'A' Level Results: Nervous Yet?

Written by azhar.

The Ministry Of Education had just made a press release on the date of issue for the 2008 GCE A-Level Examination Results. It is now confirmed that the judgement day will fall on 6th March 2009, which is this coming Friday. We can obtain our results from college starting from 2.30pm onwards.

I believe these coming five days will be a nerve-racking experience for us. Some of us may be experiencing sleepless nights, while others like me may undergo lapses of concentration now and then as we are left counting the number of days left before the moment of truth arrives.

This reminds me of the day when our O-Level results were released three years ago, except in this case it is much more daunting. We all know the importance of getting a good A-Level certificate. Most importantly, we all understand the consequences of getting a poor A-Level results slip. I, of course, hope that we can all achieve great results but at the same time pray that the rest who did not do as well will have the courage and strength to accept the bitter truth, move on and possibly try again this year.

Till then, see you there!

[EXCLUSIVE] Singapore's Top 10 Worst Consumer Behaviour

Written by azhar.

Working as a cashier in a huge supermarket for the past two months has opened my eyes to the various silly antics of Singapore customers. Most of the behaviour mentioned here may seem shameless and risible but they explicitly mirror the greedy, arrogant and thoughtless characteristics that some local customers possess. The list includes foolish manners by consumers which you may not have known before.

The tabulation below compiles the behaviour of middle-aged to old Singapore customers only. It covers both the antics portrayed by Singaporean citizens as well as the foreign expatriates living and working in the island too. In this blog post, I intend to highlight the dirty habits of local consumers in the hope that the rest of the society will not follow them.

(in random order)

1) Huh? Err? Hmm? *gone*
I do not have a problem with the influx of foreign talents into Singapore, but I definitely have a problem with foreign workers who expect us to communicate in a language that they use widely in their homeland. I have encountered many situations whereby customers showed poor attitude and rushed off when I could not understand the language they are using.

One of the similar experiences that is still vivid in my mind is when a young Chinese-speaking female customer (most probably from China) snatched her goods away from me and stormed off the store grumpily after failing to converse with me properly. It is as if I was expected to know and learn the language that she uses in her homeland. Can't she just be patient and wait while I get a colleague to translate what she was trying to say? What a bummer....

2) The Newspaper Browser
There is a rule stated clearly above the magazine and newspaper shelf that customers are not allowed to browse through the reading materials available. Well, apparently some customers have found a way to circumvent the rule. This is what they do:

First, they choose the newspaper that they wish to read. Next, they join a long queue and start browsing through the articles in the newspaper. They probably use the first few minutes to finish reading on the cover story. Finally, once they reach the counter, they look at the cashier and say, "Oh, I don't want the newspaper."

Amazing isn't it? (lots of sarcasm here)

3) Greedy Liars
The retail company that I am working for upholds the policy that if buyers are unhappy with the goods that they bought from its stores, a full refund will be given to them. As expected, a few greedy customers are trying to exploit the policy by attempting to lie all the way till they get their moolah back. Let me share with you two stories as told by one of my female colleagues who works under the Delicatessen section:

A few weeks ago, a customer came into the outlet, strolled to the Delicatessen section and before you knew it, began throwing insulting remarks at her. The customer bought cooked chicken prepared by her two days ago. Now, he was claiming that the chicken was uncooked. When asked to hand over the chicken for investigation, the customer refused to cooperate and instead gave a loud rude reply, "I gave the uncooked chicken to my dog!" She could not give the refund as there was no proof that the chicken was not well-cooked. The customer could be cooking up a story to earn the cash he did not deserve to get. In the end, the customer went straight to one of my duty managers who decided to give a full refund after checking the receipt. Till now, my colleague believes that decision was a poor one.

Nonetheless, the customer in the story below was not as lucky as the one above.

The customer in this story used the very same tactic as the one above, except for one key difference - the anomaly on the receipt. He was aggressive and hurled insults at my colleague. He then tried to fool my Store Manager while appealing for the refund. The outlet I am working for is located in Sengkang. However, the receipt showed that the chicken was brought from an outlet in Hougang! It was a completely failed attempt to get a cash refund and the abashed customer went home empty-handed, leaving behind his ego.

4) The Money Changers
This particular behaviour is actually quite funny when I look at it in retrospect but nevertheless, it sure annoys the other customers in the queue. I, for one, have a personal experience with people who love to change their big notes. I love to call them the 'money changers' and I enjoy sharing their antics with my friends, such as this one:

A female customer handed over the good she wanted to buy to me so that I could scan it. My screen revealed that it was a small sanitary pad which costs around $4 (can't remember the exact amount). She whips out her wallet, took out a note and passed it over to me. Guess what? It was a $1000 note!

I had no choice but to rush to the Cashiers' Room and change the $1000 note into smaller denominations. This usually takes quite some time, especially when the Chief Cashier is out at the washroom! OHGAWD! Next time if you want to change big notes into smaller ones, please do so in a place called a BANK!

5) Anti- Bring Your Own Bag Day
If you think that all Singapore consumers are in favour of the weekly 'Bring Your Own Bag Day' campaign, then you are wrong. There were buyers who questioned me where the money collected by the weekly donations are heading to. When I gave the reply that the donations will be channeled to the Singapore Environment Council, they were unimpressed. One of them even said, "Money go straight to gahmen! What's the point?!"

Other more experienced colleagues also shared their pitiful experiences with me. Most of them agree that the campaign is still relatively unpopular and unknown among local consumers. My colleagues added that at times, they were scolded after informing their customers that they were supposed to bring their own bags. Somehow, the buyers felt that the campaign was just causing too much trouble for them.

It takes time for local consumers to get used to the weekly campaign I guess...

6) Plastic Notes Only
I have customers who after receiving their changes, request for the paper notes to be swapped with plastic ones. This habit is especially prevalent among senior citizens. So what makes this particular habit bad, you ask?

Well, it turns bad when they insist on having the plastic notes at ALL COSTS. There are times whereby we cashiers have run out of plastic notes in our cash box. This leaves us with no choice but to act like beggars and visit the other counters searching for available plastic notes. Mind you, the other cashiers are also serving a line of customers. Lots of time is lost just to meet the strict requirements of the old lady.

Till now, I still don't get why senior citizens (not all of course) only accept plastic notes because sooner or later, the notes will be used! (for goodness sake)

7) The (Queue) Jumper
"Aiyah...I have only one item to purchase...let me go first lah," said the old woman as she forced her way to the front end of the queue.

This is one of the most common bad behaviour that I have witnessed so far. Queue jumpers are very annoying. I mean seriously, they are really really annoying. They may get away with it the first time, but one day someone may just teach them the lesson.

One of my colleagues once shared with me a story whereby she nearly quit her job because of a queue jumper. So what happened? The annoying human being jumped queue and when my colleague tried to stop her and refused to scan her items first, she retaliated and criticized her loudly. My colleague was so embarrassed by the incident that she ran straight to our Section Leader and wanted to resign. I told you they are annoying...

8) I Want That Free Gift!!!
Promotions are available all year round in participating supermarkets. One of the most popular promotions is the free gift. A very good example is the Sunshine Bakeries' free gift marketing campaign. Some of you may know by now that Sunshine Bakeries is running a promotion whereby a free packet of Hot dog Buns are given upon purchase of their selected types of breads. The thing is that the free gift are only available while stocks lasts.

Some customers just don't get it. They would request for a full refund if the free packet of Hot dog Buns were not given. Some would even accuse us for being misleading. There is no way we can remove the advertising brochure from the bread shelf the moment we run out of the free gifts. Oh and by the way, the brochure also clearly indicates that the free gifts are available while stocks last. I rest my case...

