days. Climbing ancient rocks? I'm fine with that, but LIVING IN A FISHING VILLAGE? No ¥£€>+~+_€|'$&@ way! I won't deny, but living without electronic appliances really scared me, I did not grow up in poverty, thus I'm scared. Imagine bathing in the river, relieving yourself in the forest, and sleeping on wooden boards surrounded by insects and cockroaches and other pests. It was so not my idea of an holiday. So it was a pleasant surprise for me when a driver was waiting outside the airport for me and my mum, driving a Lexus. Seems like we were going to a hotel after all. When I saw the hotel, I was literally speechless, I never believed that a hotel in run-down Cambodia could actually be this grand. Ahhhh, stereotyping. Words could hardly describe the majestic hotel, and the hotels I visited weren't less. Our room was also pretty awesome, but three queen sized beds were extra for just two people. The dinner wasn't bad, a traditional Cambodia buffet, there were all sorts of meat and vegetables, but I was a sucker for the ____, a simple deep-fried snack made of sweetened dough. The next day, we woke up at 4 in the morning, just to catch the sunrise at Angkor Wat. Well, we stood there for 2 hours, fighting for a good spot for a photo of it. But due to the cloudy weather, we didn't see anything other than an orange glare through the clouds.
Culture (10/05)
Basically, in my parents hometown, there is not exactly a whole lot of differences in food there and here. You can almost find everything there in some Chinese specialized food stalls and restaurants and a Singapore, such examples are 凉拌面, The traditional one which as it name says, is cold noodles mixed with cucumber strips, crushed peanuts, spring onion and the extra spicy chilli, giving it an extra kick. There are many variations of this dish, from many parts of China. There are lines with sesame oil, chicken strips, onions
Do you think the merlion is the best national icon Singapore can have? (19/04)
Personally, even though many people think that the Merlion should be our national icon and many foreigners think so, I don't think or feel that the Merlion exactly defines Singapore as a country. When I was young, I didn't think much about and went along with everybody else. But now, thinking deeper, I don't feel this is so. Why not? Firstly, what the heck is a Merlion? People who never heard of it or don't know what is is may guess, is is a mermaid plus a lion? A female lion? A chimera? Who knows? A Merlion is a huge statue of a lion and a fish near the Fullerton Hotel. But what exactly does it symbolise? When Sang Nila Utama, a prince, discovered Singapore, he saw a majestic animal, who his adviser told him is a lion, a Singa. And the fish part is that Singapore has a history of a fishing village. But firstly and scientifically, there is no proven evidence in our region and regions near Singapore, there has never been lions! (Unless you count the ones in the Singapore Zoo) So the animal he saw may not even have been a lion in the first place. Secondly, common sense, nowadays, to be frank, lesser and lesser people seem to even care about the history of some place. It has even been ranked that 80% of the current teenager population don't even care about the history about the country they go to or visit. (Excluding me) They tend to focus more on the present and future, which in short, is a booming city, a metropolis. So won't a city full of skyscrapers and casinos give people a better idea of Singapore. Alright, there are many cases, but what exactly is the POINT of a national icon? To me, it symbolises of what the people aspire to be. To others, it may be something that represents their country, or what the country is famous for. (I'm stereotyping now, but honestly, when you think about Las Vegas, you think casinos and Ferraris). Who determines the national icon? Everybody, everybody has a right, and majority wins. Do we actually NEED one? Honestly, yes, as nowadays, as shown in a survey conducted by reputable university in Boston. (Ahem... Harvard), quite a few people lack dreams and ambitions, and do not know what to do, and everyday they may feel a lack of purpose, but if we were to have a national icon, some people would understand the qualities of what it have and also try their best to achieve their vision or something. I would agree, there are many things out there which can be chosen as the national icon of Singapore, but personally, even though I will admit that when I think about Singapore, it's when school re-openes, the Merlion, Ferris Wheel, Chicken Rice and stuff, I don't think the Merlion actually totally defines the idea of Singapore,
Golden Age of Singapore (05/04)
The definition of a golden age is when something is at it's very best or peak, or in ideal condition. Singapore is currently in it now. (And I hope we will progress to crystal or diamond or platinum so on and so forth.)
But Rome was not built in a night, and neither was Singapore. We started out as a fishing village, and our progress as a metropolis is extremely fast, even though accounting to the fact we are a small country. I can go on and on about Singapore's history, but the presence of a very important person, a founding father, and our first prime minister, the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew. Without him, I don't even think I would know what Blogger is. He has many admirable and qualities suitable for a leader of a country. Let's start off with him being a very righteous person. From what I have read and know, he is very fair, and does not tolerate wrong doings. Look at his government. There is no corruption! The strict rules and laws he has placed does not leave anybody out, be it his family member or not, as he devoted his life to improving Singapore, and he himself was no exception. Corruption is commonly seen, and very hard to root out, which was why not only did he say such things, he also had the power and was responsible and did everything he could to prevent such things, such as increasing the wages of government officials, showing to us, that he is a giant as both speaking and actions. With his actions and words, he built Singapore to what is called a Golden Age today.
