Tribute to LKY #2: My favourite LKY story

This article is my favourite piece out of the hundreds posted. It sums up everything about this man - life, work, family and love.

Source: ChannelNewsAsia

Mr Lee Kuan Yew's Red Box

SINGAPORE: The red box - a briefcase which held what the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew was working on at any time - was testament to his commitment to Singapore, wrote Education Minister Heng Swee Keat on Tuesday (Mar 24).

“When he noticed something wrong, like an ailing raintree, a note in the red box would follow,” said Mr Heng in an essay posted on Facebook. Mr Heng was Mr Lee’s Principal Private Secretary from 1997 to 2000.

Mr Heng’s account of Mr Lee's red box is as follows:

Mr Lee Kuan Yew had a red box. When I worked as Mr Lee’s Principal Private Secretary, or PPS, a good part of my daily life revolved around the red box. Before Mr Lee came in to work each day, the locked red box would arrive first, at about 9 am.

As far as the various officers who have worked with Mr Lee can remember, he had it for many, many years. It is a large, boxy briefcase, about fourteen centimetres wide. Red boxes came from the British government, whose Ministers used them for transporting documents between government offices. Our early Ministers had red boxes, but Mr Lee is the only one I know who used his consistently through the years. When I started working for Mr Lee in 1997, it was the first time I saw a red box in use. It is called the red box but is more a deep wine colour, like the seats in the chamber in Parliament House.

This red box held what Mr Lee was working on at any one time. Through the years, it held his papers, speech drafts, letters, readings, and a whole range of questions, reflections, and observations. For example, in the years that Mr Lee was working on his memoirs, the red box carried the multiple early drafts back and forth between his home and the office, scribbled over with his and Mrs Lee’s notes.

For a long time, other regular items in Mr Lee’s red box were the cassette tapes that held his dictated instructions and thoughts for later transcription. Some years back, he changed to using a digital recorder.

The red box carried a wide range of items. It could be communications with foreign leaders, observations about the financial crisis, instructions for the Istana grounds staff, or even questions about some trees he had seen on the expressway. Mr Lee was well-known for keeping extremely alert to everything he saw and heard around him – when he noticed something wrong, like an ailing raintree, a note in the red box would follow.

We could never anticipate what Mr Lee would raise – it could be anything that was happening in Singapore or the world. But we could be sure of this: it would always be about how events could affect Singapore and Singaporeans, and how we had to stay a step ahead. Inside the red box was always something about how we could create a better life for all.

We would get to work right away. Mr Lee’s secretaries would transcribe his dictated notes, while I followed up on instructions that required coordination across multiple government agencies. Our aim was to do as much as we could by the time Mr Lee came into the office later.

While we did this, Mr Lee would be working from home. For example, during the time that I worked with him (1997-2000), the Asian Financial Crisis ravaged many economies in our region and unleashed political changes. It was a tense period as no one could tell how events would unfold. Often, I would get a call from him to check certain facts or arrange meetings with financial experts.

In the years that I worked for him, Mr Lee’s daily breakfast was a bowl of dou hua (soft bean curd), with no syrup. It was picked up and brought home in a tiffin carrier every morning, from a food centre near Mr Lee’s home. He washed it down with room-temperature water. Mr Lee did not take coffee or tea at breakfast.

When Mr Lee came into the office, the work that had come earlier in the red box would be ready for his review, and he would have a further set of instructions for our action.

From that point on, the work day would run its normal course. Mr Lee read the documents and papers, cleared his emails, and received official calls by visitors. I was privileged to sit in for every meeting he conducted. He would later ask me what I thought of the meetings – it made me very attentive to every word that was said, and I learnt much from Mr Lee.

Evening was Mr Lee’s exercise time. Mr Lee has described his extensive and disciplined exercise regime elsewhere. It included the treadmill, rowing, swimming and walking – with his ears peeled to the evening news or his Mandarin practice tapes. He would sometimes take phone calls while exercising.

He was in his 70s then. In more recent years, being less stable on his feet, Mr Lee had a simpler exercise regime. But he continued to exercise. Since retiring from the Minister Mentor position in 2011, Mr Lee was more relaxed during his exercises. Instead of listening intently to the news or taking phone calls, he shared his personal stories and joked with his staff.

While Mr Lee exercised, those of us in the office would use that time to focus once again on the red box, to get ready all the day’s work for Mr Lee to take home with him in the evening. Based on the day’s events and instructions, I tried to get ready the materials that Mr Lee might need. It sometimes took longer than I expected, and occasionally, I had to ask the security officer to come back for the red box later.

While Mrs Lee was still alive, she used to drop by the Istana at the end of the day, in order to catch a few minutes together with Mr Lee, just to sit and look at the Istana trees that they both loved. They chatted about what many other old couples would talk about. They discussed what they should have for dinner, or how their grandchildren were doing.

Then back home went Mr Lee, Mrs Lee and the red box. After dinner, Mr and Mrs Lee liked to take a long stroll. In his days as Prime Minister, while Mrs Lee strolled, Mr Lee liked to ride a bicycle. It was, in the words of those who saw it, “one of those old man bicycles”. None of us who have worked at the Istana can remember him ever changing his bicycle. He did not use it in his later years, as he became frail, but I believe the “old man bicycle” is still around somewhere.

After his dinner and evening stroll, Mr Lee would get back to his work. That was when he opened the red box and worked his way through what we had put into it in the office.

Mr Lee’s study is converted out of his son’s old bedroom. His work table is a simple, old wooden table with a piece of clear glass placed over it. Slipped under the glass are family memorabilia, including a picture of our current PM from his National Service days. When Mrs Lee was around, she stayed up reading while Mr Lee worked. They liked to put on classical music while they stayed up.