9) Where Did The Herbs Go To?
Thieves are everywhere and one of their favourite spots is the supermarket. Of course, they are not stupid enough to smuggle the whole unpaid product out of the store; so what did they do? Here you go, using a bottle of herbs as an example:

First, he chooses the bottle of herbs that he wants. Next, he opens the lid, pours all the content into the pocket before inserting shreds of paper into the now-empty bottle. Finally, he walked out the store a free man.

Not convinced that the strategy worked? Well, it happened last month! One of the Sales Assistants found the bottle filled with shreds of paper. And herbs are not the only favourite goods stolen; batteries are another easy target. Their small size makes it easy for the thieves to smuggle them out unnoticed.

10) Littering!
What do you do after you have checked your receipt?
a) Keep it in the plastic bag and dispose of it at home
b) Heck. Just leave it in the basket!

Rubbish bins are available at all counters. Customers usually check their receipts near the entrance. And once done, believe it or not, some of them chose to throw them in the baskets stacked up there. How do I know? I was given the duty to clear the baskets collected at the cashiers and re-stack them up at the entrance once. Well, you guessed it, I had to spend quite some time to clear all the receipts and rubbish left behind in the baskets. Sometimes there is liquid spilled all over the baskets. Ewww...

There you go, Singapore's top ten worst consumer behaviour! Do share with me what you think of the antics mentioned above!

Students In School Uniform Banned From Entering Shopping Malls - Good Idea?

We have had enough of the hairstyle rule already. No spikes, no sideburns, and no fringe touching the eyebrows- that is the disciplinary slogan our teachers carry whenever the hair check date draws nearer. Students protest but to no avail. You are not in school to make a fashion statement, the discipline mister or mistress would always rebut.

Now, schools are looking forward to implement a new rule. Students may not be allowed to enter shopping malls or even stroll around the housing estates in their school uniforms anymore. It is a deliberate move to protect the reputation of the school. The new rule has received strong support by parents but faces widespread condemnation by students.
















Students feel that the new rule is clipping their wings. Nonetheless, parents believe that the regulation can help prevent their children from mixing with the wrong group and loitering aimlessly outside school. They cited examples of students seen smoking and behaving intimately with their partners in public to back up their opinions.

We decided to start a forum thread in our online school portal requesting for opinions from TPJCians about this issue. Below are four of the best responses that we receive:

'I guess it is time for a former Coral Sec student to answer to this. First of all, the reasons why the school disallows students from going to White Sands. Apparently there are complaints from security guards, mall visitors, store keepers and others that the students are smoking outside the mall and running and fooling around in the shopping mall. Moreover, apparently the complaints come a few times every week, as a lot of our morning assemblies include lectures on our behaviour outside school.

Well personally, as both a student at that time and an alumnus now, I still do not see any of the students doing the things that they are being accused of. What I saw were normal students having lunch at McDonald's or other food outlets although occasionally they might have talked very loudly or just plainly hanging out. The only misbehaviour I have noticed is the inappropriate attire (shirt tucked out) they displayed in public.

Maybe the reason why I did not see any of the students committing the "crimes" that the public have accused us of is because of the ban. However, the rules the school has enforced on us after receiving are really just too extreme.

First, at the beginning, the ban does not just include White Sands Shopping Mall; it is a ban that disallows students to loiter under void decks for a 500m-1km radius around the school. Teachers, mostly almost all from the discipline committee, are sent out right after school ends to catch students loitering. Daily, around three to five would go to White Sands while others would go around neighbourhood search for students loitering in their school uniforms. I even spot teachers twice at Downtown East as well.

Next, the only place in White Sands students are allowed to go to is the library. What's more, they have to find the discipline mistress in school, give her their names and class to inform her that after school, the are heading to the library. And according to the school, "go straight up to the library and do not even stay at a shop for even a second".

Even more absurd, if you all have been to White Sands before, you will know that you can cut through White Sands to the MRT station for a short-cut from the back entrance to the main entrance. The school forbids student from taking that route. Sometimes, a teacher would stay at the second storey, looking down, and if anyone tries cutting through White Sands, the teacher would immediately take action. No excuses will be accepted from the student as the rules strictly says "students are not allowed to go to White Sands Shopping Mall in uniform" (its even in our handbook). And there is no running away if you are being spotted. Teachers who failed to catch up with the students to confront them on time will remember their appearance and on the following school day, will go through every class searching for him or her.

Moreover, security guards are asked to help turn in the students that loiter in White Sands.'
- Wong Wen Bin Stanford (08S20)

'Ultimately, I feel that this rule of not allowing students in uniform at shopping centres or around housing estates is void because the students will still spend their time in those places, with or without uniform. The only difference is that the public may not know which school these students come from and hence prevents the school from having a notorious reputation for students hanging out at the mall or nearby housing estates.

However, the root of the problem is still not solved, as students will still be hanging out at the places as mentioned and doing the things that they used to without their school uniforms. Eventually, the school's reputation will still be tarnished overtime. Instead, I feel that the school should carry out active measures to convince students that there are better ways to spend their time such as by doing revision, participating more actively in their CCAs and more.'
-Foo Chuan Sing Georgina (09S03)

'Seriously, how much 'face' can the school save when they impose such a rule. Not much. I didn't read the article. However, I do not accept any reason they suggested.

If the main assumption here is that all, if not most, of the trouble caused by the students happen at the malls or in the void decks, then that is not true. They can happen in food centres which are outside or far away from the malls. They can happen in public transport. They can also happen within the school, visible to the people living in that area. So are they actually being a bit hypocritical. You can go home in school uniform but not anywhere else in them. So why not ban students from wearing school uniform outside school?

If they wanted them to spend more time studying, then the ban will not help. It will probably stop the students from directly going to the places after school, but it won't hinder them from doing what they want. Perhaps if they go home earlier, they will sleep all the way.

The greater solution to this (not best though) is to change the public notion. They need to change their mindset when looking at things. We can't say that if one person does this, then all the other people belonging to the same group does it too.'
- Seng Leng Kiat (08S11)

'Well, certainly Coral Secondary School does not want students to spend their time aimlessly around the malls and HDB estates (or just anywhere out of school). The intended action is supposed to deal with those who "hangs out anywhere out of school", and trying to make sure that students do not make any trouble outside school. Or at least, that was the only brief answer given to The New Paper.

It is true that many students do stay out of school aimlessly with their friends (sometimes attracting a lot of attention, and sometimes disgracing the school), but it does not serve as a good reason why students should be banned from staying out of school in their school uniforms. We are given the choice to choose to spend our free time on whatever we wished to, and the intervention of schools can very much affect our private lives. Somehow, the schools will be intruding our private time and space that we have and deserve.

Yes, none of the teachers, parents or Principals (and me as a student) will approve youngsters to behave like hooligans in public. However, banning the students from entering recreational and public sites seems to say that we, the students, are potential trouble makers.

If the school decides to lift the ban and trust the students instead, I think it will be a far better solution to the problem. The best way to remedy the complication (in my own opinion), is to impart positive moral values into the students and coach them to apply them in real life. Even after they had done something wrong, it is best to do a follow up. By banning them, they will not learn anything at all. However if the school lifts the ban, it may be a chance for them to learn from their mistakes.

