Singaporeans united
My friends (as opposed to mere acquaintances) would probably know that I'm a closet patriot....Closetted cos I tend to vent a lot about the many silly laws and situations that Singaporeans face on a daily basis eg the EveRyone must Pay system, singles are welcome only when they pay taxes, but have to buy resale flats cos they're not REPRODUCING (aka doing their national service) etc. Still, I think Singapore is one of the best countries in the world to work and live in. There are better places to live in (eg my beloved Vancouver), but not to work in (duh, many Canadians don't work, they get Welfare aid), and other places may be great to work in (eg New York, London) but not exactly livable (guns, anyone?)
Of cos, as a civil slave, cynics will probably say that I've sold my soul into preserving the system, but I think we civil slaves are probably the most realistic patriots of all. We work within the system, see all the flaws and double standards, and yet continue to work our butts off cos ultimately, we recognise that OUR system is still effective most of the time, and there's no tolerance for corruption or bribery.
I'm sad when I see people writing to the forums, be it in the papers or on-line, complaining about Singapore politicians and policies. Hello? If they think they can do a better job, please join a political party and work towards change the government. Or better still, join a government department or voluntary agency and do something to serve the people. If they don't like Singapore, please go to some other country. But the irony is (and I speak this from my years abroad), these complainers will find things to complain about in their new country and start comparing things to Singapore!
Anyway, tonight is THE table-tennis team finals between Singapore and China. We Singaporeans are a pragmatic lot, so we all know we don't stand a snowball's chance in hell against the all-mighty Chinese team. Still, we'll all be glued to our TV sets to cheer OUR girls (and yes, they're ours, even tho they were born somewhere else). That's one of the many things that I love about my country. Many of us (or our parents/grandparents) came from somewhere else, some of us wish we were somewhere else, but we stay because this is our country. And we stay because our hearts are here.
Majullah Singapura!
Of cos, as a civil slave, cynics will probably say that I've sold my soul into preserving the system, but I think we civil slaves are probably the most realistic patriots of all. We work within the system, see all the flaws and double standards, and yet continue to work our butts off cos ultimately, we recognise that OUR system is still effective most of the time, and there's no tolerance for corruption or bribery.
I'm sad when I see people writing to the forums, be it in the papers or on-line, complaining about Singapore politicians and policies. Hello? If they think they can do a better job, please join a political party and work towards change the government. Or better still, join a government department or voluntary agency and do something to serve the people. If they don't like Singapore, please go to some other country. But the irony is (and I speak this from my years abroad), these complainers will find things to complain about in their new country and start comparing things to Singapore!
Anyway, tonight is THE table-tennis team finals between Singapore and China. We Singaporeans are a pragmatic lot, so we all know we don't stand a snowball's chance in hell against the all-mighty Chinese team. Still, we'll all be glued to our TV sets to cheer OUR girls (and yes, they're ours, even tho they were born somewhere else). That's one of the many things that I love about my country. Many of us (or our parents/grandparents) came from somewhere else, some of us wish we were somewhere else, but we stay because this is our country. And we stay because our hearts are here.
Majullah Singapura!
Labels: Patriot games
posted by Heather @ 6:07 PM
1 comments
