This topic is especially poignant with me because it was an expression of feelings between my mum and I before she died. Thus I cannot comprehend how there can be a law to do this, as mentioned in a letter in the New Paper.
I remember my mum insisting that I greet everyone we come into contact with. I did it begrudgingly when I was younger but now as an adult, I do it naturally. If I find it tedious, I give at least a smile. My parents did a good job in bringing me up, and they used the cane as one of their methods. I see most parents of today not daring to use it for fear of abuse. If the aim of its usage is to discipline the kid and change him for the better, then it is certainly not abuse. Some parents also naively believe their kids' lies against the teachers' words, and as a result, malign the teachers. Due to such lenience, it is no wonder that the children will not think that looking after their aged parents is a duty. These parents who fear doing the right thing, have caused Singapore to have no choice but to impose such a law.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Abuse In Tampines
The abuse is by a woman on a man who lives with her. It is especially horrifying because it is done in public and not in the confines of their home. She chases him along the common corridor with a cane, orders him to kneel down and apologise, and even to sleep without a shirt outside their home, and does not give him food at times. She is older by a decade.
The man refuses to leave her and claims he loves her very much. At the same time, he cries after he is mistreated. His emotions are causing him to let himself be ruined at her hands. I hope his tolerance level is tried so badly that he runs away from her.
The woman is obviously beyond help. When people tell her off, she blames the man for being useless. What if she were the one being abused? Women are supposed to be more loving than men. Here is an atypical example which really disgraces we women. She has shamed the man so badly by doing all these to him. Any men would have retaliated long ago. This is reminiscent of another woman who kicked a man in the groin at the roadside. The men are not children and yet they willingly allow themselves to be abused. What hold do these women have over them??
The irony is that even the woman's son disapproves of her actions. Does she still think she is doing the right thing?
The man refuses to leave her and claims he loves her very much. At the same time, he cries after he is mistreated. His emotions are causing him to let himself be ruined at her hands. I hope his tolerance level is tried so badly that he runs away from her.
The woman is obviously beyond help. When people tell her off, she blames the man for being useless. What if she were the one being abused? Women are supposed to be more loving than men. Here is an atypical example which really disgraces we women. She has shamed the man so badly by doing all these to him. Any men would have retaliated long ago. This is reminiscent of another woman who kicked a man in the groin at the roadside. The men are not children and yet they willingly allow themselves to be abused. What hold do these women have over them??
The irony is that even the woman's son disapproves of her actions. Does she still think she is doing the right thing?
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
A long-awaited get-together
It was so amazing how God allowed me to go for Ascension sunset mass by cancelling my lesson. A good girlfriend of mine, Mich, managed to catch me after mass for dinner.
She gave an update on the happenings in her life and it was then that I realised that I have not really spoken to her for at least two months! I didn't even know that her nature of involvement in church had changed.
She being a teacher-in-training, made it so easy for me to share my teaching-cum-tutoring stories with her. It was truly a meal of kindred spirits. I felt blessed being able to do so.
I agree with what she said about being thankful for friends who don't drift apart and are there for you even after not having met for a long time. My close girlfriends make me feel this way about our friendships. Even my best girlfriend and my god-daughter cause me to feel this way too. :)
She gave an update on the happenings in her life and it was then that I realised that I have not really spoken to her for at least two months! I didn't even know that her nature of involvement in church had changed.
She being a teacher-in-training, made it so easy for me to share my teaching-cum-tutoring stories with her. It was truly a meal of kindred spirits. I felt blessed being able to do so.
I agree with what she said about being thankful for friends who don't drift apart and are there for you even after not having met for a long time. My close girlfriends make me feel this way about our friendships. Even my best girlfriend and my god-daughter cause me to feel this way too. :)
Friday, August 28, 2009
Caring doctors to my family.
A doctor wrote an article on how he gets distressed when his patients ignore his advice for cancer treatment. He explained that it is because he cares for them. I am reminded of the doctors that have attended to my family members over the years.
My dad has 2. One of them is our family friend and the other was recommended by him. Both are caring towards us. They anticipate our needs and cater to them with their assurances.
My mum had 1. She went beyond the mile to send us encouraging messages of hope and strength, when my mum was dying. We still keep the messages.