Furthermore, rules should be grounded on a common sense, and because of that, it encourages compliance and respect. Impractical rules invites mockery from the public's eye and is largely likely to spark defiance in students. Trust and mutual respect are important in communication between everyone, and it could serve as a base for conduct. If Coral Secondary School were to trust and respect their students, it is also likely that the students would respect their own school and not make trouble outside the school compound.'
- Fong Guo Wei (09A07)

Citizen Journalism In Singapore

Written by Guest Blogger.
(With commentary by the Editor.)

As our material world integrates into our online space, it is often no surprise to see reports of real-life events on the Internet. Credible news sources such as BBC, Channel News Asia and even The Straits Times all have online “e-versions” of their articles. On a technical basis, such reports are meant to cater to the internet-savvy generation and have an extremely potent reach in allowing World Citizens to know about what is happening, and has happened, in their world. However, the most important consideration when posting up any piece of news, and taking any piece of news seriously, is how credible a particular article is.

For many Singaporeans, such a skill is one of the most important things they learn at the Secondary School level, regardless of which stream they are in. Quite simply put, it is the skill of critical analysis and the ability to discern whether a source, or an article, is credible. Yet, somehow, it seems that we do not apply such key concepts in our everyday lives. Or, at least, that’s what I infer from the Straits Times’ very own online newsprint. Personally, there are two essential problems with online citizen journalist newsprint such as STOMP.

azhar: Citizen journalism is prevalent in the Internet now. The web is scattered with many websites which allows its members to share their photos, videos and commentary to the world. Among those in the list include CNN's iReport portal and Yahoo!'s You Witness News initiative. Besides the notorious STOMP, Singapore also has another website which promotes citizen journalism. It is none other than Omy's I Witness section.

Firstly, it is simply immoral. Whilst I applaud the vigilance with which Singaporeans have in attempting to maintain public order and peace, the vigour with which they do so borders upon voyeurism, obsession, and denigration. We seem to have thrown out all semblances of the basic values we criticize others of not having. When we snap photos of a stranger on the MRT supposedly “pretending to be asleep” and hence “not giving up his seat to a pregnant woman”, we accuse such people of being rude, uncivilized, and barbaric. It seems we have forgotten that the very fact that we took out a camera to snap a picture of this person, without him/her knowing, is a very rude act.

azhar: The issue regarding taking photos of people in public is a (very) complicated one. For instance, tourists are free to take photos of people in public areas of the countries they visit. In Singapore alone, we can view many tourists capturing photos of local citizens in action without them knowing. Professional photographers working for the traditional media have the rights to take photos in the location of a breaking news (and ironically, we usually react ecstatically when we find our pictures published in the newspaper). Furthermore, it is especially difficult to avoid taking photos of people in crowded places. So why should normal citizens equipped with camera phones be denied rights to do the same? And why are their actions considered rude as compared to -in this case- tourists and the professional photographers? At the end of the day, we all have to admit one thing: we can no longer expect privacy in any public area.

It also seems that, despite having the benefit of seeing our dear courtesy lion, Singa, in action, many of the more matured and senior members of the Singaporean society only preach, but never practice. Firstly, the accusation that someone is “pretending to be asleep” on the bus/MRT is pure speculation and defamation – the person may really be asleep, and it may have been since he boarded the train at say, Pasir Ris, he would have gotten the seat in the first place. Secondly, it seems that some have forgotten the concept of compromise and have begun to believe that they have the right to all sorts of things – such as a priority seat.

Yes, I believe that the younger generation should, if possible, give up their seat for the elderly and those who need it more than they do. After all, we are supposed to be livelier, youthful, and do not (generally) have issues with standing up for half an hour. However, this does not mean that those who need such a seat have the right to claim it as their own. Moreover, it does not give that person any right at all to take a picture of a supposed “culprit” and post it on the Internet, while including slander and libel along as captions.

azhar: This is the precise problem with our local citizen journalism. It is trying too hard to correct the society. I believe some citizen journalists have good intentions when they submit photos of Singaporeans in their poorest behaviours. They hope the same thing will not be repeated again. Unfortunately, the very same noble reason is the cause of the whole mess in our local citizen journalism. Our citizen journalists are too obsessed with the search for people who portray an indecent behaviour in public. They are waiting for people to make mistakes and hope that the same mistakes can be used as a form of campaign to educate netizens of proper public manners. The problem now is the people caught in action may turn out to be completely innocent. For all we know, we have just painted horns on their heads. Citizen journalism should not instill fear in our society; the last thing we want is to be living with a group of 'secret police officers'.

Secondly, and most importantly, is the credibility of such a source. How decisive can a source, that often allows defamatory and fictitious reports and accounts, be when it comes to deciding or judging a situation or person? A court of law will never admit such photographs and exaggerated witness accounts as evidence, so why should our schools, society, and people do so? A photograph that shows action A, which COULD lead to action B, C or D, does not provide any evidence or proof that the latter actions did indeed happen.

To explain the analogy, for the benefit of some who tend to misconstrue what might had happened with what really did, a photograph only shows a frame or snapshot of what had happened – and does not offer any conclusive evidence of what really did happen. It is thus fallacious to make our decisions or judgments upon such shaky ground. The only thing we can say for sure (going back to the “sleeping on the bus/MRT example) is that a student seemed to be sleeping at the moment, and that a pregnant woman did not have a seat. For all we know, that lady was offered the seat when that student awoke from his slumber, without having known that his picture was taken, and that he could very soon be on national news for something he was never guilty of.

azhar: Not to forget, the readers are also guilty of making harsh comments even though the source is not proven genuine. In fact, the actions of some of the readers who repeatedly make nasty comments regarding the victims can be deemed as bullying as it may cause emotional harm to the victims by the constant online harassment. Apart from that, in conclusion, we need more responsible citizen journalists who ensure the accuracy of the articles he or she submits. Failure to do so may hinder the progress of our local citizen journalism. Put one rotten egg in a basket of fresh eggs and the whole thing will stink. Citizen journalism can definitely help society, if used properly. It can also provide valuable feedback to the institutions and companies featured.

[Related post: http://tpjcian.blogspot.com/2009/01/stomp-and-citizen-journalism-in.html]

The Epileptic Boy

Based on a true story written exclusively for TPJCian Magazine. The names in this post are fictitious as requested to protect the identity of the family.

Ahmad sat on the couch alone. He just woke up from his slumber. He stared at the headline news printed on the front page of Berita Harian. It was a calm and serene morning. The sound of the rustling leaves from the nearby trees could be heard as the morning breeze swept by. But everything soon changed with a blink of an eye...

Ahmad's body began to shake uncontrollably. His teeth abraded each other viciously like an old malfunctioned grinding machine. It let off a screeching sound that pervaded the living room. The silence was broken and everything suddenly turned chaotic. Goosebumps began to mushroom all over Ahmad's body. Green thick mucus took advantage and escaped from the blocked nose. His distorted face now looked messy. Ahmad seemed to have been possessed by a ruthless demon. He began to hit his head profusely, as if trying get rid of the culprit. It somehow worked and he regained control of his body almost thirty seconds later.

Ahmad was exhausted after the ordeal ended. His already emaciated body turned completely helpless. His mother helped him up and leaded him to his bedroom. His overworked muscles needed to rest. His face was cleaned from all the thick green mucus. Goosebumps soon faded away. A moment of calmness finally invaded the room.

The agony Ahmad just went through is not a form of demonic possession. He had epileptic seizures. Epilepsy is a common neurological disorder that causes its victims to experience recurrent convulsions. He is one of the about fifty million people worldwide who lives with the disorder everyday.

