For 364 days a year, we complain.
Then, for one day in August, we somehow become the most patriotic brothers and sisters, banding together to celebrate our Mother(land)’s birthday.
It’s ludicrous if you look at it this way: All year round, we see countless remarks from Singaporeans about how Singapore is a terrible place to live in, and all it takes is for one day dedicated to celebrating the country for people to become patriotic.
Conversely, there is another group of Singaporeans that will roll their eyes at the patriots for such an absurd display of love and pride for the country—Call us hypocrites, for we sing praises about Singapore and flaunt our patriotism on our social media accounts for that one day, only to go back to complaining after.
And it is true that there’s a lot to hate about Singapore.
Right off the bat, there is the recent E-Pay and Preetipls saga, which once again put a spotlight on racism in Singapore—an issue that has been bubbling just beneath the surface for quite awhile now. It has caused quite the brouhaha, causing a divide as many took to polarising ends of the debate on what constitutes unacceptable behaviour.
It is a harsh reminder that despite a growing number of Singaporeans taking on a progressive mindset, Singapore is still a largely conservative society. Racism is but one one of many issues our ‘divided’ society struggle with. It is also the reason behind the longstanding fight for and against 377A.
Along with all of that is the perception of a ‘strict’ or ‘authoritarian’ government among Singaporeans, especially the very outspoken ones on forums, Reddit and Quora threads, and social media comment section. From their view on censorship (fake news law) to how they crack down on the most minute of things like having to regulate PMDs and drones—disgruntled Singaporeans have time and again seen these as signs that the government is running the country with an iron fist.
Corruption is also an issue that people are increasingly discussing, but this is a whole other debate for another day. I am also in no way qualified to make any judgment on this, as I lack the political knowledge. However, one doesn’t need to that knowledge to know, from the kind of nasty comments online, that what many people belief.
I penned a letter to our government last year and in it, I talked about the hopes and fears as a young Singaporean.
I spoke about the reality of hopeful Singaporeans fearing for our future here because of the high costs of living here. Singapore is an expensive city to live in, we know. However, it is when we start to realise that sooner or later, we have to juggle being a full-time worker striving for success in our career, a reliable provider to our own children, and also a caregiver to our aging parents all at once that it becomes overwhelming.
Heck, how can one not feel the pressure when the moment we ‘start our life’ with a new home is the moment we enter a 10 to 25 year debt?
I’ve met underprivileged families. Families with more than two children and that lives in small, basic rented one-room flats, because that is the best that they can afford. I am also aware of the truly impoverished and the homeless who live among us but who are hidden away from sight.
There is always a small part of me that fears falling through the cracks to that state one day, and I am sure it is the same for the rest of the Singaporeans.
It is also because of these worries that Singaporeans are aware of the need to work hard, spend smart, and stay prudent for rainy days. It is also for this very reason that a lot of people hate Singapore—We are extremely competitive.
It is not like our parents time, where degree holders are highly sought after. Today, everyone is a degree holder, and it is one’s expertise or experience in the industry that makes one valuable to a company. Which means that it is now about aiming for excellence in school and also when we start our first job.
Yes, nothing comes easy, but this also comes at a time where we are also being encouraged to chase our passions and turn them into our career. All of us want that, and it is definitely achievable if one works hard for it. But the truth is that most don’t get there because the need to be financially stable makes it a struggle to even find that balance between passion and profit.
It’s also a harsh truth that in whatever we attempt, it’s a constant fight to be better than all the 3.7 million employed individuals in Singapore who can easily displace us. Because Singapore is that competitive.
There’s many other little things that add up, and it will possibly turn this article into 50 page thesis if I were to touch on everything in detail.
On the other hand, there’s also a lot that we are thankful for. And often, it is when we come home from vacations overseas when we feel it.
We aren’t happy with our people and our leaders, but on the other hand, it speaks volumes about how much people actually care.
In the case of the recent ‘racism saga’, a lot of emotionally-driven responses were posted across social media pages. Maybe it turned out to be a whole lot of noise, but we can take comfort in knowing that people care enough to fight for justice and awareness.
It is idealistic, but I believe that at the end of this episode, Singaporeans hope for our society to progress towards being more racially harmonious and not just tolerating.
We often criticise the government for their inaction on various issues from racism to 377A, but if we stopped to think about what they had done, however, we will see how they try.
I am not pro-government and neither am I a leftist. However, I have to acknowledge that we have a government that is attentive of the issues of our nation. Not everything is ideal for everyone, but we cannot deny that we have a government that is constantly worried about the welfare of our society and always looking at ways to progress the nation.
