#422 Singaporean Dream
The Singaporean Dream
1993 - I was a Pri 4 kid, Singapore was a great place to be, i looked forward to every National Day Parade and sang songs like "Count on me Singapore", "One people, one nation, one Singapore" with pride. The waited patiently for my daily bus from Ang Mo Kio Ave 10 to Ang Mo Kio Central, then from Ang Mo Kio Central to Serangoon. My parents gave me money to buy monthly concession stamps so i didn't have to pay when i go on. The MRT ride from Ang Mo Kio to Yishun was a scenic affair. That shopping centre in Marine Parade was one of the most happening places. We enjoyed Satay at Satay Club, 4 of us would order above 100 sticks per seating.
2003 - I was in my final year in Polytechnic and wondering if i would ever make the top 5%. My weakness in financial subjects made me silently aware i wasn't. Then came the army enlistment letter. My experiences in the uniformed group (NPCC) made me prepared. I didn't prepare for sadist platoon sergeant and idiotic platoon mates, but that's army's way of making different people work together and knocking you down to build you up. Polytechnic life was more interesting, i remember the long bus rides to school and days where i missed the bus-stop to switch buses. Life wasn't that bad, i was confident of getting a job with my diploma and was even considering signing on. Then the unexpected happened and i was shipped to SPF for my Officer course and i became an NS Inspector. From the unfit poly kid to the just managed to pass IPPT recruit, Police treated taught me things that i never could learn outside. It was until next year in 2004 before my fitness was at its peak, a good silver and my best ever timing of 9.47 (3 secs shy of gold timing)
2013 - I started the year wanting to leave my current company, the interviews were already done and dusted and i had 2 options for my exit plan. (1) Getting back to my poly as Security Manager and (2) Continuing as an Auxiliary Police Inspector/ASP in another Auxiliary Police Force which was prepared to pay be more than i imagined. I choose the former. I am now a father of a 3.5 year boy who makes me angry as much as makes me love his antics. My second kid is coming (another boy) and i'm settling into my new job. I have a place of my own, driven my second hand car for over 3 years and earn a decent living in an office hour job. I worry about my income, i worry about replacing my car when its COE expires come 1 Aug 2015, i worry about my kid's childcare facilities. I lament at the state of affairs in the country, i disagree but is helpless against my government's public plans to import more foreign talent. I lament that the traffic conditions, the state of public transport run by "private companies" that receives huge government funding in terms of Billions, i'm annoyed by the income tax payable, i'm wish i can have more time and energy with my wife, kid and my parents, i'm cautious about my spending, i'm shake my head at the inflationary measures at my coffee shop and the food court in the neighbour mall. Teh C cost me $1.40, i find that i whine alot more and things don't make as much sense as they did 10, 20 years ago.
What is the Singaporean Dream? Why is it so different from the Singapore Dream?
1993 - I was a Pri 4 kid, Singapore was a great place to be, i looked forward to every National Day Parade and sang songs like "Count on me Singapore", "One people, one nation, one Singapore" with pride. The waited patiently for my daily bus from Ang Mo Kio Ave 10 to Ang Mo Kio Central, then from Ang Mo Kio Central to Serangoon. My parents gave me money to buy monthly concession stamps so i didn't have to pay when i go on. The MRT ride from Ang Mo Kio to Yishun was a scenic affair. That shopping centre in Marine Parade was one of the most happening places. We enjoyed Satay at Satay Club, 4 of us would order above 100 sticks per seating.
2003 - I was in my final year in Polytechnic and wondering if i would ever make the top 5%. My weakness in financial subjects made me silently aware i wasn't. Then came the army enlistment letter. My experiences in the uniformed group (NPCC) made me prepared. I didn't prepare for sadist platoon sergeant and idiotic platoon mates, but that's army's way of making different people work together and knocking you down to build you up. Polytechnic life was more interesting, i remember the long bus rides to school and days where i missed the bus-stop to switch buses. Life wasn't that bad, i was confident of getting a job with my diploma and was even considering signing on. Then the unexpected happened and i was shipped to SPF for my Officer course and i became an NS Inspector. From the unfit poly kid to the just managed to pass IPPT recruit, Police treated taught me things that i never could learn outside. It was until next year in 2004 before my fitness was at its peak, a good silver and my best ever timing of 9.47 (3 secs shy of gold timing)
2013 - I started the year wanting to leave my current company, the interviews were already done and dusted and i had 2 options for my exit plan. (1) Getting back to my poly as Security Manager and (2) Continuing as an Auxiliary Police Inspector/ASP in another Auxiliary Police Force which was prepared to pay be more than i imagined. I choose the former. I am now a father of a 3.5 year boy who makes me angry as much as makes me love his antics. My second kid is coming (another boy) and i'm settling into my new job. I have a place of my own, driven my second hand car for over 3 years and earn a decent living in an office hour job. I worry about my income, i worry about replacing my car when its COE expires come 1 Aug 2015, i worry about my kid's childcare facilities. I lament at the state of affairs in the country, i disagree but is helpless against my government's public plans to import more foreign talent. I lament that the traffic conditions, the state of public transport run by "private companies" that receives huge government funding in terms of Billions, i'm annoyed by the income tax payable, i'm wish i can have more time and energy with my wife, kid and my parents, i'm cautious about my spending, i'm shake my head at the inflationary measures at my coffee shop and the food court in the neighbour mall. Teh C cost me $1.40, i find that i whine alot more and things don't make as much sense as they did 10, 20 years ago.
What is the Singaporean Dream? Why is it so different from the Singapore Dream?
posted by klayhead at 10:44 am
0 comments
