What is it to be a Singaporean? Strangely I have never given that question much thought before; as a matter of fact, that question has never popped into my head for the past 19 years.
But recently, after joining AIESEC in NTU, this question has struck me quite a few times. AIESEC is an international student organization present in 85 countries which promotes youth development through its overseas traineeship opportunities. Members work to bring in and send out youths for actual work experiences with established companies, and at the same time, take part in international conferences. It has a very vibrant culture and its members include people from all over the world. So far, I have met students from India, Myanmar, China, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and I dare say it has been quite an experience. I have also met a couple of trainees who are here on their attachment. There are people from France, Slovakia, Romania, Japan, even Switzerland.
Anyway, it all started on National Day, when there was an AIESEC party and gathering. I had been assigned the task of manning the Singapore booth and naturally I had to do my research. As I sat in front of my computer trying to think of what Singapore had to offer, I couldn’t help but think that I wasn’t really very Singaporean after all. Hey I couldn’t even think up a lot of interesting stuff. Sure, sure, everyone knows the little facts about how Singaporeans are kiasu, that we are a “fine” country, that our government is a big nanny, that there are so many restrictions here, blah blah. But is that all that Singapore has to offer? Am I going to tell these “ugly” characteristics to a group of foreigners so eager to learn about their host country?
Speaking of the trainees, I must say I have a lot to learn from them. They had their own country’s booth too and as I went around listening to what they had to offer, I was struck by how well they knew their country, and how proud they were about their origins. I mean, I spent more than half an hour at the Switzerland booth looking at the photos and listening to the Swiss describe their way of life. Their attitude and zest really say a lot.
I’ve realized that the foreign students in AIESEC are really interesting too. Nowadays, I like to ask them what they think of Singapore. Strangely enough, their answers have helped me recognize what I have been taking for granted for so long.
“Singapore’s really clean.”
“The government takes good care of the people; back from where I was, that doesn’t happen at all.”
“It’s very accessible around here.”
“Almost everyone gets to go to school. I came from a village so imagine how different it is back home.”
Oh and I’ll never forget when this Indonesian guy asked me if I knew how the Singapore River was cleaned up in the 60s. He was so pleased and proud of himself as he described the process to me. To think I was complaining to him about the education system here not too long before that.
“A Singaporean is never more Singaporean than a Singaporean not in Singapore.” Perhaps we have really become complacent in this protected and comparatively care-free environment after so long. I don’t know. If I were studying overseas I might be able to comment on that. But then again, I don’t think I’ll fret too much about that. I’ve come to realize that I still can learn a lot about being Singaporean, especially through AIESEC.
On October 15, a trainee will be arriving from Romania. I think I’ll volunteer to join his welcome committee to bring him around and get him settled in. I may be a Singaporean in Singapore, but being with non-singaporeans might very well teach me a thing or too about being more Singaporean. =)
Tuesday, September 21, 2004
Saturday, September 04, 2004
Luckily Archimedes wasn't in Singapore when it happened...
You know everytime someone mentions “EUREKA”, that old guy called Archimedes never fails to pop into my mind. Well for the sake of those who haven’t heard the story, Archimedes was this famous (shame on you for not knowing him) scientist and mathematician from Syracuse. He was once asked by King Hiero II to determine if a wreath belonging to the king was made of pure gold. Because the wreath was a holy object dedicated to the gods, Archimedes could not disturb the wreath in any way. (In modern terms, he was to perform nondestructive testing).
Now Archimedes was deeply troubled by this problem, and luckily for him the solution occurred to him when he was bathing. In those days, most people bathed in tubs so when Archimedes lowered himself into the tub for a nice relaxing hot soak, he noticed that quite some water was displaced in the process. He thought for a while, realised the implications, shouted “Eureka!” and happily ran into the streets with hardly a piece of clothing on himself. And that was how he solved the puzzle, and came up with Archimedes’ Principle, which we now study in fluid physics.
I don’t know why but this thought popped into my mind today: “what will become of famous Archimedes if he were in Singapore when that happened?” Ok so I think weird thoughts. But you have to admit the consequences would have been most interesting.
