Commentary: Living in Singapore doesn't have to be so expensive when you're a freegan
When so many things we need, including food, can be gotten for free, there is little else we absolutely need to spend money on, says freegan writer Daniel Tay.
In this file photo taken before the pandemic, volunteers sort out rescued fruits and vegetables before giving them out for free to the public. (Photo: Fann Sim)
SINGAPORE: With the cost of food and petrol increasing on a weekly basis, every conversation with friends is sure to touch on inflation.
Sometimes I am shy to admit I have not felt it at all, because my expenses have not increased in the past five years.
Yet life has only gotten more abundant. At home, our fridge is full of fresh vegetables and fruits, sourced from food rescues where we collect “ugly” but edible produce from shopkeepers.
Our cupboards are full of canned food and condiments, gathered from cafes and restaurants that have shut down. CNA
Everything in Singapore, the life of Singaporeans, is returning to square one, like in the 50s, and 60s. In those days, China was a dirt poor country, not enough food to eat, no private cars but bicycles as the normal form of transportation. Old dilapidated buildings etc etc, everything resembling a typical poor third world country.
Today, China is about everything a rich and prosperous country can ask for, good infrastructure, people well clothed and well fed, well educated, good jobs, living in high rise buildings anytime better than our HDB flats. Cars everywhere, new cars, electric cars, driverless cars, high speed trains, high living and travelling around the world, old folks can retire early to enjoy life.
What about Singapore? Gradually and increasingly Singapore is returning to the days of pre independence, no job or no good jobs, become security guards, food deliverers, do part time odd jobs, driving 'pah hong chia' for a living, homes have to share with foreigners, private kitchens and toilets now become public toilets or shared toilets and common kitchens, and now scavenging for food.
Though there is no shame to be poor, no shame to scavenge for leftovers discarded food, but why are these happenings to Singaporeans? Do we need to start scavenging classes for Singaporeans and hire third world experts to teach Singaporeans how to find food and discarded items and toys from rubbish dumps? A lot of them are here working with Work Permits. They can be elevated to become experts and foreign talents and be paid more and issued with Employment Passes. Experience, expert in food scavenging in rubbish dumps. No degree never mind.
Not only can look for leftovers, can collect drink cans and bottles to sell for a bit of cash too. The rubbish dumps used to be a gold mine for pioneering generation Singaporeans in the early 1940s and 50s. Are they returning to the good old days, just to reminisce the good old times, for old times sake? By the way, many are returning to become hawkers and farmers. Our parents were farmers and hawkers, sent us to universities to become professionals, not to become graduate farmers and hawkers...and taxi drivers.
Are Singaporeans progressing or degressing? Sure, there are the super rich like in the past. But are the lives of average Singaporeans, the working class, improving? More and more Singaporeans are also losing their homes and have to live in rented flats.... and depending of govt handouts.
16 comments:
These are the things that Singaporeans are proud of, planting own food, be the best hawkers, the best taxi drivers, be freegans, be farmers.....
China used to scrap for our used clothings when relatives visited kins 40 years back. Now many are sourcing China products as they represent the best value money.
Sill Sinkies scrap for used Chinese clothing in 10 years' time?
Bicycles used to be mode of transportation. Roads were full of bicycles. Now their roads are filled with new cars.
Singaporeans are increasing depending on bicycles as a mode of transportation when cars are beyond the reach of many.
One country going to Mars, the other sinking to the abyss.
In time to come, there shall be no left-over for anyone to scavenge.
Starvation will be
something that many shall have to face.
Sinkies shall be in for a hard time.
Sad.
Think positive - one thing good about scavenged items is that the scavenger doesn't have to pay GST which gonna be 9% !
Should learn from Green movements like German's green party allowing burning natural coal for energy. Sg should use firewood to cook. Also don't use bicycle and shoes. Walk bare foot. Lhl.