What is sad, is if our leaders completely disregards the issues that we worry about.
It’s been said before, and it needs to be said again: We are privileged.
For all the imperfections that make us hate Singapore, we are blessed with so many luxuries.
Over the past year, I’ve spoken to many millennials who shared their stories of when they volunteered overseas: In certain parts of the world, it is normal to have no access to electricity, normal to have cockroaches crawling around in their home, and it is normal for students to skip school just so that they can walk two hours to a lake for water.
There’s also one who told me about ladies who were catfished and lured into prostitution from a young age, and whom have to face authorities who are indifferent to their plight.
Knowing these, we can be thankful that at least we have easy access to all the basic amenities we need, like water, food, transport, healthcare, and entertainment.
We can also be thankful that we are given largely equal opportunities, whether it is education, jobs, or the chance to build our own homes.
It’s also encouraging to know that for all the squabbles we have over unpopular opinions, we have a relatively healthy society with equal opportunities for everyone to speak and to suggest or even execute new ideas for the good of the country and the people.
Last but not the least; Our safety and security. Singapore is one of the safest countries in the world, and all it takes is for us to travel to any other country for us to know this better.
For what it’s worth, I think it doesn’t matter if we complain about Singapore all year round. And it doesn’t matter if we are hypocrites to be one-day patriots, because we, at least most of us, know that this is ultimately a place that has given us a lot for us to call it home.
The very fact that one can be wherever one is and reading this article through our phone, desktop, or tablet shows how much privilege one already has.
Most of us are proud to be Singaporean, as much as we are ashamed or shy to admit. I know this from the way we love to see Singapore-inspired stuff overseas, and how we are more than happy to #SupportLocal.
At the end of the day, most of us know that for all the flaws that we have as a nation, it’s a darn good country to be born in and to be living in.
So let’s celebrate that.
Also read: Home Away From Home – Is Living In Australia Really A Match ‘Mate’ In Heaven?.
(Header Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons)
Her home had become a place of solace for her, a fortress she can’t bear to leave.Likewise, this is the case for the many hikikomori in Singapore, who have taken to forums to pour the feelings that they have hidden away from their friends and family.
“Maybe we were too sheltered. Maybe we were too spoiled and everything comes to us easy and without any barriers. Back then, I felt that no matter how useless I was, I would still be able to live comfortably, or still be able to live somehow.”An avid fan of Disney’s classics, Josh had a grandiose dream of being a 2D Animator for Disney. When news broke that Disney closed down their 2D animation company, his hopes and dreams were dashed. Dejected, he let himself waste away, passing the days by gaming and watching anime at home.
In fact, most, if not all, hikikomori hate the plight that they put themselves in, and they are ashamed of it.“When I was hikikomori, I lost all desire for wants. Normal things like going to movies or buying expensive new things don’t interest me anymore. I don’t know why I exist, to be honest. Sometimes I can feel my parents’ disappointment in me and I don’t feel good too,” shares Andrea. They have confined themselves to their homes, but most hikikomori actually want to return to society. However, the fear and anxiety of how society may react to them. Even if they manage to take the first step out of their homes, they are plagued by this constant fear that they are being judged by those around them, afraid that the world wouldn’t come to accept them because of their past. Maika Elan, a Photographer exploring the topic of hikikomori, shared on National Geographic that “Over time, hikikomori lose whatever self-esteem and confidence they had, and the prospect of leaving home becomes ever more terrifying. Locking themselves in their room makes them feel ‘safe’.” Similarly, Andrea admitted that the very paranoia of being judged for being a hikikomori is the toughest obstacle she had to overcome. She would often slip back into isolation because of it. Thanks to volunteer work at a church, Andrea was able to break out of the hikikomori syndrome. She eventually managed to land herself a job through one of the other volunteers. As for Josh, he stumbled upon the animes Re:Zero and Konosuba, which shifted his perspective on life. Both shows feature male protagonists who were hikikomori and Josh was able to relate to them strongly. “In Re:Zero, it tells us that no matter where you are, nothing’s going to change if you don’t put in any effort to take charge and improve yourself.” Witnessing his friends’ success also pushed him to eventually change his lifestyle.