For one, someone would call the police immediately at the sight of a not too young (or hunky) man dashing out of his house naked. I suspect that even if Archimedes simply ran out of his bathroom and into the living room without exiting the apartment, someone would call the police anyway. Singaporeans have this uncanny ability to notice that someone in the opposite block was walking around the apartment indecently dressed. It might have to do with all the practice we get from picking out small flaws in the television shows we watch. Honestly you’ll think that with the high percentage of myopic citizens we have, milk cans lurking in the backdrop (think a drama serial about babies), or even a tiny misjudgment by the film editors (think a purely unintentional Singapore version of Janet Jackson at Super Bowl) would go unnoticed. But no, we always get to read about them in the papers some time later. Uncanny I say.
Anyway let’s get back to Archimedes. Aside from that charge, I think he would have been handed a warning letter from the neighbourhood police. For what you may ask? Well for disturbing the peace of the neighbourhood. Ok this part will require some deducing so let’s all put on our Sherlock Holme’s hat. (In thick British accent) With the kind of excitement that comes with the discovery of a new physics principle, I’m deducing that Archimedes probably wouldn’t have bothered to keep his voice down. Also, judging from the normal bathing habits of people in Singapore, it would have been past dinner time when the incident occurred. Let’s say at about 9pm. Now at this time, people are either enjoying themselves watching television, or not enjoying themselves doing their homework. Both tasks require utmost concentration and focus, and a strange, disturbing shout like “EUREKA” is kind of hard to go unnoticed. Probably there will be several complaints from distressed parents who will be upset over the disruption of peace and thus the inconsiderate creation of a non-conducive studying environment for their children.
So as of now, Archimedes is facing two charges already. He’ll probably try to explain his situation and at the same time expound his wonderful discovery of the Archimedes Principle. This should be a happy ending and closure to the whole incident, he thinks. But he overlooked the fact that it’s Singapore; I bet $10 he forgot to apply for a patent at the relevant ministry.
Poor Archimedes... Talk about stifling creativity… hahah
Now Archimedes was deeply troubled by this problem, and luckily for him the solution occurred to him when he was bathing. In those days, most people bathed in tubs so when Archimedes lowered himself into the tub for a nice relaxing hot soak, he noticed that quite some water was displaced in the process. He thought for a while, realised the implications, shouted “Eureka!” and happily ran into the streets with hardly a piece of clothing on himself. And that was how he solved the puzzle, and came up with Archimedes’ Principle, which we now study in fluid physics.
I don’t know why but this thought popped into my mind today: “what will become of famous Archimedes if he were in Singapore when that happened?” Ok so I think weird thoughts. But you have to admit the consequences would have been most interesting.
For one, someone would call the police immediately at the sight of a not too young (or hunky) man dashing out of his house naked. I suspect that even if Archimedes simply ran out of his bathroom and into the living room without exiting the apartment, someone would call the police anyway. Singaporeans have this uncanny ability to notice that someone in the opposite block was walking around the apartment indecently dressed. It might have to do with all the practice we get from picking out small flaws in the television shows we watch. Honestly you’ll think that with the high percentage of myopic citizens we have, milk cans lurking in the backdrop (think a drama serial about babies), or even a tiny misjudgment by the film editors (think a purely unintentional Singapore version of Janet Jackson at Super Bowl) would go unnoticed. But no, we always get to read about them in the papers some time later. Uncanny I say.
Anyway let’s get back to Archimedes. Aside from that charge, I think he would have been handed a warning letter from the neighbourhood police. For what you may ask? Well for disturbing the peace of the neighbourhood. Ok this part will require some deducing so let’s all put on our Sherlock Holme’s hat. (In thick British accent) With the kind of excitement that comes with the discovery of a new physics principle, I’m deducing that Archimedes probably wouldn’t have bothered to keep his voice down. Also, judging from the normal bathing habits of people in Singapore, it would have been past dinner time when the incident occurred. Let’s say at about 9pm. Now at this time, people are either enjoying themselves watching television, or not enjoying themselves doing their homework. Both tasks require utmost concentration and focus, and a strange, disturbing shout like “EUREKA” is kind of hard to go unnoticed. Probably there will be several complaints from distressed parents who will be upset over the disruption of peace and thus the inconsiderate creation of a non-conducive studying environment for their children.
So as of now, Archimedes is facing two charges already. He’ll probably try to explain his situation and at the same time expound his wonderful discovery of the Archimedes Principle. This should be a happy ending and closure to the whole incident, he thinks. But he overlooked the fact that it’s Singapore; I bet $10 he forgot to apply for a patent at the relevant ministry.