Ahmad began suffering from the disorder since childhood. He had his first seizures after having a very high fever. Coming from a religious and conservative background, his family decided to consult a witch doctor. In the past, epileptic attacks are widely believed as demonic possessions. The prescriptions given worsened the situation and the fever never subsided. His parents rushed him to the hospital but it was too late by then. Ahmad's brain was badly affected. Doctors said that he had become retarded. It would be his permanent mental challenge; one known as cerebral palsy.

Ahmad now stays at home with his family. He is not able to work or study due to his mental condition. His parents still carry high hopes for his recovery. Taking care of Ahmad is a huge obstacle in their lives - although Ahmad is twenty nine years old now, he still behaves like a two-year-old boy. He has to wear diapers daily as he is not able to clear his bowels himself. His speech difficulties also made it hard for him to voice his needs to go into the washroom.

Ahmad is not able to feed himself. His mother usually takes the duty of nourishing her son. This is a laborious task as Ahmad may suddenly suffer a seizure while eating. As a result, all the food is thrown out back at her. Hence, she has to occasionally do clean-ups. Ahmad's mother has persevered for more than twenty years and she takes the challenges as a test from God of her strength and determination.

Ahmad has weak jaw muscles. He is not able to close his mouth and this resulted in an unintentional loss of saliva from the mouth. The condition affects his social life as well as his parents'. His parents need to consistently wipe the saliva so that it will not soil his clothes. This sometimes take a lot of time and prevents the family from going out of home.

It is unfortunate that epileptic patients usually affect the social interactions of their caregivers. Ahmad has an eighteen-year-old brother, Shaiful, who is currently studying in college. Shaiful often withdraws from mixing with his friends whenever they discuss about their families. He is not shy of his brother, but just worried at how they may react to his brother's condition. After all, his brother is special. He fears that his friends will not accept him after exposing the truth. Sometimes, he has to skip class outings due to his commitment in taking care of his brother while his parents are away. All these have affected Shaiful's social interactions.

As Ahmad grows older, his legs have become thinner and weaker. Ahmad had experienced a traumatic fall before. He fell head first on the kitchen cupboard due to a sudden seizure attack. He now spends less time walking and more time sitting. He has developed a phobia of standing up due to the painful experience. The good news is that his condition has improved. His mother never fail to give him the doctor's prescribed medicine on time and she occasionally massages his legs to relieve the after-seizure pains.

The Singapore Epilepsy Foundation (SEP) has been active in promoting awareness and conducting study and research to improve the lives of people with epilepsy in this country. The non-profit organization holds public forums to educate the society regarding epilepsy. Another non-profit and volunteer-based organization that addresses the needs of epileptic patients and their caregivers is the Epilepsy Care Group (ECG).

Ahmad hopes that Singaporeans will accept people like him in the community. He is sick and tired of citizens who stare at him in public as if he is an alien from outer space. His parents want more space for Ahmad to spend his time out in public areas such as the neighbourhood parks. His brother hopes Singaporeans will be more understanding of mental patients and their needs. It is slow process but they believe society will change for the better soon.

Foreign Talents In Singapore

While in hospital for five days, I realized the existence of a huge pool of foreign talents present in our health industry. Our local press have not been kind towards foreign workers raising an income in Singapore. Many alternative local blogs have mercilessly criticized their overwhelming presence here. Most of the naysayers accused them of creating a huge opportunity cost for Singaporean workers - our jobs are snatched away by them due to lower labour costs. Others blame that they may erode our social fabric - use of the English language (which is important in a multi-racial community) seems to be undermined, etc.



















Singaporeans need to wake up and start recognizing the efforts and hard work of our foreign workers. I was admitted in Changi General Hospital on Chinese New Year eve. As expected and true enough, they were not many local nurses on duty. They were all replaced by Philippines nurses. Believe it or not, I was taken care of by almost five different Philippines nurses on duty during their various shifts. They were really nice and soft-spoken. Although they have a slightly odd accent (they pronounced 'back' as 'bark'), they were really efficient and caring.

I do comprehend that in the construction industry, almost 80% of the workers are non-Singaporeans. Most of them come from Thailand, China and Bangladesh. In fact, fifty thousand new foreign workers are expected over the next few years to join the local job market as new major construction projects are initiated. The importation of the huge amount of foreign labour is crucial so as to keep costs low and stay competitive. In short, they help keep the industry and economy going.

So should we be worried that they are 'stealing' our jobs? No, not at all. I believe the government is trying to do its best to promote a business-friendly reputation for the country. And to do so the government needs to consistently keep costs low so as to attract foreign direct investments (a bit of Economics here). Singapore is an small yet open economy which needs to step up its level of competitiveness in order to survive in the global market.

One of variable costs that companies look forward to cut during a bad turn in the economy is none other than labour costs. Companies here often seek an easy way out to the problem by employing foreign workers. For example, China workers are definitely way cheaper than Singaporean workers. Therefore, instead of wasting our time lamenting about the influx of foreign workers in Singapore, why not enroll yourself in a skill development workshop to double your productivity level?

I am not going to dwell on the skills development part. Instead, lets move on to another common issue raised by many Singaporeans, that is if foreign talents are disintegrating our social fabric. The first problem highlighted is regarding the language issue. Foreign workers from China are often put into the spotlight when it comes to this issue. And I have to agree with the critics. I am rather amazed that the service industry actually has the guts to employ them despite the fact that they know most of them are not proficient in their use of English language. There should be a English literacy test for foreign workers hoping for a place in the service industry. For goodness sake, you are dealing with Malay, Indian, Eurasian and possibly English-speaking Chinese Singaporean customers here!

Foreign Artistic Talent Scheme
This Scheme is jointly administered by the Singapore Immigration and the National Arts Council (NAC). This scheme aims to assist foreign artistic talents in art, photography, dance, music, theatre, literature and film to apply for Singapore Permanent Resident Status.

The next more worrying problem is the xenophobic mindset that some Singaporeans carry. The best example to explain the trend is the recent outburst by more than six hundred residents of Serangoon Gardens over a construction of a dormitory for foreign workers in their neighbourhood. The complaints fell to deaf ears and the proposal was granted at the end of the day. Singaporeans need to learn to live with foreign workers or risk living under constant distrust and discomfort with them. Quit imagining that foreign workers here are from a lower strata in the society and start thinking of the wonders we get to enjoy if we start acknowledging each other.

Singapore as an emerging economy combating with a dwindling population dilemma needs foreign workers for the country's future progress. In the health industry, the country is still struggling to meet the demands of the increasingly ageing population. It is no wonder I see Philippines nurses taking care of the patients most of the time. I had a pleasant stay there.

STOMP And Citizen Journalism In Singapore

Written by Wee Xue Wen Shawn (07S28).

'The question is no longer about the article. It is about the credibility of STOMP in the future. It is about the future citizen journalism here in Singapore.'

I would like to comment on the quality of the articles on the citizen journalism outlet, STOMP. Though I am not a regular STOMPER, I do read articles recommended by friends. Recently, I learnt from my Alma Mater's intranet about the article about two of our students from TPJC acting intimately at the back of a bus in their school uniform. This article and certain subsequent articles I read have brought to my attention the poor credibility and immaturity shown by some citizen journalists.

Without going into a discussion about whether the students' actions should be condoned, I would like to highlight that STOMP is on its way to become an entertainment outlet than one for citizen journalism. While there are proper articles regarding issues we would like to highlight of our society with the aim of trying to improve it, there are quite a number of articles submitted for the sake of attention itself and they show no significant relation to any issue. We see many 'caught in the act' articles, more often than not of couples in public, in or out of uniform. There are quite a handful of flame articles, meant to shame a certain person or a group of people for acting in an undesirable way. Some recent articles include: 'This rude bus driver cut my lane, confronted me and took my picture' and ‘Girl comes from good school, but what foul language she uses’.