What we can do now as students is just do our best and continue with the progress of Singapore, and always remember and build upon what the earlier generations and Mr Lee has given us.
China Economy (22/02)
China and Singapore are closely linked in many ways and you can say that Singapore relies on China and vice versa, for example, there are a lot of people in Singapore that invests in China, and if the economy in a China grows, trading partners in Singapore would also prosper. China also manufactures most of our products and also provides a lot of raw material, thus, without the support or buys, we would not be able to reach as we are now today, and we would not progress into a first world country with a great economy with such speed.
One Child Policy (01/02)
If the population in Singapore continue to decline, even though our economy will rise and more attention and funds would be diverted to us, there would be a severe manpower shortage, and even more foreign talents would be in Singapore. And many of our generation would not want to continue old traditions in Singapore such as good hawker food, and there would be lack of local talents. If the death rate is much higher than the birth rate, Singapore would face a lot of troubles, mostly manpower shortage. But the plus side is that it won't be too overcrowded on the little Red Dot. And transportation and studies would be easier and more relaxed. There are many negatives sides, as when the Older Generation leaves, we would lack the "Singapore Kampong" spirit? Due to too many young teenagers, (and even young babies at the age of 2) using their electronic devices, there is a lack of communication and our social skills would decrease.
Poverty (18/01)
I have visited many countries till now, and poverty is frequently seen. Even in richer countries like Singapore, you can see it, just different form. My perspective and thoughts about poverty may be bias and one sided, but hey, everybody has freedom of speech. The definition of it is people lacking money and basic necessities, such as food, water, clothes, shelter etc. It is often seen in China, America, and Cambodia, countries which I visited. In the past, all I feel is pure pity and the desire to help them. But now, after being exposed to many things, I'm starting to have second thoughts. I feel pity, sometimes. I can even empathise with them. I have many thoughts, but one remains constant. What is the best way to help them? Of course, you can easily donate them a generous amount. But what happens after they spend it? What do they spend it on? Some may just buy drugs, some may buy food, while others may give the change the others. There's a lot of people in the world, and it is impossible to help them all, but with every one assisted, there will be one lesser in need of help. But we humans will not stop there, greed can be both black and white, and we always will want to be better, so is there a better way to help the people? Inspiration is a very powerful thing, and if it influences people, it changes their lives. You can influence them to find a job, raise a family, or by just using a few sentences, destroy their lives. I'm talking about many different things, but these can help poverty. Being in poverty can be caused by squandering money on drugs, gambling and unmoral-full acts, or being born in a poor family, which may be caused by the above conditions. Another major problem is that no matter how hard these people work, they do not get much in return. In rural India, no matter how hard the farmers work, due to inflation and the always fluctuating prices. Some may also encounter corrupted landlord, who over taxes them,and may not even have enough to survive on their own. Thus, that gives a new and different definition of "what you give is what you get" which in this case, they give their heart and soul and everything to the crops and farm work but they themselves get nothing. They scrimp and save every single grain of rice and every single cent,whereas we care about a entirely different thing. That is the difference between the rich and the ones in poverty. We should be grateful that we, if not most of us were at least born in a well-doing family and help others in need, instead of being selfish and tending over our own matters when people out there are suffering.
December Holiday Reflection
During my December holidays, I went to Cambodia and Hong Kong. But of course, before that I had a hectic schedule of CCA and revision, and I had to complete my homework before going overseas. Holidays was a time to rewind and relax, but for me who screwed up Year 1, it was time For me to catch up and dash ahead of others in the coming year.
The holidays were nothing special, just waking up, eating, then sleeping, and was quite boring. But the motivation to score well kept me going. Finally, I got to have a breather when I went to Cambodia. I was reluctant to go, as my mum said that we would be living in a fishing village and would be climbing temples for the entire course of 3 days. Climbing ancient rocks? I'm fine with that, but LIVING IN A FISHING VILLAGE? No ¥£€>+~+_€|'$&@ way! I won't deny, but living without electronic appliances really scared me, I did not grow up in poverty, thus I'm scared. Imagine bathing in the river, relieving yourself in the forest, and sleeping on wooden boards surrounded by insects and cockroaches and other pests. It was so not my idea of an holiday. So it was a pleasant surprise for me when a driver was waiting outside the airport for me and my mum, driving a Lexus. Seems like we were going to a hotel after all. When I saw the hotel, I was literally speechless, I never believed that a hotel in run-down Cambodia could actually be this grand. Ahhhh, stereotyping. Words could hardly describe the majestic hotel, and the hotels I visited weren't less. Our room was also pretty awesome, but three queen sized beds were extra for just two people. The dinner wasn't bad, a traditional Cambodia buffet, there were all sorts of meat and vegetables, but I was a sucker for the ____, a simple deep-fried snack made of sweetened dough. The next day, we woke up at 4 in the morning, just to catch the sunrise at Angkor Wat. Well, we stood there for 2 hours, fighting for a good spot for a photo of it. But due to the cloudy weather, we didn't see anything other than an orange glare through the clouds.
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