Poor Archimedes... Talk about stifling creativity… hahah
Wednesday, September 01, 2004
Inertia and Force
Inertia (noun): the reluctance of an object to stop moving when it is in motion or to start moving when it is stationary.
It is strangely coincidental how a word so commonly used in the study of physics is actually so predominant in our daily lives. Yet it is highly ironic that while so many of us may be able to identify this occurrence when answering physics questions, so few of us really recognise how much impact it has in our social lives.
Imagine this scenario: you are flipping through the pages of your secondary school autograph book when you suddenly come across the page contributed by a very close friend of yours. As the memories flood back into your mind, you realise how long it has been since you spoke to this friend of yours. Yet, you hesitate to give him or her a call. A little voice at the back of your head says, “it’ll be so awkward” or “maybe next time when I have more time”; and you obey that voice.
That voice, whether you want to acknowledge it or not, is inertia at work. So often, we get caught up in the nitty gritty details of our hectic lives. We unknowingly become so used to rushing around and getting things done that we are reluctant to stop and focus on something that is very much closer to our hearts: friends.
The very people with whom we once played catch, the people who stood by us when we felt low and vulnerable, the people with whom we shared so many highs and lows, happy and sad, wacky and crazy times. I think it is such a pity that so many friendships casually die off because inertia becomes too powerful to overcome. I feel sad that even during gatherings, some people cannot turn up or do not bother to because inertia is so overbearing in their lives. It’s like driving on an expressway without wearing a seat belt: we become aware of inertia only when the driver is thrown through the windscreen upon a sudden stop. Similarly, by the time we become aware of this inertia in our social lives, more often than not the damage is already done.
But as in physics, inertia can be overcome by the introduction of a force in the correct direction. A force is a push or a pull exerted to change the state of an object. If exerted on a stationary object for example, the force can allow the object overcome its reluctance to move.
I have a lot of respect for those who are able to create this force and propel themselves to overcome inertia. They are able to gain strength from the thought that the goodness which comes out of maintaining that friendship is worth the extra effort. They try continually, ever so determined to bring back remnants of those good old memories. I salute them for their tremendous efforts and their faith in the human spirit.
We tackle physics questions concerning inertia and forces with apparent ease. Let us one day be able to tackle our social problems regarding these same two concepts with that same kind of ease. Let not a simple misstep on our part tear down years of friendship and love.
It is strangely coincidental how a word so commonly used in the study of physics is actually so predominant in our daily lives. Yet it is highly ironic that while so many of us may be able to identify this occurrence when answering physics questions, so few of us really recognise how much impact it has in our social lives.
Imagine this scenario: you are flipping through the pages of your secondary school autograph book when you suddenly come across the page contributed by a very close friend of yours. As the memories flood back into your mind, you realise how long it has been since you spoke to this friend of yours. Yet, you hesitate to give him or her a call. A little voice at the back of your head says, “it’ll be so awkward” or “maybe next time when I have more time”; and you obey that voice.
That voice, whether you want to acknowledge it or not, is inertia at work. So often, we get caught up in the nitty gritty details of our hectic lives. We unknowingly become so used to rushing around and getting things done that we are reluctant to stop and focus on something that is very much closer to our hearts: friends.
The very people with whom we once played catch, the people who stood by us when we felt low and vulnerable, the people with whom we shared so many highs and lows, happy and sad, wacky and crazy times. I think it is such a pity that so many friendships casually die off because inertia becomes too powerful to overcome. I feel sad that even during gatherings, some people cannot turn up or do not bother to because inertia is so overbearing in their lives. It’s like driving on an expressway without wearing a seat belt: we become aware of inertia only when the driver is thrown through the windscreen upon a sudden stop. Similarly, by the time we become aware of this inertia in our social lives, more often than not the damage is already done.
But as in physics, inertia can be overcome by the introduction of a force in the correct direction. A force is a push or a pull exerted to change the state of an object. If exerted on a stationary object for example, the force can allow the object overcome its reluctance to move.
I have a lot of respect for those who are able to create this force and propel themselves to overcome inertia. They are able to gain strength from the thought that the goodness which comes out of maintaining that friendship is worth the extra effort. They try continually, ever so determined to bring back remnants of those good old memories. I salute them for their tremendous efforts and their faith in the human spirit.
We tackle physics questions concerning inertia and forces with apparent ease. Let us one day be able to tackle our social problems regarding these same two concepts with that same kind of ease. Let not a simple misstep on our part tear down years of friendship and love.
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