This lady in her beautiful pink samfoo was shocked to be told that she would not be welcomed for Sunday mass at the Church of St Anthony in Woodlands. The church has some dress code like wearing of skirts that should not be more than 5cm above the knees. The samfoo is a proper Chinese pant suit that ended 5cm above her ankles.
Let me see what is so offensive about the samfoo. Maybe the warden mistakened 5cm above the knees as 5 cm above the ankles. Maybe the samfoo is offensive to some people. Maybe the samfoo is offensive to God. Maybe the colour pink is offensive.
I really dunno why the samfoo is offensive and not allowed in a church. From the picture of the lady in her samfoo, it was an expensive dress for the Chinese New Year which she must be very proud to be in.
If I am not mistaken, samfoo could be worn something even in formal occasions by the ladies. Hey, it is not the cheap black and white samfoo worn by the Ah Ma chehs of the past. Nowadays many rich ladies are flaunting with their beautiful designers samfoo to look graceful.
No other reason was given except that the samfoo was against the church’s dress code. Maybe the church has its own good reasons. But one thing, please do not insult the beautiful samfoo as it is a popular dress of the locals. If other kinds of dresses are allowed, what is so offensive or demeaning about a samfoo?
2/07/2012
Subhas Chandra Bose, a place in Singapore’s history
There is an ongoing debate for an honourable place in the history of Singapore for Subhas Chandra Bose of the Indian National Army. Some Indian nationalists wanted to erect a statue of Bose somewhere prominent to honour his role in fighting for the Independence of India. Under most circumstances this is a call that would be appreciated by many who fought against British colonialism.
Bose was using Singapore as a base for his uprising against the British Raj in India. The main reservation against such a proposal was that Bose was working with the Japanese invading army that inflicted horrendous pain and torture on the local citizens. No one is questioning if Bose and his army had any part in the aggression against the local citizens. But for being on the side of the inhuman murderers was enough to rule him out for a place of honour in our country and history. Bose was honoured by the Japanese with a statue in a temple in Japan. Think he held the rank of a general in the Japanese Army.
The Indians, especially those in India, rightly must honour this nationalist that set up a resistance against the British. To the Indians, he was undoubtedly a national hero. To Singaporeans, he was on the wrong side of our history. The pain and suffering of the locals under the Japanese Occupation is an indelible scar in the minds of our forefathers. I don’t think Singaporeans would want to honour him for working with the Japanese that tortured and killed our forefathers, raped our women, with a bust in any part of Singapore.
Let Subhas Chandra Bose be honoured by the beneficiaries of his nationalism. If only he was not on the side of the brutal Japanese, Singaporeans would have no issue with his place in our history.
Bose was using Singapore as a base for his uprising against the British Raj in India. The main reservation against such a proposal was that Bose was working with the Japanese invading army that inflicted horrendous pain and torture on the local citizens. No one is questioning if Bose and his army had any part in the aggression against the local citizens. But for being on the side of the inhuman murderers was enough to rule him out for a place of honour in our country and history. Bose was honoured by the Japanese with a statue in a temple in Japan. Think he held the rank of a general in the Japanese Army.
The Indians, especially those in India, rightly must honour this nationalist that set up a resistance against the British. To the Indians, he was undoubtedly a national hero. To Singaporeans, he was on the wrong side of our history. The pain and suffering of the locals under the Japanese Occupation is an indelible scar in the minds of our forefathers. I don’t think Singaporeans would want to honour him for working with the Japanese that tortured and killed our forefathers, raped our women, with a bust in any part of Singapore.
Let Subhas Chandra Bose be honoured by the beneficiaries of his nationalism. If only he was not on the side of the brutal Japanese, Singaporeans would have no issue with his place in our history.
Peking duck road to sure death
The Peking duck has to be fed and be bloated to look good on the table. The only way for that to happen is contant stuffing, regardless of how fat it has grown. Some may think that the duck could turn into a goose or maybe an elephant. There is no concern about overfeeding, about being too fat, obesity.
This idea seems to resonate in our growth policy. We need growth and growth and growth. And how to achieve this? Keep feeding it with more people to keep the growth numbers respectable. If we can’t produce more babies, we just have to import more foreign workers. This is the only sure win economic formula for growth. There is no other formula that works.
Never mind if our limited land and infrastructure are straining and breaking. Never mind if we can’t put more cars on the road. Never mind if we need more land to build more flats. Never mind if the cost of land and housing is escalating. Never mind if essential services are also straining and the competition for such services is driving up the prices.
We need growth. Nothing else matters. And GDP growth is the only way to go.
Why is there an obsession to growth? Why is there only one solution to our economic problems? No more ideas, no better ideas? Or is it that the banyan tree is just too thick and cutting out all the light beneath that nothing else will grow? What happens to thinking out of the box?
Innovation, creativity, productivity? Our million dollar talents cannot find better alternative solutions? Then pay for lower pay foreign experts and specialists for more recommendations may work.
Are we suffering from a dominant idea that is snuffing out all new ideas? Or there is really no one with a better idea that increasing our population for growth?