In his days as PM, Mr Lee’s average bedtime was three-thirty in the morning. As Senior Minister and Minister Mentor, he went to sleep after two in the morning. If he had to travel for an official visit the next day, he might go to bed at one or two in the morning.
Deep into the night, while the rest of Singapore slept, it was common for Mr Lee to be in full work mode.

Before he went to bed, Mr Lee would put everything he had completed back in the red box, with clear pointers on what he wished for us to do in the office. The last thing he did each day was to place the red box outside his study room. The next morning, the duty security team picked up the red box, brought it to us waiting in the office, and a new day would begin.

Let me share two other stories involving the red box.

In 1996, Mr Lee underwent balloon angioplasty to insert a stent. It was his second heart operation in two months, after an earlier operation to widen a coronary artery did not work. After the operation, he was put in the Intensive Care Unit for observation. When he regained consciousness and could sit up in bed, he asked for his security team. The security officer hurried into the room to find out what was needed. Mr Lee asked, “Can you pass me the red box?”

Even at that point, Mr Lee’s first thought was to continue working. The security officer rushed the red box in, and Mr Lee asked to be left to his work. The nurses told the security team that other patients of his age, in Mr Lee’s condition, would just rest. Mr Lee was 72 at the time.

In 2010, Mr Lee was hospitalised again, this time for a chest infection. While he was in the hospital, Mrs Lee passed away. Mr Lee has spoken about his grief at Mrs Lee’s passing. As soon as he could, he left the hospital to attend the wake at Sri Temasek.
At the end of the night, he was under doctor’s orders to return to the hospital. But he asked his security team if they could take him to the Singapore River instead. It was late in the night, and Mr Lee was in mourning. His security team hastened to give a bereaved husband a quiet moment to himself.

As Mr Lee walked slowly along the bank of the Singapore River, the way he and Mrs Lee sometimes did when she was still alive, he paused. He beckoned a security officer over. Then he pointed out some trash floating on the river, and asked, “Can you take a photo of that? I’ll tell my PPS what to do about it tomorrow.” Photo taken, he returned to the hospital.

I was no longer Mr Lee’s PPS at the time. I had moved on to the Monetary Authority of Singapore, to continue with the work to strengthen our financial regulatory system that Mr Lee had started in the late 1990s. But I can guess that Mr Lee probably had some feedback on keeping the Singapore River clean. I can also guess that the picture and the instructions were ferried in Mr Lee’s red box the next morning to the office. Even as Mr Lee lay in the hospital. Even as Mrs Lee lay in state.

The security officers with Mr Lee were deeply touched. When I heard about these moments, I was also moved.

I have taken some time to describe Mr Lee’s red box. The reason is that, for me, it symbolises Mr Lee’s unwavering dedication to Singapore so well. The diverse contents it held tell us much about the breadth of Mr Lee’s concerns – from the very big to the very small; the daily routine of the red box tells us how Mr Lee’s life revolved around making Singapore better, in ways big and small.

By the time I served Mr Lee, he was the Senior Minister. Yet he continued to devote all his time to thinking about the future of Singapore. I could only imagine what he was like as Prime Minister. In policy and strategy terms, he was always driving himself, me, and all our colleagues to think about what each trend and development meant for Singapore, and how we should respond to it in order to secure Singapore’s wellbeing and success.

As his PPS, I saw the punishing pace of work that Mr Lee set himself. I had a boss whose every thought and every action was for Singapore.

But it takes private moments like these to bring home just how entirely Mr Lee devoted his life to Singapore.

In fact, I think the best description comes from the security officer who was with Mr Lee both of those times. He was on Mr Lee’s team for almost 30 years. He said of Mr Lee: “Mr Lee is always country, country, country. And country.”

This year, Singapore turns 50. Mr Lee would have turned 92 this September. Mr Lee entered the hospital on 5 February 2015. He continued to use his red box every day until 4 February 2015.

31 things to say for a month - Day 28: Our Founding Father

Day 28: Our founding father - Mr. Lee Kuan Yew 

This is one post which I have shortlisted in my 31 things to say for a month since two years ago but never got down to writing it. I wanted to write it after I am done with reading his memoirs. Today, I finally finished the first of his memoirs - the Singapore story. I have been reading his memoirs for the past 2 months every night before bedtime and not too long after, he was hospitalised on 5 Feb due to pneumonia. The last time I blog about one of our founding fathers, Dr. Goh Keng Swee, it was after I read the book, "Men in White" and come to realise his contributions to our economy. 5 years later, I am writing about another of our founding fathers in Singapore.

There are a few parts of his memoirs that left me a deep impression and I shall talk about them as a tribute to this man who deserves the respect of ALL Singaporeans, PAST and PRESENT!

First, it is about the one whereby he visited the constituencies after his team and him decided to have a clean break with the communists in the PAP. They knew that they had to build up their own strong electorate and fight the communists face to face in order to realise their aspirations to help Singapore break free from colonialism. The visits were not restricted to his own constituency of Tanjong Pagar but all over Singapore. He went around in a Land Rover and he mentioned how his hands were so sore and swollen by all the hand shaking and his back knocked against the steel body of his open-top Land Rover, resulting in multiple bruises at his back. However, he persevered and thought of ways to overcome such issues because he knew that if he wanted to build a nation, he has to know the needs of the people and help them fulfill them.

Second, it is about his wittiness. He experienced Japanese occupation first hand and during this period of time, he was also creative and bold to help his family tide over their multiple problems. If you had known him at that time, you will know that this boy was meant to be someone great in the future.