Firstly, the credibility of certain articles, such as the one regarding TPJCians, can be highly questionable. It is amazing how a person can snap a picture of a situation and turn it into something else with the right captions and descriptions. To use this article as an example, the picture merely showed two students in close physical contact. However, the picture was exaggerated by the title "TPJC couple petting in bus back seat: 'Girl moaned and screamed at times'" and statements such as "The girl was even lying down at times" and "the guy looked like he was really enjoying it". It is appalling how STOMPERS spin stories just to sensationalize the story to higher the chances of an article being published. The title which was used: "TPJC couple petting in bus back seat: 'Girl moaned and screamed at times'" is bound to capture more attention than "Girl and boy sitting very close together at the back of the bus". For all we know, the boy could have been simply consoling the girl with a hug and what not, which is completely different and definitely a lot less serious than the description used for the picture. Many agreed that better evidence of this would come in a video, and not an uninformative picture.

Secondly, I would like to comment that many Singaporeans view public shaming as the best solution to a problem. This attitude has translated itself into “flame-fests” on STOMP, whereby a person is judged in an unjust manner and the article is basically a rant from the STOMPER because he or she did not find himself or herself in a favourable situation. While I recognize that there is a thin line between a personal bluster and highlighting certain issues within our society, I believe that the line is clear. While it is of utmost importance to highlight to our society to learn proper manners and social grace, we should refrain from making submissions that are too personal and using portals like STOMP to vent our very biased frustrations.

While I do believe portals like STOMP do help in the introduction of freedom of speech, I do hope it does not become a portal made for the middle-class paparazzi, where people go to simply for juicy news involving non-celebrity Singaporeans. In order to achieve this, STOMP should introduce or improve the quality control on articles submitted.

The Bad In Our Society: Why And How?

When someone wants you to name the bad in your society, the people that automatically comes into your mind are the mats, minahs, ah lians and ah bengs. When the same person then asks you to describe how they look like, the pictures that flash in your mind are tattoos, smoking, sex with multiple partners, theft, truancy and the many other things associated with crime. However, when a final question is thrown at you seeking an answer to why the group of people you first mentioned are bad, you hesitate.

You hold back your words not because you do not the answer. The truth is you do know the answer - mixing with the wrong company, a broken family and negative influence from the mass media. Nonetheless, you are still stuck. And you are in that condition because you realize that the answers do not make sense.

Why would they harm themselves by smoking profusely throughout their lives when they know it would harm them and probably their families? Why would they continue to lead a highly sexually active lifestyle when they know it would do nothing to fix a broken marriage? Why are they committing crimes when they know their lives can be chained up with a prison sentence?

In my opinion, they are lost.

I remembered having a friend in Secondary School who used to share with me her first sex experience with her boyfriend. She was only twelve back then and the intercourse took place on a staircase. My friends and I would constantly advise her to stop practising the unhealthy lifestyle and teach her about the possible effects of pre-marital sex (such as an unplanned pregnancy). She remained adamant and would always hit back at us with the usual reply, "Yeah, I knew that!".

Anyone who receives such replies would think that they all do not make sense. I mean, using an analogy, why will anyone step on a pile shit when they know it stinks and would dirty their shoes?! No one will do that. No one unless the whole scenario happens amid darkness and you are lost and you can't see anything around you.

Starting to get the picture? Now lets move on...

In life, we must always be attached to something. It can be your religion, racial traditions or even the values taught in your school and family. In my opinion, these are the things that we depend on before making a decision. For example, the reason why some of us do not lie is because we are taught by our parents and during religious classes that lying is morally wrong and can taint your level of integrity. In short, the things mentioned above shine the light in our lives.

However, not all of us are privileged or lucky enough to be living under the light; some of us are lost in total darkness. Yes, they were taught in school about the negative consequences of pre-marital sex. Yes, they were warned by their parents about the importance of good education. Yes, they were reminded by the mass media about the dangers of smoking.

Nonetheless, at the same time, they are living under the same roof with a father who smokes heavily. At the same time, the mass media proudly showcases how cool and fun a sexually active life is. And at the same time, they witnessed first-hand how their less attentive friends in class achieve top grades in their examinations.

And so they are confused. As the confusion grows, so does the level of distress. In the end, the mind blanks out. They are now lost. They left behind rationality and do things randomly, fuelled by curiosity. In total darkness, most of the times they trip. This is when they contract a sexually-transmitted diseases, suffer lung cancer, get an unplanned pregnancy and so on.

Every decision is made without much thought. They have nothing to rely on when they switched their minds off - no values or whatever. Furthermore, at times they do bump into people in the total darkness. People who are like them. And so the blind leads the blind. This is how a bad dark company is formed.

The mats, minahs, ah bengs, ah lians or anyone related to the bad in society are not really that bad. They are just very lost. Broken families, negative influence from the mass media and joining the wrong company are just mere excuses. It is fundamental to understand and take note that all the social problems do happen in close families, amidst strong censorship of the mass media by the government and by befriending capable and honest individuals.

In various religious teachings, one concept that is constantly and consistently taught is about leading people in the correct path. We all know that when there is a correct path, there must also be an incorrect one. Most of us will choose the correct path as it is straight and safe. We naturally avoid the incorrect one as it is long-winded and treacherous. However, why would anyone in this world still choose the incorrect path? It is because they are not able to differentiate them both. They are just lost in total darkness. The paths look similar.

So how do we help our lost teenagers? How do we lead them back to the correct path?

We must reach out towards them, and not them reaching out to us. If we really want to solve our social mess, then it is vital for us to put in more effort going out and helping them. Concerts or (dance) competitions to promote awareness for specific anti- campaigns are too old-fashioned. Teenagers are most likely to skip the message of the campaign and instead focus on the entertainment value.

The lost souls needs hands to grab them and guide them to the light at the end of the dark space. They do not give much attention to campaigns no more. They have this thing called the Internet whereby more interesting materials are available.

It is about time we reach out to the 'bad' in our society with direct education.

I Am Fat But It's OK, Says Local Plus Size Blogger

As a casual blogger, Yong Wei was never shy or embarrassed to post his photos in his online personal diary. Being sixteen years old does not hinder him from expressing his critical views about his daily eccentricities and life experiences, such as regarding his visits to restaurants or food courts (check out his review on Botak Jones here).

Yong Wei now weighs 125 kilograms and he claims to be contented with it. He describes his favourite food as anything that is eatable but is repelled by processed food. Music provides him the serenity in life; it is used to express his emotions and feelings. He occasionally uploads his very own composed songs in his blog and dreams to be a famous musician one day. His readers are his fans.

Yong Wei has proven that being overweight does not mean that one has to hide under a shell in fear of discrimination by the society. He has showed that what is more important is our passion and commitment to do what we love most (in his case are blogging and music). He hopes to use his growing online popularity to inspire fat people like him by posting articles and reviews of his diet plans.

Yong Wei has definitely defied a popular belief that to be a successful blogger, one needs to possess an attractive and slim figure. His finalist position in the Singapore Blog Awards, organized by Omy.sg, was definitely the breakthrough in his blogging 'career'. In this interview, he reveals to us about his weight issues, blogging and how our society responds to people like him.
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The following are details of an interview by TPJCian magazine, conducted via e-mail. Some of the questions have been edited for brevity and clarity, and extraneous material omitted.
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1) How long have you been blogging? Why did you start blogging?
13 months ago, I was thinking of blogging about how much I've cycled around Singapore but end up doing more than that. And blogging about cycling is pretty lame I guess. I have to stop every once in a while just to snap some photos of my surroundings. You know, I'm kinda a photo guy, I'd rather blog with pictures mostly.

