I am writing to express my feelings over an incident that happened over the CNY weekend. I think that this incident illustrates the attitudes and values of certain people in society.
On the first day of Lunar New Year, my family went to visit relatives in Malaysia. As expected, there was a huge jam at the causeway. We took more than an hour just to cross both customs. However, I also got to see the bad side of human nature.
As we approached the Malaysian checkpoint, the road was split into three lanes. We took right lane - what a mistake that was! We joined a queue behind a custom booth, waiting to have our passports stamped. The cars cleared rather quickly, until disaster struck. The car in front of us was right beside the booth counter. However, after five minutes, it still had not moved an inch, while cars from the lanes beside quickly got pass. Much to our dismay, the people in the car in front did not fill in their white cards before entering the customs. In fact, they they did not even have white cards. Someone was sent to get them. Upon getting their white cards, they did not even bother to hasten to fill them up. To our anger, they took their own sweet time. Some were even laughing and joking while they filled their cards! Their inconsiderate behavior delayed us by 15 mins, and also caused blood to boil in anger.
What inconsiderate and selfish people! At least, they should have known that they needed to submit white cards upon entering the Malaysian customs. They could have stopped their car at the white cards distribution booth along the wider parts of the causeway, instead of getting them from the customs officers! They could also have stopped their car somewhere else to fill up the cards! And above all that, none of them even seemed to bother about other people waiting in the queue. They selfishly held up the whole queue. Time was wasted. Fuel was wasted. And unnessary heat was generated, from the car engines, and from blood boiling with rage.
Not even a word of apology. Not even a guesture. Not even a sign of urgency. No guilt. No remorse. No stress. What selfish people! And just for information, the car was an 'S' plate, Singapore registered car.
What kind of attitude was that? Where are the moral values? What has happended to the sense of urgency? I feel that these road-hoggers should be given a penalty or some form of punishment. Everyone should do their part to contribute to a more gracious society. Or at least, have the initiative to give way.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Thursday, January 21, 2010
My first post - A Book Review
Hi readers, and welcome to my first formal post on this blog. For this post, I shall share with you an interesting book that I read over the holidays and I am rather impacted by it. Let me introduce you to Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell, which I am sure that many of you have heard of before.
The story is set in the year 1984 and the protagonist of the story is Winston Smith. Winston Smith lives in a society where everyone is a slave to a tyrannical totalitarian regime. The Party rules over the citizens of Oceania with total control over them. They have to abide by the party laws and have no freedom at all. In fact, they are brainwashed by the party to become citizens loyal to the regime. The citizens of Oceania are treated like slaves. They have to abide by what the party demands of them and they cannot defy orders or rebel against it. They lives are controlled by their Party.
Winston Smith works for the Ministry of Truth in London, the chief city of Airstrip One, which is actually Great Britan in real life. In his world, the surface of the Earth had been divided into three parts or three superstates, namely Oceania, Eurasia and Eastasia. Oceania comprises of the British Isles, the Ameraicas and the south tip of Africa. Eurasia comprises of Europe, Russia and the top of Africa. Eastasia is made up of China, Southeast Asia and other parts of asia. The three superstates are always at war with one another. For example, if Oceania were at war with Eastasia, it would be generally be at peace with Eurasia. This constant war is fought not because of different ideas or for expansion, but rather to use up any extra surpluses from the manufacturing of goods and also as a reason not to provide the masses with comforts. Since the three powers were unconquerable, this never ending war would never be won and hence it will go on forever.
The common citizens of Oceania are constantly brainwashed by propaganda blasting from the telescreens( a type of televison with a camera, like a modern day televison with a webcam) everywhere. They are required to have complete loyalty to the Party. Any crime that they commit, be it small or big, against the party was tracked down and punished. Even Thoughtcrime (which was mainly thinking bad of the Party in your brain) was punishable by death. Hence, the citizens in Oceania are oppressed and live in constant fear.