Third, it is about how we learnt the various languages just so he could not communicate and rally the people. He was educated in English and spoke Malay to his grandma who is of Java descent. However, he knew he had to picked up Chinese if he wanted to connect with the bulk of the Chinese immigrants then. I am a Hokkien and I know how difficult it is to learn Hokkien because you cannot translate the words from Chinese directly, unlike Cantonese. However, Mr. Lee did and eventually was able to conduct his rally in Hokkien in order to fight the communists. Hokkien is really a language that can sound so uncouth yet has this effect of rallying people together for a common cause. Whenever I hear people complaining about how LHL was groomed to become LKY's successor and Singapore belongs to the Lee Family, I would want to challenge the person. When you were ten, what were you doing? You were probably playing marbles or hopscotch with your friends or Candy Crush for the kids these days or some other IT gadget. You may complain about PSLE blah blah blah but do you have any idea that at the age of 10, LHL had already learnt Javanese and was busy translating Utusan Melayu newspapers for his father. He knew as a kid how Singapore was constantly under the threat of our neighbours and because of this, he is more determined than anyone else to help continue his father's legacy and also Singapore's prosperity and peace.

Fourth, it is about how he went about running the nation. Many people might say that he is too undemocratic, disguising his communist ideals with a democratic front. However, I love this quote that he said:

I am no longer in active politics. It is irrelevant what young Singaporeans think of me. What they think of me after I'm dead and gone in one generation will be determined by researchers who do PhDs on me.
I did what I thought was right, given the circumstances, given by my knowledge at the time, given the pressures on me at the time. That's finished, done. I move forward. You keep on harking back, it's just wasting time.
I have no regrets. I have spent my life, so much of it, building up this country. That's nothing more that I need to do. At the end of the day, what have I gotten? A successful Singapore. What have I given up? My life. 

Honestly, given the circumstances that Singapore faced, we could possibly end up as the next Cuba. Besides, I do not think that he had been autocratic in the wrong way. The things that he insisted on were for the good for Singapore such as using English as the medium of instruction in schools, bilingual policy, nationalising public transport, public utilities, imposing National Service, etc. No doubt he banned the use of dialects in public broadcasting and made some of us lose our roots but I strongly agree with his rationale. Our roots are no longer in China and where we come from, we should see ourselves as a country in Southeast Asia - calling ourselves Singaporeans. Our heritage will be that of Malay, Chinese, English, Tamil - a blend of races in the country!

Yes our investment in Suzhou Industrial Park did not reap the desired returns but sometimes we cannot be too short-sighted. Investment is not only about the dollars and cents but also the networks that we built in the process and making ourselves known to the world.

You might hate CPF because you cannot spend your hard-earned money when you retire. However, I am all in for CPF. Imagine what would happen if the elderly did not have retirement savings. You have to pay higher taxes to support them, would you want to do that? CPF is just about not being able to use your hard-earned money when you are old but when you die, at least your children can benefit from your bequest. It is just insurance of another form. Imagine if there is no CPF, you cannot even spend your money when you are young because the government will have to tax your income even more.

You might say National Education is propaganda but what it promotes is the love for a country. It just so happens that our country is built by the PAP. Winners always have the right to write history. If Hitler had successfully dominated Europe through nuclear weapons, do you think you will have the chance to criticise him today?

I have seen so many Facebook posts paying tribute to Mr. LKY but this sums up my emotions in the most Singaporean way possible:

Ok... i read that former prime minister lee kuan yew... is critically ill... and we all know whats gonna come after that....
I am honestly gonna be very sad when he is no longer ard. He had a full life and at 91.... thats consoling to the mind....
I see alot of ppl saying... if the old man dies... i will be damn happy.... But i jus want to ask.... what r we angry at?? Coz he took a small shitty island and turned it into what it is today??
Coz today... our currency is almost on par with USA... 1.36 exchange rate... BY THE WAY... and that country is a giant... the world's superpower la.... and we are almost on par... our neighbour's exchange with us is at 2.4 smthg.... dun know... dun care
Today... companies all over the world come here to start their regional hq... coz of the stable platform created....
Today... india.... a country with the world's second largest population... has HIRED SINGAPORE'S EXPERTISE TO BUILD A NEW CAPITAL CITY FOR ITSELF!!!
sure... cars are expensive....here la... do u know in thailand... or jakarta... a small distance like yishun to ang mo kio... will take 2 hours... to drive... because everyone has a car and its congested very badly....this was said to me by a thai tourist and a indonesian tourist.....
Sure... houses are expensive... do u know that in hongkong... ppl dun own their flats??? Its so expensive... everyone rents!!! And the houses are smaller than our flats....
Everyday since i was born... till today.... i cannot remember a day when electricity or water went out.... i can drink the water out of the tap and toilet bowl... its that clean.... and i can switch on my fan anytime i want... it will work.... i went to india and i witnessed it first hand.... bloody every three hours... there was a power cut.... even in hotels... then the generators will kick in...
New delhi... a girl was raped and violently abused.... brought to SINGAPORE for treatment... we all remember that... dun we...
Superstar rajnikanth.... calls Lee Kuan Yew a hero... CAME TO SINGAPORE FOR TREATMENT....
sure we buy water from our neighbour... but how many of us know that we treat the same water and sell it back to our neighbour???
I had a tourist from paris... she told me that she lost her husband to a heart attack... they live in the outskirts of paris... she called for an ambulance... it took the damn ambulance 2 hours to get to them.... PARIS OK!!!! city of love... world reknowned tourist spot... 2 hours for ambulance response....
You dial 995 and call for ambulance now la.. you see how long the response time is...
God damn they even opened up independent ambulance companies so that the real emergencies can be attended to by SCDF laaa
Sure.. there was a riot in little india... but it was contained wasnt it??? Ya our police and civil defence got a beating... but still... did any civilian get injured??? Ppl living in the flats beside... got injured??? The ambulance that got burnt.... what does it show... singapore's patience or that particular nationality's uncivilised behaviour....
The very next day.... that road was cleaned and relaid....
Even in war laa.... its protocol to nvr hit safety vehicles.... what the hell....
I met a tourist from sweden... and she said... she got raped whilst going for a jog from her house to her neighbour's house which was 2 miles away.... there was nobody to help her.... and thats y she moved to singapore...
My current job allows me to meet different nationalities everyday... straight from the airport.... and we always get to talking... abt their country versus mine... and almost EVERY SINGLE person.... tells me
"You guys dun know how good u have it here"
Every government has its flaws and shortcomings..... every government.... they r humans laaa.... not machines.....
Our laws are amongst the strictest.... and i have personally felt the brunt of some of the laws... but u know what??? I aint complaining.... my mum.. sister... girlfren... can go out and come back whatever time... they r fine...
I can sleep in my van and wake up... with my doors unlocked... i will not be mugged and robbed
Ppl from certain countries come here... to study... they have to take cross over exams... to match our system
I go somewhere.... my education is recognised la god damn it
Foreigner influx was probably the blooper singapore did.... but hey.... i have got a job... i earn very well... i am happy...
I have got close friends that live in condos.. drive nice cars... live in landed houses... have lots of money.....
So its definitely possible for everyone to "live the life" here... sure it may be difficult to rise up to the top... but hey.... other countries easy ahhhh????? You know ahhh????
A flat in singapore is 300,000.... a landed house in the states is also 300,000.... u get alot of space... but u still NEED TO HAVE MONEY.....
Soooo.... if u r not successful.. blame urself.... not the country.. the system... the lamp post... or the dog....
U never study... ur fault... u nvr work hard... ur fault...
Other countries... got natural resources... to build on... what does singapore have??? NOTHING!!! the people are the resource... and that why we have to work and contribute to build the country...
America... canada... all 40% tax sia... and here we complain for paying CPF and tax....
U try la... go and say smthg bad abt our neighbour to their citizens... or better still say smthg bad abt india to an indian citizen who lives in singapore.... you see what happens....
Their country is full of injustice and problems.... but they will NEVER SPEAK DOWN ON THEIR COUNTRY...
Look at what we r doing.....
This social portal page... newnation or smthg... teases that singapore will be renamed Lee Kuan Yew... eh why laaa i ask u. Then name as what??
mohd goahead bin gostan???
Or
Angamuthu s/o singamuthu
Is it???
That man.... whether u like it or not... was a key installation to the life we have today..... not sang nila utama... or that tengku.... or stamford raffles.....
The name is LEE KUAN YEW...
and if he is no longer ard.... i WILL feel sad.... coz god damn it i am SINGAPOREAN... and even though my country has its fair share of bullshit.... i LOVE this damn place.... the life and opportunity it has given me.... the level playing field it has given me....
And it was because Lee Kuan Yew had a vision and he went abt executing it....
Lets show a little bit of gratfulness laaa... a little bit....
Whether he did right or wrong.....the man who gave us this quality of life has reached the end of the tunnel.... let him go in peace and respect.....

Source: Ganesh Sundram 

For me, I have only RESPECT for Mr. Lee Kuan Yew and nothing else. No hatred or displeasure of any sorts. He implemented the institutions that ensured that people are given equal opportunities to succeed in life, not just equal outcomes. Although I voice out my displeasure with the education system from time to time about how it takes away the love for learning, I guess this is the best solution Mr. Lee and his team had at that point in time when the nation was being built. I myself have tremendously benefitted from meritocracy. If you work hard in Singapore, you will not be left behind. 

Meritocracy breeds elitism, no doubt. Those who are well endowed (rich) will be better off because they have more resources to begin but would the outcomes be different without meritocracy? I doubt so. The rich will always get richer even in a communist regime and China and Russia speak of that. 

It is easy for us to voice our displeasure with the many things in Singapore but at the end of the day, if you do not have a better solution to the problems, then you just have to accept things as they are. I am pretty sure that although a lot of Singaporeans complain about our government, at the end of the day, we just want an avenue to rant. We still love Singapore and Mr. Lee who gave us this place to call home. 

Many years ago, I contemplated emigrating. However, as I age, my love for the nation grows. I still want to be a global citizen that travels around the world to experiment with and experience life. However, when I eventually age, I will bring with me my wealth of experience and contribute to my country in my own little way. 

There is still so much more for me to write about but this is getting way too long. I shall sign off. 

有国才有家, 谢谢您，李先生，给了我们一个家。 

twenty-three - Mount Titlis and Lucerne

#23: Switzerland

After travelling for 2 weeks with a backpack and a luggage, I finally arrived at my temporary lodge for the 49 days trip i.e. Bern. I honestly had not have very good sleep throughout the two weeks partly because I was sick right when I was in Iceland even though I was staying in a very good hotel.

This was my 2nd visit to Switzerland and once again, I feel that I had not made very good use of my time there, just like when I was in London. Perhaps because I have no keen interest in Switzerland thus I never fully explored the place. Previously, I went to Jungfrau and the Interlaken region and paid so much money for all the train. When I was up at Jungfrau, there was a huge snowstorm and I did not enjoy a good view of the mountains at all! I also went to Lauterbrunnen the other time but it was rainy and I did not explore it as much as I would like to.

So this time round, I went to Lucerne and Mount Titlis instead. On hindsight, I should have made used of my half fare card to explore regions like Zermatt, Geneva, etc. perhaps? Things are very expensive in Switzerland which makes me wonder how the people survive. People travel in many different ways. Some people want to cover everything in a country when they visit whereas others return to the place over and over again. Usually, I would think that it does not matter which travelling option you take but when it comes to Switzerland, I would strongly advise people to go there once and never return. Make full use of the half-fare card and go to as many of the mountains as possible so that you will never have to visit again. Haha! Perhaps it is because I know that my bff is there so I can always return to visit again but come to think of it, I am not making my money worth when I do that. But I figured that I will most likely visit Switzerland again with my family when they eventually go to Europe which explains why I choose to do bits and pieces of it rather than cover everything all at once.