2) Do you blog for fun or do you consider yourself as a professional blogger, writing to earn money?
I think I'm a wannabe.

3) What do you think of the notion that to be a successful blogger, one needs to be good-looking?
Of course, I'm pretty good looking:























I find myself pretty cute and attractive.

4) Have you ever felt embarrassed to post your pictures in your blog?
You mean this?























If it entertains, I would post it I guess; not really sure what people think of me.

5) Have you ever come across nasty comments by your readers taunting your weight issue?
Hmmmmmm, are you one of them?

6) Have you ever experienced weight discrimination in our society, let it be in school or any other public places in Singapore?
I remember once or rather....many times, people called me this in class "Eh you know ah, when Yong Wei takes a shower, his leg is dry one". And I would shout it out across the classroom "Oi, talk bad things about me ah! You watch out! Later I call TAF club people chase you". And there goes the bursts of laughter. Yeah, I do, not sure how other fat people think of themselves, but I think I'm great the way I am. Of course, I would want to slim down.

7) I am not fat, I am big boned...Is that the true or are you trying to conceal the truth?
Dude, you should totally find out who Eric Cartman is (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eric_Cartman). It's actually joke. Of course, I'm fat, but I like to keep it that way, makes me look humorous, and people say I'm living in denial.

8) Do you feel a need to lose your weight now so as to inspire your readers who may be suffering the same problem as you too?
Geez, people can be fat all they want, but I'm of course trying to lose some weight, Fruits, Oldenlandia water, more meat less rice. Trust me, I cycle a lot sometimes, I play basketball, and jog sometimes before I had a ankle injury. Yeah but I still cycle like, probably once every week at least?

9) You mentioned that people can be fat all they want. Don’t you think that mentality can be harmful to their health?
Wow, this is a hard question to answer. Mentally, if you don't decide to do anything about your weight, you won't. Scare tatics and all have been used, what else can we do for them? It's really up to oneself to get oneself up.

10) I understand you are really passionate about music. Do you intend to start a career in the music industry or is it just for fun? If not, what do you dream to be in the future?
I enjoy music, so that's fun. And of course, I try to be as professional as I can be, maybe soon I'll release a album next year and hold a gig, who knows? I would rather live my dreams, than to had never even tried.

11) Have your schoolmates or any members of the public ever criticized you for widely exposing yourself in our local community as attention-seeker? If so, how do you react?
I have read many forums and all talking about me - some love me, some hate me. Come on, Edison also a lot people like and hate him right? I'm kinda like him, just without those nude photos...


12) Are you happy with who you are and have now? (As in your weight now and your achievements as a blogger)
I'm kinda like 125kg right now, and of course I should be happy, like what Robbin William said, " Laughter is the best medicine". And I am happy, but I'll be happier to be slimmer
and I have friends who like me, and I like them too. I'm not that douchebag who goes around changing friends all the time.

13) What cultivates your compulsive eating habit? Is it stress or were you pampered with food since young?
Hmmmmm, I guess I'm greedy sometimes, but I've been changing my habit for the past few months; seems to look better in photos. In fact, I have been doing a photo-a-day project for the past 200 days, and believe me, my chin looks smaller than the first few days of my photos.

14) Are you embarrassed to approach a girl because of your size?
If it's a girl I've never met before, I would be shy till someone introduces her to me. I do have girl-friends.

15) Does your parents know about your famous blog? If yes, what did they think about it?
I'm famous? You might wanna ask my parents. I keep everything secret you see; not sure if they do know.

16) Do you think Singapore lacks bloggers who serve as good role models for the youngsters?
Nah, with me around there's no lacking. Everyone should follow me as a role model.

17) If you are given a chance to meet someone now, who would it be and why?
SR Nathan! Because I've never met him in real life!

Dang! Science Students Are More Likely To Remain As Virgins

The Arts students have finally got their revenge. A most recent study published by Sexual Health noted that Science students were more likely to be virgins than Arts students. Researches in Australia conducted a survey with 185 men and women, aged between 16 to 25, at the University of Sydney on their sexual history and STD knowledge. The result showed that Arts students were younger and more likely to be sexually active.
























Assuming the above-mentioned survey has a 99% probability of being true (a 'brave' assumption I must say), then what could be the most likely reason for Science students to be more likely to remain as virgins as compared to their Arts counterparts? I often hear rumours that Science students do not go out as frequent as the Arts students as they are often consumed in their piles of homework. The rumours often claim that Science subjects (such as Chemistry, Biology and Physics) are more time-consuming than Arts subjects (such as Geography, History and Literature) as the former requires students to take more time practising their application skills as compared to the latter (which are believed to be only about memorizing, memorizing and more memorizing).

I don't think that is the reason though; Arts subjects can also be as time-consuming as the Science subjects. I believe Science students are more likely to end up as virgins due to the fact that they know too much about (in this case) procreation. This is especially true for Biology students I supposed. They may be very cautious about engaging in a sexual intercourse in fear of the possible viruses (taught during Biology lessons) that they may contract from their partners. On the other hand, this may seem contradictory but I also do believe that Biology students should be curious about how our sexual reproductive organs work in real life (reminds me of the practical lessons joke).

A Red, Red Rose
Robert Burns. 1759–1796

O MY Luve 's like a red, red rose

That 's newly sprung in June:

O my Luve 's like the melodie

That's sweetly play'd in tune!



As fair art thou, my bonnie lass, 5

So deep in luve am I:

And I will luve thee still, my dear,

Till a' the seas gang dry:



Till a' the seas gang dry, my dear,

And the rocks melt wi' the sun; 10

I will luve thee still, my dear,

While the sands o' life shall run.



And fare thee weel, my only Luve,

And fare thee weel a while!

And I will come again, my Luve, 15

Tho' it were ten thousand mile.

Another reason I believe could support the survey findings is the dose of emotions injected in Arts subjects (especially Literature). Perhaps Arts students are more matured when it comes to understanding about love and romance. Of course, Literature is not all about sex but the constant immersion in the feelings and emotions as written by poets may have helped developed the level of maturity in them. As a result, they are able to connect well with the opposite sex and the rest jut happens naturally.

In Singapore, whenever a new story is published in STOMP showing a teenage couple from a prestigious school fondling with each other in public, the first thing that often comes to our minds is that they are too stressed and had to resort to that to relieve the pressure. If our theory is proven true, then if a similar study is conducted in Singapore, the findings will definitely be the direct opposite.

Ahhh...Edison Chen Emerged As The Fastest Rising Search Item In Singapore This Year

The Singapore Google Zeitgeist 2008 page had been released, highlighting the most searched items (via Google of course) in Singapore. The name 'Edison Chen' came on top as the fastest rising searched item in this island. This means it experienced the biggest rise in searches in 2008 compared the previous year. The Edison Chen scandal exploded in the local virtual space after photos of his sex photos were leaked online. This eventually led to the 'pornification' of our online community - in our blogosphere and beyond.














Lets put that aside and turn our attention to the top three Google News local searches. The keywords 'singapore olympics' and 'singapore table tennis' topped the table in this category. This proves two things. Firstly, Singaporeans are indeed supportive of their athletes. This is evident since a lot of citizens follow the progress of their athletes online. Secondly, it can also mean that more Singaporeans are utilizing the Internet to get the latest in sports news. Of course, the controversies might have helped...














