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Yan Chun requested for a blog post. It wasn't often I get a special request like that. It was normally the opposite, where I got those "Don't write about me!"s or "Don't publish my email!"s. That was something someone who had nothing good to say about anything should expect. According to the requester, I was supposed to write something to motivate her so that she would resume her blogging that she begun some 10 years ago and subsequently stopped. That was a tough task, to rally a lao jiao blogger when I was struggling to write the next blog post every time. Well, as an everyday scummy guy, I could occasionally turn up to move bags or assemble beds, but tough tasks, I shunned. So, no motivation for you Yan Chun. Since we are at it, let's talk a little about before I end this post.
Yan Chun would be in Singapore soil by now, after missing her original flight due to forgetfulness. Or muddiness perhaps. What I didn't expect was a short tale of kindness when I pick her up to send Yan Chun to probably her last journey in Perth. To the airport actually, not to send her packing to Hades. She told me she might not return to Perth in future at all. That sound a bit sad when I heard it. Not that I really like her so much. But you know how it feels like when someone tells you it will be the last time you'll see him/her there. Upon turning up at her place, where I later learnt she was adopted by a kind school mate for several days when she was emotionally down. Then I witnessed a touching scene that moved even my steely heart a little. Though all Yan Chun and her house mate did was exchanging hugs and taking a parting photograph sitting in the front porch of the house in the common lazy-cosy settings of many houses in Fremantle, what made that a proper farewell amount of genuinity oozing out of the entire gesture. With that, Yan Chun departed from Perth with the mixed feelings of dejection from not achieving her goals here and anticipation of her new life in Singapore.
I took some time to see beyond the odd quirks of Yan Chun to appreciate the greatness within her. She was well read, knowledgeable and probably wrote well better than I could, at a much higher level too. Ironically, I caught her calling me - definitely in jest - her favourite Singaporean blogger in her facebook statuses occasionally. It was interesting to learn from someone younger who knew so much more about Singapore than I did. There would be long way ahead of her. Her passion in workers' welfare would be much needed in Singapore. We needed people like Yan Chun to make Singapore a better place.
If you are still finding a motivation to write again, ask yourself why you started in the first place. Does that still resonate with you? Look at the reasons why you stopped writing. Did they still hold a significant weight at your current situation? You may not need to pick up the pen again at this moment. Or at any moment. Make writing leisure, not chore. Do remember what I told you. You walked the path that very few privileged ones could. Even though it didn't end the way you wanted it to, there was so much, so much you took back with it. These memories would not remain forever vivid in our volatile minds. Writing is one of the very rare modes of freedom of expression left in the Singapore society. Embrace it while it lasts, especially if you write cold hard facts that most, including ourselves, are unwilling to accept from their beautiful exclusionary world.
i like your blog because you are positive and willing to play host to the down-and-out. YC basically found it a waste of time in Oz cos she can't find a rich bf here. Find her one rich boy-boy, she will return immediately.
ReplyDeleteunfortunately, most new immigrants are poor bastards trying to start anew in a new hostile place.
gals are never politically too aggressive. they just vote for the ruling party and keep status quo.
this is their nature and they are good at them. so no worries ... she will do well in sg ...
Hello asingaporeanson, thanks for writing this post to motivate YC. It has been a trying time for her in Perth this past year, but I'm heartened to see that she has made friends like you too. In fact, it was her who recommended your blog to me, a fellow Singaporean somewhere out there in the world. And yes, YC is quirky, no doubt, but she's one gem of a friend when you know her. She puts me to shame too with her firm convictions and beliefs, whereas I rarely walk my talk.
ReplyDeletePsst, I enjoy reading your blog, and some posts made me chuckle out loud. Do keep on writing too, asingaporeanson.
Cheers,
A friend of YC
Hi Xin
DeleteThank you. Say hi to YC for me when you see her
Hi asingaporeanson,
ReplyDeleteYou are a legend mate! As I always said, starting a blog is easy but keeping it going is an art. Kamsia.