Tuesday, April 22, 2008

YAY

Liberation from the exams. Priceless!

hahaha. i am in the south spine f.a.l. right now, going off to the library to borrow novels soon!


aim for tonight- master photoshop and upload the pictures of the clothes.

check this space:) :)

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

at least this is a good distraction!

i think i should be studying. ok i know. but my eyes are really getting crossed from all the reading and rereading and i am So Glad i s/u-ed astronomy.

anyway.

pictures of the banner! at my favourite spot, haha. canteen a bus stop.


a close-up!

it seems a little risky to stop blogging because people might lsoe interest, but exams are exams are exams. hence we shall all be the muggertoads so characteristically singaporean university undergrads. study study~

i've had people asking me about the online shop. haha. the pictures are with chenghui, who is still in the midst of sieving through the close to 5 million pictures we have, to choose the best. and i actually (went shopping but upon better moral judgment) bought another 2 skirts to sell for the shop, soo... stay tuned! haha.

ignitechange.wordpress.com for those who still don't know. go see!

:)

Monday, April 7, 2008

adding additions

hello again!

just to update that i bought another 2 dresses for the online shop, and psyched as i am about selling all the clothes which i bought with the se people, we are all swamped with the projects and assignments that are so typically put at the week before exams.

soo.. more updates after the exams ok?

another thing to add, the application forms for the wsc ignite change camp are out! i hope that a lot of people will come and join us for a fruitful journey this july, do do :)

ignitechange.wordpress.com

goodnight, moon
goodnight, stars
goodnight, children
goodnight, nobody

Thursday, April 3, 2008

identity dissipation

an extremely pertinent article in The Nanyang Chronicle;




this article talks about the many homeless old people roaming the streets and focuses on one of them, Madam Chan Ai Eng, who sells tissue for a living.


personally, i have always been more inclined to support the teach-a-man-to-fish stance, and thus never thought of tissue sellers like Madam Chan to be more than members of an organisation that makes pitiful looking people sell things and collects earnings from them.
there is just so many ways to look at this issue that i think it is better left alone for now, and attention to be put on foremost how to stop this.


reading in the article about how government policies leave people like Madam Chan out of the loop of those who will get financial assistance is definitely something new. reasons left unsaid, i always thought the lengthy policies periodically implemented are enough to help everyone. clearly, bureaucracy has its limits.


one of the Ignite Change camp's events will be to alleviate the loneliness of old people who are alone and helpless, but i have to say: can we do more than just limit ourselves again, and have another one-off visit? or weekly?


somehow the point seems that their lives are or have become unfulfilling. how can this be changed?


a policy that gives them $5 000 monthly?
5000 people to visit them daily?
5000 meals a day?
5000 items of clothing/ houses/ pets/ cars/ holiday trips?


No, I Do Not Think So.


from my experience with senior citizens, and i am in no way saying i am experienced nor wise just that i am saying this from my personal experience, what they wish to have or to do are more often than not really simple.


like have grandchildren to play with.
like to play with their grandchildren.
like to see their children more often.
like to have had children.
like to be able to walk to the market to buy food for their family.


family is most of the time the top of their priorities, and from personal experience, i will not say that filial piety should be made a legal responsibility nor will i say anything along the lines of those who don't adhere to the nuclear family unit are sinners sin sin.


after all, like the chinese saying goes, every family has its troubles.


regardless of these, though, i do think that senior citizens should not have to become street selllers like Madam Chan.


but i do not like to see old people working either, because more often than not the only jobs they can handle in terms of time or effort are cleaning ones, like macdonald's personnel and so on. and seeing an old lady or gentleman wiping the table and collecting the trash while the table of youths laugh and continue their conversations is just PLAIN WRONG.


sorry. really feel quite strongly about this.


so my point is that, in all honesty, i have no idea what to think. there seem to be so many contradictions to untangle that my mind is a messy blank. (and of course it's late and i've 73874968463524785 readings to do just like you cause yea i've exams too yay)


government policies have loopholes that neglect some individuals.
there cannot be an imposition on families to take compulsory care of the old ones.
working tires senior citizens and i personally do not really like the idea.


so how now brown cow?


another thing to think about...




my hall table. prickly heat powder rocks socks.
tonight is another cold night
and i wish you well,
i wish you love.
i wish you hope.
simona, you're getting older
your journey's been etched on your skin