Now lets proceed to the next category, and that is the Most Popular search items of the year. Out of all the ten items listed in the table, four of them have roots with the soft social media. We are talking about Youtube, Wiki, Facebook and of course blogging. This proves that more Singaporeans are seeking entertainment, gathering information and staying connected with family and friends by using the Internet.

Globally, Sarah Palin became the most searched person in Google. She beat the likes of Heath Ledger, whose death was widely publicized, and President-elect Barack Obama. Social networking websites dominate the table with four finalists including Facebook (English), Wer Kennt Wen (German), Tuenti (Spanish) and Nasza Klasa (Polish).

TOUCHING: Senior Citizen Gave Up Seat To Poly Student in Train

I was taking the train back home. It was around 4pm. The train was not packed with commuters. I stood beside a female Polytechnic student who was carrying her laptop and about four stacks of notes. Right in front of us was an elderly man seated comfortably with a light blue sling bag around his right shoulder.

The Poly student looked debilitated, struggling to support the heavy stack of notes using only her left arm. She then placed her laptop on the floor. Then suddenly, one of the never-seen-before-but-very-moving things I ever witnessed happened. The old man stood up and offered his seat to the student! Although I do not understand what he was speaking to her, I knew from his hand gestures that he was giving up his seat to the student.

The student, of course, refused. He tried to persuade her but the student kept declining the generous offer. He then alighted from the train at the next station.

--

Here comes the anti-climax. As soon as the old man stepped out of the train, another passenger, a medium-built businessman holding a briefcase and newspaper, quickly rushed to the vacated seat. He then began reading the newspaper and pretended to be oblivious to his surroundings.

I remembered coming across a saying that older people are more courteous that younger ones. I wrinkled my eyebrows whenever I heard it but after this incident, I told myself that it is so true.

Teenage Couples Smooching In Public: Acceptable Or A Bit TOO Much?

The boy was caressing his partner's breasts, arms and legs. Each stroke was a delicate one, making sure she remained aroused. Their lips locked as they simulated the whole sexual scene. The Ahhhhs and the Ohhhhhs reverberated from the love bubble and floated inside the bus. And then suddenly...

'SHUT UP!' wailed an old women who was seated across the other side of the bus.

That was exactly what I observed in an incident about four years ago in a SBS bus. The couple, who probably felt so embarrassed after being scolded in public, alighted from the bus at the next stop. It was shocking but funny at the same time. The couple might have the 'courage' to showcase their affections in public without a single tinge of shame hanging over them, but all that 'courage' seemed superficial when they were chided by an old harmless women.

So is it acceptable for teenagers to smooch in public? Or is it just too much? In my opinion, I believe such public displays of affection are a bit too much. Firstly, we must understand that Singapore is a relatively conservative society founded by Asian traditions and values. Kissing or caressing in public is like a taboo in our society. We should respect our cultural values and not let Western imperialism overwhelm it. Singapore must not lose its identity as an Asian nation to foreign influence. It is never too late to preserve our culture for future generations.
























Secondly, giving the green light to public sexual exhibitions could worsen the moral degradation among Singapore youths today. If the elderly woman did not stop the couple from kissing in the bus, they may develop the mentality that such activities are widely accepted. From there, our teenagers become more daring to experiment more 'ambitious' things such as oral sex in public. In fact, sex in public is experiencing a rising trend among youngsters today, as highlighted in a Berita Harian report recently. If the trend is perpetuated, then conservative teenagers may find it hard or even abnormal to stick to their traditional or religious values in the future.

Finally, it is also important to take note that we are living in a multi-cultural society. What our teenagers do represents how much their communities have matured, let it be Chinese, Malay or Indian. Nobody can deny the fact that racial stereotypes are still prevalent in today's society. And since Singapore consists of small minority groups, this provides little or no excuse for the respective groups to be experiencing social problems among their youths. Racial stereotypes such as the Malay teenagers being more sexually active (due to newspaper reports showing Malay youths having the highest rate of teenage pregnancies) may cause unnecessary tensions to arise. (Another example is how the African-American teenagers are stereotyped as more likely to commit crimes in their country.) Thus, witnessing a young Malay couple kissing in public may further deepen the stereotype.

Public displays of affection among teenagers are not acceptable at all. The multi-cultural Singapore society is not ready to accept them due to our conservative beliefs. We are Asians and we must be proud of our traditional values and beliefs.

Recent Controversy Over Birthday Celebrations By JC Students: The Review

Several local bloggers and STOMPers have been censuring Junior College (JC) students recently for their 'inappropriate behaviour' while celebrating birthday bashes. Some have even went further by condemning the whole JC student population and questioning what values are being taught in their campuses.

The attacks happened when STOMP released two reports on JC students allegedly bullying and humiliating their schoolmates during their birthday celebrations. The two reports -one shining the spotlight on ACJC and the other on SAJC- were published only three days apart from each other. Both articles have attracted hundreds of comments.

So are the incidents a case of bullying or just merely fun birthday celebrations? We have to look at it by a case-by-case basis and study the videos carefully.

In my opinion, the birthday celebrations by the group of ACJC students may have gone a little overboard. The video clearly showed that the girl was feeling greatly uncomfortable throughout her ordeal. She was struggling throughout and was even crying at certain parts of the video. The victim's peers should have stopped the 'birthday bash' as soon as they heard her wails. Prolonging the activity could constitute the act as bullying as it can be viewed as an intentional physical assault to the victim.

What could have cause this is not due to the wrong or missing set of values taught in college; it all boils down to maturity degradation. The students have failed to respond to the circumstances in an appropriate manner. I am very sure they never intend to hurt or bully their friends, but the way they reacted to the girl's manifestations showed the emotional immaturity they possessed. They should have stopped the activity the moment they heard the victim cry.

However, the other article involving SAJC students slamming one of their friends genitals against a pole does not qualify to be labelled as a a bullying or ragging case. STOMP has totally misled their readers. If you look at the video closely enough, the boy's genitals did not even come into contact with the pole. The boy blocked the impact by using his inner thighs to protect his genitals.

STOMPers were quick to criticize the incident as a bullying. They pointed out how the boy struggled at the beginning, thus proving the above criticism. In my opinion, their accusations are inaccurate. Like any other sabotage, the element of surprise must have triggered an initial struggle. Nevertheless, after that the boy was laughing and was not struggling even when his friends grabbed his arms and legs. Thus, it is not a case of bullying.

I would also like to express my disappointment with how some STOMPers and bloggers commented that the birthday celebrations were a disgrace to JC students. They condemned the acts as childish and stupid. Well, such birthday bashes are very common among teenagers today. It is very unfortunate that the videos landed in the hands of profit-maximizing media firms with a following of mostly narrow-minded readers.

The comparisons between JC, Polytechnic and ITE students were also unnecessary. Some irresponsible parties are trying to exaggerate the whole issue. We do not look down on Polytechnic and ITE students. I saw a lot of similar comments about the alleged widespread elitism. All of them are not true and are merely generalized statements.

These two incidents have shown us how the new media may invade our privacy and turn facts into fiction. As to how the birthday celebrations were conducted inappropriately, I believe only the ACJC incident may have gone a little overboard. Other than that, such sabotaging birthday celebrations are common among youngsters today. And most importantly, they are for fun, laughter and joy.

An Honest Feedback To SBS

A few days ago, I was taking the SBS bus service '27'. It was during the off-peak hour and the bus was not congested with commuters. The journey went smoothly until a senior citizen boarded the bus. He was walking wobbly with only a wooden stick to support him.

