Since when getting your own drink is a CHORE??

When I read this article "Do your kids do chores?", I was like so surprised!

The most popular chores included getting their own drink, getting their own meals, frying an egg and making the bed. I was like, "WTH is this? Since when getting your own drink became a chore to youngsters nowadays?" You meant getting yourself a cup of water is a CHORE? To go and da bao food is a CHORE? Okay loh fine, so the next generation will say "The most popular chores included drinking water and eating food" and you all need people to feed you right??

My definition of household chores are sweeping and mopping the floor, cleaning the window, washing, hanging and ironing your own clothes, and cleaning the kitchen and toilet. Since when looking for drink and food is a chore??

A youngster said, "Oh, chores are all about common sense. When I need to do it, I am sure that I will be able to do it well." Ya right. You think doing chores very easy arh? You try and go and do lah! To be fair, let me go to your house and we do chores together, let complete who can finish better and faster. You do know that different ways of holding your broom can give you different results? Do you know that you need different brushes to clean different part of your toilets?

Some may say that "Walew, why do I need to know all these sia? It is not as if I am going to do all these next time." Oh yes, you are right. But my point is this: doing chores help you to think things different, how to do chores in a more efficient manner? Rather than the hard skills of doing chores, what I want to emphasise here is the soft skills that you may gain from doing the chores – to stimulate yourself to think, can I do this in an easier way? Can I do this differently?

Most importantly, doing household chores help us to be responsible to ourselves. If we messed up our room, then we should be the one who tidy up. If we are the one wearing clothes, then we are the one who should wash and iron it. Why do we need to hire other person to take care of our ownselves? I have some friends, once their maid took leaves and no one handles the chores, they really messed up their day-to-day lives. They don't even know how to us the washing machine – they mistook softener as detergent, they don't know how to iron their clothes – they just came to school with their clothes full of wrinkles. I meant, you cant even take a good care of yourself, how do you expect other people to believe that you are able to take care of your own life and to take care of your future partner and family?

*shaking my head*

We got to be more proactive!

I recently came across this article of "Politics? Not for me" where a talented Singaporean (I assumed he is because after all he managed to get into a top university) said something like this, "A lot of it has to do with contentment. I'm happy with the way things are, there's no reason to be an activist. I've benefited from the system, I don't feel that there is anything worth changing."

I am not trying to criticise this person in particular. I am just trying to reflect on what he said. If we have benefited from our current system, then can we just say that there isn't anything worth changing? How about those people who have not been able to benefit from current system? Can we just say that, "Oh! I benefited can already what! Why should I care whether or not other people benefit? As long as I benefit jiu can liao loh!".

I beg to differ. We are living in the society where there is always another group of people who has not been able to benefit from the current system – the poor, the underprivileged, and the destitute. Does that mean that they are ought to be forgotten? A good example is our education system. Our education system has evolved over the time and it is widely-recognised that it is at world-class standard. Now, supposed during the 70s, there was this person who benefited from the 70s system said, "Oh, I have benefited from this system, so let us just keep this system because I see no need to change since I benefited from this system." Then what will happen to us who are living the in 90s or now?

Have any of us thought of this – if those people who benefited from the education system in the 70s did not push forward with the reform of the education system, would more people in the 90s benefit from the reformed education system? Without these reforms and changes, we will not be able to benefit from current education system that is more holistic and allows more people to pursue more diverse interests and passions.

What I wanted to say is this: Just because we have benefited from current system and thus do not see the need to change is a dangerous view. To passively wait and only when we see problems then we change may be too late in some cases. We should, instead, take a more proactive stance and continue to seek improvement to come out with a better system that allows more people in society to benefit.

That Light at the Tunnel's End

"Yes, there's light at the end of the tunnel but we don't know how long the tunnel is. We think we will come out of the tunnel in good shape... Everyone is down but those who come out the best are goin to be those with strong balance sheets, those who are able to help their businesses and their people, their citizens, on a targeted basis..."

Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam

"We've no doubt there's light at the end of the tunnel. But what we're more concerned about is that when we reach the light at the end of the tunnel, are we going to emerge from this tunnel more united or more disunited? I think that really is the key question. If we survive this tunnel by cutting jobs to save costs, I think, yes, we'll come out but a lot more disunited. But if we work together, save costs, cut costs to save jobs, then I think we'd have succeeded - not just surviving the tunnel but coming out more united."

NTUC secretary-general, PMO Lim Swee Say

"While we see light at the end of the tunnel, it is more important to figure out what we should do while we're still in the tunnel. How we emerge will depend on what we do while we're in the tunnel. Therefore, its important for us to prepare ourselves, upgrade our workers... When the economy recovers, it may be a new economy...the industries that are growing may be different, the jobs that are in demand may be different. So it's important...to give (workers) skills relevant to the new growing industries, so that when the economy eventually recovers, they will be ready."

Acting Manpower Minister Gan Kim Yong

Now u all know why they are highly-paid.. =] lol..