I have 1. She makes me feel that she is more than a doctor to me, as she asks after my parents too. I feel so cared for by her that I decided to give her a gift last Christmas. Thanks, Dr. Koh!
My dad has 2. One of them is our family friend and the other was recommended by him. Both are caring towards us. They anticipate our needs and cater to them with their assurances.
My mum had 1. She went beyond the mile to send us encouraging messages of hope and strength, when my mum was dying. We still keep the messages.
I have 1. She makes me feel that she is more than a doctor to me, as she asks after my parents too. I feel so cared for by her that I decided to give her a gift last Christmas. Thanks, Dr. Koh!
Friday, August 21, 2009
Catching up with May
I met her at Compass Point and she brought her kids along. They are adorable and rather well-behaved darlings. I felt so protective of them. They also helped to nurture my character in the process of looking out for them.
It was a good time spent with her. I felt as if nothing between us had changed. I still felt comfortable with her mum too. Such is the power of old friends who became best friends. I went to their new house and then to the book warehouse sale at Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10. The sale was a book lover's paradise. Unfortunately, I've reached my peak in buying books, and so I experienced the concept of diminishing returns when I was there. I could not find any book good enough to cause me to fork out money for, despite the really low prices of the books.
Here is more information about the sale. The lowest price is about $1-2. There are also magazines too. They are not so old as to have yellow pages though. I believe they are a mixture of old and new books/magazines.
The hilarious thing is that she was on her way in sending me home before we saw the banner. Her daughter is a bookworm and she wanted to get some books for her daughter. I too, am a bookworm. :) So we decided to throw caution to the wind and head for the sale!
I saw even more how good a mother she is. She had the patience to scour through all the children's books for the ones that would be good for her daughter. She also affirmed my preference for children's and teens' books. They are easier to digest, especially pertaining to difficult topics, and have more appealing plots. Now I'm less embarrassed when I read one in public.
I managed to broach a subject that had been causing me resentment and fear each time I knew I was going to meet her. I realised that she had been ignorant of it all the while, and it was good that we cleared the air. She gave me her thoughts on it, and in the process, I knew that a realization had been attained. At the same time, she was gentle about sharing her perspective and added something that really touched me. I certainly don't deserve to be the target of what it was about. She has kindly overestimated me. It also revealed to me that I had jumped to conclusions based on what had happened much earlier in the friendship.
I definitely look forward to meeting her more often. :D
It was a good time spent with her. I felt as if nothing between us had changed. I still felt comfortable with her mum too. Such is the power of old friends who became best friends. I went to their new house and then to the book warehouse sale at Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10. The sale was a book lover's paradise. Unfortunately, I've reached my peak in buying books, and so I experienced the concept of diminishing returns when I was there. I could not find any book good enough to cause me to fork out money for, despite the really low prices of the books.
Here is more information about the sale. The lowest price is about $1-2. There are also magazines too. They are not so old as to have yellow pages though. I believe they are a mixture of old and new books/magazines.
The hilarious thing is that she was on her way in sending me home before we saw the banner. Her daughter is a bookworm and she wanted to get some books for her daughter. I too, am a bookworm. :) So we decided to throw caution to the wind and head for the sale!
I saw even more how good a mother she is. She had the patience to scour through all the children's books for the ones that would be good for her daughter. She also affirmed my preference for children's and teens' books. They are easier to digest, especially pertaining to difficult topics, and have more appealing plots. Now I'm less embarrassed when I read one in public.
I managed to broach a subject that had been causing me resentment and fear each time I knew I was going to meet her. I realised that she had been ignorant of it all the while, and it was good that we cleared the air. She gave me her thoughts on it, and in the process, I knew that a realization had been attained. At the same time, she was gentle about sharing her perspective and added something that really touched me. I certainly don't deserve to be the target of what it was about. She has kindly overestimated me. It also revealed to me that I had jumped to conclusions based on what had happened much earlier in the friendship.
I definitely look forward to meeting her more often. :D
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Characteristics negative in every way
If there is a gift of outstanding ability and output, self-pride can ensue, but when the pride level escalates to blatancy, it becomes glaring and repulsive. The gift was not granted for this occurrence. It was for the purpose of enhancement and natural appreciation. Certainly, there is self-awareness that this occurrence is really a mirror for self-consciousness. The desire to seek purification is instilled. Perhaps emotion is the reason for such blatancy and condescension.