And then the bus captain did the most unthoughtful act ever - he pressed on the accelerator before the old man could reach his seat. The elderly nearly fell face first, only lucky to be saved by an unintentional hero who happened to be standing right in front of him.

So here is my feedback to SBS:
Please at least educate your bus captains to wait for any senior citizen to sit before continuing the journey. It is very risky and dangerous to do otherwise as the elderly is certainly not strong enough to withstand the sudden oppose in force.

This is an honest feedback by a TPJCian who takes the bus everyday. Thank you. =)

Why Singapore Needs More Babies

Bigger baby bonus, longer maternity leave and higher tax relief. These are some of the new and improved measures designed by the Singapore government to tackle the plunging birth rate. The issue received extensive media coverage and Singaporeans gave mixed opinions regarding the solutions proposed. So why the huge fuss? I will explain two critical reasons in this post - economic and social.


















Singapore is facing an ageing population now. In about ten to twenty years time, many workers will reach the retirement age. A fresh group of workers are needed to occupy the vacant job positions. Furthermore, companies and factories located in Singapore rely heavily on the country's manpower. The economy will slow down if there is a shortage of skilled labour supply in the future. Since the population is mainly made up the white-haired (in the future) who depend on their Central Provident Fund (CPF) balance, the demand for goods will start to decline. They are most likely to save for the future, then use it to purchase goods. An economic slowdown begins.





















Besides this, Singapore is also an export-driven economy. This means that the country depends on foreign countries to exports its locally-produced goods to drive the economy. Many companies outsource to Singapore due its pro-business environment and skilled workforce. Without the next generation of young workers, the factories in Singapore may suffer a low productivity rate. The older workers are not skilled enough to use the new and advanced technologies invented in order to increase productivity. The producers need fresh graduates who are ready for work. Retraining can help solve this problem, but the costs incurred are just too costly for small or private firms. With low birth rates, a shortage of skilled labour emerges and factories may start looking elsewhere for the better and more productive workers. Producers are not able to enjoy economies of scale and cut costs, leading to high prices. Singapore will find it more difficult to compete in the global market. If this situation do happen, the country's export-driven economy suffers and the balance of trade continues to deteriorate.

Social reasons are also contributing factors that push the government to solve the low birth rate problem fast. Singapore's population may fall tremendously if the birth rate continues to go south. However, the economy needs to be continuously fuelled with productive workers. Thus, the government may have to turn their heads to immigration. So what is the problem with immigration? The government struggled to maintain racial harmony during its first years of independence with the presence of racial riots and more. It is still improving its legislation to suit the cultures and beliefs of the three main races here - Chinese, Malay and Indian. Our leaders consistently remind us not to take the current racial harmony for granted; instead, we must put every effort to strengthen it.





















An exodus of foreign workers to Singapore may complicate things here. For example, the Westerners are generally more open to racism. Racism is widespread in many Western countries which still practice complete freedom of speech and expression. They may bring along the culture into Singapore and perhaps challenge the legislation here. For example, anti-Muslim sentiments are still prevalent in Australia, especially among the youngsters. If the foreigners come with their families into Singapore, the intolerant behaviours may also be imported into the island. Preserving racial harmony may get more complicated than ever.

Lets Make Babies!

Not now, of course. A dwindling reproduction rate was the top of the agenda for this year's National Day rally delivered by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. In his speech, he pointed out and urged singles to find a soul mate, get married and -you guessed it- deliver babies.

I remembered reading the newspaper about the latest effort by the government to teach Junior College students how to be involved in a healthy relationship. The objective is not to educate the tertiary students about sex; it serves as a workshop to improve understanding among the partners of the opposite sex. Interesting move, I must say.
























It is good to start a relationship when we are still young, so that teenagers can gain the experience and perhaps be better companions in the future. In fact if we look at the wider picture, this measure may be helpful in shaping our culture in the future. Now, the young is immersed in a materialistic world. We study hard, get a degree and apply for a high-pay job to satisfy our lust for the latest gadgets, fashion and many more. Marriage is no longer the bull's-eye young people are aiming for. The birth rate is going south.

Things have changed now. That is what our parents always remind us. As much as I try to disagree, what they claim is indeed true. As more and more Singaporeans become educated, the island is filled with more career-minded people. Success in life to them is wealth, a car, a huge house, you name it. Remember the quote which says, 'My car is my girlfriend.' in the movies? The past was very much different - having a happy family with a beautiful wife and children was everyone's dreams.

















If Singaporeans are taught about the value of relationships early, then we may heading to a new direction. The mentality of the future generation will change. Life will be no longer be about having a top career to raise one's affluence but about having a stable occupation to raise a family. Happiness is no longer defined as owning expensive (or trivial) things that we desire, but as having a more closer and intimate relationship with your family. The young will no longer think that having a baby means a huge pie of income forgone as a result of the expenditure when bringing up their newborns. Instead, having offspring means a blessing to them - observing how their babies grow over the years under their care is a priceless experience for them.

After writing all these, I guess I will have to work hard to overcome the first hurdle, my 'A' level examinations. After serving National Service, get into a university, hook up one lovely girl and graduate with a degree. Next, get a good job and date for another year or so to accumulate income for the grand wedding. After all that is accomplished, I can enjoy the first night finally. I aim to have 2 children, one girl and one boy. Ahh...what a dream.




















*wakes up* Oh no, I have yet to cover Vectors for my Maths paper next week! Hehe.

A Nude Beach In Singapore?

Nude beaches, also known as clothing-optional beaches, are common in European countries especially in Norway and Denmark. One of the earliest nude beaches made was the Montalivet Beach, located in France. Built in the 1950s, the beach offers a tranquil environment for naturists all over the world. In Montalivet, nudism is accepted as part of the community's culture; it is also practiced in the micro level among family members there.

Clothing-optional beaches are isolated from the non-nude areas to accommodate to people who are gymnophobia (fear of nudity) and to respect tourists who are not used to the cultural movement. There are many reasons why people visit nude beaches - pleasure from being nude, enjoyment from viewing the nude bodies and even health.



















The nude phenomenon is not popular in Asia yet, but its influence is growing. This is due to the rising naturist action movements all over the world who believe in the concept and philosophy of returning back to nature and human equality. The culture is largely intertwined with the Western form of liberalization which grants complete freedom of the mind, body and soul. With the aid of globalization, the clothing-optional beaches can now be found in Asia such as in Philippines, Thailand and even India! The latest addition to the list is located in Sanya, China.

As Singapore continue to globalize at a fast rate, foreign ideas are getting infused in our conventional Asian culture and values. The construction of the Integrated Resorts which will stage casino games showed how Singapore had to circumvent Asian values to remain competitive and attract tourism in the island.

The issue was much debated in Singapore as citizens disapproved of the idea due to moral and social reasons. Nevertheless, on the other side of the table, another group of people supported the construction of the Integrated Resorts, citing economic benefits as the main reason for their stance. This group also argued that it is up to the individual to decide if he or she wants to step in the casinos at the first place.















If what the 'for group' said is true, then a nude beach in Singapore may be the next thing the government may want to develop in the future. The clothing-optional beaches will be a strong tourist attraction for Singapore. Foreigners visiting our beaches need not worry of being nude in the public, something considered normal in their native countries. As long as the nude beach is segregated from the non-nude areas, no 'harm' is inflicted to the public. Singaporeans have a choice to visit them, depending on their individual beliefs.

What do you think?