The reverse phenomenon to Peking duck is the SAF’s fight against obesity, thinking that obesity is bad and curbing the body growth is good. Leaner and thinner are good and healthier for a better and more productive life.
This idea seems to resonate in our growth policy. We need growth and growth and growth. And how to achieve this? Keep feeding it with more people to keep the growth numbers respectable. If we can’t produce more babies, we just have to import more foreign workers. This is the only sure win economic formula for growth. There is no other formula that works.
Never mind if our limited land and infrastructure are straining and breaking. Never mind if we can’t put more cars on the road. Never mind if we need more land to build more flats. Never mind if the cost of land and housing is escalating. Never mind if essential services are also straining and the competition for such services is driving up the prices.
We need growth. Nothing else matters. And GDP growth is the only way to go.
Why is there an obsession to growth? Why is there only one solution to our economic problems? No more ideas, no better ideas? Or is it that the banyan tree is just too thick and cutting out all the light beneath that nothing else will grow? What happens to thinking out of the box?
Innovation, creativity, productivity? Our million dollar talents cannot find better alternative solutions? Then pay for lower pay foreign experts and specialists for more recommendations may work.
Are we suffering from a dominant idea that is snuffing out all new ideas? Or there is really no one with a better idea that increasing our population for growth?
The reverse phenomenon to Peking duck is the SAF’s fight against obesity, thinking that obesity is bad and curbing the body growth is good. Leaner and thinner are good and healthier for a better and more productive life.
2/06/2012
Construction workers on strike in Tampines
Construction workers, mainly foreign workers, went on strike in a site building HDB flats. The main complaint is that workers were not paid since October 2011 and employers only agreed to pay the October salary today and salary due in December by Friday. Now is February 2012 and there should be two more months salary accrued and due for payment.
These workers are already badly exploited by their agents before coming here, and are mostly in debt. And the employers and contractors should have a little decency not continue to exploit them by not paying their dues.
Regardless of all legal and contractual obligations, it is simply inhuman to exploit them this way. On moral and ethical grounds, the govt must step in immediately to end such exploitation of such workers.
It is terribly shameful for a first world country to bully illiterate and helpless workers from poor countries. Despicable is the word to describe such abuses of workers whose only purpose here is to work and earn a decent living. And they are being paid pittance, not millions.
Where is the human conscience and humanity?
These workers are already badly exploited by their agents before coming here, and are mostly in debt. And the employers and contractors should have a little decency not continue to exploit them by not paying their dues.
Regardless of all legal and contractual obligations, it is simply inhuman to exploit them this way. On moral and ethical grounds, the govt must step in immediately to end such exploitation of such workers.
It is terribly shameful for a first world country to bully illiterate and helpless workers from poor countries. Despicable is the word to describe such abuses of workers whose only purpose here is to work and earn a decent living. And they are being paid pittance, not millions.
Where is the human conscience and humanity?
Ex teachers commanding $1000 a day
The reputation of our teachers and education system is so high abroad that our teachers are in demand to impart our teaching skills and methodology to other countries including the US, Philippines, Chile, Netherland and Saudi Arabia.
NIE director Lee Sing Kong said, ‘the achievements of Singaporean students have been noticed internationally. “There must be something right in the way our teachers are prepared.”’
He is right and wrong at the same time. What is the point of our students being good academically but cannot be translated to skills that are in demand in the industries? Even in Singapore, they are only good as civil servants. In the commercial world, they are at best good at middle management level. Even at that level they are being replaced by foreigners from third world countries. The CEO jobs are unlikely positions for the products of the Singapore system. I think we would be better in producing unthinking robots.
And our people have an international reputation of being daft. And that is probably the main reason why so many foreign talents are here to help them and the country to grow and progress. Maybe the Singapore education is only good at producing students with good academic results but dysfunctional at work. All plain daft, good on paper but cannot perform.
The more I think about it, the more silly the situation is. Products of the best and very expensive education system, with the best facilities, but useless to the commercial world except the public service when there is little competition from foreigners. And more shitting on the heads of daft Sinkies.
NIE director Lee Sing Kong said, ‘the achievements of Singaporean students have been noticed internationally. “There must be something right in the way our teachers are prepared.”’
He is right and wrong at the same time. What is the point of our students being good academically but cannot be translated to skills that are in demand in the industries? Even in Singapore, they are only good as civil servants. In the commercial world, they are at best good at middle management level. Even at that level they are being replaced by foreigners from third world countries. The CEO jobs are unlikely positions for the products of the Singapore system. I think we would be better in producing unthinking robots.
And our people have an international reputation of being daft. And that is probably the main reason why so many foreign talents are here to help them and the country to grow and progress. Maybe the Singapore education is only good at producing students with good academic results but dysfunctional at work. All plain daft, good on paper but cannot perform.
The more I think about it, the more silly the situation is. Products of the best and very expensive education system, with the best facilities, but useless to the commercial world except the public service when there is little competition from foreigners. And more shitting on the heads of daft Sinkies.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)