There was obviously, no democracy in Oceania. The government was headed by a mysterious character, named Big Brother, whom no one has ever seen before in real life. He was constantly depicted in posters pasted all over London and his voice was contantly heard over the telescreen. He was actually just simply a character created by the government as people tend to have more feelings toward an individual, rather than an organisation. The people had to follow and accept what the government said without any questions.
Winston Smith is just an ordinary citizen of Oceania, and a member of the Party. He feels that life under the rule of the Party is dull and deadening. He begins to question himself wheather life was better before the rule of the Party or at present. When he finds love with Julia, he discovers that life does not have to be dull and he awakes to new possibilities. Winston and Julia soon begin to question the Party and they are drawn toward conspiracy. They wanted a world of democracy, where every individual has his own right and say. However, their acts are soon uncovered and they are caught and punished.
My feelings after reading this book was that we are lucky to be living in a free and democratic world, where every individual has his own right and say. We should preserve this democracy in the world. We should also have our own thoughts and opinions about things and not follow what another says nor let others influence our views. We should do what we believe in and not subject to being ruled over by others.
The story is set in the year 1984 and the protagonist of the story is Winston Smith. Winston Smith lives in a society where everyone is a slave to a tyrannical totalitarian regime. The Party rules over the citizens of Oceania with total control over them. They have to abide by the party laws and have no freedom at all. In fact, they are brainwashed by the party to become citizens loyal to the regime. The citizens of Oceania are treated like slaves. They have to abide by what the party demands of them and they cannot defy orders or rebel against it. They lives are controlled by their Party.
Winston Smith works for the Ministry of Truth in London, the chief city of Airstrip One, which is actually Great Britan in real life. In his world, the surface of the Earth had been divided into three parts or three superstates, namely Oceania, Eurasia and Eastasia. Oceania comprises of the British Isles, the Ameraicas and the south tip of Africa. Eurasia comprises of Europe, Russia and the top of Africa. Eastasia is made up of China, Southeast Asia and other parts of asia. The three superstates are always at war with one another. For example, if Oceania were at war with Eastasia, it would be generally be at peace with Eurasia. This constant war is fought not because of different ideas or for expansion, but rather to use up any extra surpluses from the manufacturing of goods and also as a reason not to provide the masses with comforts. Since the three powers were unconquerable, this never ending war would never be won and hence it will go on forever.
The common citizens of Oceania are constantly brainwashed by propaganda blasting from the telescreens( a type of televison with a camera, like a modern day televison with a webcam) everywhere. They are required to have complete loyalty to the Party. Any crime that they commit, be it small or big, against the party was tracked down and punished. Even Thoughtcrime (which was mainly thinking bad of the Party in your brain) was punishable by death. Hence, the citizens in Oceania are oppressed and live in constant fear.
There was obviously, no democracy in Oceania. The government was headed by a mysterious character, named Big Brother, whom no one has ever seen before in real life. He was constantly depicted in posters pasted all over London and his voice was contantly heard over the telescreen. He was actually just simply a character created by the government as people tend to have more feelings toward an individual, rather than an organisation. The people had to follow and accept what the government said without any questions.
Winston Smith is just an ordinary citizen of Oceania, and a member of the Party. He feels that life under the rule of the Party is dull and deadening. He begins to question himself wheather life was better before the rule of the Party or at present. When he finds love with Julia, he discovers that life does not have to be dull and he awakes to new possibilities. Winston and Julia soon begin to question the Party and they are drawn toward conspiracy. They wanted a world of democracy, where every individual has his own right and say. However, their acts are soon uncovered and they are caught and punished.
My feelings after reading this book was that we are lucky to be living in a free and democratic world, where every individual has his own right and say. We should preserve this democracy in the world. We should also have our own thoughts and opinions about things and not follow what another says nor let others influence our views. We should do what we believe in and not subject to being ruled over by others.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Welcome!
Hello visitor, and welcome to my all new blog!
I will be posting soon so be sure to watch out for my posts!
I will be posting soon so be sure to watch out for my posts!
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