On the other hand, a revelation that personal levels pale in comparison can be smarting and incite inferiority. However, there is a choice to incline towards humility in acceptance, or towards uncalled-for cynicism under the pretence of enlightenment. Do societal rankings affect the choice taken?
When objective views are sought, truth should be the underlying drive. Instead, empathy to the point of unjustly sowing seeds of retaliation underneath power rights is shown. Gratitude is again felt at the knowledge of truth and love freely given.
Warpness is further seen in the corrupted motivation of personal gain when service is rendered and tasks are undertaken. This is more clearly explained in the context of a religion. There is definitely unsuitability, with the showcase of such an attitude, in this particular context. It is a tragedy to note such a perspective. "We are in the world but not of the world." This truth has been forgotten with the overwhelming forces of the world upon us. It is even more unfathomable when this is seen in the weaker gender of traditional society who is the key for future generations.
The terribly mistaken assumption that self-employment leads to naive ignorance of the world at large has been proven. A knowledgeable mindset can still be obtained, and boosted by a literary quest for it. Humble enlightening is then impressed upon. The power of literature and the written word does open the mind to commonsensical factors blatantly displayed, but blind to by a rigid thirst for materialistic gain.
Time and environment have certainly changed people's characters. Innocence and decency have evolved into an extremity of liberalism. Sincerity is terribly compromised and what is seen, is superficiality. This leaves me aghast.
Monetary abundance leaves one with the false impression that it should be the prime factor in lifelong companionship. Woe to those in this category. Character is what matters and what will sustain.
I cannot fathom how enhancing one's appearance through artificial means can compensate for one's deficient abilities in handling work responsibilities and in cultivating the correct work attitudes. It can give a competent initial impression but time will reveal the harsh truth, and the actual output will be terribly compromised to the embarrassment of self. The tragedy is that this lesson has not been fully learnt with past mistakes made. It would be better if the appearance is left in its natural form but the abilities are improved upon in a tremendous and positive manner.
On the other hand, a revelation that personal levels pale in comparison can be smarting and incite inferiority. However, there is a choice to incline towards humility in acceptance, or towards uncalled-for cynicism under the pretence of enlightenment. Do societal rankings affect the choice taken?
When objective views are sought, truth should be the underlying drive. Instead, empathy to the point of unjustly sowing seeds of retaliation underneath power rights is shown. Gratitude is again felt at the knowledge of truth and love freely given.
Warpness is further seen in the corrupted motivation of personal gain when service is rendered and tasks are undertaken. This is more clearly explained in the context of a religion. There is definitely unsuitability, with the showcase of such an attitude, in this particular context. It is a tragedy to note such a perspective. "We are in the world but not of the world." This truth has been forgotten with the overwhelming forces of the world upon us. It is even more unfathomable when this is seen in the weaker gender of traditional society who is the key for future generations.
The terribly mistaken assumption that self-employment leads to naive ignorance of the world at large has been proven. A knowledgeable mindset can still be obtained, and boosted by a literary quest for it. Humble enlightening is then impressed upon. The power of literature and the written word does open the mind to commonsensical factors blatantly displayed, but blind to by a rigid thirst for materialistic gain.
Time and environment have certainly changed people's characters. Innocence and decency have evolved into an extremity of liberalism. Sincerity is terribly compromised and what is seen, is superficiality. This leaves me aghast.
Monetary abundance leaves one with the false impression that it should be the prime factor in lifelong companionship. Woe to those in this category. Character is what matters and what will sustain.
I cannot fathom how enhancing one's appearance through artificial means can compensate for one's deficient abilities in handling work responsibilities and in cultivating the correct work attitudes. It can give a competent initial impression but time will reveal the harsh truth, and the actual output will be terribly compromised to the embarrassment of self. The tragedy is that this lesson has not been fully learnt with past mistakes made. It would be better if the appearance is left in its natural form but the abilities are improved upon in a tremendous and positive manner.
The power of my students
I really love teaching my students. When I am going through difficult moments on a personal basis, I just cheer up when I am with them. Their smiles brighten my heart and make me laugh. As some of them are Christians too, I can share with them my problems and ask for their prayers. In fact, I think I see them more as my friends. I have actually confided in some as well, and their advice plus friendship brought me through those moments.
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