Reference: The Straits Times Saturday, November 22 2008 Page A22.

I was "impressed"

Oh, plz refer to my previous blog entry "i was impressed" b4 u read this entry.. =x lol..

I was really impressed how this group of students celebrated the gal bdae..

A lot of explanations on why the above happened, some said its a case of bullying? some said its juz a prank? or juz like the official statement from the sch principal that it was juz a celebration, blah blah.. I do not noe wad really happened in between, so i am definitely not in a position to comment whether its really a case of bullying or not, neither do I gonna to associate this event with the sch, bcoz i do believe that wad happened above is juz an isolated case that does not represent the whole population of ACJC students becoz my ACJC friends do behave really well and doin well in their respective fields.

Wad i am more concerned is on the part on some students do think that wad happened above are "normal" ways to celebrate bdae.. I was like o.O .. and my friends said this is not the worst.. O.O This is the normal way our younger peers celebrated their birthdays??

I am really worried to see that some students do think that this is "normal" and i am more worried that few years down the road, this will become a norm (or has it?? =s) for bdae celebration. I am really worried for my children nxt time.. I am serious.. =x How would you and ur parents feel if ur younger siblings have their bdae celebrated by their friends in this manner?? Worse, wad if the person was traumatized by the experience and committed suicide?? (we nv noe? =x), then who would be held reponsible??

If our society thinks that this way of celebrating bdae is okie, then i got nth more to say. but i am now assuming that our society is not "ready" for this kind of celebration, then i will say that this kind way of celeration is certainly getting abit out of hand.. and i really afraid that it will send a wrong msg to other youths that is sth normal that they can do it as and when they like..

I am seriously disturbed.. =x

PS: judging from the way the media reported the event, i am assuming that the media does not seem to treat this peice of news too positively, and assuming that the official statement given by the sch is true that the whole process was purely a bdae celebration, then i will say that this event will be a classic textbook example on how a media is able to tweak the truth and affect public opinion. =x lol..

Reference: Photos above were taken from STOMP.

I was impressed.. haha..

Hei, ppl, its not i blogger abt this bcoz she is a gal or she is from ACJC, but i juz want to say that i was impressed by her quick act in offering her help to those who need..

I was impressed bcoz:

1. She has the first aid skills.
2. She was willing to help (hav skills is one thing, but willing to help is another big thing.. =x).
3. She was able to execute it nicely (ps: so li hai that even policemen also stand and watch! oops! =p lol...) (to hav skills is one thing, to be willing to help is another, but not only that she has the skills and willing to help, she wasnt kan jiong and able to deal with the situation calmly).

I was IMPRESSED!!! =p lol..

Read more at STOMP. =]

Dress Code

Not sure whether is just a co-incidence wad, but two of my friends blogged abt dress code in sch.. and the next day i came across this article “No shorts, or dyed hair" on The Straits Times. I was quite surprised to see the "commotion" and decided to kpo abit.. =p lol..

My view is rather simple, "dress in a way that you feel comfortable and appropriate".

Actually, when i try to explain it to myself, its not that simple at all.. =p lol.. Hmm..

"I fell comfortable in short and tube, so it shd be okie wad. The weather is really warm ya noe?"
(PS: the "I" is not referring to ME! =p lol..) Haha..

True true.. even though as a guy i am more than willing to see pretty gals in tubes and shorts, but well as a friend, its always better to see them at least wearing a cardigan to cover the shoulder.. Afterall you will feel cold in the air-con classroom anyway.. =x I hav seen gals who look nice in short skirts, but then hor, when they sit down rite, they nd to pull this side pull that side, look very uncomfortable.. wads the point sia.. =x

For a guy, i think 3 S's are definitely a no-no to me - Singlets, Shorts and Sandals. Its like so rude to wear them to class.. At least wear pants or jeans with shoes plz.. =x

But ppl may blast me saying "how come to you gals that wear 3 S's are okay but guys wearing 3 S's are not okay?!?! =s"

True.. But hei, dont come and blast me okie? of course how comfortable and appropriate are defined are pretty subjective, so yeah, you may hav different views, but above are my views.. =p lol..

But i hav to agree with wad my friend has commented in her blog, juz bcoz you wear this and that to sch doesnt mean that you can comment on ppl who wear shorts and tee and flops to skool or jeans right?

But personally, i agreed more on wad this friend of mine said, "every morning when i wake up for school, i have to go through the dilemma of deciding what to wear. its not that i will deliberately dress up for lectures but its a form of courtesy, no? i mean, i dont think your lecturers dress down when they are standing in front giving a lecture so its natural for the students to put in a little effort into their dressing as a form a respect for the lecturer??"

So, wad shd you wear today?? =D lol..

News

Its really really sianz, when u listened to the same news over and over again in a day.

Who says 新闻没有报两次 one?
一样的新闻一天不懂报四五次eh..
新闻都变旧闻了..

=s lol..