In the olden days, esp around 1950s to early 1960s, when China was very poor. Their relatives from China used to send letters to Sinkieland asking for money, foods, clothing, and many other things. As a kid then, I remembered loads of basketful of the mentioned items were loaded into lorries and sent by ships to "Tiong Kok" (China). Those years, my dad n his relatives used to receive letters from China asking urgently for money to repair family's damaged tombstones, houses (huts), Chinese medicines, etc. So, it seems that Sinkieland is going back to those difficult years ! Do u think this time round their new generation of China relatives now very rich will think of us ? I think is "tan ku ku", i.e. no hope.
LKY era - from Third World to First World
GCT era - from First World to Second World
LHL era - from Second World to Third World
LW+4G era - from Third World to Fourth World
Swiss standard of living for themselves and their favoured ones and spartan living for the rest. We are told to cycle or take public transport and use fan instead of aircon to save the earth, eat frozen meat and use house brand or unbranded products while they have more than a couple of luxury cars in their garages and eat premium and exotic food airflown from all over the world. We are told to moderate our expectations - every school is a good school, degrees are useless as they cannot be eaten, being a hawker, Grab driver and food deliver is being your own boss, if we lose out to foreigners in jobs it's too bad but we need them, don't retire as retirement means death, etc etc. Meanwhile they are living the kind of privileged life that many dreamed about but only a select few can have. A tale of two worlds in a city.
Singapore will continue to need foreign talents to help grow the economy of the country. Government policies are all bent towards growing the population toward the 6.9 plus million. When you are down the slippery downhill track, it is very difficult to apply the brakes. Without the importations of FTs ( with their families ), Singapore will not be able to continue economical growth which is required to support the ageing population. Some of these FTs would most probably become citizen and their children would help support the economical growth of Singapore. However, importation of FTs should not be to the extent of depriving Singaporeans of job opportunities.
Vote PAP 100 percent than such things wont happen. Sheng Shiong house dunno how many millions and is related to Lee Hsien Loong. They purposely want people to vote opposition is it? Low Thia Khiang also go visit LKY leh. Look at Rasesh Khan kena only, the rest scot free. Support PAP become die. And Opposition never solve people issue leh. Oppostion report to Lee Hsien Loong is it? If so Sheng Shiong house so rich, dont even help people leh. So still vote oppostion? The more vote opposition got, more gradutuates happily plying on the road as drivers is it? Does it make sense?
Sheng Shiong house dunno how many millions is it? Lee Hsien Loong choose next optimus prime choose so long scared choose wrong within PAP than no more Sheng Shiong is it? So delay until next election hope opposition take over and than choose the optimus prime within the opposition is a safer bet is it? Play Singapore Pools ah? Opposition win more and more, more people plying as drivers on the street? Google PAP sucks come out a web page as top list ah. Why? Which transformers so powerful put a web page as top list and self destruct? Step up transformer or step down transformer? Vote PAP 100 percent. Foreigners come here support PAP, we must also support PAP. Eh, how come more foreigners become opposition will win? I thought LKY do a good job all vote PAP, so foreigners now come is vote opposition, that why LKY say look there come a time to change side and vote opposition?
Like third world poor? This has been going on in UK and USA for a long time already. Honestly, if you look at people living in tents along thoroughfares, and queuing at soap kitchens, it does look like third world.
We only have to ask ourselves - How could a White country go down to this point. Just like living on Skids Row, they always claim this is a lifestyle choice. I rest my case!
If situation get worst I am afraid some will have to work at night at jakan besar catering for tua Kee to be sodomized to earn a living to support the families . Very poor thing
They're coming to Singapore to eat your lunch !
The reality is starting to set in that if too many young people stay unemployed and frustrated, India is sitting on a demographic time bomb.
Comparable private sector jobs, if they even exist, say in education or health care, typically offer much lower wages, little or no benefits and no guarantee of a pension or job security.
That is why when even a handful of government jobs are advertised, tens of thousands apply. Earlier this year, about twelve million applied for 35,000 clerical positions in the Indian Railways, a large government sector employer.
On Jan. 26, several thousand disgruntled young people looking for railway jobs torched a railway carriage in Gaya in eastern India. Such occurrences are commonplace when there is such fierce competition for the few government jobs that are available.
[ Nik ]
Wonder Sin
belongs to who ?
Anyone knows ?
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