Our Proud, Materialistic Generation-Part 2

From my personal experience, most of the kids i encountered, when asked about places they would like to visit. They will say Japan, Korea, Western European countries such as Italy, Spain, England etc.

I would usually pop up the question "y not countries like China, Vietnam, or Eastern european countries? ". "EEEeeee dirty toilets and backward countries" followed by some disgust. It hits me hard , "Kids locally are developing sense of Superiority just like in the old days of Colonialism where the whites regarded themselves far more superior than other races".

Who taught our kids those old colonialism "white" superiority ideas? we all know the ans. It's us. Yes, us. We grumbled at the slightest dissatisfaction of any services or environment without being sensitive to other people's feelings. Kids picked the sense of superiority from us. Pride is slowly engulfing our next generation thanks to us, proud adults. Is there any classes on Humility in SG? Do inform me, next time when i have children, i will enrolled them in one.

My Difficult Mother-In-Law To be

Friend A: Mr Corn, aren't u getting married?
Mr Corn: Yes, I am.
Friend A: So when is ur big day?
Mr Corn: I dunno.
Friend A: What do u mean by u dunno...its u who is getting married!
Mr Corn: .....

*Clap clap* The above conversation has been repeating itself months and months again. Many would have thought that this lucky-go-happy Mr Corn isn't serious about marriage.

Well, when u have a mother-in-law to be who is all about traditions (regardless they make common sense or not) and thinks that planning marriage is easy in Sg as in China. U got a whole load of problems and uncertainties @ hand.

My parents actually wanted the big wedding day to be of liking to my mother-in-law to be, so they suggest her to decide. But, she answered "the guy side suppose to take care of it, Must be some auspicious date". With my mum a Christian and my dad an atheist, it is not in their belief. However, my mum being computer-illiterate was unable to find " 通书" the so-called great book that contains all the "u should do this and u shouldn't on which dates".

Anyway, it doesn't matter to me much which date the big day should be. I just need to find a date which is so called "auspicious"...finally "Mr Google" show me 2 " 通书"s @ sina Web (China website) as well as one local Singapore one. Checking the contents of both, they are almost the same. Any " 通书" should be the same throughout, isn't it? Getting my mum to access the information and read the " 通书", she decided June will be a good time for my Dad to attend and then selected careful the date that reads auspicious for wedding. Finally solved the hassle of finding a big day right?

Not so fast, a reply from my mother-in-law to be says she is unable to check coz the printed version/calendar isn't out. I took pains to explain Sina Web (china own leading website) got 通书 and i have checked. She just brush off my explanations saying "she will check to see if the date is suitable for she hope that everything is well for us" Fair enough, I offered even to print out the 通书 from SINA website and then send to her. She asked me not to worry. But when would i know? Ans she gave is when i need to know... ZzzzZZZZz

Any couple who tried to arrange for a traditional wedding dinner knows that, In Sg we need to reserve the restaurant months before the actual day. Finding make up artist, photographers, wedding car, decor, checking on procedures on ROM and application of PR for my wife to be, flats application, i have to do it all by myself. Can't my mother-in-law to be make any things simpler? With my wife to be and her mother who can only stay in SG for no longer than a week and my wife to be cannot be in sg for any other reason like sight seeing, finding jobs OR accustoming to lifestyle of SG. (Note the word: "OR" chinese means "huo ze"). To pile up my misery, i do not even know when they are coming to Sg for me to plan for ROM.

I decided to break my silence and call my mother-in-law and painfully managed to get her to say "Go ahead to do with ROM stuff and let her know when the date was". Do not get me wrong to say that mother-in-law is a bad person. She is a kind person who is just bent on her own ideas and bound by stupid traditions of Chinese. Isn't alot of traditions in 封建时代 which enslaves million of Chinese women to their ideas. If following the tradition, if my wife did not give birth to a son that carry the family name in future,does it I can look to other women to help carry on the family's name? This is plain stupid. By the way, men in the region of Fujian can dun lift a finger to help with household chores. Rules are dead but humans aren't.

As a total opposite to my character who do not like to bound to traditions, logical in thinking and being broad thinker in many ways...It is extremely hard for me.
Being marriage across countries, we all have to give and take. But somehow i find myself in position of giving in, giving in and giving in. Surely Misery loves company. Any difficult parents-in-law out there? Please let me know to make me feel better.

Lastly, in the name of love for the wonderful lady i am about to married to, understanding the background culture of the place (which i extremely detest their thinking patterns and thoughts Not the people), I have to endure, endure and endure.
I will write someday about "traditions and its stupidity" both in religion views (bible Pharisees and how this so called men of God use traditions to enslave many minds of jews that time). need some time to research. It isn't just Chinese enslaving themselves with traditions!