“What gives them the drive to keep doing what they do? Why are they set on improving themselves and going out there to find jobs and socialise, and to be proactive with their lives?”These were the questions that Josh posed to himself, and subsequently embarked on a quest to uncover. “Sometimes it’s hard, but you just have to remember that there are other people out there who are struggling and still trying their best as well.” Today, he works as a Digital Designer, which is not too far off from his initial dream. Although, there are others who struggle to break out. “It all started after he finished his degree overseas and came back. He didn’t find work and just stayed at home gaming and surfing the net. We’d ask him to come out for coffee or meals but he’d always turn us down.” Tim*, a male in his 30s, shares with me about his friend who has been a hikikomori for over 10 years. “I’ve a feeling that the shame of being long unemployed while everyone else is working just drives him to become a hikikomori. I guess his parents still buy him food or give him spending money so he doesn’t need to force himself to get a job.”
“There’s only so much that others can help you with. Only you can change yourself. Even if it’s for your parents or yourself, I hope you will find it in you to want to get better.”“We all are living for a reason. We need to reflect on that more often, to put our lives into perspective. Once things are in perspective, it will all make sense in the end.” “After all, life exists and thrives beyond these four walls, but it’s up to us whether or not we want to open the door to live.” *Names have been changed to protect the identity of the individuals. Also read: It’s The 21st Century, Why Do We Still Treat Maids Like Slaves? (Header Image Credit: Unsplash)
We talk about the millennials having social media as the ultimate tool but we never learnt about it in schools. Computers and codes are the core of our generation, yet writing and counting is the main focus in our curriculum.
When millennials push for an overhaul on our school system, Singapore worries about compromising the quality of education. However, millennials have suffered from the disparity in our syllabus and the working world.
Changing the curriculum to accommodate relevant topics like basic financial literacy, presentation skills and computer knowledge (beyond the basic use of Microsoft excel) is not a compromise; it’s an improvement from whatever we have now.
On top of the education system, millennials have been increasingly involved with matters of the state.
Many of our parents and grandparents found comfort in PAP’s leadership. They had blind faith in the government because they trusted Lee Kuan Yew. Many believe that since it has worked so far, why fix something that isn’t broken?
With Lee Kuan Yew gone, millennials don’t have the luxury of being passive. The new generation of ministers are a blind bet but we know that new leadership is also an opportunity to address our concerns. Our future in Singapore is at stake and we’re not afraid to talk about it.
With the power of social media which grants us an unfiltered voice to challenge the status quo. Our dissatisfaction and suggestions are no longer confined to wet market gossip or meet the people sessions. Equipped with an ability to transform our grievances into Facebook statuses, we don’t need a middle man to talk to our government.
Social media is characteristically millennial, but let’s not forget the societal changes we go through.
Growing up alongside the pink dot movement, most of us have friends or acquaintances with a different sexual preference. This is the era where homosexuals have a voice.
It is also during our time that a safe zone for victims of sexual assault was established. Now they can seek help and support on various platforms regardless of what they were wearing.
While we pursue gay rights and campaign for mental health awareness, we come across too liberal and unconcerned with what’s ‘right’. We are accused of having a faulty moral compass. On the contrary, millennials have strong sense right and wrong, but we abide by our own system of values.
It is no longer okay to laugh at a limp wrist boy or a girl with a buzz cut. You shouldn’t tell someone who is depressed, “that they just need some rest.” Gone are the days where it’s acceptable to scold a sexual assault victim for dressing promiscuously.
Societal norms have evolved just as we’ve aged. Kindness and good deeds were the ultimate point of enlightenment when we were kids, but inclusivity and acceptance form the new moral high ground. Of course it’s a struggle for our elders to accept this new mind set.
When Singaporeans heard the news of our passport being one of the most powerful, we “lord it around on Facebook groups congratulating each other how lucky we are that our passport is so impressive”. And yet “how many Singaporeans have made use of their ‘powerful passport’ to visit any of these 180 countries?”
While the duo has visited various African and European countries, Singaporeans wield our Singapore passport like an average mortal swings the Thor hammer – a useless weapon in our hands. So why do we still deserve to celebrate our passport?
Screen shot taken from A Girl and A Bald Traveller's original blog post
According to the duo, those who visit Bangkok and Johor aren’t maximising the passport’s full power because everyone else can easily access these places. Do you know that China grants visa-free travel for ordinary passports to very limited countries including Singapore? Or that Bangkok has an <a href=" immigration system exclusive to Hong Kong and Singapore passport holders? These are but a few perks that come with having a powerful passport. Perks that 'mainstream people' like me can actually enjoy.
The power of Singapore’s passport is ever-present within Asia, yet because countries in Asia are considered mainstream and easily accessible to The Girl and A Bald Traveller, they have declared those to be of a lesser travelling experience.
