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| Two pictures that illustrate a nation |
I received links to the above picture from two friends a few hours ago. One came from an email with a subject titled, "Just for laughs." The other was sent via Facebook with a comment, "You will like this. Lol." Apart of these sources, the picture went viral and was everywhere in cyberspace. I didn't have to take a close look at the picture to understand the message. Being a Singaporean son, I knew very well the underlying story. My friends were wrong. I didn't find it funny and I didn't like it. I do have a sense of humor, albeit a rather dark one but I couldn't muster a even a forced smile, my expression as grim as the dark secrets embedded within the picture. My heart sank, encumbered with grief.
There is a famous saying in Singapore that goes this way, "Do anything you want, but don't get caught." With total regulation of the internet yet to be implemented in Singapore, "doing a North Korea" would bound to yield some red faces amongst the organising committee responsible to make the visiting royalty feel right at home, in Queenstown no less. There were so much wrong in the pictures that I didn't know where to begin with. It was a profound web of deceit, a deed of multifarious incongruity that depicts the cardinal despondency of the Singapore society.
An eye witness described the scenes before the actual time Prince William and Kate were designated to stroll past. The children and elderly were sitting down, bored, minutes before their well rehearsed flash mob. Upon indication at 1545hrs, under the fervent afternoon sun, they sprang up and performed each of their assigned roles. An elderly in full traditional costume practicing taichi with friends. Little girls started to skip wildly. Some boys couldn't stop grinding their bottoms down the slide, while their friends nearby took on the chin-up bars and the monkey ladder. A middle aged woman began her aggressive workout on the press. The crowd, fanning themselves tirelessly under their umbrellas a minute before was released like the kraken and oozed enthusiasm. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge strolled past, clearly impressed with the Singaporean effort. The royalty has probably seen it all but this one undoubtedly took the cake.
At best, it was a very bad performance displaying Singapore life in natural settings. William and Kate should take a day off from hospitality and take the MRT train with the peak hour morning crowd. There, they would rub shoulders and armpits with our foreigners, which makes up 40% of our population, but nowhere to be seen in today's performance at Queenstown. The prince should take his princess for a stroll in the heartlands at 0400hrs to see how clean our HDB blocks really are. With some luck, they could catch some elderly appointed as our national recyclers.
Anything else, it was a farce. How do you explain what happened to the participating children, all prefects from a nearby school, my Alma Mater in fact? That it was ok to be hypocritical if it was an important occasion? That it was ok to lie? How were the elderly convinced to join the children in the act? What moral values did the participating elderly instill in the young today? That we should be something we weren't? That putting on a mask was necessary if what beneath wasn't attractive enough? Who was the organiser? Is that the way they have been treating the people all along, by putting on skits? Is that the way so many eyes were blinded for many years too long?
Why are we shy about telling the world who we really are, under our intricate facade mask a reality of social suppression and draconic government control? Freedom of speech and expression in the country is severely truncated with mainstream media manipulated by the government. The retirement funds of the people were withheld increasingly tightly with new policies. Questions regarding our sovereign funds are consistently circumvented. A gathering of five or more people requires an official permit. The government put people into detention without trail, laws to silence its critics and bringing criminal defamation cases against them.
No, I couldn't laugh, my ladies. Not through this miasma of deceit, artifice and outright fakery. Not funny at all.
BUT WHATS WITH THE TAICHI?looks damn outa place and odd.
ReplyDeletei think the after should be changed to 30 mins later or something to strongly indicate whats really happening.
Kocked eyed dragons with kocked eyed priorities!
ReplyDeleteI've been to Singapore. People work really hard, they are excellent in business, but you are right - there is a kind of reservedness like a facade.
ReplyDeletereally liked your comments on the display specially put up for the royals, so much fakery
ReplyDeletewouldn't the outcome be the same if the royals visited other countries? the host country putting up a display for the visiting royals?
ReplyDeletei think the taichi and all those stuff represent the daily routines of sporeans.but i think they should have giotten like a few cultural things while they walk past like a lion dance,follwed by malays cultural singing with their musical instruments followed by indian bangla dance.
ReplyDeletequestion is why didnt the top guy do it?wad happened?lack of fundings or connections with sporeans and its associated units?
the gov in spore no longer is as capable as it was from way they orchestrate this event.
the display was kind of pathetic.sad looking too.
ReplyDeletemaybe they were on a very tight budget.
ReplyDeletewill be interesting to see the Before, After and after-After photos...
ReplyDeletethink the royal family knows what sporean politicians and PAP are screwing most of its own citizens.
ReplyDeletesaw tv news that at the istana,everyone toast using red wine,charddonay etc etc,but the young royal couple drink plain water.maybe spore too hot and cant drink those heaty stuff after their long journey.but then they can drink coca cola.........so it means they know already every single dirty thing by spore gov.
Here's another interpretation on the royals declining alcoholic beverage. The gossip news here say that Kate is drinking plain water because she may be pregnant, and her hubby is drinking water too in support of his wife.
Deletei doubt he could be pregnant too.he could drink a coke or something.Isnt he like a prince or king or something?
Deletesee like 7 mths later if it shows.
ReplyDeleteYup. Exactly like a communist kind of doing things. It's obviously a North Korea thing. From there you can see that they don't bother about principles, truth or sincerity. It's all lies, falsehood and propaganda. What a shame for a first world country resorting to such lowly tactic to impress and sell the country! Sad indeed!
ReplyDeleteApology for this grim picture.
ReplyDeleteThe intelligent ones will sure think logically and know what is going on. The puppets are willing ones with hidden motives. I guess whatever they do, they must be for their inner self-interest (boasting to aunties-next-door, students can hv this "service to nation" in their testimonials and in resume).
I laughed because it's really pathetic and I laughed because I am like one of them. I am in that kind of environment. I laughed because I have my mask on.....
Space
i feel sad
Deletehokkien :"xia suay"!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI think it is sad that people display the two pictures and use that to "show" that Singapore is faking it. It tells you how desperate that they have become and cannot think properly.
ReplyDeleteIt was not the intention to show that the playground is always occupied with activities like that. This is supposed to be a performance (like on a stage, but done in the open). Did you think Will/ Kate think they will be allowed by their security to work through a HDB heartland with man on the street doing their "daily activities" so near to them? Seriously? So do you think Will/ Kate think this is every day life (plus the rows of fans by the side)? Seriously?
What is embarassing are not the pics but the people who even thought that Singapore is trying to con Will/ Kate? The lack of ability to analyse is embarassing.