There's something fundamentally wrong...
I wrote my last entry almost 2 months ago, telling the story of a disturbing scene I’d been witness too...having not written anything for so long, I am actually sad that it is something similar that has pushed me now...but, no, it's not similar, it is terribly more sickening and horrible...
One of the perhaps-most-obvious, but for me - very important lessons I’ve learned from my dad is that no excess can ever be good, even when the excess is of possibly the most useful thing/idea/process...etc. I look to Singapore and am more and more convinced that it has fallen into a sad trap: in its desire to curb excesses, to control over-reaction, over-usage, over-expressions, it has become deeply addicted and somehow rotten by the...excess of regulations, law, directives, advices…
Tonight, in one unfortunate incident, I had three 'clear showcases' of this status. We'd been waiting for a cab, when I saw a girl fainting...I approached quickly, but was immediately pushed aside by her friends who put a serious effort in convincing me she was ONLY terribly drunk and had 'not taken anything'...it was more than obvious that is was 'taking lots of something' that had happened to her. I asked them to take her to hospital, but they furiously/in panic refused the idea. It's not hard to figure out why: given the more than draconic (some call them 'savage') punishments given for drugs abuse here, those kids were so scared that they were willing to risk their friend's life rather than take the risk of the terrible punishments.
I went to the taxi I had ordered for myself and asked him to change the destination and take the sick girl instead. He refused, arguing that he had been working for long hours, and was willing only to take orders towards his home. I don't know what is worse to think: that he really didn't care if a person was going to die because of him rushing to bed, or that he simply 'didn't want anything to do' with something 'suspiciously looking'? Both options are equally disgusting...
Coming back angrily to the taxi stand, there's a cab coming, and just when it stops, the people who were first in line, literally jumped towards it, to make sure no one has the time to ask them to give their turn to the kids...Explanation for this behaviour? I don't know, I really can't think of any, except that for one second, when rushing, the guy turned his head towards the sick girl and all his face was saying was " she deserves it"...
Perhaps there's no connection between the 3 reactions, perhaps it's a series of miserable coincidences....perhaps those behaviours were not generated by cautiousness, by fear, by 'civic outrage'...perhaps Singapore's values "Community support and respect for the individual ", "society before self " are in fact engrained in the souls of its citizens, as meant by the patriotic excess of...guidelines...
I’m sorry if the above made no sense at all...I just had to write it so I can fall asleep.
One of the perhaps-most-obvious, but for me - very important lessons I’ve learned from my dad is that no excess can ever be good, even when the excess is of possibly the most useful thing/idea/process...etc. I look to Singapore and am more and more convinced that it has fallen into a sad trap: in its desire to curb excesses, to control over-reaction, over-usage, over-expressions, it has become deeply addicted and somehow rotten by the...excess of regulations, law, directives, advices…
Tonight, in one unfortunate incident, I had three 'clear showcases' of this status. We'd been waiting for a cab, when I saw a girl fainting...I approached quickly, but was immediately pushed aside by her friends who put a serious effort in convincing me she was ONLY terribly drunk and had 'not taken anything'...it was more than obvious that is was 'taking lots of something' that had happened to her. I asked them to take her to hospital, but they furiously/in panic refused the idea. It's not hard to figure out why: given the more than draconic (some call them 'savage') punishments given for drugs abuse here, those kids were so scared that they were willing to risk their friend's life rather than take the risk of the terrible punishments.
I went to the taxi I had ordered for myself and asked him to change the destination and take the sick girl instead. He refused, arguing that he had been working for long hours, and was willing only to take orders towards his home. I don't know what is worse to think: that he really didn't care if a person was going to die because of him rushing to bed, or that he simply 'didn't want anything to do' with something 'suspiciously looking'? Both options are equally disgusting...
Coming back angrily to the taxi stand, there's a cab coming, and just when it stops, the people who were first in line, literally jumped towards it, to make sure no one has the time to ask them to give their turn to the kids...Explanation for this behaviour? I don't know, I really can't think of any, except that for one second, when rushing, the guy turned his head towards the sick girl and all his face was saying was " she deserves it"...
Perhaps there's no connection between the 3 reactions, perhaps it's a series of miserable coincidences....perhaps those behaviours were not generated by cautiousness, by fear, by 'civic outrage'...perhaps Singapore's values "Community support and respect for the individual ", "society before self " are in fact engrained in the souls of its citizens, as meant by the patriotic excess of...guidelines...
