On the 30th of January, our cohort went to the F1 Pit Building watch the Chingay Parade 2016.
Back in 1972, our late then-Prime Minister, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, put a ban on firecrackers, which was a must-have at any Chinese New Year celebrations. Some people felt that the ban would cause a much dampened festival mood during the Chinese New Year period despite it being a safety precaution. Thus, to compensate the ban, in 1973, the first Chingay Parade in Singapore was held. This first procession was a resounding success, prompting the decision to make it an annual affair. And to date, the Chingay Parade is still well received by the members of the public.
Chingay 2016 is aptly themed, "Lights of Legacy, Brighter Singapore" 《智慧灯海，璀璨新加坡》.
 |
| Performers of the Malay Contingent performing up close with the spectators. |
I think that the organisers have successfully fulfilled the purpose, which is striving for a brighter Singapore through this Chingay Parade. There were contingents performing, like the Everlasting Illuminating Passion with Awa Dance, which included Japanese performers, Because We Are Different, We Are One, which included Malay performers. This reflects that everyone, regardless of race or nationality, should work together, interact with one another, to uphold the values embodied by our Pioneers.
 |
| Panoramic View of the whole stretch of the Parade |
Happiness and Poverty
Are we a happy country? According to the Straits times, we are the happiest country in Asia and in the list of the Top 25 happiest countries in the world as of 2015. However, is it only the majority that is happy or is everyone really happy? What defines happiness and unhappiness?
Unlike other countries, when we walk around the streets of Singapore, we do not see a lot of beggars along the roads. 45 percent of the household have cars as of 2012, according to the Straits Times. This means that we are a rich country but it does not mean that we are happy.
A study was conducted between April 16 and May 6 2014 via an online questionnaire of respondents aged 18-65, working a minimum of 24 hours a week in a paid job, who are not self employed. And 46 percent of them says that they are not satisfied in their current job. Everywhere we go, like the supermarket, hawker centre, we will hear Singaporeans complaining and we might even be guilty of being one of them too.
I feel that on the surface, we might seem like a happy country. But behind this happiness, is a lot of hard work and suffering. For example, a newly-wed couple has to earn sufficient money in order to buy a house to stay in. They must work really hard and save money for a long period of time before they can save enough money, which is on an average $300,000. This means that before they can enjoy and live in happiness, they need to work on long enough to afford a house. As shown in the questionnaire, the working adults are very reluctant to slog and work on but they have to unwillingly and unhappily do so just to earn a living.
As the saying goes "Money can't buy happiness". Yes, money can buy us items that we will feel happy to possess. For example: a smartphone, a branded handbag, an expensive shoe. However, money cannot buy us time. We need time to spend with our family, to do what we like and to get enough sleep. We cannot buy time that makes us feel happy and time is an important time in our lives. Thus I don't think being rich means happy.
Post RV60 Reflections
Looking back now, I can honestly say that I have enjoyed the fruits of my labour. To me, this RV60 experience will be kept in my heart for the rest of my life.
Unlike most people who are assigned to participate in the Wushu mass display, I was assigned to be part of the Homecoming committee, alongside with my Netball team mates. Initially, I was selected to be part of the 24 Festive Drums performance but due to my tight training schedule, I was pulled out of the performance.
When we were first introduced to the whole Homecoming committee, there was an awkward tension in the air. We barely knew anyone in the room except from our seniors. We were then grouped into different sub committees and I was assigned to be in the "Games" committee with my team mate Chen Xi. To be honest, I thought that being in the Homecoming Committee, it would be very lax. Our in-charge spoke to us on our first meeting and there was this confident tone in her voice, which made me think that she has this project in hands and will be able to lead us to complete this Homecoming project with ease.
However, it was only when I realised that many meetings and dry runs would be held, then did I worry a little. We were required to step out of our comfort zones to conduct presentations, shop for items, and many more. Besides that, I felt really small since everyone else were two years older than me. So it was like a test of courage and responsibility in order to make this Homecoming a fruitful one.