Enough said, Titlis will wow you. :)

From greenery and clear skies to one shrouded in fog in 3 hours. 

Had to take 3 cable cars to get to the top!

It was extremely slippery. Guess we did not have the right kind of snow boots then so we had to squat down to go down the slopes. Hilarious.

This image is my favourite with the following caption - "If heaven had an image, does it look like this?"

Suspension bridge. It was shaking quite a bit when the winds came blowing. If you have a fear of heights, you still have to do it. LOL! Just gotta overcome it. 

Shortly, the entire sky was shrouded in fog. This was what happened when I was up at Jungfrau. 

On the way down in the cable car. Extremely steep!

Lake Lucerne! 

Gotta keep this post short cause I am pretty sleepy now. LOL!

What holds for the future of Singapore

In line with the SG50 celebrations this year, I decided to write something about Singapore. My past experiences as a tutor made me realised that the kids these days have so much in life that often, they take things for granted. My ex-colleagues and I always lament about how these kids that we deal with will eventually become part of the workforce yet they lack not just the resilience in life but also the hardworking mentality that effort breeds success. To many of them, success should be God-given and their sense of entitlement is something that I honestly cannot handle. When reality falls short of their expectations, they then go back to their parents to cry foul about the treatment that they receive in school and from society. I kinda disdain that even though I love the job of teaching and nurturing.

Recently, I read an article online about how our government in an attempt to satisfy the electorate, is trying very hard to increase the number of places in university so that more can fulfil their aspirations of attaining a degree and if possible a good one with good career prospects. Consequently, universities have to lower their admission criteria and adjust the difficulty level of the examinations because these brats simply CMI. Even with the bell curve, there are so many failures that they had to give free bonus points to everyone. Well, who to blame because these students are so used to tuition and spoon-feeding and when they get into university, they also expect likewise from their professors. They expect to ace exams without putting in the required effort but they had forgotten the fact that the results are on a bell-curve basis so if you are indeed smart or put in the effort, you will emerge at the top. However, if you just scrap through your exams all your life with that "last-minute hug the buddha leg" mentality, I am pretty sure your results in university will be mediocre. Eventually, these undeserving kids in university graduate and enter the workforce. They bring with them this sense of entitlement to their workplace and overlook the fact that school and society have been accommodating to their whims and fancies for the past 20-odd years. So, yes this is where our dear Singapore is heading towards after celebrating this Golden Jubilee 50!

I share the same sentiments as the author honestly. When I first started teaching, entrance to local universities was so much more difficult that I have several students who did not manage to make it to the local university. However, they are very positive people who happen to fumble during their examinations. Subsequently, because of the 2011 elections, I had several students whose results were much more worse off than the previous batches yet manage to get a place in the university. IMO, I really felt that some of them DO NOT deserve a place in the university. I will always remember this particular student who was extremely lazy and unmotivated throughout the 2 years. No sort of critical thinking in the work done and his command of the language was terrible! I do not know exactly what happened during the exams but he managed to get a place in one of the local university. I met him on the streets some time later and asked him about school. Guess what, oh still the same old last minute studying but scrap through with C's and D's in the university. Imagine this person eventually graduating and stepping into society? Not a bit of him has changed despite the lesson at A levels whereby he flung his exams in the entire JC2 and I had to call his parent umpteen times. SO so so not deserving of a place in the university honestly and eventually calling himself a GRADUATE! What a SHAME - MY THINKING OUT LOUD THOUGHTS. That said, I know that I am in no position to judge.

There is another case which left me in a dilemma but I agreed to help eventually. This student was not in my class but was in the CCA that I happened to be in charge of. The student was doing relatively well in his first year in the college but somehow results got worse in year 2. Having contact with this student through CCA and numerous school events, I find him a little too whiny and had this sense of entitlement which I really disdained. He was extremely rude to his parents when he spoke to them over the phone on an occasion when it was obviously HIS fault. He was always complaining about how lousy the school was, how he was ostracised by his teammates in the CCA and felt that he didn't belong to the team. On top of that, he felt neglected because the coach felt that he was not good to be in the first team and did not give him enough playing time. So one day he came to me and requested to quit the CCA. As teachers, we encourage our students to have a CCA as part of your portfolio so I encouraged him to stay even though my heart told me that I should let him go. We were not in need of players but I did not want him to feel that even I, the teacher-in-charge, did not want him to stay on in the team. Eventually, he stayed on.

When the results were released, he did not do that well and came to me and asked me to be his reference for university entrance. I told him that he cannot possibly use his CCA to try to get a place in the university because he had no achievements whatsoever in the CCA. He held no leadership position, was a substitute 80% of the time and honestly his attitude was poor! The only thing that I could possibly write about was his commitment to the team because his attendance for training was close to 100%. I was really in a dilemma. On one hand, because I had persuaded him to stay on in the team, I felt that I was kinda responsible for his results. Perhaps if he had quit the CCA, he would have more time to study and done much better for A's. On the other hand, I felt that his attitude was poor and I do not think that I should be held responsible for his results. By encouraging to stay on in the team, I had indirectly become responsible for his A level results because he could simply put the blame on his commitment in the CCA and me. So eventually, I agreed to be his reference. I do not know if he managed to get a place in the university ultimately and he did not tell me either. My personal take is that if he had been granted a place in the university because of the reference that I wrote him, he would never learn his lesson that you OUGHT to be responsible for your OWN actions and not point fingers at others all the time. However, this concerns his future and if I do not help him, I feel guilty myself.