Our Proud, Materialistic Generation-Part 1

Singapore, the seemingly Utopia of the world, the small red dot sheltered from natural disasters enjoyed political stability. Yet we faced a different enemy no less destructive and yet more subtle. The enemy has many names such as " Arrogance, Identity Crisis (I do not see myself as Singaporean forever), Materialistic.

All comments are a generalized description of kids from middle to high income.
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For Illustration
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70s-80s: kids wear panda and swan brands
80s-90s: wear a mixtures like swan brand, some sports brand like Adidas
90s-now: branded goods
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I am no caveman or some old guy who frown upon "dun waste money buy branded goods la" that type.

What i am illustrating is that because of the improving financial power of the kids/youths, they are not to be blamed to be materialistic. They are merely products of our education system and society.

"With greater power comes greater responsibility". Any of the parents have took great pains to to teach financial management, showing them how to use their money responsibly. Mine did, but i guess not many nowadays do. Many just showered them with $$$ in compensation of lack of family time and love.

Latest handphones, newest branded handbags, shoes, clothes watches gadgets etc soon became the identity of the youths who want to be seen as hip. Without a handphone in school for a secondary school kid will make him feel out of place. We are setting mindset of our generations into striving for good life described in material form chasing the pleasure of the world.

When financial storms come, the hollow pockets of the generation will be rocked and crumbled. Their identity no longer formed by the good social values of the society but rather represented by the material wealth they owned which can be eaten by dust and moths.

My mind: The powerful tool to ward of road bullies.

Trying to quieten my handsome, mischievous nephew is never an easy affair. He bounced up and down on the car seat singing on top of his voice some random nursery songs after we fetched him from nursery. My dad seemed a little distracted but to ensure safety drived at a slower than normal pace.

The driver behind us obviously wasn't pleased and definitely unforgivng. He suddenly sped, cut abruptly into our lane and suddenly stepped on brakes. My dad being a careful driver reacted well to the situation by braking in time. The driver continued irritating act of accelerate then brake follwed by accelerate again and again. This happen awhile on the whole stretch of the road b4 we reached the next red traffic lights.

"Birdman!" said the 2 years plus old kid beside me. ("Birdman" Translated to chinese) This is something my nephew who picked up from me. Anyway, the guy is an absolute jerk but i have my ways to stop him from bullying a 60+ years old driver. Calmly taking out my camera phone, without switching to video mode (coz i too lazy and also predicted such drivers have no "balls" to continue his childish act) and i pointed the phone @ his car holding it high up to enough for him to see hfrom his rear mirror. I told my dad "well let's see if he continues his childish acts."

When the traffic lights turned green, he moved off changing lane and sped off immediately. yes run..u coward..!!! Just a small trick made him piss in his pants. This isn't a new trick, years ago i used a non camera phone and frighten off a car who cut in and out of the lane of my friend's car. Definitely, If the scum continues to do that in front of my dad's car, i'll switch to video mode and send a copy to traffic police.

Batman: The Dark Knight Movie Review

*Clap Clap Clap* I couldn't help to exclaim that is a masterpiece for me. However, I could not deny it is hard for people who likes movies that have cool special effects, brainless and ever righteous themes of "The Hero saved the Day" , "They lived happily ever after".

Batman: The Dark Knight is not just a movie. It's a literature, an art, a piece of political and physchological image of our world. To people who called it confusing and rubbish, come on, your puny brains just cannot take it to appreciate it.

Literature: clever use of words, twisting them to bring out the irony choice of words we used.
Evidence: e.g. Joker with Rachael hanging near the edge of the building. Batman exclaim "Let her go!" Joker: "That is a bad choice of words". *release Rachael to fall down from the building*.

e.g 2. Joker: "What doesn't kill you makes you stranger."
Original "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger".
If you think just puny enough of the 2 sentences, both are true. I have seen people emerged stronger from a major struggle in life and yet I feel they are stranger @ times.

Political value of the movie:

"And now, a short one year later, we have the governor of Chicago calling for national guardsmen to be used to suppress violence and crime in the windy city."
(Taken from Dark Knight Blog )

America cities are having an escalating murder rates. Read Article here

If u do an extensive search on this topics, you will see the list goes on. I shall stop here. The world is self degenerating...and Joker brings out the hypocrisy of the self righteous ones. Talking about self righteous people : "Ming Yv Fa shi" The NKF Monk (that's what i called him). Joker is an angel compared to him, coz Joker is never hypocrite simply irony. Kind face do not means kind heart. Smiley face on joker in fact ironically protrays his sadness as being abused in Family.

Truth of the sad world:
The word "trust" is misplaced in the movie. Are government or your friends trustable? In some cases, even your family members aren't trustable. Only the moment of "boiling point", when your interest and their interests conflicts, their characters will be shown. They might do something seemingly harmless to betray u and then cause u great grief and pain. (watch the 2-Faced Harvey scene in the dark knight).