There was this one time when me and Chen Xi had to paint a banner for our game booth. For both of us, it was our first time painting a banner which would be presented to the school and alumni when they return to the school during RV60. We knew that we had to get the job done smoothly. Therefore, during the school holidays, we came back to school just to complete painting the banner. Since the both of us lacked experience, we made a lot of mistakes in the process. We accidentally dripped the paint onto a large part of the banner, the brush we used were not ideal for painting, we stained paint onto our uniform, and many more frustrating problems. We panicked when these problems occurred and unfortunately, things got worse. The final outcome was that out banner was very ugly and messy with small patches of paint everywhere. We were astonished by our 'masterpiece'. I felt really dejected to see the outcome because my expectation was far better. I was really frustrated with myself and the mess around me. It was really difficult to wash off the paint on my hands as there was no thinner to use. At that time, I was on the verge of giving up.
Thankfully, the seniors were very dedicated to this project and they offered their help to us. We were told to repaint out banner but Chen Xi and I were busy that week. Hence, our helpful seniors displayed the RV spirit and assured us that they would get the job done. And they did! I came to realise that giving up was not an option anymore.
After months of hard work, the red letter day arrived. Many alumni returned to RV and came over to our booth to attempt our game. The smile on their faces were what we were working towards at the beginning of this onerous journey. I was really relieved that I did not give up at that critical moment and preserved on. Afterwards, most of the alumni left to watch the mass display but I could still feel the joy in the atmosphere. Perhaps I was the only one still feeling happy when everything ended, but I am sure that this RV60 would not have been successful without everyone's participation, or to put it simply, teamwork. Although this RV60 might just be an event to remember, I will not forget the values that I learnt throughout this journey.
平凡中的不平凡
In this picture, it shows that the weather is rainy and windy. The rain drops in this photo may not be prominent, but at that moment when the photo was taken, the rain came splattering into our classrooms through the windows like a bolt out of the blue. The rain provided relief to many of us as the weather recently has been really humid and hot.
The classrooms in this photo are actually Year 4 classrooms. Despite the constant spluttering noise of the rain drops coming in contact with the glass window panels and the walls, the Year 4s seemed unaffected by the noise. In contrast, my class would easily get distracted and react to the rainfall by closing the windows immediately. The Year 4s have genuinely shows the RV spirit that our teachers and school leaders have been upholding. They were focused on learning and absorbing all the knowledge in their pursuit of excellence.
Additionally, these days, there has been occasional light showers. The rain in this photo had stopped after a couple of minutes but was followed by another light drizzle about 15 minutes later. This raises the environmental issue of global warming. Only in the recent years, have this kind of "on and off" rain occurred unusually often in some periods of the years. This type of rain, known as the acid rain, is harmful to our bodies and the ecosystem. We should increase our awareness towards the environment and do our best to protect our sickly Mother Earth.
ZENN'S INTRODUCTION
If you ever see a girl carrying a Prussian blue bag and has slightly unkempt bangs, there is a 97.789231233% chance that that is me. Hello, my name is Zenn.
The Co Curriculum Activity that I take part in is Netball. It was only last year that I decided to join a sports CCA. Initially, the main reason of me joining was to grow taller, but gradually, my passion for this sport became the main reason. I am a huge fan of sports, for example: Soccer, Tennis and not to mention Netball. Some of my classmates told me that Soccer was a boy's thing but my enthusiasm about soccer has proven them otherwise. My favourite team is Manchester United.
One fear that not many people are aware about is Chameleons. I will freak out when I see a chameleon changing colour when it is adapting to the environment. This fear was induced in me when I was on a vacation. A chameleon and I made eye contact and it suddenly starting blending with the surrounding.
My goals for this year is to grow taller, explore the museums of other countries like Australia and eat less sweets.
No comments:
Post a Comment