These stories that I shared are just two of the many stories that many of us in the teaching profession face. We TRULY want to help these kids so we keep giving and giving. However, we seem to have overlooked that by giving endlessly, we have unknowingly become the ones responsible for their success and failure. These kids will never learn the importance of shouldering responsibility for their own actions and decisions in life. How then are they to face the harsh reality in their workplace? That said, one of my colleagues used to say this - Human beings are highly adaptable creatures. We may think that these kids will suffer when they go out to work with this "type" of attitude but somehow they will survive. Let's just hope for the best.

As much as we keep complaining about our government, I also think that they have a tough job. It is very easy for us to say that "Oh well they are so highly paid so they should be there to solve problems and get mocked by the people." No doubt some of our ministers really seems to be a little CMI but my interactions with the multiple PSC scholars in my career and while traveling tells me that these people who eventually become ministers have really got something up there in their brain. If they were to not be ministers, they can still earn buckets of money elsewhere in a MNCs. Yet some of them chose to serve and take on all these FIRST WORLD PROBLEMS that we are complaining about. That said, some of them really ought to do better la. It is always simpler to be a bystander and look at the effect a policy has on YOU - a single person but to consider the bigger picture and look at the effects it could possibly have on the entire 5.4 million people in Singapore, go with luck.

If you ask me what is the toughest job in this world, I can tell you without any doubts that it has got to be EDUCATION. As for policy making, you might be better off throwing a dice at times and let fate decide? hahaha!

vingt deux: Montmarte, Paris

#22: Montmarte, Paris

This neighbourhood is my favourite place in Paris after the Eiffel Region. I had previously written about it when I first visited Paris back in 2008. So much has changed over the years. It used to be a neighbourhood that was relatively dangerous, lots of immigrants and for the less well-off. Daylight robbery was not something unusual and swarms of black French people would walk up to you to try to sell you stuff. However, it is also one of the most artistic places. After 6 years, I would say that security is much better these days but still, never take anything for granted.

You see loads of people lying on the grass patches, be it summer or winter and music being played. At the corner of the church, Sacre Couer, you see a lot of street artists doing all sorts of painting. I would say that they are rather expensive but some of the art works are really awesome! I also think that the Sacre Couer is way more splendid than Notre Dame, be it the exterior or interior.

After visiting the neighbourhood, we then headed to Champs Elysees. Having been to Paris a few times, I learnt for the first time that Galleries La Fayette and Printemps are both closed on Sundays! I thought Sunday is the best time for shopping, ain't it? A little disappointed but then there's always London! 

Au revoir, La France! 

vingt et un: Theme park - Disneyland Paris

#21: Disneyland Paris

Apologies for the lack of update for the past week due to multiple personal commitments. I will double up this week!

After Lyon, I took a train to Paris, one of my most loved cities in the world. Several friends of mine who went to Paris all came back telling me negative experiences about the city, such as its filthy and smelly underground stations, beggars along the streets, snobbish Parisans, etc. Truth to be told, Paris is one city that I have spent a lot of time in every time I visit but I only have praises for the city. Perhaps when they have been to Germany, then they will find the Parisans less annoying.

No doubt Paris does not have the history of Rome, rather its beauty lies in her modern architecture instead. The Eiffel tower, the Louvre, Sacre Coeur, etc. I do not speak in defence of Paris because I love France but then I just do not find it as lousy as what people proclaim it to be. Perhaps my sub-conscious love for the city since young made me like every bit of Paris. There's a saying, only Paris can match the beauty of Rome. Indeed.

Well, unlike my visit to Manchester whereby I have an objective, I visit Paris every time I go to Europe because I like the place. I can spend hours sitting in front of the Eiffel and watch the lights sparkle every hour, people bustling from one place to another, couples taking multiple we-fies and shots right below the Eiffel etc. However, this time round, I went to Paris for a reason and that is to go to Paris disneyland!

I am a big fan of theme parks, from Universal Studios to Dreamworld in Australia, Disneyland in HK, Japan, US, etc., Six Flags, Lotte World and Everland in Korea etc. Like mentioned in the previous post, perhaps it is due to my childhood experiences of dad bringing us to Uncle Ringo's funfair. That aside, I enjoy the magical feeling and thrill I get in a theme park.

Disneyland is totally different from all the others mentioned above. It gives one a magical feeling whereby you see the fantasies of your childhood come alive. Yes Mickey Mouse is a mutated mouse with only 4 fingers (lol!) but it is just so awesome to stand in front of the disney castle and see the fireworks lit up at night. I have been to 4 Disneyland theme parks thus far - HK, Japan, LA, and Paris and my last stop will be Disneyland Florida, the first Disneyland theme park. Despite seeing the same rides, characters, etc. I am really looking forward to it. :) I guess I will never get sick of Disneyland. One of my favourite rides in Disneyland is the Hollywood tower of terror (basically a drop)! I also had a different Space Mountain experience in Paris as compared to the ones in other disneyland theme parks. However, this is the first time that I went on rides alone because my friends were too afraid to take those rides. I must say that taking rides alone is quite boring because there is no one to scream on the ride with you and share the after-thoughts together. So, go to a theme park with the right company, that is very important! Nevertheless, I thank my friends for visiting with me because I was the one who suggested going, not knowing that they aren't thrill rides goers. I had postponed the visit to Paris Disneyland the last two times because I did not have the right company. God knows it is the same this time round. It is just meant to be.

As for the other theme parks, I visit because I love to take all the roller coasters, G-force, Viking, etc. I did not manage to do the Superman ride and the T-express in Movie world in Australia and Everland in Korea respectively due to maintenance so Battlestar Galactica and Six Flags in SF are the best ones that I have taken so far.