No one is infallible and without weakness. People, police personnels all applauded Harvey as the Hero. But Harvey encountered great stress, opposition and even betrayal from them. Encouragement and practical support (given by Batman and Rachael only) seemingly lacking when he need it the most. He fell from grace to become someone who is capable of terrible things. Please give your local hero not just flattery but rather practical help.

However, hope is not lost. There is still humanity and kind side of people during the game Joker play with the people in the 2 ships to make them kill each other.

Thanks for your patience with me, there is lots of insights and teachings in the movie...It might be long, but worth the thought process. Oh man, its being a long time since a movie makes me think so much about life.Truly a classic in its own. If u are lazy to think, oblivious to truths of the sad world, part of the hypocritical system of the world, self denial or simply just someone aren't intelligent enough, give this movie a miss.

Reviewed by The CornLord
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Trivials:
One scene where Joker planned to get caught and then allows the mob to get a hold of Harvey and Rachael.
Extremely intelligent: making use of other plans to execute his own. (Plan of the police to imprison him in the high profile criminal cells and plan of the mob)

(If u are not a gamer or non-dota player, skip this, you won't appreciate it)
My application in gaming:
In Dota, during one team battle..with an enemy Vengeful Spirit (VS), where i am Centaur Warchief. What i did was, when my team was retreatin, enemy heroes rushed in with VS looking for prey to swap.
I purposely moved the slowest to allowed being caught (when i move i had a finger on the shortcut stomp). When VS swapped me into the centre of the team, I hit "Stomp" (aoe stun) and stun all 5 heroes. My whole team upon seeing that rushed in and we slaughtered everyone of them there. If VS haven't done that, we would have a 50-50 percent battle. The PREY (me) turned PREDATOR.

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First Trial of Marrying a PRC lady for a Singapore Guy.

More and more Singaporean guys are marrying foreign ladies. Old news..Newspapers has articles reported about Vietnam, PRC bride agencies. Not shortly after,Newspapers reported that many PRC girls dubbed as "Little Dragon Ladies" marry local SG guys for SG PR status and not for Love.

Forums, news, coffee Shops discussions has been stating while local guys who find foreign wives are normally inferior in some way.
1. Inferior complexity: cannot stand wife earning a higher salary or with better qualification.
2. Social inadequacies: not being able to be socially intriguing enough to court any female locals.

The above "Complexity and Social Inadequacies" theory is flawed. Let me illustrate why. Firstly there are increasing no. of white collar sg males marrying foreign wife. Due to Globalisation, in many developed countries, chances of meeting foreigners @ work or in schools has increased over the years. Therefore there is higher chances of love blossoming.

In My university in Australia, in fact more than half of the Singaporeans i know of(including myself) had a foreigner lady as our other half. While a proportion of sg females bitching lack of good singapore guys, singapore guys are more wussy compared to the Ang mohs, less handsome than the koreans/japanese. A fact slap hard on their face: Singaporean guys are far more appreciated by foreign ladies.

Some statistics:
15 out of 29 girlfriends/wives(inclusive of me) of Singaporean Guys (uni grads) are foreigners.
Breakdown by countries (out of 15): China-5, Japan-3,Taiwan-2, Korean-2,UAE-1, Aus-1, HK-1
Some of my japanese female friends commented: "SG guys are more mature and gentlemanly than JP guys." Those comments even though make me feel flattered as a Singporean guys, I feel that those are very general views of Japanese Girls.
My Fiancee now has absolutely no need to be a Singaporean and could have stay on to be Aussie. She do not depend on me financially and has obtained Her Bachelors. So are the rest of the PRC ladies of my friends. They are of an inferior than SG girls?

Reasons for bringing up the old issue:
I am going to marry a wonderful PRC lady who i met during my studies in Australia.
Recently, I got church aunties telling me this: "Ah boy ya, U are a Master holder and a white collar professional. Why not find a local girl or some girl in church?"

One of my friend's mother told me: "Be careful, your PRC wife-to-be might be after your money and SG PR status. Only guys who are blue collared ones, or socially Cannot-Make-It ones then find China girls or order brides. Y u like that?" The last question lead me to think if I am some Sg elite cheapening myself by getting a PRC wife.

Being very polite to elders or showing my friends' face, I did not tell them off in a face. But that i find is indeed revolting and discriminating against PRC girls. I got a few friends tell me it is better to get a local girls, i do understand their point of views as in marriage procedures, registration for HDB flats and getting bank loans will be much easier.

I read one blog bitching about Sg guys and ask them go marry PRC brides or order Vietnam bride (taken down quite some time ago). Not being wussy, but i never like to post back scolding people "@#$@$%@#%" which i find pointless to be angry with people who anyhow insult others without brains. I am a high EQ guy to start with. (I normally ignore low EQ folks).

Man, I am getting worried for my wife-to-be and must prepare her for this type of insults which i predicted she will encounter one day. The last pondering thought I have is "Am telling her our SG society is ungraceful, proud and insensitive ?"