I came across an interesting read from an author who wrote :
"44 years of economic and material success have spawned some very strange behaviors among Singaporeans. We spent so much to buy a house or flat, furnished it up like a palace, but spent our time outside, most of the time at work. And the maids are the ones enjoying the million dollar or multi million dollar assets.
Then we paid so much, the highest in the world, for a car only to park at home. Too expensive to drive, too many ERPs and car park charges to pay. And we are encouraged to park the car at home and take public transport, cheaper and more convenient.
And when Singaporeans travelled, instead of seeing the places, they went shopping. The best part is that they would head for the cheapest bargains, buying stuff that they could get in Chinatown or pasar malam, at even cheaper prices. And they are happy that they got a bargain.
And while the heartlanders are busy trying to make a life here, being told to bust off if they are not happy, which they could not, the rich and presumably very happy and contented citizens are buying up properties overseas just in case they need to make that escape from paradise.
While many Singaporeans are thinking of jumping ship, or preparing to jump ship, hoards of new immigrant are rushing in to take their place in this paradise and to top it all up, they keep complaining about the govt and all the policies that they found unpalatable, come every election, they will vote and return the govt to power." (sic)
Though I cannot comment much on the political domain and how much the PAP government had influenced the way Singaporeans behave locally and in other countries, I have to agree to a large extend to the observation that the writer wrote from a perspective of a third person.
It stings deep though to much reluctance that the observation made holds truth of how we Singaporeans see ourselves and behave in a challenged environment. We spent almost all of our monthly income to beautify our house only to leave it vacant for our maids to enjoy. We spent countless hours in office clocking extra hours to earn the overtime payment so that we could pay off our debts and for the holidays planned during the school holidays. Our pursuit of wealth has blinded us to the simplicity of life. We have been so engrossed in life that we have forgotten how to enjoy it.
We buy big cars not really needing it and end up parking it at the carpark and taking public transport complaining how expensive it was to drive our most treasured possession around. We hired maids to look after our children not wanting to send them to our parents to care for them, only to realise that our children know more about their maids but their own parents.
We always tell ourselves how wonderful life is overseas. How far away foreign lands of Australia or the States holds the true meaning of living without appreciation what we have here in Singapore. We always think that the grass is greener on the other side of the fence but a green grass does not necessarily assure good pasture. We neglect to realise that Singapore no matter how is far from perfect is still the best place to raise a family.
As we busily chase after the material success in life we failed to stop, pause and look around us and to appreciate our family, the safety of our environment, the peace and harmony that we have now taken for granted. Let us do that, let us just look around us and be thankful to what we have and not be a slave to material pursuit without even having the opportunity to fully enjoy it.