 Disney Castle!

Mickey riding a reindeer because it's Christmas! 

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad ride. This is one ride that always seem to have some technical issues. We did not manage to take this ride when I visited the LA disneyland with 2 of my buddies. Fortunately, I was able to do so in Paris after waiting for almost 3 hours. In between, I headed to Space Mountain! 

A different Space Mountain experience - still dark and all inside but you get to be ejected to Space, seeing the people outside. See the circular structure on the right? That's where the cart will pass through at high speed! 

 My favourite ride - Hollywood Tower of Terror. I secretly recorded a video. You can hear the screams and some of the sights but quality isn't that great. 

It's going to be a little loud so please turn down the volume! This is just part 1! There's part 2 but I did not record it anymore.

Pirates of the Caribbean - only thrill ride that the two other girls took with me. I was the only one who bothered to pose for the camera! 

Because of fatigue, we decided to head back before the fireworks at 10pm. So, I guess I will just have to visit another day to catch the fireworks! :)

vingt: Bonjour, Marseille et Lyon

#20: Marseille and Lyon

France is the European country with the largest number of immigrants - mainly Muslims who hail from its ex-colonies in North Africa. I once read an article in Nat Geo about how Marseille is considered the most unique city in France because it has the highest number of French of various descent. People in Marseille are no fashionistas like the Parisans, rather they are unique in how the population mingle despite the differences in their roots and culture. When I was planning this Europe trip, I did some research on Marseille and apparently safety was a concern. I had wanted to spend two days or so in the city but instead did a one day tour on advice from a friend who visited last Summer.

Indeed, Marseille's port was so different from those that I have seen in Nice, Monaco, Ville-France and I really enjoyed my time in Marseille. The city centre is much bigger than I expected but I mostly walked on foot. While trying to get to Notre Dame, I kinda got lost while walking up the mountain. Usually, I will simply continue my adventures but because of the numerous cautions I receive about how I should be more careful in this city, I aborted my plan and took a bus back to the city centre. The bus driver was kind enough to give me a free ride.

Above: There was a ferris wheel in every of the French city I visited this season. Perhaps it is part of their Christmas market set up.

Marseille port (pictures below)

Below: Notre Dame church at the top of the hill across the port

Waters that lead a ship from the inner port to the Mediterranean waters 

[Below]: I kinda like such touristic trams that bring people around the city. It always give off a feeling of "time-travelling" somehow.

[Below]: I came across one museum that provided free entry. The deco was amazing and it was a nice place to chill out after walking for 2-3 hours in the city. Unfortunately, all exhibits were in French and I could not understand. But I really wish Singapore would have more of such hangout places. We may not have a long history but we are celebrating 50 years of independence this year! 50 years is not long, not even a lifetime but neither is it so short that we have nothing to showcase. Perhaps it is time for me to check out some of the museums in Singapore before I lose my freedom.

My very next stop in France was Lyon. I have heard much about the city while on exchange from my French neighbour and France is a country that I have always loved since young. It is not because of the romance associated with the nation but rather the language and the people's obsession and pride of their own country that attract me. Lyon is famous for a few things - Bouchon restaurants, silk weaving industry, traboules, and murals. It is truly one city that has so much culture to offer and traditions continued from their ancestors. 

On this trip of mine, I came across countless Roman ruins, amphitheatres, etc. and each one of them fascinates me as much as the previous one. It is amazing how good the Roman's engineering skills were back then to be able to build their city in similar fashion everywhere in Europe. 

Ancient Roman city of Lugdunum. 

Below: Basilique Notre-Dame de Fourviere - Cathedrals are one of the many structures which I have grown pretty sick of after having visited so many during my trips in Europe. However, this particular one still amazes me. Too pretty....

 

Below: When going downhill. This is the longest staircase that I have ever encountered in my entire life (beside the Great Wall of China) - counted close to 1,000 steps. 

Below: Love all these random fountains that I come across in the city. Usually I sit around and people watch. I met a French lady who could speak Chinese while taking a break from all the walking. How interesting! Place de Jacobins (Left), Bartholdi fountain in Place de Terreaux (Right)

The Lyon City Hall. Lyon was much more chilly than Nice and Marseille and I had to seek shelter from the strong winds in the evening in the City Hall. I hanged around the lobby area and picked up a French magazine, trying to recall as many French words as possible. 

Below: Ferris Wheel in action - main square in Lyon - Place Bellecour. Here you find plenty of restaurants, a tourist information centre and Mcdonald's for FREE WIFI! :)

The city is divided by two rivers - Saone and Rhone. I stayed in Vieux-Lyon (old town of Lyon) and everyday I walked miles to cross the Saone River via the various foot bridges to get to the city centre of Lyon. I also walked further down to the Rhone river (much less impressive compared to Saone Rive) which leads one to the business district in Lyon. 

Below: View from the Fourviere Hill. The first river is Saone river. Where you see two tall structures is the area of Lyon after one crosses the Rhone river. Honestly, I find those two tall buildings an eyesore that destroys the beautiful landscape of the city. Oh well, economic growth and development. 

 

Red Foot bridge (think it's called Pont Neuf) right in front of the Palace of Justice, yet another amazing structure. 

 

Isn't this amazing? Palais de Justice!

Mural painting. Painted on the walls. The lady at the tourist information told me there is another one with images of fruits and vegetables but I did not manage to find it. 

Basically, Bouchon are small family owned restaurants and it is unique to Lyon. Lyonnais love meat - pork and beef but unfortunately I am not a big fan of pork. Hence I decided to go for mussels in one of the Buchons. The food was good and the ambience was great. The only problem was the language as usual since they hardly use English.