I’m sorry if the above made no sense at all...I just had to write it so I can fall asleep.
8 Comments:
I just hope you didn`t leave Romania and Balkans in search for "a better place"...
If so, then come back home... you don`t belong there, nor can you change the society to fit you and your moral standards...
what I mean is that I feel sorry for that girl, but am also strongly against drugs and drug users...
same thing with Netherlands - I wouldn`t be able to live in a country that legally accepts a political party that fights for legalizng pedophilia...
hehe, i didn't leave in search for a better place, i went for some different world...and boy, aren't I getting it..
the biterness of the situation was not about people being overpunished for drug abuse, but about over-guidance, over-restrictioning, over-moulding of society conscience does on the a long term to people's consciousness, perception towards relationships with those around them..
and yeah, that party in netherlands does cary the most screwed up political agenda imaginable...
Just to be sure.
The party in the NL is not fighting to legalize Paedophilia, but to change the definition of Paedophilia is. Its a substantial difference.
The current age of sexual consent in NL is 14 yrs. They want to lower it to 12 yrs. Although I don't think that is the right thing to do, but I appreciate anyone who within their rights is trying to change the definition of what is considered 'Normal'
Lets not forget that, in the 60s NL was the country which pioneered laws for homosexuals and allowed them to get married. Even then, it was one party thought 'crazy' then by many others which fought for it - but they also pushed the definition of what is considered 'normal'. And that is something incredible to respect and behold.
Having said that, this post is not to support 12 yr children having sex - but here is to support people who are willing to challenge our assumptions. Some will be stupid, like this party for sure is; others will be looked upon as stupid. Its a thin line.
A country which allows me and everyone to do that, is the country I want to live in.
dude, challenging assumptions is one thing, but legalizing paedophilia is completely other...
No matter how you put it in your words, it`s still legalizing paedophilia... how many 12 year olds do you know that are mature enough to take such a decision? even 14 year olds?
one needs to differentiate between insanity and positive thinking. I agree that there is a thin line between them, but there should be a system that prevents instanity...
I think Singapore is a total contrast to The Netherlands and The Balkans (as well as Romania) are somewhere in the middle, living in a place we define as 'normal' in search for anything different, we stumble across shocking reality checks which make us wonder if this is their definition of 'normal'.
I am personally shocked by all 3 situations and think that the only thing which links them is the system in Singapore (system of everything: living, behaving, working..)
As you said: excess of everything can kill you...
Wonder what the future holds for The Netherlands and Singapore...
Anonymous,
From a rational analysis standpoint, you are correct: the party is exercising the perfectly reasonable right of - as you described it - change the definition of normal. And having lived in Netherlands for 1 year, it is this kind of freedom that I love most about that country.
That aside, my assumption is that people who are aimining to clasify as 'normal' that the average 12 year-old should be in full understanding about the implications of begining his/her sexual life, are not your regular 'visionaries at work'- aiming to challenge the status quo of society for the benefit of development. On the contrary, I think they're seriously disturubed individuals, whose place is in an special institution rather than parliament.
Merili,
indeed, our home region is somewhere in between, though significantly closer to a dutch perspective rather than a singaporean one. After what Balkans have been through in the past 80-90 years, I think it's safe to assume that no Singapore-like nation will develop there in the upcoming century...
You can count on that :)))
After reading a few entries on your blog, albert, i am sad to say that you probably did (and still do) not realize that you're experiencing this thing called culture shock. You look at Singapore and Singaporeans with such diminutive paradigm that i'd consider almost close-minded. During your stay here - if i may ask - have you ever really found out more about the culture of the people, their thoughts, their beliefs, the history, the political system of the country? If yes, have you ever sought a balanced view to truly understand it? You may choose to just use your own spectacles to look at the society and judged them according to YOUR OWN VALUES without really understanding why people behave a certain way. To just attribute a single behaviour to the "over-guidance, over-restrictioning, over-moulding of society conscience" culture you thought exists in Singapore is - in my opinion - an illogical unilateral harsh judgement.
Well, you choose what you want to believe in.
As i said, i think you're still experiencing "culture shock" - living in Asia. Let me list down some of the symptoms here :
Unwarranted criticism of the culture and people
Constant complaints about the climate
Utopian ideas concerning one's previous culture
Pressing desire to talk with people who "really make sense."
Preoccupation with returning home
Irritability
Distrust of hosts
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