If travelling was about Instagram, wouldn't a popular feed be filled with pictures of places less travelled? Wouldn't those posted on the duo's site, photos of 'rare' and 'unique' places, garner more likes than a photo with Taiwan’s floating lanterns?
Instagram isn’t just a platform to show off a lifestyle, it is also an informational platform. Before I visit a café, I check out their Instagram location tag to see their food, how the café environment is like, and what everyone else would recommend. It is an unbiased and collective opinion on the place. Before travelling to Taiwan, Bangkok, or JB, Instagram and Facebook help me get a rough idea of what I would like to eat, see, do, and even how to get there because of the photos and captions I see. Simply put. If it’s not insta-worthy, it’s not as easy to research on. An exotic country like Belarus and Ukraine will be a whole new experience to me, but getting there and planning my itinerary is not as easy as it is for the ‘boring countries’. Understanding their roads and deciding on my choice of transport is not as simple, especially for someone who is constantly getting lost even in Singapore."Simply put. If it's not "Insta-worthy", it's not "Singa-worthy"."
In his original post, as a 19 year old and a youth himself, he shares his opinion of today’s youth as “kinda ignorant and narcissistic”. He goes on to say that most of his friends are more concerned with how many Instagram followers they have than on what they want to do in the future.
This question invited a flurry of responses, and surprisingly, a large majority of them echoed the same sentiment: Give the kids a damn break.
Some attributed their worry-free lifestyles to the fact that they grow up in much more fortunate circumstances.
At 19, our parents or grandparents were working because they had no choice. If this generation of young people have the luxury of caring only about their Instagram followers at 19, why not let them? They'll have time enough to care about adult things (house, car, finances) later on. Almost everyone is forced to grow up sooner or later. I don't mean that it's good that they only care about superficial things, but in the end, their loss. If you know what you want now, all the better for you. You'll have a headstart. - halfbakeryIn the end, we all becomes adults when life demands it, and isn’t that all that matters? Why cut short your youth and rush into it?
Caring more about other things than the future is the privilege of a youth. They'll eventually learn otherwise. Haha for me as long as they don't commit crime or do stupid stuff can already - TheHungryTTKSome were quick to associate people who are Instagram-obsessed with a lack of smarts
Anecdotally speaking, poly has a lot of those Instagram/clothes/popularity obsessed simple minded kids. Maybe about 70%. Never been to JC to see what that's like, though. - NervousDucklingSome pointed out that generations have and always will be in conflict
People have bitched about the younger generation since time immemorial. - kronografSome pointed out that youth will be youth—today, 10 years ago and 10 years down the road—and they will always fixate on inconsequential matters
Ehh....its always been like that no? Today it's instagram, yesterday it was facebook, day before was friendster, day before was myspace. Wanna go further back? Week before it was who's best at chapteh, week before that was who's has the nicest marbles, week before that was who could get a perm. Youth = youth. We'll always be fixated on inconsequential things, because that's how we figure ourselves out. - lauises Reddiporeans in your 30s and above: seriously do you not remember what you were like when you were young? I do. I was a self-absorbed little shit who cared nothing more than what was hot at the time, what made me look the coolest, and what was the best thing to pretend to be passionate about so that I could impress girls. I used to write journals for years, and whenever I go back to reading them, I face-palm so hard my eyeballs pop out through the other side. When I'm not dying of cringe, I find my writing a fascinating look into the (complete lack of) depth of my knowledge and understanding of the world around me. The only problem with kids these days is that they have access to the internet which helps them advertise the stupid shit we all did. I for one am so glad I didn't grow up at a time of pervasive social networks. - rindojustrindoGenerally, the response was positive for today’s youth. Youth will be youth, whatever the state of technology and the trends passing through. The way I see it, kids today are growing up too fast, being pressured to perform and succeed from such a young age. So I say have fun, see the world through youth-tinted glasses, do sh*t you’ll regret in like, 20 years time. Growing up in Singapore is stressful enough as it is and there will come a time when we must all be adults. Maybe your peers judge and maybe the "adults" don't approve, but what does it matter? Use your Instagram, Snap like there is no tomorrow, and when the time comes when we are old and cringe at the antics we used to pull, blame it on our youth. Like the Reddit user above says, living in the now and focusing on the inconsequential are the privileges of our youth.
Copyright © 2023 GRVTY Media Pte Ltd (Co. Reg. 201431998C). All Rights Reserved.