Traboules are a type of passageway associated with Lyon but they can also be found in some other cities in France. They were originally used by silk manufacturers and other merchants to transport their goods in sheltered conditions. Water could also be delivered from the rivers to the households or factories through the construction of such traboules. I had planned to hunt for these traboules on my second day in Lyon and little did I know that I was staying right in a traboule since I was living in the Old Town. It was when I saw some tourists taking photos inside the building while making my way out to the city on my second morning in Lyon that I realised that I was staying inside one. 

I went to the La Croix Rousse quarter in Lyon on the second day but I was not at a good vantage point to take photos. La Croix Rousse is the quarter heavily marked by the silk industry as Lyon was the centre for silk manufacture in Europe in the olden times. There are still silk manufacturing activities ongoing these days but it has dwindled significantly owing to costs considerations. The La Croix Rousse quarter is characterised by reddish-brown roofs with chimneys. Yeah right, CHIMNEYS! Something that I associate with fairy tales.

On a concluding note, having travelled so much in the last few years, I have not been fascinated by a city for a long long time. I am more inclined towards nature these days. However, Lyon is one city that was mesmerising for me and I strongly recommend any travel enthusiast to visit. The people are also very helpful and you get a different feel from Paris altogether. I feel that people often label the French as snobbish and anti-English my experiences in France speak otherwise. They have been very hospitable towards me in my three visits to five different cities. in the country You cannot fault them for not being willing to communicate with you in English even though they comprehend the language. After all, French is their official language so it does not make sense for them to have to accommodate the tourists and speak English. Try going to South America or Russia and no one will speak a single word of English to you either. Likewise, the French do not go to America or UK and expect people to speak French to them. I guess we are just too used to English being the lingua franca and expect people to be able to understand it.

On my next trip to France, I shall visit Bordeaux and Mont Blanc! Au revoir, La France! 

31 things to say for a month - Day 27: The Pursuit of Happiness

Day 27: Happiness at different stages of your life

This post is an interlude of my previous posts on my Europe trip. I have wanted to write on this topic for the longest time ever since 2013 but somehow it got saved as a draft and was never published. I am currently reading a book titled, "The Pursuit of Happiness - an economy of well-being" by Carol Graham and had so much insights that I wanted to revive my discussion on this topic.

Carol Graham mentioned two types of happiness - Benthamite sense and Aristotelian sense. Jeremy Bentham's concept of welfare was hedonic utility: maxmising the contentment and pleasure of the greatest number of individuals as they experienced their lives. Aristotle thought of happiness as eudaimonia, a Greek word that combined two concepts: "eu" meaning well-being or abundance, and "daimon" meaning the power controlling an individual's destiny. [Source: Carol Graham]. In simple terms, the former is associated with contentment in day-to-day living whereas the latter looks at the opportunities available to lead a fulfilling life.

For a certain period of time, I did feel very upset with what was going on in my life and how I felt I seem to be drifting away from my long-term goals and what I had EXPECTED myself to achieve. Though I had a lot of leisure time to engage in activities that I enjoy - sports, music, watching dramas, reading, etc. and I had sufficient income to support myself on a daily basis, I did not experience an improvement in my well-being. Sometimes, I woke up in the middle of the night feeling frustrated and upset about what I had done to my life. Neither money nor leisure kept me happy which was odd since economics has taught me that both are key sources of utility that keep people going. It was after my adventures to Europe that I returned with a fresh perspective of life and figured out my next step in life and two months after the new year has begun, I can be very sure that I have been putting my time to good use.

So after reading this book, I have a better sense of the source of my unhappiness or happiness. In the book, the author cited empirical data of how people's happiness or well-being level is a U-shaped function of age. That's why people love to reminisce about their childhood and when they enter retirement, they are also happier. For me, I guess is because I emphasise more on Benthamite sense of happiness as a child/ teenager whereby my needs were pretty simple - food, sleep and fun. However, as I age, I start to focus on searching for a meaning in life. Someone told me that I should ignore my ideals about life and just think about making as much money as I can while I still have the energy and capability. I replied the person with certainty that even if I have loads of money, I will not be truly happy. At that point in time, I had not figure out the reason but after reading this book, I guess I have found the answer.

It was mentioned in the book that there are many causes behind why certain people emphasise Aristotelian sense of happiness (like I do). It could be due to personality, upbringing, personal experiences, agency and capability, etc. People without agency are more likely to be contented with a decent lifestyle on a day to day basis and do not think so much about whether they had led a fulfilling life in their lifetime. There is no right or wrong as to which sense of happiness is more superior since our circumstances could also pretty much shape our ability to search for a particular sense of happiness. So the book mentioned the happiness irony of the "happy peasant vs frustrated achievers". I think a few months ago, I was at the stage of my life whereby I truly felt like a frustrated achiever and that was my main source of unhappiness. Knowing the cause of your own unhappiness is key to helping you overcome your frustrations, IMO. So I cannot ask for a more appropriate timing for this book to appear.

At a certain juncture in my teaching career, I did wonder why I do not foresee myself teaching for the rest of my life though I really enjoy the interaction with the youths and seeing them make progress in their studies and academics. Besides graduate school, I really do not know from where had I found the courage to quit my job and chose to be unemployed instead. I took a pay cut switching to another sector but at no point in my life had I been so sure that teaching is not the route for me for the rest of my life. I guess the joy and satisfaction from teaching is one of Benthemite sense to me and they are unable to fill me in the long term. I dream dreams and I want to accomplish them in order to truly lead a fulfilling life and I am sure I have the ability and determination to realise them if I continue to be steadfast in my pursuits and not give up in the face of setbacks along the way.

2015, you have been a fantastic year thus far and please continue to be! Rather, I will make it happen!