i take down things the professors say during public law lectures/seminars which are totally irrelevant, really, to whatever he/she's talking about. for instance, today:
"mr jeyaratnam has contributed significantly to readings on the constitution of singapore. don't you think we should recognise that?"
and things like:
"if i wanted my rabbit to run for parliament, you know, and i was from the pap, would YOU still vote for my lightning rabbit? could i even let my rabbit run?".
it struck me during the lecture this morning that one of the reasons i've always thought i was apathetic towards politics and all that was because i was never truly anti-pap. i guess i've done my fair share of government bashing; when people around you are going on and on about it it's not very nice to just keep silent, right? i never felt all that passionate rage, the "we don't have a say" sort of thing. but this is a point the professors have brought up - you don't need to be anti-pap just to have an opinion. so yes, i appreciate the safety and security and all that the pap has done for singapore, and i'm worried about what's going to happen when lee hsien loong passes on. we've been having discussions about public law classes, i mean duh right it's an 8 cred module this sem, and whenever i tell people that they're like "huh worry about lky dying first la." but personally i think lee hsien loong is a good man, and it's going to be hard to find someone to replace him. old school la. people are shaped by their generation and the circumstances in which they grew up, and i think it's going to be hard to find someone of that ilk to lead singapore in the future - distinguished gentlemen and the whole idea of junzi, honourable and upright leaders and all that, who really understand and appreciate that the peace and prosperity singapore enjoys today only came with much blood, sweat and tears. people who will be discerning enough to know how much change we need to keep up and how much of the old we need to retain. i'm not saying i agree totally with everything the government has done, for instance, i think the education system has just about killed the chances of the average singaporean child having a real children's kind of childhood. but really, we've got a lot to be thankful for. hurhur and we, this age of university students, are the future of singapore! so we better start thinking about what we're going to do about it.
i like school. i really do. i like reading, and i like knowing that this is what God has called me to do and i'm going to be able to help people when i finally start practising. oh, what idealism! i pray i never lose this though, and become money grubbing. we'll see. maybe i'll have to eat these words in a few years' time - but i sincerely hope i won't.
yesterday was a grey day. dark grey, one of those days where you think of jam biscuits, shortbread, and tea in a fat, jolly teapot. or maybe that was just because my equity and trusts tutor is a very sweet but eccentric old englishman. you know the sort. tall, slightly hunched, balding - and glasses, definitely. clipped english accent - "trustees are just like butlers. you know, jeeves and all that."
i've got to go meet bryan now.
"mr jeyaratnam has contributed significantly to readings on the constitution of singapore. don't you think we should recognise that?"
and things like:
"if i wanted my rabbit to run for parliament, you know, and i was from the pap, would YOU still vote for my lightning rabbit? could i even let my rabbit run?".
it struck me during the lecture this morning that one of the reasons i've always thought i was apathetic towards politics and all that was because i was never truly anti-pap. i guess i've done my fair share of government bashing; when people around you are going on and on about it it's not very nice to just keep silent, right? i never felt all that passionate rage, the "we don't have a say" sort of thing. but this is a point the professors have brought up - you don't need to be anti-pap just to have an opinion. so yes, i appreciate the safety and security and all that the pap has done for singapore, and i'm worried about what's going to happen when lee hsien loong passes on. we've been having discussions about public law classes, i mean duh right it's an 8 cred module this sem, and whenever i tell people that they're like "huh worry about lky dying first la." but personally i think lee hsien loong is a good man, and it's going to be hard to find someone to replace him. old school la. people are shaped by their generation and the circumstances in which they grew up, and i think it's going to be hard to find someone of that ilk to lead singapore in the future - distinguished gentlemen and the whole idea of junzi, honourable and upright leaders and all that, who really understand and appreciate that the peace and prosperity singapore enjoys today only came with much blood, sweat and tears. people who will be discerning enough to know how much change we need to keep up and how much of the old we need to retain. i'm not saying i agree totally with everything the government has done, for instance, i think the education system has just about killed the chances of the average singaporean child having a real children's kind of childhood. but really, we've got a lot to be thankful for. hurhur and we, this age of university students, are the future of singapore! so we better start thinking about what we're going to do about it.
i like school. i really do. i like reading, and i like knowing that this is what God has called me to do and i'm going to be able to help people when i finally start practising. oh, what idealism! i pray i never lose this though, and become money grubbing. we'll see. maybe i'll have to eat these words in a few years' time - but i sincerely hope i won't.
yesterday was a grey day. dark grey, one of those days where you think of jam biscuits, shortbread, and tea in a fat, jolly teapot. or maybe that was just because my equity and trusts tutor is a very sweet but eccentric old englishman. you know the sort. tall, slightly hunched, balding - and glasses, definitely. clipped english accent - "trustees are just like butlers. you know, jeeves and all that."
i've got to go meet bryan now.
No comments:
Post a Comment